Dear Steemit friends, Gemma here, let me take you swimming with stingrays in the Caribbean. The Caribbean is definitely a wonderful choice for a holiday destination. Sandy beaches, hot sun, tropical drinks on an island paradise, I mean what else could you want. The Cayman Islands are a British Overseas Territory consisting of 3 islands in the western Caribbean Sea. This amazing country has an area of just 100 square miles (259 square kilometres). The capital city is called George Town and the residents are called Caymanians. Caymanians enjoy a tropical climate with warm rainy summers and cool dry winters.
Map of the Caribbean and Bahamas, to find me, look for my chihuahua's face
Map of Grand Cayman
Map of the Cayman Islands
You will not have to worry about taking a language phrase book with you as the official language of the Cayman Islands is English. Something to bare in mind is that the Cayman Islands Dollar (KYD), which is pegged against the US Dollar at a current exchange rate of 1 KYD = 1.22 USD, unlike other islands in the Caribbean it is fairly expensive so don’t get caught out on the exchange rate. Most places there on the island such as restaurants and cafes even tours do accept US currency. Some restaurants even have a US price conversion on their menus.
The national symbol of the Cayman Islands is the Green Sea Turtle and you will see souvenirs all over the island with turtles on them. Christopher Columbus sighted the Cayman Islands on May 10, 1503 and named them Las Tortugas after the numerous sea turtles seen swimming in the surrounding waters. Columbus had found the two small islands (Cayman Brac and Little Cayman) and it was these two islands that he named "Las Tortugas". Also known today and made famous by the Pirates of the Caribbean movies as The Isle of Tortuga, I did try to find Jack Sparrow but no luck. Las Tortugas does mean “the turtles” in Spanish.
Despite only having a population of approximately 60,765 there are 4 airports here and more than 55 weekly flights into the Cayman Islands including 28 flights each week between Miami and Grand Cayman with connections to Cayman Brac and Little Cayman. A very popular way to travel to the Cayman Islands is by cruise ship even though there are no large docking piers. The cruise ship will drop anchor off the shores of George Town where you will board a tender boat (large water taxi) from the cruise ship to George Town and the ride is approximately between 5 and 10 mins. The reason cruise liners do not dock closer is to preserve the coral reef surrounding the islands. Cruise ship is my favourite way to travel, I mean you only unpack your cloths once, go to sleep each night and wake up the next day in a totally different place, who doesn’t love that right?
Carnival Paradise cruise ship
Tender(River taxi)
Stingray City Sandbar is a series of shallow sandbars found in the North Sound of Grand Cayman. It is a tourist destination, where southern stingrays are found in abundance and visitors can pet and interact with the animals in open water. Stingray City sandbar is in the shallow waters of the northwest corner of Grand Cayman's North Sound.
Ferry to Stingray city sandbar
I am ready
Tours to Stingray city sandbar are available through your cruise ship excursions desk or can be purchased in George Town through many different excursion providers. Both group and private tours are available. The ride out to the sandbar is approximately 20-30 mins by ferry from the marina. The total length of most tours leaving from George Town and Seven mile beach are between 3 and 4 hours. They often have additions to the tour such as a stop in to the turtle farm.
Boats anchored at the sandbar
You will be standing in 3-7 feet deep water depending on the tide. It is a surreal experience to be standing up in water up to your chest in the middle of the open ocean with wild southern stingrays swimming all around you. The stingrays are extremely friendly and playful. A common misconception is that stingrays are dangerous. The barb on a stingray’s tail is only used for defence, and as they can take a long time to grow back, most species of stingray use the barb on their tail as a last resort or self-defence. Stingrays will always choose to flee when they feel threatened. These stingrays at the sandbar are very used to humans and are extremely friendly. The tour guides will give you a briefing prior to entering the water on your behaviour for example to shuffle your feet in the sand rather than stomping to avoid accidentally standing on one. Try not to trip over your own feet too, cannot say that I did not do that a few times. I am clumsy but in a graceful way. The best way to avoid being stung is to be cautious, and never provoke a live animal; this advice does include other humans.
Stingray kisses
The guides will advise you not to lift the stingrays out of the water, just to gently hold them under the water. So I just squat down in the water to do so.
The tour guide will also conduct a brief snorkelling orientation and hand out life jackets and vests upon request. Most tours include snorkelling gear and a return shuttle from accommodations in the George Town and Seven Mile Beach areas or from the pier where your cruise ship tender dropped you off. Most tours will allow you 45 mins to an hour with the stingrays at the sandbar.
Selfie with my life-jacket on, I had to
The best way I can describe the stingrays is that they are like ocean puppies, that’s how playful they are. It truly is an amazing life changing must do experience. These stingrays are free and are in no way captive. They feel like wet rubber to touch. My recommendation will be to always stay close to your guides and not to wonder off on your own. These gorgeous animals’ cheeky personalities come out when you show your cheeky personalities. Get out there and truly enjoy this experience of a lifetime, Grand Cayman, stingray city sandbar. Until next time, Vegoutt everybody.
That looks awesome! I hope your not there right now in the storm pushing its way though be safe! Its been a while since I have been on a cruise how are you enjoying it?
I am leaning more towards rather staying on the island for a few days instead of jump on the boat over and over again. Cruises seem a bit hectic from what I have done them but you get to see a ton!
@bitcoinflood thank you it was such an amazing experience. I'm not no. Keeping all of the Caribbean and Florida in my prayers. Yeah absolutely there is a lot to do on the island, 7 mile beach, turtle farm, dolphin swims, visit hell, taste the national dish of planteens- like fried banana it's really good. George Town margaritaville is a happening place. Yeah cruising isn't for everyone but I would always recommend Carnival cruise line if any. Definitely want to promote tourism back to these communities after irma they will need it. Such beautiful places and such beautiful people
Very nice post! @vegoutt-travel! Amazing stingrays, so cute! Voted and following. Resteem too.
Have a great time!
Cheers
@kaminchan thank you very much, I appreciate it. The stingrays are amazing creatures. I look forward to sharing more of my travel adventures with you
Can't wait for your future report. You know, in my country stingrays are frightening and people are warned to stay away from them! I had seen a big one came out of sand at the bottom of the shallow sea. That was a huge black beauty with long tail. He moved very fast and we couldn't take any picture.
From now on, I won't feel unfriendly or defensive towards them any more.
Thanks to you! Cheers.
Thank you @kaminchan always do be careful around a wild animal and don't stand on the barb of the tail or aggravate them but yes they are beautiful creatures that are very misunderstood so I am glad you feel better towards them
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@OriginalWorks thank you! Happy to share my personal global travels with you
Hi, Vegoutt-travel, Let me welcome you to Steemit. Hope you gonna have fun with our community. Feel free to follow me @rightuppercorner Have a great time @rightuppercorner
Thank you @rightuppercorner, I am so happy to be apart of this community. Looking forward to sharing my travel adventures with you.
Welcome to Steemit! I wish you a good days and inspiration to create in our community! Please follow me :)
Thank you @dobroman looking forward to sharing more travel adventures with you.
It's amazing how clean the water is! Looks like a pool!
@killerflu it is gorgeous water and so warm
Welcome to Steem @vegoutt-travel I have upvoted and sent you a tip
Thank you very much @bottymcbotface
Nice to meet you, @vegoutt-travel! Welcome to the Steemit Community, wish you good luck and a good start, ive send you a small tip and followed you, hope you have an amazing day! :)
Nice to meet you too @vlone99 Thank you, happy to be apart of the steemit community. Hope you have an amazing day too
Lovely introduction:) Welcome to steemit, Gemma! :)
Thank you @djei.art22 Happy to be here
Good post. Look forward to see more travel post!
@bayapple22 Thank you, I look forward to sharing my travels with you.
Great Post!! I am proudly becoming your follower number 5!! ;-)
Keep this level and you will have 1000 followers very very soon.
Steem on sweat
@marcosespes1 Thank you very much, I appreciate your kind words, I look forward to sharing my travels with you.
This is amazing did you do any snorkeling I want to go there soon I just got back from Nassau Bahamas swimming with the pigs it was so fun. What was your favorite part of your trip?
Here's my post of my trip https://steemit.com/vacation/@isteemithard/bahamas-trip-to-pig-island-exuma
@isteemithard Thank you! I did do snorkeling at coral gardens and also off the coast of Cozumel, Mexico. My favourite was meeting all the amazing people who treat you like family. Truly amazing, wow I want to go to Exuma, looks amazing. I cannot wait to share my travel adventures with you.
Great post friend , thanks !!
@aryan12o Thank you
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@steemitworldmap thank you for reading my post. That sounds really cool
It was well worth the read! See you on the map soon in that case, haha!
Hello Gemma, welcome to Steem! :-)
Hello @gtg thank you! Happy to be here!!
Welcome to steemit ; Great Post !!
@awan55 thank you, I am happy to be here
Congratulations for the quality of your post, it was chosen among the posts to be upvoted on Steemit Community Quality Support. Thanks for sharing!
I take the opportunity to welcome you on the group and I congratulate you for the wonderful post. A great job, I love the kiss with the stingray. :)
@stea90 thank you very much. Wow awesome, thank you I appreciate it. I look forward to sharing my travels with you.
extraordinary..
the fish have been trained by the benign experts of fish or wild fish found in the area.
really amazing wisada keempat like that.
@azis it is incredible, to be able to interact with these remarkable creatures freely in the open water, no tanks, no nets, free and wild as they should be! Highly recommend this
Great travel post and pictures. Keep Steeming! Looking forward to your next post.
@firepower thank you! I will keep steeming, I look forward to sharing more of my travel adventures with you. My second post is up
Wow, you have come to a really good start with your blog! Great posts :) How cute that you got a kiss from a sting ray! ^_^
@mialinnea thank you very much. I know
I was so lucky they are such gorgeous creatures
Yes they are indeed! And a bit scary (I am a little bit afraid of most things under water). But they do look very harmless!
They seemed like ocean kitties to me.
@openparadigm haha yes you must be a cat person, they are just beautiful creatures
No I just got a kitty impression from the ones I met, they were smaller and kind of tan. I like both cats and dogs but lean towards dogs but after a long drawn out palliative care of our last dog we decided to go cat.