Snorkeling at Stingray City in Grand Cayman

The Grand Cayman Island is one of the more popular islands in the Caribbean. Besides the beautiful beaches, the Turtle Farm, the great cuisine, the fantastic snorkeling & scuba diving, there is Stingray City. Known today as the worlds 'Best Twelve Foot Dive' Stingray City, in Grand Cayman, is not to be missed! It's a perfect spot for an easy dive or just as good or better snorkeling. This is perfect snorkeling trip for kids and adults alike, says Caribbean Magazine.

The Stingrays have been congregating there for decades. The most logical explanation can be attributed to the fact that fishermen returning to shore would gut their catch on the way back or when they arrived at the dock. The leftovers from the cleaned fish would be dumped overboard where it provided a free meal to the pelagic marine life. It is quite reasonable to state that, because of this repetition, the marine animals came to associate the area as a place with an abundant supply of food. I hesitate to put human characteristics to animals but word of the free handouts must have spread among the marine life and it have even been said that the stingrays have developed an association with the sound of boat engines and, like Pavlov's dogs , start "drooling" when the hear or sense the vibrations.

Southern Stingrays are mainly bottom feeders. Their eyes are located on the topside of their disk-shaped body and their mouth located on the underside. This arrangement does not allow, often times, for the stingray to actually see what it is eating. When it does find something, it uses its mouth like a vacuum cleaner sucking it into its mouth. As with many marine animals the southern stingray has survived by having a defense when provoked. The long whip-like tail has a serrated barb that is perfectly capable of inflicting damage to an attacker. Another form of defense is camouflage. The stingray will bury itself beneath the sand by laying on the bottom and flapping its wing until sufficiently covered. This is where having eyes on top of your head has its advantage. If something gets too close the stingray will take off with a surprising burst of speed sending up a cloud of sand in the process.

Stingrays are normally nocturnal hunters, cruising the reefs and shallow waters in pairs or small loose groups. The Stingrays of Stingray City take exception to this rule and it is not uncommon to be surrounds by as many as twenty, all waiting for the Stingray buffet to open. A few of the regulars have even been given names such as X-Ray and Gamma Ray and though they all tend to look alike there is in fact one that stands out among the rest. This Stingray is named Darth Vader.. Darth Vader (a female) actually has a black rather than grayish green back and I had the opportunity to see Darth Vader on 2 separate trips to the Cayman Islands. The one thing besides the coloration difference that I noticed was that the eye color was also different. I remember it as being blue.

Snorkelers are taken out in either small boats or are led into the water from shore at selected areas to partake in this exciting snorkeling adventure. Items needed for the excursion include a snorkeling mask, snorkel fins and snorkel. The snorkeling mask will allow you to see the animals under the water while the snorkel allows you to breath without having to lift your head up to take a breath. The fins allow you to propel yourself along the surface of the water. The shorter travel ready Trek Fins made by manufacturers are ideal for Stingray City. It is also advisable to wear some sort of exposure protection such as a lycra body skin or light weight wetsuit or shorty as both protection against sunburn as well as the occasional "Stingray Hickey". Use of sunscreen for this adventure is not advised as the chemicals do leech into the water.

Interaction with the stingrays often times includes hand feeding them. When ready the Stingray Handler will place some stingray food into your hand. The Stingrays will glide over your hand and vacuum the contents into their mouths. As they continue on your hand, you will feel their underside which has been compared to the feeling of velvet. The occasional stingray hickey occurs when the animals encounter bare skin and try to vacuum that instead of the food

World famous, Guy Harvey, launched a two year study on the life history, biology, behavior and economic value of Grand Cayman's stingrays. CDNN, Cyber Diver News Network writes more on the project. Mr. Harvey presents the data to the government. In 2006, at the Annual Tourism Conference, the Director of Department of Environment drafted some rules to protect the stingrays. There have been worries about whether or not the Stingray City activity is making the Stingrays more reliant on humans rather than going out and getting their food naturally. People have even asked if such activities might lessen the stingrays' ability to recognize their predators. A more recent concern which has caused Grand Cayman officials taking note is of the Stingrays being mistreated by some of the handlers/guides. The mishandling is in the form of actually lifting the stingrays out of the water for stingray backrubs, hats and using them as a sort of living squirt gun. The Cayman's National Newspaper, The Cay Compass, reported the mistreatment and the well being of the stingrays.

In 2008, the recent legislation enacted to stem that mistreatment. This includes the creation of Wildlife Interaction Zones with a regulation stating that no marine animal may be taken out of the water. The steps being taken will ensure future snorkelers the same opportunity to enjoy the stingrays for years to come. Snorkeling with the Stingrays is a privilege, but with that privilege comes a responsibility. Snorkeling Stingray City with these majestic creatures is an experience not to be missed. Here is the most recent article in The Cay Compass and includes a video.

The popularity of this stingrays have grown throughout the years with all ages. Although there was never a fatality in Stingray City, the death of renowned environmentalist Steve Irwin has brought attention to the stingray. The Discovery Channel has reported a few other deaths in Australia. Below we have a video from National Geographics and for more videos from this site just search "stingray videos".

We hope this article has enticed you to go to Grand Cayman on your next vacation. Cayman Airways and American Airlines are the more popular flights into Grand Cayman. The Cayman Tourism Board is a great website to view resorts, hotels, motels and condos. If you are going on a cruise and spending one day on Grand Cayman, all cruise lines offer tours to Stingray City, here is an example of nine different tours that Carnival Cruise Line offers.