A video seen over 100 million times of a man tickling a stingray has caused a divide between those who think the sea creature, which appears to smile when tickled, is cute, and those who see it as animal abuse.
Do stingrays enjoy being tickled? Joseph Gemellaro at the Long Island Aquarium says it’s not safe at all. “Because they’re animals that breathe in the water, if you keep them out for long, they have issues with oxygen depravity,” he said. They also pack a potentially deadly sting.