Stingrays, Stingrays, Every Where!
Welcome to those of you joining me from Disney Mamas and those of you just hopping aboard. I am the 3rd stop on our Magical Blogorail.
Sometimes you just need a little push to get through the frustration of learning something new. For our (then) toddler son, swimming seemed insurmountable. Then one day, while we lazed around (because napping wasn't going to happen that day) Samantha Brown hopped off of a ship in Grand Cayman, into a whole group of stingrays.
He knew, that very moment, that he wanted to learn to swim.
And he wanted to swim with the stingrays.
Disney Cruise Line offers two very different stingray experiences on a Western Caribbean itinerary. So what's the difference?
Castaway Ray's Stingray Adventure
Location: Stingray Hut and Lagoon, Castaway Cay, The Bahamas
Cost: $36 ages 5-9, $45 ages 10-adults
Duration: 1 hour (10 minute orientation, 50 minutes with the stingrays)
Simple as stepping off of the ship and onto the dock, Castaway Cay is the ideal beach escape. Similarly streamlined, the Castaway Ray's Stingray Adventure offers all of the high points of a stingray experience (education, hand-feeding, and snorkeling) without any less magical waiting around down time. The water is only waste deep on even the youngest guests. Although very tame and fun to feed, our son did not want to stick around to snorkel with them when all the wonder of Castaway Cay stood in view.
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| I have to hand it to him, a hammock is pretty irresistible. |
This is an ideal first timer stingray experience, though the sand can get churned up by other guests, so I recommend an earlier excursion time, if possible.
Stingray City Snorkel Tour
Location: Stingray City, Grand Cayman, The Cayman Islands
Cost: $39 ages 5-9, $49 ages 10-adults
Duration: 2.5-3 hours (one hour in the water with the stingrays, 40 min cruise each way and bus transfers to the boat)
The Stingray City Snorkel Tour is pretty much as close to Christopher's swimming inspiration as you can find. Complete with jumping off the aft of a beautiful double decker boat into the great blue open water adjacent to a sand bar.
These are not tame creatures.
Although they will exhibit standard petting zoo behavior including petting holding and swimming with them, they live in the middle of a sandbar in the middle of the North Sound off of Grand Cayman.
Which brings me to the following photos.
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Fun fact, a group of stingrays is not called a school, but rather a fever of stingrays. |
He LOVED it.
For more details on this excursion check out my trip report.
Overall, this is a much more once in a lifetime memory for us. There's something incredible about being surrounded by real animals in the open ocean and going for it.
Adventure *is* out there!
I would do it again in a heartbeat.
Thank you for joining me today. Your next stop on the Magical Blogorail Loop is I Am a Mommy Nerd.
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Here is the map of our Magical Blogorail should you happen to have to make a stop along the way and want to reboard:
1st Stop ~ Disney with Babies, Toddlers, & Preschoolers - Castaway Cay Excursions
2nd Stop ~ Disney Mamas - Submarine Excursions on Grand Cayman
3rd Stop ~ Adventure in the Great Wide Somewhere - Stingrays, Stingrays, Every Where!
4th Stop ~ I Am a Mommy Nerd - Disney Cruise Line Excursion - The Walt Disney Family Museum
Final Stop ~ Two Moms and Mouse - When You Can't Afford an Excursion
The stingray excursions both excited and terrify me! I don't mind the stingrays so much, but I don't like to be touched by the creatures! My son, who is 5, would probably by in heaven though! Is there a way to do the excursion but minimize the contact?
ReplyDeleteBoth of these are excursions where you are (knee deep in the case of the Castaway Cay variant, up to chest deep or open water at Grand Cayman) in water that the rays are swimming though. They are much more docile and keep there distance better at Castaway Cay, particularly later in the day. Also at Castaway Cay, there is the option of of feeding the rays and walking away before the snorkel portion.
DeleteI'm with Lin, I don't like ocean creatures touching me! You are a brave girl :)
ReplyDeleteStingrays are nothing after you've worked with mice, deer, feral cats, ostriches, and oryx. Like big smooth puppies.
DeleteWow this looks like a lot of fun! Was your son not scared of the stingrays? I think my toddler would be terrified lol
ReplyDeleteMy son had always wanted to swim with the stingrays. (I blame Samantha Brown and her travel specials for making it look so fun.) He learned to swim at the Y specifically to swim with stingrays from his point of view. When we got in the water they were big, but he liked touching them and only was scared for a moment or two.
DeleteWow - that is an amazing experience and the price isn't too bad either. ~Dawn
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing another Grand Cayman excursion. I'm trying to find one for our February cruise. Someone recommended Sting Ray City. It looks awesome and something my kids would love. Do kids need to be strong swimmers to go?
ReplyDeleteFor these two port adventure through Disney, your child must be at least 5 years of age. Swimming, while not necessary, is a big plus. Particularly as Stingray City experiences tides, so the water may be up to four feet deep. See how I'm holding my son in the photo? That's a high tide day. If I set him down the water is over his head.
DeleteOh My gosh! That Stingray is HUGE! I don't know if I would have enough bravery to swim with those awesome creatures... What a great memory !
ReplyDeleteI did not do well on the Singray tour in Grand Cayman, but I had a wonderful time sunning on the catamaran while my family played with the stingrays! With your son being shorter, were you at all worried he'd step or kick one? That was my biggest fear! I'm glad you had a great time though!
ReplyDeleteMy husband had actually scared my children about everything oceans. (booo!) So I like the idea of the Castaway Cay option to see if I can build up their confidence.
ReplyDelete