Encounters Up Close

A visit to Grand Cayman isn't your typical city experience—it's more about meeting the unique residents of Stingray City and the adjacent Stingray Sandbar.

Visitors come and go, diving beneath the surface to explore what makes this area so enticing for the rays.

Luckily, the southern stingrays seem to enjoy the spotlight. They eagerly accept the squid offered by cruise guests and other onlookers. As soon as a tour boat’s engine quiets, a graceful parade of rays appears. From the boat's deck, you can see these saucer-shaped creatures, some reaching up to 6 feet in diameter, approaching with elegance.

Visitors can choose to observe them from above the water or plunge into the waist-deep sea to swim alongside these fierce yet gentle creatures.

Long before it became a popular tourist destination, Stingray Sandbar was a sheltered spot where fishermen cleaned their catches on the way back to shore. The promise of an easy meal drew the rays then, just as it continues to do today.