Fisherman Catches 550-Pound Short-Tailed River Stingray After 2-Hour Battle in Argentina

A fisherman got a huge surprise when he went fishing on Feb. 8 in the Paraná River in Argentina. He didn't expect he would get the catch of a lifetime and became the envy of other anglers after taking home a monstrous short-tailed river stingray.

Fisherman Catches A Massive Stingray

Andrés Wilchen, 42, told Jam Press (via New York Post) that he had caught large fish but not as big as the stingray he recently captured. Wilchen resides in Oliveros in the province of Santa Fe. He cast out a shark book baited with a large eel on a stretch of river between the town of Fray Luis Beltran and San Lorenzo. He didn't expect to have a huge surprise that evening.

According to him, the ray was almost unrecognizable, but he didn't let go when he noticed that something bit the bait.

The angler admitted that he was close to giving up due to exhaustion because the stingray was very strong and was thrashing about at the bottom of the river. He even felt that it could have dragged them away if the boat was not moored.

Additionally, the huge beast was 36 feet down. The tug-of-war between Wilchen and the massive stingray lasted for two hours. He won the battle but said the biggest challenge was getting it on the boat.

In the photos shared by New York Post, it took three men to hoist it up using chains and a pulley system. For Wilchen, it was his catch of a lifetime, noting that he had already caught a lot of different species, including catfish and around 20 stingrays, but they were not as big as his recent catch.

According to Wilchen, he also shares his catches to charity. When they have a good day fishing, they donate the proceeds to two soup kitchens for homeless children. They also regularly help over 50 families in the area.

What Is A Short-Tailed River Stingray?

The short-tailed river stingray is distinguishable from the Thai giant freshwater stingray also known as "whipray" due to the length of their tail. The Thai stingray has a remarkably long tail while the short-tailed stingray's tail is a lot shorter and is often described as a "club."

They can grow up to 14 feet long and weigh over 750 pounds. Short-tailed river stingray tends to attach themselves to the bottom of the river, making it difficult to catch them.

Short-Tailed Stingray Can Be Fatal

Although short-tailed stingray appears harmless, they aren't as innocent as they seem. Australian zookeeper Steve Irwin, also known as "The Crocodile Hunter" died at the hands of a short-tailed stingray.

Stingrays are armed with at least one serrated venomous spine at the base of their whip-like tails. Short-tailed stingrays possess two stinging spines in their tails.

Irwin was filming a documentary off the coast of Queensland, Australia. They were tracking a deadly tiger shark when an eight-foot short-tailed stingray swam below him and plunged its close to eight-inches long rear tail barb through his chest, Science Live reported.

His cameraman, Justin Lyons, who filmed the tragic incident said the ray went through his chest like a hot knife and punctured his lung. They realized later that it also struck his heart, according to Daily Mail.

Stingrays were also featured on River Monsters where Jeremy Wade discussed how painful their stings are while showing photos of how brutally dangerous they can be.

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