stingray city with infant

[deemk]

anyone done the stingray city/sandbar tour with an infant? we'll have a 7 month old with us, and just wondering if all the parts of the tour will accomodate her - i.e. transport from ship to sandbar, stingrays in water, etc....

[FishingAddict]

anyone done the stingray city/sandbar tour with an infant? we'll have a 7 month old with us, and just wondering if all the parts of the tour will accomodate her - i.e. transport from ship to sandbar, stingrays in water, etc....

 

I would not reccomend going with a 7 month old. Nothing good could come from that. I don't think you would be allowed to anyhow.

[cusyl]

You asked, IMO there is no way I would put my 7 month old baby in harms way. Even if you stayed in the boat with it could be dangerous.

 

Please read this news article from fox news.com:

LIGHTHOUSE POINT, Fla. — An 81-year-old boater was in critical condition Thursday after a stingray flopped onto his boat and stung him, leaving a foot-long barb in his chest, authorities said.

 

"It was a freak accident," said Lighthouse Point acting fire Chief David Donzella. "It's very odd that the thing jumped out of the water and stung him. We still can't believe it."

 

Fatal stingray attacks like the one that killed "Crocodile Hunter" Steve Irwin last month are rare, marine experts say. Rays reflexively deploy a sharp spine in their tails when frightened, but the venom coating the barb usually causes just a painful sting for humans

[Nebr.cruiser]

We've done the stingrays twice, though never with a baby. I think it just depends on your comfort level with taking the baby on local transport, and on a boat. Our last tour, with Capt. Marvin, we walked a couple of blocks to his office and got on a small bus. You'd have to hold the baby or bring a car seat, though I don't know if there were seat belts. (doubtful) We had kids 5,5,4 & 3 with us and they did fine.

 

On the boat you would have to hold the baby all the time, unless you possibly bring a stroller. Although I didn't find the stingrays scary at all, I,don't think I would take a baby into the water there just in case of something going wrong. You could take turns being in the water with the sting rays and staying on the boat with the baby. Only one of our little kids, a five-year-old, would get in the water with the rays, and then only in her dad's arms.

 

On the ship's tour we took the first time on Cayman the bus was VERY crowded--even had jumpseats in the aisle--not fun for adults, let alone babies!

 

I also think you would need to verify that a child that young was even allowed to go on the excursion.

 

So, could it be done? Yes, but I think it might not be the ideal tour for a baby that young.

[Moeve]

I would suggest you contact the smaller independant tour operators Nativeway, capt Marvin etc. since their groups are often smaller than the cruiseline ones and see what they think / say and or if they are even willing to take the risk themselves (they may not even allow such a small child on the tour for insurance reasons)

 

I can't really see the actual swim in an apropriate Lifejacket being more dangerous than taking your child shopping in the car.... but since it is a long day and there is a lot of sun involved you might want to reconcider.....or at least think about it very well since once you are on the tour you can't return earlier or cut something short if the child is no longer happy.