Last Updated on October 25, 2020 by Natalie
After zoning out a little during the pre-dive instructions given at Stingray City in Grand Cayman Island, my dive buddy took the squid for feeding the rays, at my insistence. I was a little nervous and respectful of these majestic creatures, so I decided I wouldn’t touch them. You aren’t supposed to touch ocean creatures while diving anyway. It’s one of the first things you learn in scuba diving certification class and it’s drilled into your brain.
Please note: I do not recommend diving at Stingray City unless the company does NOT feed the stingrays or allow you to touch, kiss, or hold them. Please see these piece about the ethics of diving with stingrays and why I regret it!
Diving at Stingray City, Grand Cayman
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A ray “flies” towards me and my dive buddy (I’m on the right). Shot on an old point and shoot camera in an underwater casing.
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A top 3 kind of dive
Before our harrowing hurricane adventure in Grand Cayman, we managed to squeeze in some diving. Stingray City is still one of my all time favorite dives (with a caveat)! It is an awesome, shallow dive with incredible creatures. It is also a fantastic snorkeling experience, for those who aren’t scuba certified. Divers feed the rays. In turn, the rays swarm the divers, giving an excellent view to those above.
I do have some second thoughts about my participation in this amazing dive, now that I’ve done some research on the ethical side of Stingray City.
Into the ocean we jump!
Once in the water, all the divers sank to the sandy bottom, purposely heavy. We were instructed to stay on our knees. On the sandy bottom, I had a chance to look up to the snorkelers, who circled above.
Immediately, a ginormous stingray came up to me, looking for food. Suddenly, I feel a sharp pain on my right arm. Did she bite me?
“Stingrays don’t bite,” I remember the dive master saying before my Stingray City dive. “But they might give you a hickey.”
Oh my god, she’s sucking on me, I think. And it hurts!
My eyes wide, I try to get the attention of my dive buddy to “do something.” My dive buddy couldn’t see my facial expressions behind my mask and regulator, so I had to take care it myself.
Quickly, I pushed her off of me, while marveling at her tremendous strength and graceful beauty. So much for not touching the rays, as I’d decided pre-dive. They swam close, as if they were tame. I lost count of how many bumped into me. They swarm, looking for food the easy way. Rays are strong and will knock you over.
The extra weight allowing us to sit on our knees on the sandy ocean floor was for our safety.
My buddy is swarmed by rays because he is holding the squid. It was incredible. We are given extra weight so we can be on our knees.
How do you get your very own Stingray Hickey?
By being brave enough to dive with them!
I didn’t feed the rays, content with my interesting and somewhat painful experiences with the amazing creatures. Once we surfaced, I discovered that others had also received “hickies” from the rays. One guy was bleeding! My stingray hickey broke the skin, but it wasn’t bloody.
How Safe is it to Swim with Stingrays?
You may see people say it isn’t because of what happened to Steve Irwin. However, these are a different type of rays and are fairly friendly. If you follow the guide’s instructions, you are very likely to be completely safe during your visit.
Has Anyone Died at Stingray City?
There are reports that people have died after swimming at Stingray City, but not due to the Stingrays.
Do Stingrays Like to be Touched?
Though I don’t personally know any stingrays who have taken me into their confidence, it seems unlikely that stingrays enjoy being touched, especially by a group of tourists who are passing them around in a circle and kissing them. If you can avoid this type of activity, please do.
This was from an old point and shoot camera in an underwater casing. No zoom. See how close the stingrays at Stingray City get?
If you are planning on doing this experience, read this first and please remember that stingrays are wild creatures and not tame, even though they seem to be. Stay calm. The rays will swim to you and push you around quite a bit. The smaller the ray, the bigger the possibility that she’s a wildcard. The larger rays are older and wiser.
What’s your coolest ocean creature experience? Have you been diving with stingrays? Would you want a stingray hickey?
Do you have feedback on diving or snorkeling at Stingray City, Grand Cayman Island? The best feedback comes from readers! Please share your thoughts and experiences in the comments.
18 comments
I fed a stingray at a zoo once and was NOT expecting them to “bite” like that! It was like my hand was being gummed to death, and being swarmed by these rays sounds more than little terrifying, haha! You’re right though about them being very graceful and majestic. The house cats of the sea, perhaps? 😀
Housecats of the sea! Hahaha! Maybe so! They are so gorgeous, but the experience could make one feel a little panicked.
Thanks for commenting!
I know someone who just went not to long ago. They didn’t dive though. Looks like a good time.
It really was! Thank you!
Wow, I did not know this about stingray! I would have been a little nervous, but it looks sooooo beautiful. Snorkelling on the Great Barrier Reef is definitely one of our fondest memories!!
I would love to snorkel (or dive) the Great Barrier Reef! That would be incredible!
Stingrays are really neat! I really loved my experience.
Thanks for the post. It looks fun diving with stingrays and it’s just as much scary as the stingray giving you a hickey instead of bite!
Besides, to me it’s always challenging to take a good picture underwater, I wonder how you and other people did it!? @ knycx.journeying
It was scary! After that, no other rays sucked on me, at least. It was fun after that.
I think the secret to good underwater photography is lots of light. Also, maybe some better equipment than I had at the time.
I always thought that stingrays are deadly. I didn’t know that they actually have dives that take you up close. Great experience!
Stingrays can be deadly, but won’t harm you if you don’t try to treat them like a domesticated pet.
We got to feed stingrays for the first time in Moorea. You’re exactly right – the thought is much more intimidating than the reality. Looks like a marvelous experience.
Thanks for commenting! It is pretty crazy diving with the rays. I certainly was intimidated, but also awed!
We’re sure it must have a memorable experience, except for those hickies 😉
We’ve read few posts on Grand Cayman and looks like snorkeling with sting rays would be on our radar when we go. Little intimidated about the pains that might occur though 🙁
In our tour, the snorkelers were far enough away from the action and I don’t believe any of them suffered from a stingray hickey! Enjoy your trip!
I’m about to go on vacation to Grand Cayman and was thinking of going to Stingray City. I was thinking of going with this company [website no longer exists] but noticed that they go to the “sandbar”. Your article shows a deeper area that isn’t the sandbar. Which one is better? Do you have to dive at the one you went to?
I went to a deeper site (around 12 feet, I think) because I was diving. It depends on the kind of experience you are hoping to have. In the area where I dove, the snorkelers circled above and observed more than interacted with the stingrays. On a sandbar tour, you are likely going to be touching the stingrays and posing for “kissing the rays” pictures. It would be worth doing some research into sustainable tourism or eco tourism companies, if that aspect is important to you.
I got a stingray hickey too! That creature, I named him George, sucked on my arm thinking I was a squid. It was like a vacuum.
My wound is now red and puffy.
It hurts, doesn’t it? I really wasn’t expecting it at all! I’m glad George didn’t break the skin.