'Mystery creature' in Venice canal surprises holidaymakers

A 'mysterious' creature swimming through a canal in Venice has been surprising locals and holidaymakers.

The footage of the fish was captured by a gondolier and posted online.

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It is believed the creature is actually a stingray that somehow managed to make its way up the canal from the northern Adriatic Sea.

The gondolier who shot the film, named Giorgio, said he had never seen anything like it in his 20 years of doing the job.

Speaking to the Daily Mail, he said: "I don't think it is rare to see something like this in Thailand, but I'm 50 and have been doing this job for 20 years and I've never seen anything like it."

Giorgio was on his way back to his gondola when he spotted the fish in the Grand Canal.

According to the Mirror, he said: "I thought maybe it was a cormorant. But then when I got nearer and it suddenly turned and went past me and I realised it was a ray."

Stingrays are a group of rays, which are cartilaginous fish related to sharks, and there are eight different families of stingray.

Stingrays are common in coastal tropical and subtropical marine waters throughout the world. Some species are found in warmer temperate oceans, and others are found in the deep ocean. The river stingrays, and a number of whiptail stingrays, are restricted to fresh water.

Most stingrays have one or more barbed stingers on the tail, which are used exclusively in self defense. The stinger may reach a length of approximately 35cm (14in), and its underside has two grooves with venom glands.

A few members of the suborder, such as the manta and porcupine rays, do not have stingers.

It's not clear which type of stingray was spotted in the Venice's Grand Canal.