Swimming with Stingrays in Grand Cayman, Caribbean - Travel #1

Dear Steemit friends, Gemma here, let me take you swimming with stingrays in the Caribbean. The Caribbean is definitely a wonderful choice for a holiday destination. Sandy beaches, hot sun, tropical drinks on an island paradise, I mean what else could you want. The Cayman Islands are a British Overseas Territory consisting of 3 islands in the western Caribbean Sea. This amazing country has an area of just 100 square miles (259 square kilometres). The capital city is called George Town and the residents are called Caymanians. Caymanians enjoy a tropical climate with warm rainy summers and cool dry winters.

Map of the Caribbean and Bahamas, to find me, look for my chihuahua's face

Map of Grand Cayman

Map of the Cayman Islands

You will not have to worry about taking a language phrase book with you as the official language of the Cayman Islands is English. Something to bare in mind is that the Cayman Islands Dollar (KYD), which is pegged against the US Dollar at a current exchange rate of 1 KYD = 1.22 USD, unlike other islands in the Caribbean it is fairly expensive so don’t get caught out on the exchange rate. Most places there on the island such as restaurants and cafes even tours do accept US currency. Some restaurants even have a US price conversion on their menus.

The national symbol of the Cayman Islands is the Green Sea Turtle and you will see souvenirs all over the island with turtles on them. Christopher Columbus sighted the Cayman Islands on May 10, 1503 and named them Las Tortugas after the numerous sea turtles seen swimming in the surrounding waters. Columbus had found the two small islands (Cayman Brac and Little Cayman) and it was these two islands that he named "Las Tortugas". Also known today and made famous by the Pirates of the Caribbean movies as The Isle of Tortuga, I did try to find Jack Sparrow but no luck. Las Tortugas does mean “the turtles” in Spanish.

Despite only having a population of approximately 60,765 there are 4 airports here and more than 55 weekly flights into the Cayman Islands including 28 flights each week between Miami and Grand Cayman with connections to Cayman Brac and Little Cayman. A very popular way to travel to the Cayman Islands is by cruise ship even though there are no large docking piers. The cruise ship will drop anchor off the shores of George Town where you will board a tender boat (large water taxi) from the cruise ship to George Town and the ride is approximately between 5 and 10 mins. The reason cruise liners do not dock closer is to preserve the coral reef surrounding the islands. Cruise ship is my favourite way to travel, I mean you only unpack your cloths once, go to sleep each night and wake up the next day in a totally different place, who doesn’t love that right?

Carnival Paradise cruise ship

Tender(River taxi)

Stingray City Sandbar is a series of shallow sandbars found in the North Sound of Grand Cayman. It is a tourist destination, where southern stingrays are found in abundance and visitors can pet and interact with the animals in open water. Stingray City sandbar is in the shallow waters of the northwest corner of Grand Cayman's North Sound.

Ferry to Stingray city sandbar

I am ready

Tours to Stingray city sandbar are available through your cruise ship excursions desk or can be purchased in George Town through many different excursion providers. Both group and private tours are available. The ride out to the sandbar is approximately 20-30 mins by ferry from the marina. The total length of most tours leaving from George Town and Seven mile beach are between 3 and 4 hours. They often have additions to the tour such as a stop in to the turtle farm.

Boats anchored at the sandbar

You will be standing in 3-7 feet deep water depending on the tide. It is a surreal experience to be standing up in water up to your chest in the middle of the open ocean with wild southern stingrays swimming all around you. The stingrays are extremely friendly and playful. A common misconception is that stingrays are dangerous. The barb on a stingray’s tail is only used for defence, and as they can take a long time to grow back, most species of stingray use the barb on their tail as a last resort or self-defence. Stingrays will always choose to flee when they feel threatened. These stingrays at the sandbar are very used to humans and are extremely friendly. The tour guides will give you a briefing prior to entering the water on your behaviour for example to shuffle your feet in the sand rather than stomping to avoid accidentally standing on one. Try not to trip over your own feet too, cannot say that I did not do that a few times. I am clumsy but in a graceful way. The best way to avoid being stung is to be cautious, and never provoke a live animal; this advice does include other humans.

Stingray kisses

The guides will advise you not to lift the stingrays out of the water, just to gently hold them under the water. So I just squat down in the water to do so.

The tour guide will also conduct a brief snorkelling orientation and hand out life jackets and vests upon request. Most tours include snorkelling gear and a return shuttle from accommodations in the George Town and Seven Mile Beach areas or from the pier where your cruise ship tender dropped you off. Most tours will allow you 45 mins to an hour with the stingrays at the sandbar.

Selfie with my life-jacket on, I had to

The best way I can describe the stingrays is that they are like ocean puppies, that’s how playful they are. It truly is an amazing life changing must do experience. These stingrays are free and are in no way captive. They feel like wet rubber to touch. My recommendation will be to always stay close to your guides and not to wonder off on your own. These gorgeous animals’ cheeky personalities come out when you show your cheeky personalities. Get out there and truly enjoy this experience of a lifetime, Grand Cayman, stingray city sandbar. Until next time, Vegoutt everybody.