Southeast
North Carolina aquarium astonished after female stingray becomes pregnant with no male stingrays nearby
A North Carolina aquarium says that it has a scientific anomaly on its hands: a pregnant stingray with no apparent mate.
Hendersonville-based Aquarium & Shark Lab by Team ECCO houses a female round stingray named Charlotte. At first, staff worried that the stingray might have cancer.
The aquarium’s founder and executive director Brenda Ramer told Fox News Digital that she was stumped when she noticed Charlotte swelling.
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“We’ve always known she was a she,” Ramer laughed. “Very visible to tell the difference. Sharks and rays are two of the easiest fish to tell.”
Aquarium & Shark Lab by Team ECCO said that Charlotte, a round stingray, became pregnant with no male stingrays nearby. (Aquarium & Shark Lab by Team ECCO)
“We noticed that she had started to, for lack of a better word, swell,” she explained. “So we decided to ultrasound her, and we saw what we thought were lumps or growths inside of her.”
To the aquarium staff’s relief, the lumps were not tumors at all. They were pups – even though Charlotte had no recent contact with male stingrays.
“We sent [the ultrasound] off to have some other folks look at it, and they said, ‘You know, those are eggs.’ And we’re like, ‘Okay, well this is great,’” Ramer recalled.
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The aquarium, which is the first inland aquarium in North Carolina, has been in contact with experts from Australia and the United Kingdom about the oddity.
Aquarium staff members have spoken to marine biologists across the world about the stingray’s miracle pregnancy. (Aquarium & Shark Lab by Team ECCO)
The expectant stingray likely reproduced through a method called parthenogenesis.
“The cells within the egg will split, and they create a clone of the mother,” Ramer described. “Our little shark has lain [around] 900 eggs in the past eight years, and she has had 14 of those eggs grow embryos with no fertilization.”
“It’s such a hard concept to even think about, but I always tell people, think about the very first Jurassic Park movie. The dinosaurs did the exact same thing.”
The aquarium founder has floated the idea that a male shark in the tank impregnated the stingray but conceded that it “is really not that strong of a possibility.”
Charlotte has appeared pleasant and healthy during her pregnancy, Brenda Ramer says. (Aquarium & Shark Lab by Team ECCO)
“We had noticed that she had had some bite marks on her, and we thought it was fish… and then it hit us. We had put these two young male sharks in there who we didn’t think would be viable. But gosh, what if they mated with her?” Ramer said.
“Anything is really possible when it comes to animals,” the aquarium’s assistant director, Kinsley Boyette, told Fox News Digital.
For now, the aquarium believes that Charlotte is likely reproducing asexually.
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“I’m not saying that it’s not a dead certain possibility. But until we do DNA tests… we can’t actually say anything for 100% certainty.”
Ramer said that the response from the local community has been supportive, and that the soon-to-be mama is doing well.
Aquarium staff members feared that Charlotte had cancer when she began swelling. (Aquarium & Shark Lab by Team ECCO)
“She seems pleasant, none of her behaviors have changed,” the executive director said. “She’s healthy, she’s eating, she’s swimming. She’s letting us interact with her.”
“No matter what the outcome [is]… we are just crossing our fingers that Charlotte comes out of it okay, and the babies do too.”
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If you are traveling to Mississippi, there is no shortage of activities to take part in during your travels.
Mississippi is filled with ravishing natural beauty and museums where you can take a deeper dive into history.
In Mississippi, there is something for everyone, from scenic hikes to testing your luck at the blackjack table at one of the state’s numerous casinos.
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Use this guide as inspiration for stops to make during your trip to Mississippi.
- Visit one of the state’s many museums
- Head to the casino
- Relax on Biloxi Beach
- Visit Vicksburg National Military Park
- See Windsor Ruins
- Go to Longwood
- Drive the Natchez Trace Parkway
- Take kids to Mississippi Aquarium
- Go to the birthplace of Elvis Presley
Mississippi is home to many different attractions tourists enjoy, like a large aquarium and the house where Elvis Presley was born. (Getty Images)
1. Visit one of the state’s many museums
Mississippi is home to many different museums throughout the state.
One popular one to visit is the Delta Blues Museum in Clarksdale.
The Delta Blues Museum is the state’s oldest music museum, according to its website. The museum is filled with exhibits that explore the history of blues music. Check the museum’s website to see the exhibits that will be running during your visit.
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Another museum located in Mississippi is the GRAMMY Museum. This museum can be found in Cleveland. The 28,000-square-foot museum has more than 24 exhibits that cover different music genres, from rock to hip-hop to country, according to its website.
2. Head to the casino
Mississippi has many different luxurious casinos throughout the state where you can play slot machines and table games.
One of the most popular to visit is Beau Rivage Casino in Biloxi. In addition to the games you can play, there are also many dining opportunities and a hotel on-site if you want to stay at the casino.
There is live entertainment at the casino, too, so be sure to check in and see who will be playing prior to your visit.
3. Relax on Biloxi Beach
Biloxi Beach is a popular tourist attraction in Mississippi.
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You can take a walk in the sand along the beach after visiting Beau Rivage Casino.
While at the beach, you can also enjoy many of the main fishing spots and grab a bite at one of the delicious seafood restaurants by the beach.
For great views of the beach 24 hours a day, stay at one of the many beachside hotels with quick access to the sandy shore.
Biloxi Beach is a great fishing spot in Mississippi. (Barry Lewis/InPictures via Getty Images)
4. Visit Vicksburg National Military Park
Vicksburg National Military Park is full of Civil War history. The Vicksburg campaign was a success for the Union Army, according to History.com, and one of the longest campaigns of the Civil War.
The Vicksburg Campaign began in 1862 and continued until July 4, 1863, with the Confederate surrender, according to the National Parks Service.
Today, you can visit Vicksburg National Military Park and see the 1,325 historic monuments and markers that fill the location, according to NationalParks.org.
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You can also find a restored Union gunboat, the USS Cairo, here and the Vicksburg National Cemetery.
5. See Windsor Ruins
Not far from Port Gibson is Windsor Ruins.
This location is where the Windsor plantation once stood but was destroyed by a fire in 1890, according to the Mississippi Department of Archives and History.
Today, there are 23 columns left standing.
The Windsor Ruins is a free destination you can visit on your vacation. (Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
You may recognize the ruins from the movies they have been featured in: “Raintree County” and “Ghost of Mississippi.”
Guests can visit the ruins during operating hours at no cost.
6. Go to Longwood
Longwood is a mansion in Natchez.
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The mansion is unique in its octagonal shape and an attraction that many tourists make time to see while they are visiting the state.
Guests can take a tour of Longwood seven days a week between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., according to the Visit Natchez website.
7. Drive the Natchez Trace Parkway
The Natchez Trace Parkway is a 444-mile scenic road that runs through three different U.S. states: Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee.
Take a scenic drive on the Natchez Trace Parkway during your trip to Mississippi. (Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
There are many places to hike or bike along the trail.
If you enjoy camping, there are numerous places to pitch a tent on the trail after a long day of hiking or driving.
8. Take kids to Mississippi Aquarium
The Mississippi Aquarium in Gulfport is a great destination for kids and adults alike.
This aquarium provides hours of family fun with so much to see during your visit.
This aquarium features an alligator habitat, Atlantic bottlenose dolphins, a freshwater river and a touch pool for guests to get up-close to horseshoe crabs, baby sharks and more.
For an additional cost, guests can also book special encounters with dolphins, penguins and others.
9. Go to the birthplace of Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley was born in Tupelo on Jan. 8, 1935.
If you are a fan of the King of Rock and Roll, stop at the two-room house where Presley was born.
When the house was originally built by his father, $180 was used to put together the home, according to Visit Mississippi.
The house is now part of the 15-acre Elvis Presley Park.
Here you can also find the “Elvis at 13” statue, a popular photo stop on the property, and Presley’s childhood church.
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Southeast
Shark bite reported at Hilton Head Island resort is first reported shark bite of year on island
A beachgoer is recovering after being treated for a “probable shark bite” Monday at a resort on Hilton Head Island.
Shore Beach Patrol officials told WSAV News 3 it happened shortly after noon Monday near beach marker 26 in the Sea Pines Resort.
Lifeguards claimed the beachgoer exited the water and was bleeding but had the wound under control.
Officials did not release the name or age of the female victim but confirmed to News 3 she did not need to be taken to a hospital.
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A shark apparently bit a man in the waters off Hilton Head Island, S.C., Friday, officials said. (Fox News Digital)
The area of the reported shark bite was closed for about 30 minutes until officials could make sure the area was safe and secure.
According to Shore Beach Services, this marks the first reported shark bite of the year on Hilton Head, but officials said “there was another possible shark bite early this year that wasn’t confirmed.”
The only other shark attack reported on Hilton Head Island happened in 2023.
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A beachgoer is recovering after what’s being called a “likely shark bite” in the waters off Hilton Head Island. (Fox News Digital)
In that incident, a shark apparently bit a 60-year-old man in the waters off Hilton Head Island.
The swimmer was reportedly bitten on the foot while in waist-deep water at the beach in Sea Pines, the Town of Hilton Head Island Government previously told Fox News Digital.
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A shark bite was reported at the Sea Pines Resort on Hilton Head Island Monday. (Fox News Digital)
In 2022, there were 57 reported unprovoked shark bites on humans worldwide, according to the Florida Museum of Natural History’s International Shark Attack File. Of those unprovoked bites, 41 occurred in the United States.
According to the International Shark Attack File, there have been 76 shark attacks reported in South Carolina since 2012.
The top 10 most dangerous beaches are all in Florida, according to Simmrin Law’s report. Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, broke into the top 25. That location had 24 surf zone deaths and shark attacks and 33 hurricanes, according to Fox Tampa.
Fox News Digital reached out to the Shore Beach Services for comment.
Fox News Digital’s Stephen Sorace and Chris Eberhart contributed to this report.
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Southeast
Riley Gaines touts Marsha Blackburn as 'fearless advocate for female athletes' in GOP senator's campaign ad
EXCLUSIVE: Riley Gaines expressed her support for Tennessee GOP Sen. Marsha Blackburn’s re-election bid on Wednesday and appeared in a new campaign ad touting the lawmaker’s stance on women’s sports.
Gaines has been the leader in the movement to protect women’s sports since she competed against transgender swimmer Lia Thomas in the NCAA Championships in 2022. The former Kentucky Wildcats swimming star, who hosts OutKick’s “Gaines for Girls” podcast, has been to Capitol Hill and college campuses to spread her message.
Riley Gaines (Michael Clevenger/Courier Journal/USA TODAY NETWORK/File)
“In Tennessee, we know the difference between a man and a woman, and we know that men do not belong in women’s sports,” Gaines said in a news release obtained by Fox News Digital.
“As a fearless advocate for female athletes, Senator Blackburn will continue to ensure they are recognized for their accomplishments and protected from the left’s woke identity crisis. I’m on Team Marsha because future generations of girls depend on us to preserve the equality that generations before us fought so hard to achieve.”
In the advertisement, first seen by Fox News Digital, Gaines supports Blackburn in the fight to protect women’s spaces against “woke politics.”
Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin/File)
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“I trained my entire life to be the best,” Gaines says in the clip. “I was one of the fastest women in the entire country. But woke politics made me swim against a man, sharing the pool and the locker room. That’s not just dangerous; it’s degrading.
“Thank God for Marsha Blackburn. No one fights harder to protect us. Marsha Blackburn will always stand for strong women because she’s one of us.”
Gaines told Fox News Digital in a separate statement that Blackburn’s political ferocity made her proud to live in Tennessee.
“Senator Blackburn has been a fierce defender of common sense, traditional values, and women,” Gaines said. “Few are as morally sound and unapologetic as she is. She makes me proud to be a Tennessean.”
Blackburn is so far running against Tres Wittum in the Republican primary, which takes place on Aug 1.
Democrat primary candidates include Marquita Bradshaw, Lola Brown, Gloria Johnson and Civil Miller-Watkins.
Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call via Getty Images/File)
Blackburn ran for Bob Corker’s seat in 2018 and defeated Phil Bresden, receiving 54.7% of the vote.
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