Migrating Stingrays Near Alabama's Gulf State Pier Captured on Drone Footage

5,155 次觀看・3 年前

A large school of stingrays was spotted near Gulf Shores, Alabama, video filmed in September and shared on Tuesday, November 24, shows.

Drone pilot Travis Middleton captured footage of cownose rays swimming amongst several sharks near a pier that recently experienced weather damage.

Speaking to Storyful, Middleton said he was flying his drone along the Gulf Coast to record the aftermath of the Hurricane Sally when he saw the rays, swimming near the Gulf State Park Pier on September 30.

“I had heard about the migration in the past and always wanted to capture it but had no idea it would be happening when I was shooting that day,” he said.

He added, “For the first time flying my drone I felt a little nervous just because it was such an overwhelming thing to see. It was truly one of the more beautiful things I have had the chance to capture.”

Although stingray sightings are common near Alabama’s shores. Middleton wrote on Twitter that he never witnessed a stingray migration before seeing it on the “screen” of his drone remote.

Cownose rays can be found along the Gulf of Mexico. Changes to their migration patterns can often be triggered by seasonal changes to water temperature and sun orientation, according to experts. Credit: Travis Middleton via Storyful