garnd turk stingrays

[C cruzer]

Hi, Has anyone done the gibbs cay stingray excursion. My 10 year old and I would like to try it. It seems that the rays are wild. Is it safe (Steve Eurin accident) We could do it in Nassau but thats 4 hours. Thanks :) :)

[cruzdreamin]

We just got back from Grand Turk and did the Reef and Rays tour which is snorkeling and swimming with stingrays. Both were excellent. The stingrays are very gentile and it is a wonderful experience. It is much more intimate than the one in Grand Cayman where there are so many people. The rays swim around and brush up next to you like cats. Don't worry, I thought I would freak out if they touched me but it was actually pretty amazing. They say that once tours come in regularly the rays become somewhat domesticated even though they are wild. The operators have named them all and you can tell the rays recognize them also. Don't miss this one!

[jodster]

I second cruzdreamin's post. My DH and I did this excursion and it was really good. We actually booked it through HAL since there isn't a whole lot to do on Grand Turk. I agree that it is much more initmate than Grand Cayman and Gibbs Cay is beautiful......some of the clearest and bluest water I have ever seen. What's really nice is that you can actually walk into the water from the beach so it's not very deep at all. I found on GC that the water was much deeper and more rough and I had a hard time keeping my balance.

 

We are headed back to Grand Turk in November and we have booked this same excursion again since we will be taking our 14 year old son with us for his first encounter with the rays.

 

Jodi

[tom e boy]

what about the safety factor, I never thought there was a danger factor with this swim, until the Croc hunter death. do they give you a vest?

[jodster]

tom e boy,

 

If you go snorkeling they will give you a vest. You don't really "swim" with the stingrays as much as stand in about 2/3 feet of water so a vest wasn't really needed.

 

The rays are very docile and the crew actually does most of the handling part of it. They will let you hold the ray (with supervision) so that you can capture that "kodak" moment. The crew will show you how to stand in the water (legs wide apart) so the rays can swim around and in between your legs and how to feed them too.

 

I would guess it's pretty rare to get stung. Once these guys have had their fill of conch they swim away or bury themselves in the sand. The crew also tell you how to "shuffle" your feet so that you don't step on one.

 

I never felt unsafe the whole time we were there.

 

Jodi

[tom e boy]

thanks Jodi, I couldnt convince my DW to go diving, so we settled for the rays