Stingray City and Sandbar
Get You R-e-a-ll-y Close to Nature

The stingrays at Stingray City are like boisterous puppies jostling to be fed and petted. 

Our group on the catamaran found their exuberance disconcerting at first but soon loosened up and before long people were lining up to take a stingray from the arms of the guide. For those who prefer to have their feet firmly on the ground, however, the alternate feeding place of Sandbar is the better option because the water over the bar is shallower.

When you first step into the sea at Sandbar, the waves buffeting and the sand shifting underfoot make you uneasy.

What if you accidentally step or fall on a stingray?

What if one of them just gets plain mad at you?

The good news is the water is only thighs to waist deep so you soon get used to it and the stingrays have no such inhibitions.

They’re used to people, thousands visit every year, and they press around you like you were their long-lost parent.

Their nudging doesn’t make you feel any safer until you realize they’re as gentle as lambs. The soft skin of their underside slides fluidly across yours while their upper, rougher skin rubs like soft leather. Knowing they have no teeth only adds to your growing comfort and confidence.

Feeding them is different – different from any other animal I’ve ever fed anyhow. The guide explains the technique before you enter the water and it really is simple. Hold the piece of squid, which is their favorite food, in your fist like you would a bouquet of flowers, leaving a half inch or so sticking out to whet their appetite. The stingray swims across your outstretched, upright hand and sucks the squid out from your grasp. The first time may make you jump but after that it’s fine.

Even if the thought of swimming alongside stingrays doesn’t appeal, I’d still recommend the trip. We sailed out of Rum Point on the Red Sails catamaran and the sun, smooth sea inside the reef and sightseeing were worth the trip even without the up-close and personal part. Our cruise had a number of people on board who didn’t get in the water for stingrays or snorkeling along the reef and they still liked the trip. The catamaran has a bar and sunlounging netting for that poolside feel.

Stingray City – How to get There

You can book your Stingray City Cayman Islands or Sandbar trip before you leave home, paying for it in your local currency and avoiding the hassle of booking when you get there.

Or, for a better deal, wait until you get to Grand Cayman where your resort Information Center will have discounted tickets as does the Activity Guide (www.CaymanActivityGuide.com), a monthly publication telling you what’s on in Cayman during your stay.

You might find it cheaper to use the discounted local prices.

If you prefer just to look at the underwater world, try our Underwater Pictures page or our page of Underwater Photography. 

Return to Home Page from Stingray City

or Search Grand Cayman Wanderer or the Web…. Search Grand Cayman Wanderer or the Web…. Here’s a quick way of finding what you’re looking for on Grand-Cayman-Wanderer.com, or anywhere on the web.

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