A single pregnant stingray hasn't been around a male ray in 8 years. Now many wonder if a shark is the father.

A stingray named Charlotte is the main character of her own mystery after it was discovered that she's pregnant – with no male ray in sight. Charlotte, who resides in a tank at a North Carolina aquarium, was found covered in shark bites, an indicator of shark mating, furthering speculation as her caretakers seek to answer the question: Who is the father of Charlotte's babies? 

The Aquarium and Shark Lab in Hendersonville, North Carolina, hosted a live video on Facebook last week during which they explained Charlotte's situation. The round stingray, which is native to Southern California, is believed to be between 12 and 16 years old and was found to be carrying three to four pups.  

And while her pregnancy has her caretakers excited, it also left them stunned.