5 Year old at Sting Ray City

[kekecruiser]

I am thinking about doing the Sting Ray tour but I am concerned about my young son being too nervous. Does anyone have any experience taking a young child on this tour?

[EBallgrl]

Last October we took my 8 yr old niece there, she was super excited going out but when we got there and she saw the size of the stingrays she was less than thrilled. She ended up staying on the boat because they scared her. The guide picked up a couple small ones for her to pet and she was find with those. Afterwards she admitted that she was not expecting them to be so large.

 

So I think maybe if you prep your son well enough ahead of time he might me OK. I think my nieces favorite part of the whole cruise was riding the boat to and from Stingray City, so she still had fun even though she was not in the water.

 

I would just explain that many are large, but they are gentle and remind me a lot of cats...sounds weird, but they just rub up against you like a cat would on your legs.

[JohninDC]

Several small children on our Moby Dick tour last March, and the boat was well equipped with kid sized vests and snorkel gear. Most got in the water, and everyone seemd to have a good time. Good luck!:)

[bookbabe]

Stingray City is a lot of fun, and an experience unlike any other. It's one of my favourite places in the world. However, it's not for everyone.

 

If your child is comfortable with large animals and/or other people's pets, he'll likely be fine. If he is easily scared by sudden movements of animals, or gets nervous in new situations or around strange animals, it might not be right for him at this point.

 

You know your child best. I've seen some loving it so much that they don't want to leave, and others who were traumatized and cried the whole time. Google or YouTube some videos and pics, because seeing what to expect might help you decide (and watching them may help your child see what to expect).

 

Another good test is to try him at a petting zoo near your home first. Stingray City is much like the experience at a petting zoo, where you are surrounded by large animals (deer, goats, etc.) and they wander around you searching for food but otherwise more or less ignoring you. (It's also a lot like being in a large room full of cats, and you're the one holding the jar of treats.)

 

Will there be an adult with you that could put him up on their shoulders while in the water? That's helped some of the more nervous kids I've known. The stingrays often aren't as scary when you're on mom or dad's shoulders and they can "protect" you. ;)

 

The other tip is to enter the water after the rest of the people are already in, to give him time to adjust, and then stay off to one side, away from the guide with the squid. Just like many cats, the stingrays will pretty much ignore you if you don't have any food for them...

[hayloburger]

my 5 year old and 8 year old daughter LOVED it. However, they had intereacted with smaller stingrays at Disney and in feeding tanks (about 1 foot or 2 foot in diameter). At sting ray city the rays are about 4 feet or more. They are huge...but they just swim by you...they don't do anything, unless you have food for them.

 

You guide will hold one and you can hold one or kiss one if you wish, but you don't have to.

 

My girls are great swimmers and they have grown up with two huge dogs, so not much intimidates them. The rays can't hurt you, they don't bite and they tickle your legs when they swim by (it feels like tissue paper rubbing up against your leg).

 

It's an amazing experience, it's worth a try. But, if you are nervous, have your child watch the you tube videos.

[suezyq50]

My 4 yo DGD went. She stayed on the boat at first. When she saw how much fun we were having, she decided to get in. She even ended up "kissing" the ray.

[Divine-Miss-N]

We went with a 1 yr old, 5 yr old and a 10yr old. They had a great time. The 1 yr old kissed and touched the rays. If your 5 yr old is timid, my advice is to wait until after others have fed the rays to let them go in the water. When the food is around, alot of rays come around and it can be a little intimidating to some. My 5 yr old was fine when there were only a couple around but when the food was out and there were alot of rays around, he hightailed it back to the boat...lol....Now he says it was his favorite stop!

[capncarp]

My girls are great swimmers and they have grown up with two huge dogs, so not much intimidates them. The rays can't hurt you, they don't bite and they tickle your legs when they swim by (it feels like tissue paper rubbing up against your leg). /quote]

 

I am one of the noisier proponents of stingray city: I heartily encourage anyone to take a crack at it and enjoy the experience.:)

 

BUT: I'm afraid I must disagree with hayloburger in that the 'rays CAN hurt with their tails you if you startle them by stepping on them. This is why no water shoes or fins/flippers are allowed. And as always, "shuffle, don't step" when moving about on the sandbar. And when you hold them, hold them under the "wings" because their mouths are underneath their bodies and can give you one heck of a hickey if you present your arm to the mouth and the 'ray tries to suck up the non-existant squid it's expecting to be there. With these easily remembered precautions, they are EXTREMELY gentle and curious and beautiful and...sorry, I DO get carried away sometimes when 'rays are brought up.:o

 

But YES, do take your child even if they simply watch from the boat or from your arms. I think the experience will be a good one for you and the little one.:D