Mexico's mysterious stingray-carcass beach

 

By Lauren Hansen | The Week – Wed, 17 Jul, 2013

 

They look like oversized rocks bleached by the sun. But focus a little more and you'll see the telltale flip of a fin, a beady eye, a gaping mouth. These are the 250 stingray carcasses littering the Chachalacas beach near the town of Ursulo Galvan on Mexico's Gulf Coast.

Residents first spotted them on Tuesday. Witnesses reported seeing fishermen dumping nets full of the bottom-dwelling creatures on the sandy shore. And while authorities are investigating, locals say they suspect anglers were trying to sell the stingrays to food venders and unloaded them when they didn't get a good deal.

 

Stingray carcasses litter the shore of the Chachalacas beach near the town of Ursulo Galvan on Mexico's Gulf Coast, Tuesday, July 16, 2013. Mexican authorities are investigating the death of at least 250 stingrays. Ursulo Galvan Mayor Martin Verdejo says witnesses told authorities fishermen dumped the stingrays on the beach because they weren't able to get a good price for them. Chopped stingray wings are commonly served as snacks in Veracruz restaurants. (AP Photo/Felix Marquez)