String ray excursions

[FionaLouise]

Hi Everyone, 

 

So we booked to do the string ray excursion in nassau, bahamas at blue lagoon I am now terrified, ha. Leaving next wednesday!

 

Someone please put my mind at rest? 

 

Ive seen all sorts and now I don't want to go. 

 

Thanks in advance. 

 

Fiona

[voyager70]

We did a string Ray excursion at Stingray City in Grand Cayman.  There were literally hundreds of stingrays all around us as we fed them.  They were very docile and it was a beautiful experience.  I would encourage you to try not to worry and enjoy the experience!

 

[amber1002]

I did swimming with stingrays in Antigua this January and was a bit apprehensive. There was nothing to be frightened of at all! They are really gentle and are used to people. It’s an amazing experience.

[pieter&sharon]

8 minutes ago, FionaLouise said:

Hi Everyone, 

 

So we booked to do the string ray excursion in nassau, bahamas at blue lagoon I am now terrified, ha

We booked this at the end of January for my wife and granddaughter. Only one sting ray showed up. Guide told the crowd, "Don't let it go." The first person let it go. Bye bye sting ray. Wife and granddaughter were switched to Dolphin experience at no extra cost. Turned out to be a better deal.

P.S.The stingers have been amputated.

[FionaLouise]

7 minutes ago, voyager70 said:

We did a string Ray excursion at Stingray City in Grand Cayman.  There were literally hundreds of stingrays all around us as we fed them.  They were very docile and it was a beautiful experience.  I would encourage you to try not to worry and enjoy the experience!

 

I am guessing they still had there barbs attached then. Where as from what I have read they remove them in Blue lagoon, which is another thing I am unsure of. I hope this is not painful for them.

 

Ahhh dear working my self up terrible haha. 

 

I watched some nice videos but always think it will end up being me haha. 

[FionaLouise]

Just now, pieter&sharon said:

We booked this at the end of January for my wife and granddaughter. Only one sting ray showed up. Guide told the crowd, "Don't let it go." The first person let it go. Bye bye sting ray. Wife and granddaughter were switched to Dolphin experience at no extra cost. Turned out to be a better deal.

P.S.The stingers have been amputated.

Ahhh no but ahhh yes at the same time? Good customer service though. I think the animals should be left to come and go as pleased really. I am glad they sorted you out though x

[JTBCruiser]

Wondering what the cost will be and what parts will still be free.

[gatour]

While I can't attest to the actual Nassau experience...

 

If you have a chance to do stingray tour, do it!!!  They are such gentle/amazing animals as they glide through the water.

 

Whenever we go to Grand Cayman, my wife knows we will be doiing an excursion to sting ray city (the original stingray tour).  On one cruise, my parents joined us and I bought the exursion for them.  My mom was apprehensive about getting into the water with them.  However she did and she loved it.

 

We have also done a stingray encounter in a more captive environment, Disney private island, it was very enjoyable.

[Thorben-Hendrik]

1 hour ago, pieter&sharon said:

We booked this at the end of January for my wife and granddaughter. Only one sting ray showed up. Guide told the crowd, "Don't let it go." The first person let it go. Bye bye sting ray. Wife and granddaughter were switched to Dolphin experience at no extra cost. Turned out to be a better deal.

P.S.The stingers have been amputated.

Sounds like a horible place to go!👎

Poor crippeled  animals!😱

[blueridgemama]

Stop all animal encounters. Sting rays belong free in the ocean, not hand fed by tourists just to make money and for photo ops.

[Mahaliag20]

 

i did this excursion in 2016 while in Nassau, it was a great experience! It’s definitely something different compared to say swimming with dolphins but the sting rays were friendly and the handlers were great! 

[voyager70]

38 minutes ago, blueridgemama said:

Stop all animal encounters. Sting rays belong free in the ocean, not hand fed by tourists just to make money and for photo ops.

 

The sting rays are not being abused or hurt in any matter.  In fact they really seem to enjoy the human interaction.  I am very against animal abuse as well but don't believe it applies at all in this case.

 

[Itchy&Scratchy]

3 hours ago, voyager70 said:

We did a string Ray excursion at Stingray City in Grand Cayman.  There were literally hundreds of stingrays all around us as we fed them.  They were very docile and it was a beautiful experience.  I would encourage you to try not to worry and enjoy the experience!

 

so did we (years ago) and we loved it. Grand Cayman had a wonderful stingray sand bar.

In 2 weeks we'll be doing the Blue Lagoon Stingray excursion with our 8 year old. Looking forward to it!

[Itchy&Scratchy]

1 hour ago, blueridgemama said:

Stop all animal encounters. Sting rays belong free in the ocean, not hand fed by tourists just to make money and for photo ops.

in Grand Cayman they are in the middle of the ocean on a sand bar. Nobody holds them captive, but they are used to humans and literally eat out of your hand.

[Nic6318]

1 hour ago, voyager70 said:

 

The sting rays are not being abused or hurt in any matter.  In fact they really seem to enjoy the human interaction.  I am very against animal abuse as well but don't believe it applies at all in this case.

 

Hi 

 

If they are being held captive, they are being abused.

 

In Grand Cayman they are wild and free in the ocean, there is a big difference.

 

For the op: If you are apprehensive, do go.

[evandbob]

Don't do any of these 3 things and you will be fine:

1) Don't grab the tail, that's where the barb is

2) don't jump up and down in the water, your foot may land on a stingray and it will instinctively flash its barb at your leg.

3) If hand feeding rays, don't rub that hand on any part of your body.  Rays hunt by scent, and the squid juice will have the rays all over you for food.  Just rinse your hands in the sea water after feeding.

[OCruisers]

2 hours ago, Itchy&Scratchy said:

in Grand Cayman they are in the middle of the ocean on a sand bar. Nobody holds them captive, but they are used to humans and literally eat out of your hand.

 

Big difference in Grand Cayman where they are not captive.  They are free ...

can come or not.  Yes, they are being fed so they do come.  

They are very friendly ... sometimes too friendly.

A crew member with fish on his hands was helping people off by holding their legs as they entered the water.

One stingrays loved my leg  just above my knee which resulted in a stingray "hicky" .

It didn't hurt but took about a week to go away.  

 

 

 

[FionaLouise]

thank you to everyone for the advise and feedback.

 

I am going to dive in and give it a go!! 

[LeeW]

Think big kitten.  Soft and love to rub themselves on you.  And you can see all the way through them from top to bottom.  Thumb DOWN when feeding from your fist (mouth is kind of like a file).  And the barb looks like a triangular "rat tail" file but as long as you don't pet from tail to head you won't even know it is there.  Our favorite activity in Grand Cayman.  Couple of weeks yet before trying it at Blue Lagoon.

[brillohead]

Encountered rays in Cozumel, completely in the wild, and we were not feeding them (nor was anyone in our vicinity).  One in particular enjoyed bumping up against my legs (we were waist-deep at a sand bar at that time), and if he was swimming past I'd put one leg out and he'd pet himself by gliding along the side of my shin.  

I've also done the Stingray City tour at Grand Cayman, where there are dozens (hundreds) attracted by the regular feeding by excursion operators.  

Absolutely nothing to be worried about - just enjoy the beautiful clear water and soft, majestic sea flap-flaps!

 

[Itchy&Scratchy]

9 hours ago, LeeW said:

Couple of weeks yet before trying it at Blue Lagoon.

same for us! but this time our 8 yo will be with us.

[FionaLouise]

16 hours ago, LeeW said:

Think big kitten.  Soft and love to rub themselves on you.  And you can see all the way through them from top to bottom.  Thumb DOWN when feeding from your fist (mouth is kind of like a file).  And the barb looks like a triangular "rat tail" file but as long as you don't pet from tail to head you won't even know it is there.  Our favorite activity in Grand Cayman.  Couple of weeks yet before trying it at Blue Lagoon.

Ahhh I will have to let you know how we get on! I never thought I would be this nervous!! xx

 

[FionaLouise]

12 hours ago, brillohead said:

Encountered rays in Cozumel, completely in the wild, and we were not feeding them (nor was anyone in our vicinity).  One in particular enjoyed bumping up against my legs (we were waist-deep at a sand bar at that time), and if he was swimming past I'd put one leg out and he'd pet himself by gliding along the side of my shin.  

I've also done the Stingray City tour at Grand Cayman, where there are dozens (hundreds) attracted by the regular feeding by excursion operators.  

Absolutely nothing to be worried about - just enjoy the beautiful clear water and soft, majestic sea flap-flaps!

 

ahh thank you for helping put my mind at rest!! Much appreciated! Your crazy seeing them in the wild, I always think of Steve Irwin (RIP) xx

[FionaLouise]

7 hours ago, Itchy&Scratchy said:

same for us! but this time our 8 yo will be with us.

Have fun!! 

[brillohead]

9 hours ago, FionaLouise said:

ahh thank you for helping put my mind at rest!! Much appreciated! Your crazy seeing them in the wild, I always think of Steve Irwin (RIP) xx

Keep in mind that Steve Irwin became famous for pushing the envelope. 

 

He didn't just stand on the sidelines and admire wild animals or let them just approach on their own -- he jumped right in there and got in their face and invaded their personal space and pissed some of them off or scared them in the process.  

A ray is never going to want to eat a human -- we're just not on their radar for anything like that.  They also don't approach with the intent to attack, and they don't have a territory that they're defending (think of how a mama bear behaves if you're near her cubs) -- that's just not how they live. 

So if you're just standing around and a ray approaches you, it's because he's friendly and curious.  If he's sensing danger, he's not going to approach you at all -- he's going to flap-flap himself far away from you as quickly as possible.   

Check out this video ... you can see how much the rays LOVE the attention and affection, even from people who aren't actively feeding them!