Eagle ray barbs

[vladimir]

I just wonder how the big defenseless fish like whale sharks and mantas get so big without getting eaten first. Once they are larger I'm sure they swim faster than most predatory fish can.

Most whale sharks don't get big without getting eaten first. Like many fish species their reproductive strategy is to have large litters, as large as 300. The young sharks are eaten by blue sharks, marlin, and orcas. The adults' principal defense against predation, like manta rays, is their size and their extremely thick skin.

 

[Manuel Sam]

It took a while to search my archives, but here's one showing three.

 

[Couv]

You might find this interesting:

Stingray Leaps Into Boat, Stings Florida Man in Heart
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/10/061019-stingray.html

And this:

MIAMI: A 57-year-old woman was killed when a stingray leaped onto a boat off the Florida Keys, wildlife investigators said.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/bolt-from-the-deep-blue-sea-kills-woman-on-a-boat/2008/03/21/1205602658029.html