Toddlers make peculiar friend selections quite frequently. Others have even created fictional friends. The young man in this video, however, is not. A kind, enormous manta ray is his special friend.
At a Canary Island wharf, his special bond with the large sea creature was caught on camera. In the coastal waters of this stunning subtropical archipelago, which is northwest of Africa, visitors can expect to see a variety of rays and fish.
At the waterfront, where local fishermen daily discard their leftovers and rejects, rays regularly congregate near this flight of stone stairs. Numerous aquatic species in the area have learned to rely on the delicious scraps as a free meal.
A friendly manta ray that the young boy frequently calls in for a hand-held treat was being fed by the boy on this particular day. The ray walks confidently up the stairs to take the food from his friend’s hand and even accepts the boy’s petting without showing any fear.
Almost all of the time, you could have been excused for thinking that the couple was embracing and savoring their relationship. The child fed the ray, and the trusting thing fluttered its huge wings, trying to get even closer to him.
The fact that manta rays are known for being amiable and non-threatening, however, makes it not seem so strange. They are thought to be smarter than the majority of marine animals, and they frequently show an interest in people.
The biggest stingray species are manta rays. They are not typically aggressive, but will defend themselves if attacked or scared, as most animals do. They can grow to be more than 20 feet wide and three thousand pounds. Only a small number of stingray deaths have been documented. A typical domestic cow is much more likely to hurt you.
