One of the most popular things to do in Grand Cayman is swim with stingrays! Grand Cayman in the Cayman Islands is a popular island for sunbathing on Seven Mile Beach but there are some fun tours to do to explore the island more and great opportunities to spot marine life. We saw stingrays all over Grand Cayman but the main place to go is Stingray City Grand Cayman!
About Stingray City Grand Cayman
Stingray City is located in the North Sound of Grand Cayman where there are several shallow sandbars out in the ocean. So, why are there so many stingrays that gather in this location? It’s said that local fisherman used to come to the sandbars after fishing to clean their catch and the scraps would attract the stingrays to their boats.
The stingrays would show up for easy snacks and evidently got used to the boats and fisherman being around. So much so that they became comfortable taking food right from their hands. Today, it’s evolved into a tourist spot with boats taking many people to the area to swim with stingrays.
Getting There
The sandbars are located a few miles off shore and it takes about 25 minutes by boat to reach the area from the west side of the island. Most tours leave from the Seven Mile Beach area but there are a few that leave from Rum Point as well, which is the central north part of the island.
Stingray City is only accessible by boat and far enough off shore that you aren’t able to swim or kayak to it. It’s also a protected area that requires licensed operators to have a Wildlife Interaction Zone permit.
So can you visit Stingray City on your own if you have a private vessel? It’s hard to find a definitive answer. But whether it’s technically allowed or not, most people highly recommend against it, as it is a protected area that requires familiarity with the rules and regulations.
There are rules about anchoring, rules with interacting with the stingrays and then there’s navigating the north sound. It’s best to go with a licensed operator who knows all of these things.
Taking a Tour to Stingray City
This is one of the most popular tours on the island so there are many tour options you can consider and different lengths as well. Our tour had a stop at Stingray City and one other snorkeling spot. It was short and sweet but plenty of time in each area to not feel rushed.
Tour Options:
Many tours also include a stop at Starfish Point, which is located on the north side of the island near Rum Point. Starfish Point is accessible by car and we actually stayed near it. We were able to visit a few times by car, so we didn’t have the need to include it on our boat tour.
But if you don’t plan on going north to the Crystal Caves or exploring the East End (where you’ll likely drive to Starfish Point as well), then it’s nice to add it on the tour.
Tours + Costs:
- Stingray City + Snorkeling Spot: $49/person, about 3 hours. Snorkel at either Coral Gardens OR Barrier Reef. This is the tour we did!
- Stingray City + 2 Snorkeling Spots: $59/person, about 3 hours. Snorkel at Coral Gardens AND Barrier Reef.
- Stingray City + Starfish Point + Snorkeling Spot: $69/person, about 3.5 hours. Visit Starfish Point and one of the snorkeling spots.
Additional costs: If you want the professional photographs from your tour, that will be an additional cost. I think ours was $25 for one photo or $50 for all the photos.
Some of the tours offer hotel pickup if you’re staying in George Town or around 7 Mile Beach. Otherwise, you’ll need to meet at their shop location. We took a short bus ride over to the dock to get on the boat. The boat ride was about 25 minutes long and it’s scenic and comfortable. And as you can see below, it wasn’t very crowded on our boat.
Before long, you’ll start to see some other boats, beautiful water and some stingrays swimming in the water!
Swimming with Stingrays
When you first arrive at Stingray City, your guides will give you some basic information about swimming with stingrays. One of the most important pieces of information is to not step when you walk. Instead, you want to shuffle along the sand so you don’t unexpectedly step on a stingray. You also just want to peacefully observe for the most part. Don’t try to catch one on your own.
The water at Stingray City is about 3-4 feet deep and stingrays will swim right up to you almost as soon as you get in the water. Your guide will find a friendly stingray for the group to interact with and give you some facts while you’re in the water.
Most tours have a photographer onboard and will get a series of photos for each person. So everyone will have some one on one time to interact with them. You’ll get to hold a stingray, give them a kiss (for seven years of good luck!), have them swim against your back and feed them a snack.
Some of the stingrays here are massive. They range from a few feet wide up to five feet wide! And they certainly aren’t shy. You don’t really have to move once you’re in the water. They aren’t afraid to swim right up next to you and right up against you!
Snorkeling the Reef
After spending some time swimming with stingrays at Stingray City, you’ll hop back on the boat and head to a reef for snorkeling. There are two popular snorkeling spots: Coral Gardens and the Barrier Reef. Our tour included one stop and I’m not sure which one it was.
Almost as soon as we got in the water at the snorkeling spot, we spotted another stingray right near our boat. And shortly after that, another one!
We had quite a bit of time to swim around and look for marine life, so we had a great time and our tour never felt rushed. We had a good amount of time at both spots.
Things to Know
Swimming with stingrays can be a little unnerving and here are a few common questions about the experience:
Is it safe?
Yes. The stingrays at Stingray City are very docile and are used to being around people. Listen to the guide and make sure you follow their directions and enjoy the tour.
Can you get stung?
These are still wild stingrays and they still have a barbed tail. But stingrays use it only in self defense, so don’t touch their tail and don’t make threatening movements. Make sure to shuffle your feet under water so you don’t accidentally step on one.
Is it ethical?
Ethical animal encounters are always a concern especially when you get to interact with them. The stingrays at Stingray City are wild. They aren’t kept in captivity and aren’t forced to come over to the boats. Which is also a reason why it’s safe–they come over to socialize and get snacks if they want to.
The government has also made the area a protected area and there are regulations in visiting. This helps keep the number of tours under control, as well as imposes certain time frames and feeding guidelines.
What to Bring
- Swimsuit – wear one under your clothes to the boat.
- Towel – so you can dry off on the boat once you are done swimming.
- Dry bag – to keep all your belongings safe and dry.
- Sunscreen – you’ll be in direct sun. This one is reef safe!
- Underwater Camera – to catch the stingrays swimming around. I used an old GoPro but have since upgraded.
Other Fun Activities in Grand Cayman
- Snorkeling or Diving Devil’s Grotto – One of our favorite activities was renting diving gear and doing a shore dive to Devil’s Grotto and Eden Rock. The two reefs are near the shore and you can either snorkel over them or dive. The coral reefs form tunnels with openings at the top that the sun shines through. It’s incredibly beautiful to swim through.
- Swimming in the Bioluminescent Bay – Grand Cayman is home to a bioluminescent bay on the north side of the island. You can take a boat tour at night to go swimming and see the plankton light up in the water.
- Crystal Cayman Caves – Head underground to explore Grand Cayman’s caves. There are three caves to walk through and explore to see the different natural formations!
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