If you have never stood on a sand bar in the middle of the ocean, then you should. It’s surreal. Adding 30-40 stingrays to the experience, makes it very memorable. A boat ride (or jet ski) out to Stingray City is a must when visiting Grand Cayman. For other must do water activities in The Cayman Islands, read this post.
Red Sail Sports Stingray Sailing Tours
There are a number of ways to get to Stingray City with several companies and charters to choose from in the Grand Cayman. I can personally say that Red Sail is a reliable, professional and friendly tour company to use. They offer several tour options. I took the Stingray and Rum Point Tour. For $80.00 per person ($40 for kids) they will take you to two of Grand Cayman’s best attractions in one day aboard one of our luxury 65′ catamaran.
Tips for Visiting Stingray City
The ride from Seven Mile Beach is about 20- 30 minutes. Depending on what type of boat you book, there may not be shelter from the sun on the ride, so you will want to wear (and bring extra) sunscreen. Also make sure you bring your own towels. Check with your tour company to see if they are providing any water or snacks. It may be smart to have some type of refreshment with you just in case. Most importantly (because I am photography obsessed), I suggest bringing a waterproof camera to get some cool images of the stingrays.
Plan to Snorkel at Stingray City
I highly recommend you snorkel with the stingrays. Seeing them up close underwater added a level of coolness to the experience that you will not get by just standing up and letting them swim by you. Many tour companies will provide you with snorkel gear, but I prefer to bring my own.
Quick facts about stingrays and Stingray City
The exact location of Stingray City:
Stingray City is located 3.5 km (2.2 mi) west of Rum Point in the North Sound of Grand Cayman (19.375753°N, -81.304621°W).
What type of stingrays visit Stingray City Sandbar?
Southern Stingrays.
Why do the stingrays congregate at Stingray City?
I was told that the area has been a long time cleaning site for returning fishermen with their days’ catch. Now it is a popular tourist site, so the rays have learned that they hear the boats’ motors they have a chance to get some easy food.
The water is not deep at Stingray City Sandbar!
Stingray City is located on a beautiful and shallow sand bar. The depth varies from 3 to 5 feet though deeper around it in some areas.
Do stingrays sting?
As a defense mechanism stingrays will sting, but there is very little chance of them stinging you at Stingray City unless you are threatening them with disturbing behavior.
Do stingrays bite?
You can get scratched if you put your fingers in their mouth when they are feeding, but it will not be a bite as they do not have teeth.
When is it best to visit Stingray City Sandbar?
If you want to see the stingrays without a large crowd of people you should plan on visiting early in the morning (some dive shops like Red Sail Sports offer early morning tours). If you plan on visiting later in the day and a number of cruise ships are in port you should anticipate large crowds with a difficult time getting photos of the stingrays without people in them.
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Disclosure: All content and photos within this post are copyrighted and property of Mandy Carter. This is not a sponsored post; no money was received in exchange for this review. However my tickets was provided complimentary or at a discounted rate through a collaboration with The Cayman Islands Tourism Board. Regardless all opinions are my own.