|
 TM
Snorkeling with the undulating inhabitants
of Stingray City
by Belkis Kambach
 Want to snorkel with prehistoric-looking creatures? And actually feed
the giant but graceful fish with morsels of squid? consider a visit to a
special sandbar on the northwest corner of Grand Cayman's North Sound.
 As we got to our destination three giant ones greeted me, swimming
towards what they thought was their morning's first snack. This eerie trio of
graceful beauties brushed by to suck up the morsels of squid and ballyhoo fish
I had brought for the group to offer. They came in and just vacuumed the bits
of fish right up (such an incredible feeling!). This was a somewhat surreal
intermingling of species and an unimaginable ballet of stingrays. I found that
I was both terrified and exhilarated.
"No one has ever been
stung," I kept reassuring my passengers. "Don't get excited and jump around. They don't like
that." Yet I was the first one
ready to jump out after the first ray kissed and sucked my leg! The only thing stopping me, of course, was
the fear of losing my job. I was the group leader, and it wouldn't have looked
good on my reference letter had they all gone back to tell the Captain I had
left them alone in a sea infested with killer stingrays off the coast of Grand
Cayman after paying many thousands of dollars for this three month
around-the-world cruise.
The island's tourism industry
focuses on these creatures, and even the local beer is named after them.
Stingray City is the permanent home of over thirty of the graceful beauties,
which are fed by more than 100,000 visitors a year. There are no nets to pen
them in and free squid keeps them there year-round.
The sandbar located in the
shallow waters of the northwest corner of Grand Cayman's North Sound. Inside, a
natural channel passes through the barrier reef, which explains not only where
Stingray City is, but also why it is there. Fishermen used to dock here, and naturally it was here they used to
clean and fillet their catch before heading to the harbor. They tossed the
waste overboard, and the rays took advantage of this free supper. Makes sense
when you think of it, as who really wants to have to grub in the sand for
lunch?
Years went by, and eventually
local divers realized that not only were there a lot of rays, but you could
safely get in the water with them and feed them. A decade and a half later,
Stingray City is known to divers throughout the world. The rays have become
accustomed to and perhaps dependent upon the tourists, who bring with them morsels
of fish and squid to encourage their encounters.
 These active, free-swimming
rays love cruising along the walls and drop-offs, traveling singly and in
pairs. They are both graceful and powerful as they travel up and down through
the water column. They rise from the depths below two hundred feet right up to
sixty feet along the wall edge and go right back down in just a few seconds.
But mostly, they seem to love to just glide along the top of the wall in a
seemingly endless reverie.
They can get confused by all
the feeding going on, and since they don't feed by sight, they just start
sucking as they approach the food source (you). It's not rude manners on their
part; after all they're just after a free lunch! So be sure to have cut-up bits of squid or ballyhoo fish and
you'll easily be able to hand-feed the rays.
Many tourists just let go of
the bait the first time the ray misses the fish, and it gets taken by one of
the ever-present Caymanian Sergeant Majors and Yellow Tail Snappers. These fish
are actually the real threat here, as they can come and give you a rather sharp
bite on the finger to help encourage you to give them the bait. You should also
understand that sometimes the rays are rambunctious and can actually bump into
snorkelers in attempting to get fed.
 The Cayman Islands are with no
doubt the best place in the world to snorkel with these magnificent creatures,
peaceful and serene in this aquatic paradise. The water is warm, turquoise and
clear, the stingrays are friendly, playful and eager to interact with humans. With a gentle attitude,
strong legs and a good pair of fins, you will be allowed to approach and even
accompany them in their patrols.
STINGRAYS a "ray"
is a type of broad, flattened, cartilaginous fish closely related to the
sharks. Rajiformes consists of approximately 340 species of rays which can be
classified into seven major families: Electric Rays, Sawfish, Guitar fish,
"True" Rays, Stingrays, Eagle Rays, and Manta Rays. In Grand Cayman,
although there are also found many eagle rays and an occasional manta ray,
generally the most commonly found is the Southern
• Atlantic Stingray (Dasyatis Americana) the most common of
the stingray family and which can be found from New Jersey to Brazil. Stingrays
take their name from the barbed spines at the base of their long, whip-like
tail. Rays have broad, flat, almost disk-shaped bodies with no distinct head.
They have eyes on top, a blunt but slightly pointed snout, and large pectoral
fins on the side with which they gracefully swim. Stingrays have strong, heavy
cartilage dental plates with which they crush their food. Southern Stingrays
have white underbellies and slate gray, brown, or black upper surfaces.
Wingspan can reach six feet; however males are noticeably smaller than females.
Stingrays bear live young.
• Eagle Ray (Aetobatus
narinari) common throughout the Caribbean and certainly common along the
North Wall in Grand Cayman. Like other rays, such as the stringray, eagle rays
feed on mollusks and crustaceans. They can reach up to 8 feet across the
wingspan. An average to large size eagle ray of 5'6" wingspan can weigh
approximately 150 pounds.
• Manta Ray (Manta birostris
Mantas) the largest of the rays and can grow to a wingspan of over twenty
feet and weight over three thousand pounds. Apart from size, the most noticeable difference between mantas and other
rays are the "cephalic fins" extending forward from the eyes,
sometimes carried rolled up. Mantas are dark brown to black. Mantas have live births, and, in all recorded
cases, have had only a single embryo. Embryos weigh twenty pounds and measure
over fifty inches.
The islands offer plenty of
diversions above the sea, too. Located on the west end of the island is Hell,
and well worth the trip. Plenty of travelers take the short drive from Seven
Mile Beach to this rural community that's little more than a post office.
Should you wish to send someone a postcard, the post office in town will be
happy to stamp your card with a postmark that proves you've been to Hell and
back. The village was so named for its rugged, surreal coral rock formations of
eroded limestone and dolomite rocks found there. Stained black by algae, the
sharp, pointy rocks are best avoided, but a stop at Club Inferno is a must -
settle back and read the walls filled with hellish sayings.
Getting There and Getting Around:
More info on the Cayman
Islands can be found at: http://home.att.net/~travelwriter/
The following information will
help you plan your trip and enjoy your
visit especially if you are visiting for the first
time. Contact the Department of Tourism
6100 Blue Lagoon Dr. Miami FLA 33126 Tel: (800)327-8777 / Fax(305)267-2930 tourism@cayman.org
or visit: http://www.caymanisland.ky they
can provide you with brochures and information kits. Also be sure
to request your free copy of: The Caribbean Vacation Planner (800)356-9999
Weather: for a 24-hour weather forecasts weather Labs publishes a
wide assortment of weather content for nearly 2,000 cities globally http://www.WeatherLabs.com or you can
call the Cayman Islands National Meteorological Service in George Town, for a
current weather report at (345) 945-5773. The island enjoys "perpetual
summer," lying in the heart of the Caribbean and tempered by cooling trade
winds.
Entry Requirements: US and Canadian citizens entering the Cayman
Islands for three months or less need only proof of citizenship, valid passport and a return or ongoing ticket.
There is a 12.00$ departure tax.
Flying there: Grand Cayman is a little more than an hour from Miami
by jet. Island Air, a subsidiary of Cayman Airways, provides service from Grand
Cayman to Cayman Brac and Little Cayman. Cayman
Airways (800) 422-9626, American Airlines (800)433-7300, Us Airways
(800)622-1015, all offer service to
Owen Roberts International Airport on Grand Cayman from the US. We booked our flight with WWW.Lowestfare.com (888)777-6551.
Transportation: taxis are available
and offer a fixed rate per vehicle or per person to all points on
Grand Cayman. Hotel vans cannot provide courtesy arrival pickup at the
airport. In addition, small
"buses" which are actually privately owned and operated 9- 20
passenger minibuses and vans, offer passenger service along main roads in and
out of George Town.
Accommodations: the island is dotted with world-class resorts
from low-rise condominiums to full service
resorts, as well as restaurant. The
town offers accommodations to suit every need, from modern resorts to intimate
guest houses. Standard room prices vary
from about $65 to $270 for double occupancy in the summer season.
Snorkeling in the Cayman Islands
Sunbathing and water sports are
enjoyable in the Cayman Islands year-round. Air temperatures are generally in
the 80s, although they can drop into the low 70s during the winter. You might
not want to forget your sunscreen. The
water temperature at Sting Ray City ranges between 78 and 82 degrees in the
winter months and from 82 - 86 degrees in the summer.
What to bring: sun worshipers; keep a shirt on might not want to
forget your sunscreen. Like most island destinations, sun protector is
important and expensive.
TOURS: Grand Cayman Highlights And Turtle Farm, 2 hours, $26.00
Adult / $21.00 Child Stingray City
Snorkeling , 3 hours, $31.00
Shopping: most of the shops on Grand Cayman are located in the
capital, George Town, or near Seven Mile Beach, and offer a good selection of
duty-free goods. Interesting items for sale include black coral jewelry and
hand-crafted coral products.
Photographing wildlife the key to getting the most out of wildlife
viewing and photos is to treat it as an opportunity to observe behavior, rather
than as a list to be checked off. Wildlife viewing and photos are often a matter of luck, the more effort
you spend the better it gets.
The Cayman Island National Museum. Exhibits history of the islands,
emphasizing the seafaring heritage. Displays cover Cayman Islands' fascinating
plant, animal, and geological life.
More Caymanian information and related links can be found at:
www.turtle.ky
http://www.caymans.com/Cayman_Turtle_Farm.html
http://www.turtle.ky/picture-gallery.htm
http://www.turtles.org/marines.htm
http://www.turtles.org/overview.htm
http://cccturtle.org/contents.htm
by Belkis Kambach Travelwriter@att.net
Photos: Rob
Kambach
Back to
TravelLady Magazine |