Video shows manatee encounter group of spotted eagle rays near North Captiva Island
Right place. Right time.
It's the best way to describe how Steve Plein was able to capture a very unique piece of wildlife video with his drone in early October.
Plein and his wife, Stefanie, who own Captiva Eco Tours and Sailing New Wave, were on the water near North Captiva Island when Steve noticed five spotted eagle rays swimming in the Gulf of Mexico. The drone he piloted was flying 50 feet above the surface when Plein noticed the spotted eagle rays on the drone's video screen.
The Pleins are used to seeing spectacular wildlife on their tours. This was different. A manatee can be seen swimming nearby and when it comes into the frame you can see how it startles the spotted eagle rays.
READ THE PLEINS' STORY: Comeback couple: Husband, wife lost home and business after Ian. Not their dreams
"That was a Top 5 occurrence," Stefanie said. "Although both animals are commonly sighted, their interaction with one another was a first for us."
According to the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation, spotted eagle rays are not endangered but are considered a near-threatened species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) because their populations are showing patterns of decline worldwide.
"Amazing wildlife encounters from large to small can happen in the blink of an eye," Stefanie said. "While most boaters would have missed such interactions, those who keep a vigilant lookout will be pleasantly rewarded by what our waters have to offer."
The Pleins have been going through a reboot with their business since Hurricane Ian hit Southwest Florida on Sept. 28, 2022. The have launched a new catamaran charters venture (Sailing New Wave), offering trips on their 46-foot catamaran, "Sea Pearl", starting in January the Exumas, Bahamas.
Besides manatees and spotted eagle rays, what else have they seen in their travels?
"A ton!" Stefanie said. "Bull sharks, spinner sharks, cow nose rays, southern stingrays, bottlenose dolphins, manta ray, horseshoe crabs, live snails such as lightning whelks, fighting conchs and horse conchs
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Watch manatee startle group of spotted eagle rays off Captiva, Florida
