It was a sunny day at Norah Head Beach in New South Wales, Australia, when a visitor recently noticed a dark shadow swimming through one of the tide pools dotting the shore.
Marine Wildlife Rescue Central Coast
The woman walked over to get a closer look and recognized the animal as a large ray. There were groups of people standing dangerously close to the ray as they took photos. More worryingly, the woman could tell the tide pool was losing water, and the ray would soon be stranded. In need of expert help, she contacted Marine Wildlife Rescue Central Coast (MWRCC), who sent rescue volunteers Jessie Fancett and Cathy Gilmore to the scene.
The rescuers placed a cone in the sand to measure how far the water was dropping. With help from other animal experts, they managed to identify the animal as a southern eagle ray, a species known for their flat snouts and gray-blue coloring.
The women knew they had to act fast.
“By the time we had the equipment needed to rescue, more than half the water had emptied out of the rock pool,” Gilmore, who founded MWRCC, told The Dodo. “Time was of the essence.”
Marine Wildlife Rescue Central Coast
The rescuers needed backup. Luckily, there were many generous bystanders ready to assist.
“[W]e asked for anyone around that was willing to help us, and so many people put their hands up,” Gilmore said. “We gave them a quick rundown on what we needed to do, and the rescue started.”
Over the course of about 40 minutes, Gilmore, Fancett and their rescue crew ushered the ray into a sheet and placed a wet towel over his tail, for extra safety. Then they picked up the sheet and carried the ray across the sand to his ocean home.
Marine Wildlife Rescue Central Coast
“[He] swam off strongly with no stress, back towards the rocks and into deeper water,” Gilmore said.
By the time they were done, the tide pool that once housed the ray was completely empty. They’d completed the rescue mission just in time.
“[E]veryone was so happy and cheering!” Gilmore said.
Marine Wildlife Rescue Central Coast
The rescuers encourage people who spot a wild animal in distress to do what this woman did — call a local wildlife rescue group and maintain a safe distance from the animal as you wait for help to arrive.
In this case, one phone call made all the difference.
“A successful rescue and release is always the best feeling,” Gilmore said. “[B]eing able to respond quickly and having the assistance of the public around us was awesome!”
To help other animals like this ray, you can make a donation to MWRCC. 
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