The Ocean Adventure of a Lifetime at Stingray City,

Grand Cayman

 

Friendly Stingrays

Stingrays are among the friendliest creatures swimming the clear ocean waters that surround the Cayman Islands. We are proud to say that Stingray City is one of the very few places in the world where visitors can swim freely with fifty stingrays at a time. When our guests slip into the warm ocean waters from our vessel, they hold a piece of squid or a small fish in their hand. The adventure begins immediately as the stingrays silently glide toward you from all directions, eager to eat the snack you have in your hand. Stingrays found in the Cayman Islands are not aggressive and do not display defensive behavior. Even so, for a few of our guests, this experience feels a little bit scary at first. With safety instructions provided by our professional crew and the cooperation of our guests, this fear immediately transforms into a calm and memorable moment, many of our guests want to capture on digital camera or video. We have photos of some of these magical encounters on our home page.

 

 

 

Surrounded by rays

During your visit to Stingray City, you will see stingrays gliding along the surface of the water or lingering on the sandy ocean bottom. The ocean waters in this location are quite shallow and the water is very clear. We recommend that our guests always walk slowly and move gently forward, never backward. Walking backward in the water may cause injury if you should walk on a stingray you did not see. Stingrays will make contact with your body when seeking food or snacks from your hand. We will provide you with healthy stingray food to enhance your visit with the stingrays. We ask our guests to refrain from feeding any “people” food to the stingrays. Our foods cause digestive problems for stingrays. 

 

 

Avoiding marks

Extended contact between the mouth of the stingray and your skin can leave large “suck marks”. Stingrays apply suction when capturing their natural food, so "suck marks" on the skin will result if the contact is too long. We encourage guests to make gentle contact with the stingrays, even kissing on the upper tip. Most stingrays will wait for your gentle touch in exchange for the food in your hand.

 

 

Caution

We want to remind our guests that although friendly and approachable, stingrays are wild creatures. This means it is important to keep in mind that southern stingrays have a sharp barb on the mid-tail. You can see a photo of the barbed tail in our home page photo gallery. During gentle, respectful contact with the stingrays, the barbed tail is not a concern. But, when provoked or if the rough play is used, the stingrays will use their tail to correct rough behavior in humans. Please move slowly and make only gentle physical contact with the stingrays. Do not insert fingers into the mouth of a stingray. Please also avoid the use of too much tanning oil when visiting Stingray City. Tanning products can be toxic to stingrays. Parents need to carefully monitor child behaviors to avoid injuries. These beautiful creatures may be mistaken for toys by young children. Taking time to explain our safety guidelines to your child in a way they can understand, will help them enjoy this memorable adventure with the family.

 

 

Frequently Asked Questions

 

What is the depth of the Stingray City sand bar?

(answer) Three to five feet 

 

 

Is Stingray City enclosed?                                              

(answer) No. The stingrays are free to move inside and outside park boundaries. They are truly wild creatures.

 

 

What ages can visit Stingray City?               

(answer) There are no age restrictions

 

 

Can I feed stingrays cheese?                      

(answer) We do not feed stingrays any “people” food as it can be toxic to the stingrays. 

 

 

How long is the trip to Stingray City?      

(answer) 20-30 minutes

 

 

Will I see sharks at Stingray City?        

(answer) Sharks are not common here.

 

 

Do stingrays leave marks due to suction?     

(answer) If contact is too long, suck marks can result. 

 

 

Do you provide snorkel gear?                       

(answer) Yes, free of charge to guests. 

 

 

Will pictures be taken of me and my family/friends?  

(answer) Photographers will take photos that will be available for sale at the conclusion of our excursion. 

ITEMS TO TAKE ON YOUR JOURNEY

 

• Bath towel for each person.

• Sun screen lotion

• Light snacks

• Sun shades

• Hat

• Camera (placed in zip-lock bag)