Scubaism

Police have found the man who posted a video on Youtube of a group of beach goers who tortured an eagle ray to death on Rivera Beach in Palm Beach County, Florida.

On the video, a man is seen poking the ray with a knife and then cutting off its tail. The video was removed from Youtube by the poster on 19 June. But follow the newslink and you can watch a TV news report featuring clips from the video. The 90-second video had been posted on YouTube for nine months under the title of “Manta ray Peanut Island”.

Officials said bystanders laughed and encouraged the man to keep torturing the ray and some even stepped on its head. The animal died a slow death, officials said. State wildlife officials said they have found the man who videotaped the torture, but he claims he did not participate in the incident and even tried to call authorities after it happened. The man said the online death threats are all in response to the videotape.

Killing a protected eagle ray is punishable by up to 60 days in jail and a $500 fine, according to a report. Anyone with information about this incident is urged to call the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission at 888-404-3922.