We use cookies to make wikiHow great. Because stingrays camouflage well, they are a risk for people swimming at the beach. It’s important that you book a tour that is trusted and well monitored. As it turns out, my bright white calves and thighs were a beacon to these gentle creatures, calling them to surround me. There’s nothing quite like a close encounter with marine creatures, whether it be a school of colorful fish off the islands of Raja Ampat or floating beside whale sharks in Cancun. Upon stepping on the stingray, the ray will respond by flipping its tail, which has a barb at the end, towards you. Thank you to all the athletes and parents that took the SafeSport for Athletes and SafeSport for swim parents! Contact them at, Put yourself first with Soft Surroundings. The continuous feeding (sometimes daily) of the southern stingray ( Dasyatis americana ) for wildlife interaction tourism purposes has changed the natural behavior of these animals in several ways. The untimely death of Australian naturalist Steve Irwin, who was killed by a stingray barb last week, has many people asking questions, mainly, "Is it safe to go in the water with these ordinarily docile creatures?" In the Caribbean, southern stingrays can grow to as wide as 6.5 feet. Marvin's), awesome company by the way. To create this article, 21 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. Aquatica team members section off the stingrays into one area of the pool with a net. X Tourists drop millions of dollars each year to experience swimming with these gentle giants[1] You snorkel (or dive) at Stingray City. This is called the “stingray shuffle.” This usually scares the stingrays … Why Swimming with Stingrays is Not Good for the Rays. "The circumstances surrounding the Steve Irwin accident are very unusual. Best Stingray City, Starfish Point and barrier reef snorkel tours in the Cayman Islands. If you also snorkel on the trip, I would say that the snorkeling was actually tougher than the rays. Stingrays are safe (and sweet!) Last month, SeaWorld San Antonio announced their 2013 Wildside Texas parenting blog ambassadors and I’m proud to say that I was selected! Bahamian Underwater Adventures with Stingrays - Photo by Elena Kalis So many people ask me about the dangerous animals in Australia – like the snakes and spiders and sharks. at Aquatica. ), I assure you. A Twitter List by rays… We know ads can be annoying, but they’re what allow us to make all of wikiHow available for free. wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. A genuine question which may keep bugging your mind!! If you are stung while in the ocean and there is a lifeguard on duty, signal to the lifeguard, who will help you out of the water and apply the necessary treatment. Pretty cool, right? Not as many boats go to Stingray City so it is less crowded and it usually includes a short swim to check out resident moray eels and even at times a juvie nurse shark. Buy three get the 4th free - Stingray City, Coral Garden and Starfish tour. . At Aquatica, the stingrays’ barbs are trimmed about once every three months. . Steve Irwin would tell you it's not safe at all, since he himself was swimming with stingrays when a barb pierced his heart. X I’m so glad we got to meet in person, Priscilla. The stingrays behave like eager water kittens! It was cool to have a reason finally to love my untanned thighs. It’s one of the most popular excursions for cruise travelers in the Caribbean: swimming with stingrays. Use the online reporting form, call (720) 524-5640, or find more information at www.uscenterforsafesport. If you decide that getting in the water with the stingrays isn’t your thing, that’s OK. You can still get to know these interesting creatures from the sidelines. Perhaps the diver hovered directly over the ray or floated in front of it, making the stingray feel trapped against a reef without an escape route. You have successfully joined our subscriber list. These stingrays will likely act like captive animals, as they have become accustomed to human interaction. They take the whole shrimp into their mouth, eat the meat, and spit out the shell! I’m pretty sure those stingrays love you too, sweet Debi. ?” After spending time in the water with these docile creatures, and meeting the knowledgeable Aquatica team members, including the very helpful Bianca who kindly answered all of my questions, I have the answer! U.S. Center for Safe Sport to make a report. Required fields are marked *. The stingrays’ mouths are on their belly so they swim over the fish in your hand and suck it up like a vacuum. This article has been viewed 56,353 times. It looks like you had fun though. These majestic creatures are highly intelligent and can live for up to 50 years, and swimming with them is a once-in-a-lifetime, truly unforgettable experience. The water is very shallow. You will meet southern stingrays and small black tip sharks. Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 56,353 times. Be cautious of a wild stingray as, like any wild animal, it will assume you are a predator and defend itself if you act in a way it considers threatening. Come, journey with us over to Stingray City where you can make a splash with stingrays and snorkel alongside ‘The Brightest Rays in the Caribbean’, one of nature’s most amazing and captivating creatures. As well, you should be aware of the possible risks of swimming with stingrays and take precautions to avoid getting injured while you enjoy this unique experience. Now, the number one question I hear about getting into the water with stingrays is, “How is that safe?? Is it safe to swim with stingrays? Instead, let a medical professional remove it in the hospital. org. The aquarium's Seven Rivers Gallery is … Tours depart from cruise ship terminal and local resorts on Seven Mile Beach, Grand Cayman. % of people told us that this article helped them. It’s safe (and so much fun! Follow these pointers to stay out of trouble. How to Swim With Stingrays: 8 Steps (with Pictures) - wikiHow Recently, the 2013 Wildsiders got together for a Spring Fling at Aquatica, SeaWorld’s new waterpark, to wade into the water with Cownose and Southern stingrays. How amazing for the kids with these docile creatures in the water. How to stay safe near stingrays Rocky Point . The Aquatica website has full details on pricing for stingray encounters. Unlike sting rays, manta rays do not have a sharp barb, making them very safe to swim, snorkel or dive with. Your email address will not be published. I know they can’t hurt me but it still freaks me out. They will do fine. Graceful, gentle and fascinating to watch… Experience the thrill of swimming with southern stingrays! Let me just say that the stingrays are safe as can be. The Sandbar is 3 to 5 ft deep and Stingray City is 12 to 15ft deep/. All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published. In the wild, stingrays like to eat fish and shrimp. Just reach into the pool to pet them as they glide by and you can purchase a tray of fish for a few dollars to feed them from the side of the pool as well. They must have thought I was a big, white fish because they kept sucking delicately on my legs. Can you just see him? After a couple of seconds of doing this, the stingrays know you’re here and … This could result in stepping on the tail of a stingray and getting a barb injury in your foot. The tour guide will take you to an area known to have a high stingray population and allow you to wade around in waist deep water. How fun!!! You can receive a minor injury from a stingray barb on your leg or toe if you accidentally step on a stingray’s tail or tread on a stingray that feels threatening to a stingray. Took an excursions to Stingray City Sandbar with Caymaninanutshell(Capt. More recently, with my pictures of my Bahamian underwater adventures swimming with marine life, I get asked what happened to Steve Irwin Crocodile Hunter with the sting rays? This is all very useful information and is worth knowing before swimming at the sandbar. Feed, touch, and swim with these docile, beautiful creatures. He spent about half of the time standing in the pool while petting and feeding fish to the rays. They gently extract each ray from the water and trim the barb (rays are only out of the water for about 10 seconds each) and then the stingray is moved to the other side of the net so they can keep track of which ones have already had their barbs trimmed. You will be educated on the boat over to Stingray City on how to walk in the water (shuffle) and other safety information. While diving, stingrays may be approached with little risk. Kelly, y’all are in for a treat. I love that he just went for it! I was not asked to write about my experiences and the opinions are mine alone. You will be able to interact with the stingrays in shallow water on a sandy beach. Stingray barbs (or stingers) are made of a material that is similar to human fingernails. Removing it from a deep wound can result in blood lose and other medical issues. In order to have a safe and fun experience, keep in mind what is safe … Family and I just returned from a cruise with Carnival to Cayman Islands. Easy! Shallow water where you can stand up. Lisa, first try petting them from the side of the pool to see how gentle they are. Look for wide, gray discs floating over the sand and try to step around them, rather than on them. Fear has been instilled in people since the tragic death of Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin in 2006. The rest of the time he spent in my arms when the rays got a little overly excited about the fish in our hands. But, in the Caribbean’s Grand Cayman sealife is all about swimming with stingrays in Stingray City. There are 16 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. How do they know if they’ve trimmed every single barb on every single stingray? If you want to get up close and personal with stingrays, I believe there are marine parks like Sea World where you can pet rays whose stingers have been amputated. Easy! He died before any medical help could reach him. You should also never swim directly over a stingray, as this could be seen as threatening, and when you are diving or snorkeling in an uncontrolled environment with wild stingrays, avoid going too close to them. Swim alongside rays with wingspans of up to 16 feet (five meters). Don’t panic if you spot a stingray swimming nearby this summer. Swim with the Rays. Your email address will not be published. They are like cats in the water the way the nestle up close to as they swim by. Although he was brave, he was also a little nervous. Stingray City, get up close and personal with friendly safe stingrays in Antigua! In the pool at Aquatica, you feed them small fish by holding each fish under water but up in your hand like a lollipop. Diving with Stingrays is Generally Safe . Shrimp are their very favorite food and, like us, they don’t like to eat the shell. Swimming with Sharks and Sting Rays in Moorea, Tahiti posted on : August 9, 2017 posted by : Samantha Moorea is a simply stunning French Polynesian island… it’s literally the stuff movies are made of (wait, I think a few movies were filmed there actually). Stingrays In the Caribbean. If you are stung while on a swim with the stingrays tour, inform the tour guide, who should stop the tour and take you to the nearest hospital or clinic. If you are a certified diver you have chances to see sharks while scuba-diving. On the rare occasion that a stingray strikes a diver underwater, the diver has most likely inadvertently threatened or cornered the animal. There are many mysteries and untold stories from the depths of the deepest sea, but there is also a beautiful side you may or may not be familiar with in person. The San Antonio Things to Do Staff works hard to bring you the best deals in and around the city. They don’t have feeling in their barbs, therefore the barbs can be cut or trimmed just like our fingernails. wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. Fantastic experience. Stingray encounters take place several times each day so the rays are fed nearly constantly throughout the day (although they quit eating when they are full). At least it was for me. Be cautious about over feeding the stingrays, as they can swarm around you and you may lose your footing. I wasn’t scared to get in the water because I’d spent lots of time on many different visits, petting them. Watch a Hawaiian sunset before hopping in the water for an unforgettable swim. Has anyone died at Stingray City? Afterwards, enjoy a refreshing rum or fruit punch and truly take in the sights of our Caribbean paradise. My family and I receive complimentary access to the parks, in addition to other perks throughout the year. If you really can’t stand to see another ad again, then please consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. Though it may be hard to see stingrays in the shallow water if they are hiding in the sand, you should always watch where you step when entering the ocean. Many of these tours can be found in destinations on the coast of the Caribbean Sea, such as the Bahamas or the Cayman Islands. The stingray shuffle essentially involves walking backways without lifting your feet. [2] Research source Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. How to spend Spring Break 2014 in San Antonio | San Antonio Mom Blogs ™. Dread has been infused into the people’s mind since the unfortunate demise of naturalist Steve Irwin in 2006, but it’s actually incredibly uncommon for a stingray injury to be fatal. My family and I have season passes but we have yet to go to Aquatica. I would suggest that everyone have life jackets just for safety and hold hands with the kids as you snorkel. This article has been viewed 56,353 times. OH.MY.GOSH. Please help us continue to provide you with our trusted how-to guides and videos for free by whitelisting wikiHow on your ad blocker. Was the second time any different than the first? You should go to the hospital if the sting is severe or if the barb breaks off in the wound. He is usually very unsure about things like this. Feeding stingrays changes their natural behaviors. The full list of SeaWorld’s 2013 Wildside bloggers is not only a great resource of blogs that cover SeaWorld from a parenting perspective, but it’s also a great place to find Texas bloggers to follow. It was your second time in the water with them, right? Parent Consent Forms STINGRAYS Swimming - For a licensed massage therapist or other certified professional or health-care provider STINGRAYS Swimming - For an unrelated adult athlete to share the same lodging with minor athlete The stingrays gather around the … It was AWESOME to meet you and I completely agree that the Stingray experience was so much fun. SeaWorld San Antonio announced their 2013 Wildside Texas parenting blog ambassadors, The Aquatica website has full details on pricing for stingray encounters, Things to Do in San Antonio This Weekend (November 27-29): Free and Cheap Events, Dickens on Main Christmas Festival in Boerne. Can you go swimming with the sharks on your period? It is filled with a variety of island activities including stingray encounters, glass-bottom boat viewing, snorkeling or just hanging out on the beach and swimming in the pristine Caribbean Sea. It was amazing. The barb may then come into contact with your foot, ankle, or toe. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/7\/75\/Swim-With-Stingrays-Step-1-Version-3.jpg\/v4-460px-Swim-With-Stingrays-Step-1-Version-3.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/7\/75\/Swim-With-Stingrays-Step-1-Version-3.jpg\/aid105974-v4-728px-Swim-With-Stingrays-Step-1-Version-3.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"546","licensing":"