Back to topic...ish

He probably didn't provoke it..but if it was scared/spooked...maybe because there was some weird australian man swimming over it..and it reacted..then it has the same effect really.

He knew how to avoid spooking dangerous animals, crocs etc..who are obviously dangerous..I suppose with one that doesn't kill that you assume..possibly slightly in ignorance..that it isn't a threat.

He was probably always going to die by some form of animal..just because of the risks he took..in a way it was lucky it was a ray so was a pretty quick death..wouldn't have been nice had he been eaten by a croc, for example.