What kind of stingrays are in Grand Cayman?

In the Cayman Islands, we only have “Southern” stingrays, which are very safe. There are no “Short-tail” stingrays in the Cayman Islands. Comparing a “Short-tail” stingray to a “Southern” stingray is like comparing a Great White Shark to a Nurse Shark; the former being very dangerous, and the latter being very safe.

Can you swim with turtles in Grand Cayman?

Ok so you can go to an aquarium and see sea turtles OR you can go snorkeling at Spotts Beach and actually swim with them. The turtles are there in droves, you can’t miss them not too far off the shore from about 9-11am and 3-5pm eating sea grass.

Where is Stingray City in the Caribbean?

Grand Cayman Island
A visit to Stingray City is one of the most popular things to do on Grand Cayman Island in the western Caribbean. Located on a natural offshore sandbar on the northwest corner of the island in the North Sound, Stingray City is home to dozens of southern Atlantic stingrays.

Why are sea turtles important to the Cayman Islands?

Turtles allowed these small islands to gain an international economic presence when they otherwise might have remained obscure. These animals are a major figure in Cayman history, and that alone makes them a powerful symbol of prosperity. However, there’s a modern slant to Caymanians’ reverence for the sea turtle.

Is Stingray City ethical?

After we did our research, we learned enough to know Stingray City is more than a tourist attraction – it is an ethical animal encounter.

Is it safe to swim with stingrays in Grand Cayman?

Stingray are perfectly safe to touch. They enjoy swimming with people and enjoy being fed squid or ballyhoo. The Stingray have been coming to the sandbar for years and are used to human interaction.

Is touching a sea turtle illegal?

It is illegal to touch or harass sea turtles as they are all protected by the Endangered Species Act. An officer with NOAA was notified about the violation by NOAA’s Hawaiian Monk Seal Research Program, as the man added the hashtag #monkseals to his post of him touching the marine mammal.

How far is Stingray City from Grand Cayman?

Stingray City is a group of sandbars located 25 miles off the shore of Grand Cayman, and offers tours ranging from 3 to 5 hours.

Can you swim to Stingray City?

Stingray City Sandbar and Deep Stingray City are about a mile apart. Both are about one to two miles off-shore, meaning that you can’t swim there from shore. You need to take a tour boat to get to Stingray City.

How many turtles are in the Cayman Islands?

The experts report that loggerhead and green turtle nest numbers increased dramatically from 1998 to 2019, while hawksbill turtle nest numbers remain low. In 1999, there were only 39 sea turtle nests counted across the Cayman Islands. By 2019, the number of nests had jumped to 675.

What kind of sea turtles are in Grand Cayman?

Historically, four sea turtle species were found in the Cayman Islands: green (Chelonia mydas), loggerhead (Caretta caretta), hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata) and leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea) turtles.