Attractions

Close Encounters With Stingrays Featured at 2008 Boat Show

The 2008 Houston International Boat Sport and Travel Show offers visitors the opportunity to have a live encounter with a sea creature most have only seen on TV - the stingray.

The Live Stingray Encounter, produced by Sea Life Encounters, is the world's only traveling stingray encounter. Learn about one of the ocean's most fascinating creatures, as you get up close and personal. Touch, feed and observe them as they glide effortlessly through the water. Stingrays are truly one of the wonders of the natural world.

Show producers want visitors to know that the stingrays on display have had their barbs removed. "The stingrays are actually very friendly, gentle, smart and social and can be trained to eat right out of your hand, " said Joe Culver, the exhibitor. There will be four to five stingrays on exhibit at any given time.

In addition to the stingrays, the exhibit will also feature baby and adult horseshoe crabs and horse conches. Horseshoe crabs have been around for millions of years, according to Culver, and live on the bottom of the ocean. They shed their shells every eight years during their 20-year life and grow larger with each shedding.

The main exhibit tank holds 1,000 gallons of water that is maintained at 65 to 75 degrees.