Would you still go to StingRay City (with all due respect and condolences to family of Croc. Hunter)
 

Am in process of looking at excursions from cruise in February with stop at Grand Caymen - it is school vacation week and we have been advised they will fill quickly.

Never thought to be afraid of sting rays - my teenage dtr is paranoid about them now.

Yes, I would. I've snorkled with the sting rays for 20 years and would not be afraid to do so again. This was a sad and rare happening.

I believe the stingrays in Cayman are a different species (Southern Stingray). I did stingray city in Grand Cayman and it was something I would do again.

Whether or not your daughter's fears are based in fact, I would certainly save the money and do something else.

A vacation should be a relaxing time.

Marion

I thought Stingray City was very cool. The sand bar was shallow. The sting rays there are very used to human and friendly. They touch like hairy cats.

If your dtr is afraid, the ride alone would be pretty enjoyable. Also, some boats stop at multiple locations.

I have to agree totally with marionCK. A vacation should be a fun time for all members of the family. If some activity is going to create stress then delete it from the agenda. Whether or not it is merited is besides the point.

Okay, someone had to say this, it might as well be me:
You have a better chance of winning the lottery and being stuck by lightning at the same time as you do dying from a stingray. There is a debate about how many people have died from stingrays, and it's been in between 3-17 ever! you have more of a chance of being in a crime, definately. By Feb, your teen will forget about it- or the other option:
You don't have to get off the boat. You can see them from the boat (water is very clear there.) The guides would probably have one really close to the boat-so your teenager can still "experience" it. Or make a decision to get off the boat once there, or not. Still a fun ride.
It's sad what happened to Croc Hunter, he was a well loved person. If you stop something like that-your not honoring what he stood for!

last week as part of a december cruise we booked a stingray city tour. my wife agreed only after being assured she could stay on the boat, if that was her desire. after this incident she is sure she is staying on the boat. i will be in the water with the rays. i am too old to worry about being attack by a ray. i sure if you excise good justment there will not be a problem.

You simply have to experience Stingray City. It's only September. By February, your daughter's fears may very well have subsided. If not, she can sit in the boat and enjoy them from there.

Its very sad about the beloved croc hunter. Isn't it odd that he should die from such a rarity in view of all the man eaters and other potential killers he faced w/o serious injury.

I would have no problem giving it a try, even after this sad event. If my daughter didn't want to go I wouldn't force her.

I agree with Blamona. This was such a rare occurence and the fear will die down as time goes by. Not to dimish this sad event in any way, but Stevev Irwin was only the 2nd Australian ever to be killed by a stingray. And there was speculation that this ray have recently been harassed by sharks and therefore was much more defensive than normal. There is a huge difference between swimming with rays our in the open coean in Australia and petting the tame ones in 3 feet of water.

We've done Stingray City 4 times in Grand Cayman including with our 2 children. The 2nd thing my husband & I commented on after hearing about this unfortunate death is the negative impact on GCA. The trips are very safe and the stingrays are not aggressive. I'm kind of a "chicken" in the water and I would still go to Stingray City. This had to have been a freak accident. I believe swimming with the rays is a whole lot safer than many other things we all do each day and the experience is not to be missed.

Well you'd better not take a taxi either to or from the airport. Statistically you have a higher chance of dying in the taxi than from a Stingray.

It's really all mind over matter but unfortunately once you psyche yourself out and start becoming paranoid it's difficult to get past that point.

You conquor your fears by facing your fears. Not by avoiding them.

I think that Gail was asking about her daughter's fears...not her own.

IMHO most teens have enough *angst* in their lives ;-) and they have a lifetime to overcome fear and paranoia. I'm not sure a vacation is the time for lessons in how to approach life.

I'm sure we all have stories to tell from childhood experiences when our parents thought they were helping us to overcome a fear.

There is a reason I don't eat seafood :-)

Marion

blamona you've stated my opinion perfectly.
steve irwin will be sorely missed in the animal conservation world !!

All of this talk about Steve Irwin (Crikey, but I'll miss that lad!) and Sting Rays makes me wonder about places like Sting Ray City.

Most of us here have learned something on this board about the Swim With Dolphins programs on various islands and would no more participate in them than we would start shooting our own family pets.

While it's true that the sting rays in GC are not in captivity, it's certainly true that their diets have been radically changed since humans have started to use food to lure them the shallows for interaction. Have any studies been done on these rays that show any ill effects (or possibly even benefits) that places like Sting Ray City might have had on them?

I mean, they're not dolphins, but they're majestic in their own way. I'd hate to think that their well being is being ignored just because they're not as lovable/relatable as dolphins are. Does anybody have any facts at their fingertips?

Everyone on this board that has talked about StingRay City seemed to love it. My husband and I must be the exception. We hated it. Everyone grabbing for the rays, trying to pick them up, screaming, and all crowding around one spot. We just went off and did our own thing. We prefer to see them glide by themselves as they are so beautiful. Owa

We did the StingRay City thing and loved the experience. However, we went with a small group (10 people)on a Catamarran. As we were leaving a large boat with what looked like a 100 people pulled up -- I think it was one of the cruise ship excursions. I would not want to be part of that experience ... way too many people! I wonder if the above poster's were referring to one of these larger trips with a lot of people -- you should defintely avoid those.

I wouldn't have gone before, & I wouldn't go now. I seriously doubt that "Stingray City" is beneficial to the Stingrays @ all. I'll leave it at that...

I think Cher has hit the nail on the head with Stingray City. If you can do the excursion on your own at a different time from the other cruise-ship passengers (perhaps later in the afternoon), then I think it's a very worthwhile experience. It's fun and, in my opinion, as safe as any excursion you can do (many more people die in diving accidents every year than have ever died of a sting from a stingray). What's not fun is the huge crowds of cruise-ship passengers all packed onto a single boat. Your daughter can always opt not to get in the water if her fears are too much (it's really something just to watch them glide around the boat).

Gail: If your daughter is okay with staying on the boat and the rest of you guys really want to do the excursion, then do it that way.
We went on a non-cruiseship day and avoided the crowd which I'm sure made the experience much more enjoyable. Since you'll be coming with a cruise, that's something you won't be able to avoid.
I ended up staying on the boat with our 4-year-old son because the water was rough and cold that day (he didn't want to go in because of that).
Would I do it again? Hmmmm... I think I myself would but I honestly don't think that I would put my 4-year-old son in there after what happened to Irwin. I know those stingrays are used to people and blablabla but he's my babeeeee ... :-)

I'm sure that the whole Stingray City type of thing has some effect on those animals. How could it not? Are zoos and aquariums acceptable? I think not, but a lot of people seem to think they are. It's all about personal view point, isn't it?

ejcrowe: Here's an article for you.
http://www.nova.edu/ocean/ghri/feeding_effects.html

Here's the first part of that article:
http://www.nova.edu/ocean/stingraycity2.html

Even if your coming on a cruise ship, book your own trip with one of the local excursions that has only a small number of people on the trip. It would be well worth it for a much more enjoyable and memorable experience.

caribtraveler, thank you very much for posting those two links. I wish there had been more info from the student's dissertation, but it's enough to confirm for me what I was thinking before. You're right about personal viewpoint--I have ambivalent feelings which have shifted over the years about zoos and aquariums (aquaria?). When they're done well, I think perhaps they render more good than harm, especially for endangered species. But how many are truly done well? Maybe 5 in the entire US? Maybe fewer than that? I dunno.

Many animals in Zoos, have animals that are born, bred & raised in captivity. They simply could not survive in the wild in many cases. No I don't have exact numbers & such, but I tend to support places like the Carolina Raptor Center (for example) that takes injured birds & returns them to the wild in lieu of blatant commercial exploitation. The San Diego Zoo & Columbus Zoo both due a great job in helping w/animal conservation & the like, much like Steve Irwin did. So, although Zoos are not ideal, in many cases it may be the best alternative for some animals & species (which would otherwise be extinct (thanks to us). I am now stepping off my soap box. I relate "Stingray City" to other similar travesties such as swimming w/the dolphins. Nice article.

ejcrowe: I get what you're saying about the zoos/aquariums...I also think the good ones are in the minority, but unfortunately most of the animals there are not endangered.
Speaking of Irwin and feeding wild animals and that having an effect on them... when we did the Black River Tour in Jamaica, our boat captain told us that they sometimes feed the crocs. They don't always do that because they don't want the crocs to completely lose their hunting skills. However, it still has had an effect as they're not that aggressive. See this picture?
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...r/5c1ea085.jpg
The croc never snapped at Cornell, the boat captain. Cornell told us that Steve Irwin said he'd never shoot there because the crocs were not aggressive (not good TV I guess). Cornell also said that they had a National Geographic crew who came to shoot the crocs. That crew had been all over the world and said the Black River crocs were the laziest crocs they had ever seen. We all laughed at that, but when you think about it, it really wasn't that funny.

OK Fodorites, I am going to reluctantly admit that I am a huge wimp about sea creatures. This ruined it for me. I realize that the GC scenario is much different than Australia, but Irwin was only in 6 feet of water when he was killed. Talk about one's number being up! My DH and I started watching Crocodile Hunter in the late 90's when it was just a fledgeling show. We were the early on fans. We were really shocked and saddened to hear that he had died. May he RIP.

Brenda,

I'd not describe you as a "wimp". In your daily work, you face more than many of us can imagine.

We all have challenges and fears...some become lifelong issues.

But I think we should be gentle with ourselves and concentrate on the postive gifts we have to offer.

My original message to Gail was to respect her daughter's fears. Maybe it would be helpful to Gail's daughter to know that there are lots of *grown-ups* who still have some fears and we are not wimps :-)

I'm not sure this made any sense...but sometimes even adults have communication issues ;-)

Marion

I doubt the sting rays have heard about the incident!

There is no more danger now than there was last week at this time.

Back to gail's question .

Would I do it? proably not, poor stingrays - it doesn't seem much of a life to me.

If DD wnted to visit I wouldn't belittle her choice but I wouldn't join her

I had a feeling that the tragic death of Steve Irwin would raise concerns about SRC.

We went to Grand Cayman and did a Stingray City tour with Captain Marvin's on a Friday.

We did the 3 stop snorkeling tour to Coral Gardens,Barrier Reef and finally Stingray City.We have 3 boys ages 11,9 and 3 and all 3 of them really enjoyed the Stingrays.My 3 yr old was a little leary but my husband held him and he was fine.We also got a DVD of the trip.

All I can tell you is that it was the highlight of our trip.The Stingrays are visited dozens of times a day and know why people are there..(to feed them and pet them)so they do not feel threatened and seemed very friendly..almost like a pet.

If your daughter feels a little scared she could always stay in the boat and watch.

Call around and find a company that takes a few people and not a large crowd.
We only had about 15 people on our trip there.

I believe that it was an Eagle Ray that killed Steve..and the ones at Stingray City are the Southern Rays..(not sure if that makes a difference to you)

Good luck and have fun!:)

BTW..My prayers go out to Steve's family and friends.

Christie

Caribtravler,
I saw a show on the Science Channel about Stingrays after we went to Stingray City..that talked about the same issue in the first article that you posted.I was thinking in the back of my mind..what would happen if the Stingrays that are tame and are used to being fed, if feeding was banned?

The second article that you posted hit the nail on the head.

It is a great experience if we just learn HOW to interact and snorkel with them in a HEALTHY way in the future.

In the show that I saw it also stated that it was not good for them to pick them up.So maybe they should change the rules at Stingray City.

Christie

cristie is right on.... Went on excursion with me and my 2 boys (3 and 8) with Capt. Marvin's. Pls people... Avoid the cruise ship rip-off. Book online as an independant. Marvin had 20 people on his boat at the most. Some great snorkling and interaction with the rays. Highly recommended and a can't miss while in Caymans... with no worries mate:-) RIP Croc-man

Thanks for all your responses - have read them all and did not get back to thread until today since I was away. Will wait a while and discuss again with dtr - things change quickly at 16.

Oh, Christiegr, say it isn't so! Not an eagle ray, my personal totem animal. That would make me even sadder. I think you made an excellent point that the stingrays at SRC are fairly "tame." We used to feed squirrels in a park that would come right up to people and sit up on their haunches waiting, like dogs. They'd take food right from your hand because that's what they're used to. Many aquariums have exhibits where there's stingray petting. The ray that killed Irwin was in the wild and not accustomed to being chased around by humans. Also, it's such a freak incident, it could have completely missed or it could have left a scratch. I can picture it if it had missed him "Crikey! Was that one close! These big sheilas can pack quite a wallop with those razor sharp tails!" Just such a "freak" circumstance. Stingrays are such nonaggressive animals. I've been swimming with stingrays for years, and the first rule is always, don't touch, stay clear of the tail.
Gail: Whether you choose to do the SRC thing or not, please reassure your daughter not to worry about stingrays. They are as a rule, nonaggressive. Irwin and his photographer were the ones chasing the stingray. IMO the last thing Irwin would want is for people to fear or dislike stingrays.

I'm no stingray expert, but I saw on TV that it was a Bullray that led to his demise. I'm sure Stingray City is quite safe, just not sure it is something I would want to do.

<font color="green"><b>I LOVED Stingray City... probably one of the best tours I've experienced. I would have absolutely no hesitation doing it all over again (inspite of what happened to Steve Irwin).</b></font>

Hi Gail,
My husband and I &quot;swam with the rays&quot; at SRC. It was an exciting experience although I chose not to feed them. If you feed them, guarantee you will have more contact with them. I just swam around those that were feeding because I am not a strong swimmer and had heard about the &quot;hicky&quot; you can get if a ray gets excited and grabs your arm and not the food. Feeding them was not for me, but it was otherwise very exciting to see these beautiful sea creatures! I can only just imagine how exhilerating Steve Irwin must have felt each time he encountered these wonderful creatures! He was once of a kind and LOVED what he did. As to your daughter, best to let her decide. Make your plans to go to STR and let her decide, if at the last moment whether or not to get in the water with the rays. She can at least enjoy the day and sun while sailing. Like other suggestions, chose a captain that limits the number of people on his catamaran. Have fun!

Mae,
I must have been wrong about it being an Eagle Ray that killed Steve.

I don't know that much about the different species of Rays but the one I saw on TV LOOKED like an Eagle Ray.

Brenda is a Bull Ray shaped like an Eagle Ray but a different color?

Christie