Going My Ray?

Boat/US Magazine, Sept, 1999

Two anglers fishing near Ponce de Leon Inlet in Florida accidentally discovered a new way to cut down on fuel consumption, if only they could control it. They ended up calling for assistance, saying a "sea monster" was dragging their boat out to sea.

As reported by the Associated Press (we don't make these things up) a 41-foot Coast Guard utility boat responding to the anglers' call for help arrived to find their boat heading east at about six knots with the engine off! A giant manta ray swam into their anchor line and kept on swimming. The ray, which the Coast Guard estimated weighed more than 1,000 pounds and had a 20-foot wingspan, eventually freed itself when the officers provided some slack in the anchor line.