VENTNOR, NJ (CBS) – The Town of Ventnor beach patrol limited swimming at its beaches to knee-deep water on Sunday after a man was injured in an encounter with a marine creature.

According to VCBP, a man was treated for a hand injury sustained while swimming at Surrey Avenue Beach around 9:30 a.m. Sunday.

However, if you’re driving to the coast on Labor Day weekend and have that eerie feeling that sounds like a shark bite, the answer is no.

VCBP believes the man likely encountered a ray, a marine animal with barbs on its tail, rather than a shark. The rescue organization said an increase in marine activity is typical for warm waters in late summer.

“Our water is warm, there are a lot of baitfish swimming around. We also have a large population of stingrays … swimming in the surf zone and chasing the bait – chasing the baitfish,” Funk said. “So the likelihood that the swimmer yesterday came into contact with something other than a shark is very high.”

However, Steven Nagiewicz, associate professor of marine sciences at Stockton University, had a different theory.

“It couldn’t have been a ray, they’re really quite harmless. Could be a ray, probably a shark,” said Nagiewicz. “It was probably an animal with teeth – not a ray. And certainly not a ray, because rays are relatively harmless to humans.”

What is a skate?

According to the NJ Division of Fish & Wildlife, a ray is a cartilaginous fish, or a fish without bones. Rays prefer temperate or tropical water temperatures, including bays and nearshore areas, so one of them could have been swimming in Ventnor waters.

There is no need to worry – rays do not target humans. According to the Division of Fish & Wildlife, rays prefer mollusks, crabs, small fish and worms as food.

According to the Department of Fish and Wildlife, the most common species of rays off the coast of New Jersey include the common ray, the small ray, the rosette ray, the barndoor ray and the winter ray.

VCBP reminds swimmers to only swim when a lifeguard is on duty between 10 p.m. and 6 p.m. every day from Memorial Day through Labor Day.
Even though Labor Day is just a matter of days away, the VCBP reminds beachgoers that summer is not over yet.

“We will have four beaches open after Labor Day at least through next weekend,” Funk said. “Typically … two weeks after Labor Day we have the nicest weather and the beach is still inviting to people, so we try to maintain some level of protection when we can.”