Black Stingray or Thorntail Stingray - Dasyatis thetidis

ADORED by holiday-makers and locals alike, no visit to picturesque Hamelin Bay was complete without patting Stumpy the stingray. The friendliest ray in the bay, affectionately dubbed Stumpy because it had no barb, was a hit with families and particularly children, who would stroke and feed it. That was until two young fishermen speared the creature and hacked it to pieces in front of distressed and screaming beachgoers. Angry locals are now mourning the loss of Stumpy and are demanding more protection for the bay's remaining stingrays - a key tourism attraction. Authorities were powerless to act because the bay, 30 km south of Margaret River, is open to recreational fishing. WELCOME TO AUSTRALIA!!!