A ray of hope

Alex Coolman

It’s not easy having an identity crisis, not even for a stingray.

But that’s the sad dilemma that confronts a pair of rays that were

born late last month at the Marine Studies Center on Shellmaker Island.

They’re small, cute and frisky, but -- alas -- they have no names.

Day by day, the pair, brother and sister, grow larger. Already,

they’re roughly the size and appearance of unusually vigorous

silver-dollar pancakes. And soon, they will need to be discharged into

the wild.

John Scholl, a wildlife interpreter with the California Department of

Fish and Game, is trying to make sure that the rays do not have to enter

adulthood without the civilizing touch of a name.

He’s holding a contest, which started Saturday and will continue

through Oct. 28, to encourage community members to come up with monikers

for the rays.

So far, Scholl says, the response to the contest hasn’t been that

impressive. The name “Stingy” is the best anyone has suggested.

Scholl says he’s not sure what names might be better, though he’s

studied the personalities of the two rays as they swim around their

aquarium and nestle sleepily in the sand. They look like they want an

identity, the rays do, but it’s just not clear what identity they ought

to have.

“We want to leave it to people’s imagination,” Scholl said.

FYI

The Marine Studies Center is at 600 Shellmaker Road, Newport Beach.

The rays will be on view from 9 to 11 a.m. on Saturdays through Oct. 28.

For more information or to offer up a name, call (949) 640-6746.