Boy Sits On Dock Every Morning And Waits For His Giant Stingray Buddy To Greet Him
Sep 12, 2020 by apost team
Children often develop strong bonds with animals. This is usually the case when a young boy or girl has a dog or cat while growing up. In many instances, it includes other animals as well, such as turtles, birds, and hamsters. However, this story of a boy and a stingray becoming friends is most likely a unique one for you.
Be sure to reach the end of this article to see the full video :-)
No, he does not keep a stingray at home. However, he does sit at a dock every morning waiting for his stingray friend to come by and say "hello," and that daily ritual has likely started to mean just as much to the animal as it does to the child.
Joel lives in Valle Gran Rey, a small fishing village of 4,000 people, located in the Canary Islands, Spain. In fact, according to Animal Channel, it being such a dedicated fishing community has so much to do with why stingrays and similar animals tend to regularly visit the area as they get to consume whatever the fishermen toss back.
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Every morning, Joel heads down the harbor steps, the ones that literally go right into the water, and patiently waits for his friend. Every day, the stingray comes to the boy and graciously receives a pat on its back. On some occasions, Joel will head out onto the water as beyond those steps he can walk for a while on a cement path that is situated just a few inches below the water's surface.
A famous YouTube video, which has received nearly 60 million views, captures one of those special moments. In it, he rubs its back, and he splashes his hand in the water, wanting the stingray to return, which it does. Many are watching the dock in amazement at how closely the stingray allows the boy to interact with it.
Some fisherman even come by to give Joel some shrimp to feed the stingray, which he does, much to the delight of the sea animal. After it's patted a few more times, it sinks back into the water to experience further sea adventures.
Stingrays are known for the poison that they carry in their stingers, but they aren't aggressive and only use that weapon when they feel threatened, reports Oceana. That is obviously not the case here as this stingray is clearly comfortable with this boy.
Have you ever bonded with an atypical companion animal like a stingray? Do you know of anybody who has?