Water shoes for Stingray City

[Sergio11]

Hello everyone,

 

Do you need to wear water shoes for stingray city?

 

Thanks

[caribsun]

Hello everyone,

 

Do you need to wear water shoes for stingray city?

 

Thanks

I believe that the tours state no water shoes.

[bookbabe]

Water shoes and other footwear (flippers, etc) are not permitted at Stingray City in order to protect the rays from injury. I think it's actually a law, not just common practice.

[OCruisers]

Happily, the ocean floor at Stingray City is soft & sandy so not being allowed to wear water shoes is no problem. :)

LuLu

[drew sailbum]

Water shoes and other footwear (flippers, etc) are not permitted at Stingray City in order to protect the rays from injury. I think it's actually a law, not just common practice.

 

Indeed, it's the law (pdf at link). Bare feet only at the stingray sandbar. Tour operators have NO discretion. The tour operator could be fined and/or have equipment (such as their boat!) seized.

[Trev An]

Absolutely no foot wear allowed at Stingray City. If you accidentally step on a Stingray with your shoes on it will hurt them and they may accidentally sting you so for their safety and yours, do not wear shoes, besides with sand that soft, you would be missing out on a lot.

 

 

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[mitsugirly]

So...just wondering....

 

We have been to stingray city twice and they obviously tell you no water shoes or anything there.

 

 

But...we just returned from Belize and did the sharks ray alley and you HAVE to wear water shoes there with the rays.

 

Anyone know why and what's the difference? :confused:

[drew sailbum]

So...just wondering....

 

We have been to stingray city twice and they obviously tell you no water shoes or anything there.

 

 

But...we just returned from Belize and did the sharks ray alley and you HAVE to wear water shoes there with the rays.

 

Anyone know why and what's the difference? :confused:

 

The difference is about 800km and a set of law books. :D

 

Both sites feature Southern Stingrays. Extensive research on the stingray population in Cayman has been carried out by the Guy Harvey Research Institute which has shown the Cayman rays are more closely related to populations from the eastern Caribbean than those from Belize. Perhaps there is some slight difference in the rays themselves?

 

More likely is that the soft sandy bottom of Cayman's sandbar provides a low risk for humans. The potential harm to the rays then is the priority factor.

 

IIRC the site in Belize is not in standing depth and thus the greater need for safety for people to have on flippers and such?

[mitsugirly]

The difference is about 800km and a set of law books. :D

 

Both sites feature Southern Stingrays. Extensive research on the stingray population in Cayman has been carried out by the Guy Harvey Research Institute which has shown the Cayman rays are more closely related to populations from the eastern Caribbean than those from Belize. Perhaps there is some slight difference in the rays themselves?

 

More likely is that the soft sandy bottom of Cayman's sandbar provides a low risk for humans. The potential harm to the rays then is the priority factor.

 

IIRC the site in Belize is not in standing depth and thus the greater need for safety for people to have on flippers and such?

 

Oh ok, different places, different rules. I just thought that was weird when we were in Belize since we have been so use to NOT being allowed to wear them to be forced to wear them. (Those on the shark ray excursion that didn't have water shoes had to rent them from the vendor :eek:). The area that we were in you couldn't touch the bottom and trying to swim with water shoes on, in choppy water, proved to be a real challenge and I hated it...especially with a small child. The people that were directly in front of the boat could stand up...just like at the sand bay in the Caymans. So I guess it depends where they put you. :)