Prevention: You really really don't want to get stung by one of these just ask Steve.

(1) Read about where they live

(2) Learn when they will be most active so you can avoid these arrears or at least stay away from them when they will be out.

(3) Stay away. Stay out of shallow warm, clear waters.

(4) Do the shuffle. No, not that shuffle, the stingray shuffle. Shuffle your feet when in the water instead of lifting them up to move this will let the stingrays know you are there and they will most likely leave and you won't step on one this way.

(5) Clothes. Wear the right clothes. Water shoes will help by making it hard for the sting to get into your foot but never impossible. Stingray-proof boots and leggings will work great to keep you safe.

Habit: Almost everywhere in warm waters.

(1) In warm freshwater rivers in the Amazon.

(2) In warm clear shallow salt waters.

(3) Coral reefs.

Signs and symptoms: Pay attention to the following  stingray sting signs and symptoms. This will vary.

(1) Extreme pain that can persist for up to two days.

(2)Bleeding.

(3) Swelling and redness.

(4) Blueish skin discoloration.

(5) Bruising.

(6) Breathing difficulty.

(7) Salivating and drooling.

(8) No heartbeat.

(9) Irregular heartbeat.

(10) Low blood pressure.

(11) Collapse (shock).

(12) Body cramps and muscle twitching.

(13) Headache.

(14) Numbness and tingling.

(15) Paralysis.

(16) Weakness.

(17) Bleeding.

(18) Discoloration and blistering, sometimes containing blood.

(19) Pain and swelling of lymph nodes near the area of the sting.

(20) Severe pain at the site of the sting.

(21) Sweating.

(22) Swelling, both at the sting site and throughout the body, especially if the sting is on the skin of the trunk.

(23) Diarrhea.

(24) Nausea and vomiting.

First aid: I hope with all my heart you will never have to use this.

(1) While still in the water, irrigate the wound to remove fragments of the spine and tissue.

(2) Get out of the water.

(3) Call 911

(4) Gently manually remove obvious pieces of the spine. Do not remove pieces of the spine from the neck, chest, abdomen, or heart.

(5) Stay calm. We've been through this before. Packing will increase heart rate which will make the venom travel through your body faster.

(6) Don't move. Moving will increase heart rate which will make the venom travel through your body faster.

(7) Apply pressure above the wound if it is bleeding.

(8) Hot water inactivates any remaining venom and may relieve pain. Some say the water should be no hotter than 110 but others say 112 the hotter the better. Vinger will work too, but not hot vinger of course.

(9) Do not soak in hot water for more than 90 minutes as the skin can burn.

(10) A tourniquet. If necessary, apply a bandage to maintain local pressure over the wound. Only if there is severe bleeding, caused by damage to major blood vessels, apply a tourniquet above the wound, to a single-boned part of the limb (thigh for leg; upper arm for arm) to control the bleeding. Tourniquets are effective at controlling bleeding, but in doing so, deprive the limb of oxygen, so cannot be left on for more than 30-45 minutes, or they will cause permanent injury. They, therefore, require a regular release for short periods.

(11) Clean with soap and water.

(12) Add antibiotic ointment or cream to the wound.

(13) Apply dressing. Do not tape it closed.

(14) Tack an anti-inflammatory this will help with the pain and reduce the swelling.

(15) Wiat. All you can do now is wait for the ambulance or helicopter to pick you up.

Don'ts: Never ever do these!!!

(1) Pee on it. Never pee on a stingray sting or on a jellyfish sting does anything to ease the pain. It will even make the pain worse.

(2) The pressure immobilization technique. The pressure immobilization technique is not meant to be used for spider bites or signs from any bug or fish.

(3) Suck or cut out the venom. This will not work and will cause more problems.

(4) Provoke a stingray. Don't provoke one of these creatures they can still kill you. If you do provoke one and get stung, and end up on the news I will be laughing at you the whole time.

(5) Pick one up. Just because they are calm most of the time doesn't mean they will be if you take them out of the water. Picking one up will scare it and it will sting you to get away.

(6) Catch one and try to take its stinger. Many people if they catch a stingray will try and take its stinger as a prize. Not only will this leave them helpless until it grows back but it is downright inhuman. If you try and do this and get stung you got what was coming to you.

Fun fact: Stingrays have cartilage rather than bone.

Fun fact: 1,500-2,000 stingray injuries are reported in the US alone each year.

Fun fact: This can happen to you.