Overview

• Sightings of stingrays along Mallorca and other Balearic coasts have spiked sharply since May, with experts calling it unprecedented.
• On June 15, a pelagic stingray in shallow water at Magaluf wounded a child on the arm, prompting hospital treatment.
• Conservation groups report at least five endangered devil rays and multiple manta rays stranding on Balearic beaches, plus about 20 more elsewhere in the Spanish Mediterranean.
• A manta ray found near Illetes died and was taken to the Palma Aquarium for autopsy as researchers seek clues to the strandings.
• Marine biologists, including Aniol Esteban, suspect bacterial or viral infections may be disorienting the rays and urge beachgoers to avoid touching stranded animals and to call emergency services.