September 5, 2006—"Crocodile Hunter" Steve Irwin was killed yesterday after being pierced in the chest by a stingray's venomous barb off an Australian reef (read the full news report).

Stingrays are normally docile, and the toxins they deliver can be painful but are usually not lethal to humans. According to news reports, the type of stingray that caused Irwin's death had a roughly 8-inch-long (20-centimeter-long) spine that pierced the conservationist's heart.

Learn more about the elusive stingray, and take a dive in "Stingray City," a region off the island of Grand Cayman (Cayman Islands map) that is one of the only places on Earth where the potentially dangerous fish are used to swimming with people.