Today aboard the Sea Lion we woke up in the beautifully sculptured and sheltered cove called Ensenada Grande at Isla Partida, north of La Paz. To begin the day our guests had an option of a short hike or a snorkel. Diving from the same beach as the snorkelers, I strayed from the bouldery substrate to investigate the flat sandy bottom. I did not have to go far before I came upon one of my favorite critters, a stingray resting on a bed of green algae. This individual appears to be a bullseye stingray with the darker rosette patterns on its tan dorsal surface. Stingrays are graceful gliders that live close to the substrate where they forage a living from the mollusks and crustaceans found in the silty bottom. The name "sting" in their name comes from the sharp and venomous spine that lies on their dorsal surface directly in front of the caudal fin. The sting is only a defensive weapon though, since these animals are not aggressive; they use it to protect themselves from predators such as sharks. For this reason we encourage snorkelers and swimmers to do the "stingray shuffle" as they enter the water in order to avoid an uncomfortable encounter with these beautiful creatures.