Drone footage shows rare bird’s-eye view of stingrays off New York coast

With wing spans up to 3ft, the shy cownose ray species typically arrive in Long Island waters in the warmer months Drone footage of dozens of stingrays in the ocean off New York has captivated beachgoers and marine enthusiasts, offering a rare bird’s-eye view of a species that scientists say has visited the area for decades. The footage was captured last Friday off the coast of Southampton on Long Island by Joanna Steidle, a Hamptons-based professional drone pilot known for her aerial ocean shots. It shows cownose rays gliding through the water en masse near the surface. Describing the rays in a separate drone shot last week, Steidle said on Instagram: “While filming these I can feel my heartbeat and breathing align with their wings flapping....it is in these moments I feel completely connected and present.” The sighting raises the possibility that the species is migrating farther north and appearing in the area more consistently as ocean temperatures rise, or could simply indicate that increased drone use is making everyday wildlife activity more visible to the public, various experts said. The video appears to show hundreds of cownose rays swimming in a group that some refe