“Time was of the essence.”
It was a bright, beautiful day at Norah Head Beach in New South Wales, Australia, when a beachgoer spotted something unusual moving in one of the shallow tide pools.
Curious, she stepped closer and realized a large ray was gliding through the shrinking pool. People had gathered around, leaning in for photos — far too close for comfort. Even more alarming, the tide pool’s water level was dropping fast. The ray wouldn’t have much longer before becoming completely trapped.
Not wanting the animal to suffer, the woman quickly reached out to Marine Wildlife Rescue Central Coast (MWRCC). Volunteers Jessie Fancett and Cathy Gilmore raced to the location to help.
To keep track of how quickly the tide was receding, the rescuers placed a cone into the sand. With advice from other marine specialists, they confirmed that the stranded animal was a southern eagle ray — a beautiful species known for its smooth, rounded snout and silvery-blue coloring.
But beauty aside, the ray was in real danger.
“By the time we gathered the rescue gear we needed, more than half the water was already gone,” Gilmore told The Dodo. “We had to work quickly.”
Thankfully, many beach visitors stepped forward to assist. After a quick briefing, the rescue team began moving the ray to safety.
Working carefully for around 40 minutes, they gently guided the ray onto a sheet and placed a damp towel over his tail to avoid injuries. Together, the group lifted him from the nearly dry pool and carried him across the sand to the open ocean.
When the sheet lowered into the surf, the ray didn’t hesitate. He swam away powerfully toward deeper waters, clearly relieved to be free again.
Cheers broke out from everyone who helped and watched. The pool he had been stuck in was now completely dry — the rescue had been finished just in time.
Gilmore hopes this moment inspires others to call trained wildlife teams if they ever come across an animal in distress.
“That quick phone call saved his life,” she said. “Helping an animal get the second chance they deserve is the best feeling.”