Giant stingray beyond remote video device.

An underwater video system operated by the Atlantic Shark Institute has captured extraordinary footage of an enormous stingray that’s shown hovering over and beyond the device.

The footage, captured off Rhode Island, shows the roughtail stingray – a species that can measure 7 feet across and weigh 600-plus pounds – investigating bait secured inside and on top of the system.

These giant rays, whose tail spines are highly venomous, typically remain partially buried in sand, in classic ambush positions. So to see such a large, free-swimming specimen is remarkable.

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Reads one of the Instagram comments: “All the ray wants is some mackerel.”

The Atlantic Shark Institute stated: "We encounter large numbers of this species every summer when the waters warm to temperatures they prefer, and then they head south when colder temperatures push them out of New England waters."

The device in the footage is a Baited Remote Underwater Video System, or BRUVS.

This article originally appeared on For The Win: Massive, venomous stingray caught on video off Rhode Island

Reporting by Pete Thomas, For The Win / For The Win

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