Posted by Sudbury Northern Life Reporter Liz Fleming
They suffered some seriously bad press after one of their
number accidentally killed Steve Irwin, the world-famous
alligator hunter, with a deadly stab from a poisonous tail. But
the tragedy was the result of the stunt man's miscalculation
and not a deliberate attack. The poor stingray doesn't deserve
its suddenly dangerous reputation.
Far from confrontational, these silky sea creatures glide
gently under the waves and can be positively cat-like and
friendly, actually seeming to enjoy the feel of a human caress.
Just ask the thousands of tourists who flock each year to
Stingray City in the northwest corner of Grand Cayman's North
Sound, where, in a small grouping of sandbars in shallow water,
they encounter a flotilla of free-living-but-tame stingrays to
whom the sound of a boat motor signals the world's best and
most reliable free lunch.
According to the locals, it all began decades ago when
fishermen congregated in the same shallow waters at the end of
each day to clean their catch. As they chopped and chatted,
they tossed bits of fish into the water, creating a veritable
smorgasbord for passing stingrays, who normally had to content
themselves with small crustaceans and mollusks scooped from the
sandy bottom. The fresh fish-bit buffet was so good that the
stingrays came back each day, developing a relationship with
their benefactors. Slowly, an entrepreneurial light began to
dawn for the fishermen: if they enjoyed the experience of
feeding the sea creatures, so too might visitors to the island.
A major tourist attraction was born.
Now, Stingray City is Grand Cayman's most popular visitor
activity, with several tour boat companies operating excursions
several times each day. While it can hardly be described as
viewing stingrays in the wild, the creatures are neither caged
nor penned and are free to come and go as they please. The
promise of regular feedings of fresh fish is enough to ensure
an appearance the moment the tour boats come into sight. Eager
to be fed and happy to swim with their visitors, the stingrays
are carefully managed by the tour boat captains. No jewelry
that might scratch their delicate skin is allowed and planting
a kiss on a stingray is encouraged. According to the locals,
such smooches bring seven years of good luck. Only trained
guides are allowed to hold the creatures. Stingrays are not to
be lifted out of the water and feeding is carefully supervised.
More than a bit of nervous giggling heralds the arrival of the
stingray and one or two nervous souls clamber back into the
boat. Most people, however, are eager to meet the sea
creatures. As soft as wet velvet, the stingrays slide through
the water without effort, brushing tenderly against their
visitors' arms and legs as they nibble their fishy treats.
Later, back on board the small diving boat, Marilyn, a mother
of two from Dallas, reflects on her experience.
"I was scared at first because all I could think of was Steve
Irwin, but then I saw how beautiful the stingrays are. They
aren't trying to hurt anyone."
Marilyn, like many tourists, had chosen the Stingray City tour
as a way to add a learning element to her family's vacation.
"I wanted the boys to understand something about stingrays - so
they would respect them and not be afraid."
Judging from the rapt looks on the faces of her two young sons
as they stroked their first stingray, that understanding had
dawned.
