Stingray City is undoubtedly a bucket list attraction for most people visiting Grand Cayman. It’s one of the few places in the world where you can swim and interact with stingrays in their natural habitat! However, there’s a common question we always get asked: how safe is it to swim with stingrays in Stingray City?
At Red Sail Sports, we’ve been offering Stingray City Grand Cayman Tours for years, so we know this famous sandbar like the back of our hand. In this blog, we unpack all matters of safety at Stingray City, including how to handle them. Keep reading to learn more, or feel free to get in touch with us regarding our Stingray City tours!
What is Stingray City?
We understand that even though Stingray City is a household name in Grand Cayman, you may not know too much about it. Stingray City is a shallow sandbar located in the North Sound of the island, where waters only reach depths of between four and five feet.
Wild southern stingrays started coming here decades ago to feed on the squid and fish disposed of by fishermen in the area. As a result, they started becoming accustomed to both boats and humans.
Today, Stingray City is a popular tourist site, with hundreds of thousands of visitors flocking here each year. The shallow waters are perfect for the whole family to enjoy, and the friendly stingrays are affectionately known as the “puppies of the sea”.
You can read more about Stingray City with our Ultimate Guide to Stingray City in Grand Cayman!
Are the Stingrays at Stingray City Dangerous?
Definitely not! But they are still wild animals, and it’s important to approach them with care. We often get asked if the stingrays at Stingray City can sting. The short answer is yes, the stingrays at Stingray City can sting you! However, the likelihood of them stinging you is very slim.
These animals are naturally born with barbs on their tail which they use in self-defense. These barbs are venomous but non-fatal to humans. If you were to be stung by a stingray, you would experience pain and swelling and would require medical attention.
However, as long as you respectfully and carefully handle the stingrays at Stingray City, this won’t happen! Stingrays only sting in self-defense or if you step on them in the sand. To avoid this, you can do the stingray shuffle which causes vibrations in the sand that alert stingrays of your presence, allowing them to move away.
It’s important to remember that while the stingrays at Stingray City are accustomed to humans, stingrays elsewhere in the Cayman Islands are not! When you see them beyond Stingray City, make sure to keep a respectful distance.
How to Safely Handle the Stingrays in Stingray City
As we mentioned, carefully handling the stingrays is an important part of protecting yourself, but it’s equally important to protect the stingrays. These creatures are vulnerable to stress, which can lead to serious physical problems.
Stingrays are protected by the National Conservation Act in the Cayman Islands, and anyone who is seen to harm, abuse, or harass the animals may be prosecuted.
Subsequently, the National Conservation Council has released Stingray Handling Guidelines for the proper handling of the creatures. We summarize some of the key points below:
- Stingrays can be held flat in the water by supporting them from underneath their wings, with their tails facing away from your body.
- They must not be gripped or bent and their spine and belly must not be touched. Doing so can damage their cartilage and their internal organs and is considered an offense.
- Stingrays must not be taken out of the water or have their mouths, gills, eyes or spiracles exposed above water. This impairs their breathing and is an offense.
- The movement of stingrays must not be impeded and they must be free to swim away at any point. They must also not be used for “backslaps” or “massages”.
- You must wear reef-safe sunscreen while in the water. Stingrays are susceptible to infections that can be caused or worsened by normal sunscreen.
When interacting with the stingrays at Stingray City, it’s always important to remember that they are living beings and not objects for entertainment! Approach them with care and respect, and keep your distance if you are unsure of how to handle them.
Join Us on One of Our Stingray City Tours
The best, and only, way of visiting Stingray City is on a coordinated boat tour. Not only does this guarantee your transport to the remote sandbar, it gives you the added support of a knowledgeable guide who can safely lead you through the interactions with stingrays.
At Red Sail Sports, we offer a number of different tours to Stingray City, from our Grand Cayman Stingray City Excursion which includes snorkeling at a nearby reef to our Morning Stingray City Tour, where you get to miss the peak tourist crowds.
No trip to Grand Cayman is complete without a stop at Stingray City. You can browse our full range of Stingray City Grand Cayman Island Tours to find the best one for you. And if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to get in touch with our team!
