Ya, it’s a real issue, but depending on where you are, you may not have as much to fear — stingrays prefer sandy, gentle, warm coastal waters. As one concrete example, SoCal beaches have a lot of stingrays, and in summer days there are often lines of recent sting victims at lifeguard towers.

There are also different species of stingray, and some sting more than others. The ones that bury themselves in the sand when threatened are more likely to get stepped on (and then sting). Other species tend to run away when frightened instead.