(The rays in the outdoor exhibit have their barbs clipped, allowing humans to touch them without fear of coming in contact with the animal's sharp and potentially venomous tail spine, or stinger.)

What happens if you touch a stingray?

If you accidentally step on a stingray, it may respond by thrusting its tail into your leg or foot. Venom and spine fragments can cause the wound to become infected. Stingray stings usually cause intense pain, nausea, weakness, and fainting. In rare cases, a person who is stung might have trouble breathing or even die.

Is it safe to pet stingrays?

At Stingray City, visitors often touch stingrays, but Smith says that can be dangerous. "It could very well sting. ... Some public aquariums have pools with stingrays that visitors can pet. If you look closely, you will see that the barbs have been removed, so there's no danger of being stuck, Smith says.