As has been said, Stingray City is the greatest dive you can do in 12 feet of water. You’ll soon be surrounded by a dozen or more prehistoric looking creatures the size of a small dinner table as soon as they hear the boat’s engines.
It takes place on a shallow sandbar through a barrier reef that separates North Sound from the Ocean on the NW side of Grand Cayman. The stingrays are free to come and go. The story goes that Stingrays flocked to this area long ago when fisherman would dump scraps from cleaning their catch. Over time they were conditioned to the sound of engines, and eventually to divers who recognized the incredible opportunity.
Stingrays are suction feeders that hunt by smell. They don’t have teeth but they do have have two bony plates for crushing. So you feed them like you would a horse, with your hand flat and fingers away.
But its more fun to play with them by leading them around with the squid before you give them their tasty treat. They might appear “aggressive” in the photos, but all they want to do is get fed. They’re actually quite docile, and took the accidental bumps from divers without incidence. In all the excitement though, several kept “mouthing” the wide angle lens on my camera, taste-testing it.
Other places in the Caribbean also have their own version of Stingray City , but for Divers Grand Cayman is one of the best. Feeding stingrays is always a blast! (Update 2015: Stingrays are now fed by the guides only to limit the quantities of squid fed to the stingrays)
Tip -slightly overweight yourself (use your BC backpockets if you have them) to help keep you on the bottom in a stable position.
Photos: Courtesy of Cathy Church Photography, Grand Cayman.
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