Sea creature leaps out of water in front of astonished beachgoers leaving them floored

People enjoying a leisurely walk near the shore of the crystal clear ocean were left stunned when an unexpected creature leapt up and burst through the surface, with many having no idea the animal could perform such a feat. The sea houses hundreds of thousands of known marine species, with fresh discoveries being made by marine biologists constantly.

Recently, people were hurrying along a boardwalk towards a huge ship when they froze in amazement after catching sight of a stingray near the water's surface. A woman filmed the scene, encouraging her family to observe the creature.

While filming, she voiced her amazement, calling the stingray "so cool" and "neat", showing her wonder at witnessing it in its natural environment. The creature kept swimming close to the boardwalk as she tracked it to get a proper view.

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The stingray didn't merely glide through the waters, though. In an extraordinary turn of events, the animal launched itself out of the water, completely clearing the surface - leaving spectators gobsmacked.

The footage was extensively circulated on social media. Facebook fan Nick Jackson posted it for his followers, and in the caption alongside the video, he wrote: "Have you ever seen a stingray JUMP out of the water? [mind-blown emoji]".

In the comments area, people were quick to share their reactions. One person said: "Whoa! I didn't know they jumped out of the water like that!"

Another brought up the late Australian conservationist and zookeeper Steve Irwin, who died in 2006 after being pierced in the chest by a stingray's barb.

They said: "I have a difficult feeling about sting rays! First I love all nature!! They killed Steve Irwin but it's also Grandma Tala!!"

Another quipped: "They were like, 'let me give the huuumons some reel worthy stuff' *proceeds to jump out of water*".

A different user said: "Forget the jump...look how fast he started moving outta nowhere".

Someone else shared their own experience: "A stingray jumped out of the water in Cabo after I had jumped in and out. I was like WTH?!!!"

Another commented: "What a happy little sea flap flap!"

One Facebook user recounted: "Yeah and it scared the ever loving hell out of me!! Lmfao it was a calm day on the ocean and I was way out and that mofo jumped about 8ft from me and y'all thought I was Jesus the way [I] ran on water the hell out of there!!

"I didn't know that was a thing! Once I came back on shore and got over my mini stroke I found out it's a show off for [their] mating call! ! I tell ya what, I'll never go to the beach on a calm water day - forget that!"

Various members of the stingray family possess "barbed, venomous" blades on their tails, which can cause injury if they're provoked or startled.

The Poison Control Centre states: "Stingrays have long, thin, whip-like tails equipped with one to three barbed venomous spinal blades. Although they are generally shy, they may strike when unintentionally stepped on.

"Their venom causes intense pain, but the main risk of a stingray injury is the puncture wound. Hot water immersion and good wound care are central to managing stingray injuries."