Lifeguards and police officers joined forces yesterday (Sunday) to rescue a manta ray which had got caught in a net near the shore at Playa de la Mata in Torrevieja.
The ray, measuring almost two metres across, was carried away from shore on a stretcher suspended between a a jet ski and a rigid inflatable boat and released three nautical miles out to sea.
The owner of a dive shop in the area also participated in the rescue operation, which was coordinated by local biologist Juan Antonio Pujol.
The rescue operation drew a big crowd of beachgoers, who broke into applause when they heard that the ray had been successfully released out at sea.
Although it is rare, it is not unheard of to find manta rays near the shore in the Mediterranean. On July 9th a critically wounded manta ray with severe abrasions appeared on the Playa de la Malvarrosa in Valencia. It was spotted by a group of swimmers who called 112. The case was handled by scientists from the city's aquarium - the Oceanogràfic - who took the ray, measuring 1.2m across, to the aquarium's quarantine area where it was given emergency care.
