Rare Giant Stingray Vulnerable to Depth Charges

TOFO, MOZAMBIQUE - Marine biologists have learned that rare smalleye stingrays are extremely vulnerable to exploding depth charges. These graceful ocean giants, two meters across, cannot handle severe detonations and will float to the surface dead. A joint U.S.-British expedition aboard a British frigate divided the sea around Manta Reef into grid squares, then dropped depth charges. Marine biologist Kevin Peterman, a researcher at Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, CA, stated the expedition used old World War II Mark IX's loaded with 200 pounds of Torpex, setting the fuses for varying depths. "Clearly, all the rays that floated to the surface were killed by the blasts as well as some other fish, several of which were new species previously undiscovered." Peterman believed undersea explosions were the future of marine biology. "With cuts in funding, a depth charge eliminates the need to dive by blasting everything topside, right next to your boat. It's like pizza delivery, only every order has anchovies." (Video: cgoble72)