gail

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.

dianejoan

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.

mlw

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.

MarionCK

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

Ghengis

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.

diann

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.

blamona

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!

pennstateray1

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.

Knowing

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.

jacketwatch

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.

MuyLinda

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.

Kristen1206

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.

NM

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.

Canuck_at_Canada_eh

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.

MarionCK

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

virginia

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

ejcrowe

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?

owa

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

Cher

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.

SAnParis

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...