Stingray City - Timing is Everything!
Written: Mar 26 '04 (Updated Mar 28 '04)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Very unique experience, can be lots of fun.
Cons: Don't go when it's crowded
The Bottom Line: This is a must-see attraction. Planning your visit for the right time will allow you to play with the Stingrays without crowds or the distraction of waves.
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| diverpam's Full Review: Stingray City |
What a difference it makes the time of day you visit Stingray City!
My most recent visit there was in the afternoon when the tide was high and the area was packed with snorkel boats.
I was bobbing around in the water, barely able to touch my toes to the sandy bottom. There were times I grabbed my 6'5" tall husband just to keep from bobbing up and down. Yes, I'm a diver and I love the water, but it was very disconcerting with all the activity around me.
It was almost chaotic as the Stingrays came closer and some people (yes, I think they were all women) began screaming. That should not be someone's first or only experience with those unique creatures.
I still very much enjoyed seeing the Stingrays swim beneath me and petting them gently and they went by.
However, it was a much more pleasant experience during my first visit when my husband and I were there as part of a dive group, sitting on the sandy bottom, with the screaming snorkelers no place nearby.
So, Why Did We Snorkel?
Well, it's a heck of a lot cheaper to pay for a snorkel trip than a dive trip. And since we had dived with the Stingrays previously, we thought snorkeling would be fun.
It's also a lot less work to don a mask and snorkel than full dive gear. Yes, we took the easy way out.
They told us there was no need to wear the snorkel vests because the water was shallow. Frankly, even though I am the most buoyant of people, I would have been more comfortable wearing a snorkel vest.
The bobbing of the waves and all the people around made it almost a nerve-wracking experience at first. I felt sorry for the first-timers who were genuinely frightened.
What We Should Have Done
The next day we compared notes with some resort mates who had gone on the Stingray snorkel that morning of our trip. Theirs was an entirely different experience.
Same boat, same location, but what a difference! It was not crowded at all and the tides were low so there was no problem standing on the bottom.
In fact, they were the only boat there at the time and they had a wonderful time playing with the Stingrays.
What I Would Recommend
Make your plans to have a fun and relaxing visit to Stingray City. Take the morning trip from Cayman Diver (located at the Grand Caymanian resort). It is very close to Stingray City and their boat gets there early before anyone else.
The Stingrays are really lots of fun and you can get some amazing pictures with them. You'll have plenty of time to enjoy them before the other boats arrive and everything gets hectic.
This year will take the morning visit to play with them, so maybe we'll see you there.
Recommended:
Yes
Best Suited For: Couples
Best Time to Travel Here: Anytime
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Epinions.com ID:
diverpam
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Member: Pam
Location: Collierville, TN
Reviews written: 263
Trusted by: 350 members
About Me:
~~~~So many oceans...so little time!~~~~
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