Trop stingrays are safe, relocated to Florida Aquarium

Seven cownose stingrays endured Hurricane Milton from their temporary home inside Tropicana Field as winds topping 100 mph shredded the stadium’s roof.

Torrential rains subsequently soaked the Trop’s interior, once lined with hundreds of cots to house state storm response personnel. Florida Aquarium officials announced Monday afternoon that the male stingrays, like the 14 security employees inside the stadium at the time, remained safe during the storm.

The Tampa Bay Rays display the eponymous marine creatures from a 10,000-gallon, 35-foot tank behind the right-center field fence. Craig Johnson, associate curator for the Florida Aquarium, said he was “pleased to report the cownose stingrays handled the storm well.”

“With the Tampa Bay Rays’ support, our staff was able to provide onsite care over the past several days and today we brought them safely back to the aquarium,” Johnson said in a prepared statement. “We will continue to monitor their health over the coming days, but currently, all are eating and behaving normally.”

The seven cownose stingrays are now in a Florida Aquarium exhibit. Photo provided.

The Trop houses the cartilaginous fish – closely related to sharks – during the baseball season as part of the Ray Touch Experience. The team and aquarium partnered to provide the educational exhibit in 2006.

The stadium was the first professional sports venue to feature an interactive marine exhibit. The species earned its name due to the distinctive shape of its head, which resembles a cow’s nose.

Cownose rays in the waters around Tampa Bay can sting when threatened. However, aquarium veterinarians clip the living mascots’ barbs to prevent them from injuring fans.

The exhibit’s rays typically spend the offseason at Tampa Electric Company’s (TECO) Manatee Viewing Center in Apollo Beach. They are now on public display in a separate area of the Florida Aquarium’s Stingray Beach habitat, sponsored by the team.

Biologists feed the touch tank rays “restaurant quality seafood,” including shrimp, anchovies and squid. They also receive regular behavioral observations and medical exams.

The exhibit is extremely popular among fans, particularly children. Rays president Matt Silverman has previously pledged that a new $1.3 billion stadium would feature a “successor” to the touch tank, but the team has not decided “what shape it will take.”

“It’s such an iconic feature at Tropicana Field,” Silverman said in May. “It’s one we’re looking to expand into the new ballpark.”

The Rays Touch Experience remains a popular attraction for young fans. Photo by Mark Parker.

The Trop’s roof, when new, was designed to withstand 115 mph winds. The semi-translucent material is made of Teflon-coated fiberglass and supported by cables.

James Corbett, city development administrator, said Milton’s gusts destroyed both the inner and outer roof at a Sept. 10 emergency briefing. Most of the material blew south of the stadium into surrounding parking lots and roadways.

The city and county are typically responsible for capital improvements and major repairs on the Trop. The Rays are responsible for those costs in the new ballpark.

“It’s a little bit complicated how the fund works … but there is insurance on the property,” Administrator Rob Gerdes said at the briefing. “So, that’s the first thing we’d be looking at – the property insurance to help make repairs.”

Hurricanes Helene and Milton impacted myriad team officials and employees. The Rays leadership said their priority was “supporting our community and staff” in the latter storm’s immediate aftermath.

“Over the coming days and weeks, we expect to be able to assess the true condition of Tropicana Field,” the team said in a prepared statement. “In the meantime, we are working with law enforcement to secure the building.”