Stingray City

Stingray City: North Sound, off the island of Grand Cayman, is the world’s largest salt water lagoon. The island itself is horse-shoe shaped opening to the north, with the barrier reef crossing the opening of the horse-shoe, creating a huge expanse of clear, calm, shallow water. Just inside the reef, at the widest point of the Sound, about a third of the way across between Rum Point and Barkers Beach, is a sand bar, where the water is waist deep.

It was here that fishermen of the past would discard the unwanted parts of their catch once they reached the calm waters of the Sound through a natural channel in the reef. And the Stingrays would congregate to take advantage of this easy meal, over the years learning that this was a great place to come and be fed, and to associate the engine noise of a boat with feeding time. In time, it became known as Stingray City.

Read more about Stingay City and watch a video

As the tourist industry in Grand Cayman developed, it soon became clear that visitors loved to come and see the Stingrays at Stingray City, and so began the boat tours; the operators further encouraging these graceful creatures with bucketfulls of fresh squid, to ensure the visitors would not be disappointed. Many Stingray generations later, one particular family of Stingrays has come to call ‘Stingray City’ home, and have struck up a friendly relationship with the strange two-legged creatures that come to walk about on the sand bar and feed and pet them.

Stingray City is a completely unique place. It is the only place in the world where people can come and interact in safety with these amazing wild animals, as this family of Stingrays is as pleased to see you as you are to see them.

Stand on the soft sand and feel the gentle caress as the Stingrays brush past your legs, alerting you to their presence. Hold out your hands and marvel as a metre-wide Stingray swims straight into your arms, its mouth turned up to give to you a gentle kiss. Feel the soft smoothness of their skin, or just stand and enjoy watching them, as they swim around your feet, completely at ease with your presence.

View a photo gallery from one of our customers

Next page in tour – The Moby Dick Experience

Stingray City Useful Links

Stingray City on Trip Advisor
Moby Dick Tours on Trip Advisor
Stingray City on Wikipedia
www.stingraycity.org

Stingray City Gallery of Images

Hover over an image, then click the magnifier to view large, or the arrow to visit the image page for more information and to comment or share. Original photography copyright Mat Mackenzie www.matmackenzie.co.uk