From Sting to Recovery: The Timeline of a Stingray Sting

What does a stingray sting feel like? How painful is a stingray sting? Unfortunately, it is often extremely painful, but the experience follows a fairly predictable arc. Stingrays rest in shallow, calm water—exactly where we wade—so accidental contact is common, especially in warmer months and in bays and coves. Despite headlines about a shark encounter, you’re far more likely to meet a stingray than a shark “attack” in Southern California.

The Timeline

1 second – The Step. You unknowingly step on a stingray in knee-deep water; they bury in sand and rely on camouflage.

0.25 seconds – The Strike. Startled, the stingray whips its tail. In under 0.25 seconds, the stingray barb can make contact. This is not a 'stingray attack'; the stingray is only acting in self-defense.

0.1 seconds – The Sting. A thin sheath over the stingray barb contacts your skin; this skin sheath contains the stingray’s venom. The barb punctures through the sheath on it’s way into your skin.

0.5 seconds – The Stab. The stingray doesn't have a 'stinger' like a bee, but instead has a barb made of bone which buries into flesh, carrying venom and bacteria with it. Serrated, backward-facing edges of the barb can snap or shed fragments, increasing infection risk. 

0.2 seconds – The Snap Back. The ray yanks its tail away. The barb may rip out, tearing tissue as it goes, or detach and remain lodged due to those backward serrations.

~10 minutes – Silence. There’s often a 5-10 minute “calm before the storm.” You may feel a puncture or pinch and wonder what just happened. You may wonder if you stepped on a piece of glass or a sharp rock. Unfortunately, severe pain is about to arrive.

~5 minutes – The Surge. Venom spreads; pain escalates to throbbing, burning agony. Many people do the infamous “Stingray Hop” to the lifeguard stand for help. Hot water immersion is the go-to first aid. The hot water is thought to denature the toxins in the venom. In any case, it generally helps relieve the pain.

~2 hours – The Soak. Lifeguards will typically place your foot in very hot water. Within a couple of hours, the pain usually starts to subside, though it can linger for a day or more in some cases.

~6 hours – The Surgeon. If a stingray barb fragment is retained – or if deeper structures in your body are damaged – you may need imaging and treatment by a specialist. Many stings do not require a physician’s care, but if you think some part of the barb stayed in your wound or if something feels wrong, it is best to go see a doctor.

~ 1 week – The Sepsis: Infections can occur due to bacteria introduced by the sting and any retained fragments. This is not common. Anecdotally, we estimate that 1% or less of the cases we’ve heard about resulted in sepsis. Watch for redness, fever, or increasing pain and seek care promptly.

For life – The Scar: The wound will often heal with a small scar. You may also feel an emotional ‘scar’, with fear of returning to the water. We’d like to help you to work through this fear, with education about how to avoid stingrays, and booties that keep you protected.

Prevention beats pain every time. Do the stingray shuffle, watch for stingrays, learn local stingray patterns, and wear Dragonskin® Booties so a sting doesn’t ruin your day.