A family of beachgoers came across a dead skate — an aquatic creature similar to a stingray — at Birch Bay State Park on Friday. Tressa Bergsma and her four children, Brooklyn, 7, Atlas, 6, Blair, 4, and Zoey, 3, were walking along the beach towards Point Whitehorn at around 1:30 p.m. when they came across what looked to be a dead stingray.
Upon further inspection and research, Bergsma realized it is actually a big skate, or Beringraja binoculata, which can be found in the Pacific Northwest. While these aquatic creatures can grow up to around 8 feet, Bergsma said this one was only about 3 feet across, indicating it was likely a young fish, and said they couldn't see any physical damage on the creature.
"Me and my kids live right on the beach here in Birch Bay and spend a lot of time walking along them, and we've never seen one or heard of one washing up," Bergsma wrote in a text message to The Northern Light.
Bergsma's children decided they wanted to do a memorial service for the fish, and collected flowers and shells, placed them around the creature, and said a few words to appreciate its life.
Photos courtesy of Tressa Bergsma
