Giant stingray jumps into a fishing boat and gives birth to four pups. Infopun

The vast waters of the world's ocean are inhabited by a large variety of creatures. Some of them are charming and harmless, while others are scary and venomous. Moreover, sometimes people encounter the most dangerous creatures whose sting can be lethal.

A stingray has recently been caught during the Alabama Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo but in a very unusual way.

That day April Jones, her husband, and son were fishing but could not catch anything. The fishermen decided to change their location, and just as they sped up, something really unexpected happened. A large pregnant female eagle ray jumped into their boat.

According to Jones, she felt something hit her shoulder, and when she turned around, she saw the huge eagle ray lying in the back of the boat. First Jones was determined to release the stingray back into the water, but on seeing the barbs on its tail she decided to call experts.

After reaching the pier, Jones went to the Alabama Aquarium’s Dauphin Island Sea Lab for help. But when she returned, a passerby had already helped her husband return the eagle ray to the water. The female came to her senses and swam away. But what they didn't expect to see where she lay was her four pups already dead.

For a moment turmoil took over the boat. But according to a biologist from the lab, this behavior is not uncommon for stingrays when they feel their life is in danger. In fact, the eagle ray often jumps out of the water in distress, and sometimes it releases its young. Such a case happened in the Florida Keys in 2008, when a woman sailing in a boat was killed by a lethal sting of a stingray. The sea creature also died.

That may seem unusual, but when stingrays jump out of the water and flap their fins, they are trying to shake off parasites. Most likely this female was trying to do the same thing because not far from the place where it lay a remora or suckerfish was found. The remora was apparently an unwanted passenger for the eagle ray.

The spotted eagle ray is very rare in local waters and is protected by the state of Alabama. It is more common in the Caribbean and other southern waters. Judging by its size, this female weighed about 400lb. So the fishing trip was over for the family since Jones had to have her bruised shoulder examined.

The spotted eagle ray is easily recognized by its dark back dotted with white spots or rings. It is found in the tropical and subtropical region of the ocean. Just behind the pelvic fins, there are from 2 to 6 venomous barbs.

The spotted eagle usually feeds on small fish, crustaceans, polychaetes, and various echinoderms that it digs out with its snout from the seabed. But it is often a prey to a variety of shark species.