Anyone Re-thinking Swimming With the Stingrays?

[Cassandra]

Uh, someone needs to go back to the News section & change the article.

 

He was not "attacked" as its stated. It was an accident. The stingray did not chase him & purposely stab him.

[FrankCar]

We went to Stingray City in Grand Cayman two years ago. There were hundreds of people in the water (actually it was downright croweded). The stingrays were very docile and would even eat out of your hand. Some of the guides picked them out of the water and invited people to pet them. Outr guide told us that the only time they would sting would be if you stepped on them; then it would be self-defense. I would not hesitate to do that excursion again. If you are a little leery of getting in the water with them, I would suggest that you at least take the boat ride and watch them from the surface. You might change your mind :)

[FrankCar]

We went to Stingray City in Grand Cayman two years ago. There were hundreds of people in the water (actually it was downright crowded). The stingrays were very docile and would even eat out of your hand. Some of the guides picked them out of the water and invited people to pet them. Outr guide told us that the only time they would sting would be if you stepped on them; then it would be self-defense. I would not hesitate to do that excursion again. If you are a little leery of getting in the water with them, I would suggest that you at least take the boat ride and watch them from the surface. You might change your mind :)

[kelcnmt]

Please don't think twice about swimming with the stingrays. My husband and I swam with them on Grand Cayman this past November and I'm here to tell you----it was a fabulous and fun experience. I was never scared once. I even fed one. There were hundreds of people in the water and these animals were so docile. One thing that surprised me was how big they are.

What happened to Steve Irwin was a terrible shame and purely an accident. He definitely died too young but surely made his mark while here on earth. My family's condolences go out to his family.

[south1246]

Someone died yesterday in my town driving a car, I am not going to rethink driving an automobile.

 

Nature will always have incidents. Respect nature and go back to swimming and having fun feeding the stingrays, I know I will.

[enchantress13]

Just got off the Conquest last Sunday and yes we did the sting ray tour!!!! Would not have missed it for anything even after learning of the news. I think precaution is always a must in anything you do involving live wild animals but that should not take away from you or your experiences!!! Those thinking about it go and have fun!!!:p

[Maria65]

I haven't posted in a long time but this incident made me wonder how it might affect sting ray tours. I did Sting Ray City in GC with my family in 2003. It was a mixed experience. The rays were beautiful. The number of people in the water, and their panicked reactions was troubling. My son, then nine years old, refused to get out of the boat because he thought the people screaming were being bitten by the rays. We were on a large tour but I noticed that people on the small boats were brought to the same area so it really didn't matter, the water was filled with people.

 

The staff on the boat gave explicit directions on how to touch and not touch the rays. They did warn that you could get hurt, so I'll assume there are occasional injuries. The rays are plentiful and it is a bit disconcerting to be surrounded by them, and so many people. Moreso the latter for me. Considering the volume of people there every day, I would think the rays are very used to humans, but like many things in life, it's not without some degree of risk. Probably very, very small at that. The rays there are nonintentionally kicked, stepped on, etc. due to the volume of people in the water, some of whom are in quite a state, and they remain calm. I wouldn't go again, but that's because of my fear of people in the water, not rays.

[jbags58]

We are planning to swim with the stingrays in April in the Grand Caymans probably as planned. As sad as the Steve Irwin death is...it was obvious that he had boxed in the ray and THAT is when they strike out. When they feel boxed in or threatened in some way.

 

Also, I do believe too that he may have lived if he wouldnt have pulled the spear out. That was my first thought when I read of it early monday morning...hadn't seen anything on the news till I read something here! I dont know why he did that. Instinct maybe. He was quite crazy but still is a very tragic ordeal and I feel for his wife and small children.

 

It has made us think twice about it but havent changed our minds as of yet.

[Moeve]

the bottom line is however if you don't feel comfortable taking the tour by all means cancel the tour. However don't let this accident be the only reason you cancel as that would not be a balanced picture.....

[JMTtor]

I’ve been fascinated with stingrays since I first touched one 20 years ago at the Orlando SeaWorld “petting pool” (where they de-barb all of the small rays). The rays there will actually swim along the wall and rhythmically slap the water to look for food and attention.

 

I’m a recreational diver with 30 open water dives (I know that’s a relatively small number in the SCUBA world; I’d have many more if I didn’t live in central PA and had more spare time) in the five years since I was certified. I’ve had many more snorkeling runs, both on excursions and on my own from beaches, though I’ve never done the “Stingray City” thing in Grand Cayman (always opted for reef and wreck dives!).

 

My point: I’ve been around truly wild stingrays on many occasions. I’ve read a fair amount about them in books and on the Internet. Stingrays are no more dangerous (and probably less so) than many domesticated animals. However, as with many domestic animals, when they feel threatened, they will defend themselves. If you’re familiar with what makes them feel threatened and you don’t engage in behavior that crosses that line, you’re pretty well assured of being safe.

 

It really irks me that CruiseCritic and others have referred to this as a stingray “attack” (making it sound as if a large, marauding ray swam in from the great deep blue and viciously slung its barb into his chest) when the ray was engaging in defensive behavior. Irwin always engaged in risky behavior. He was a great champion of animals of all types, but unfortunately his penchant for doing things that few sane humans would do did him in. And since the barbs of even the largest rays (and I’m talking over eight feet wide) are generally less than a foot long, there’s no way the barb could have pierced his chest and heart if he truly stayed three feet above. Since I’ve heard the Irwin family wants to make the tape of the incident public, I’m sure we’ll all have the opportunity(?) to see for ourselves soon.

 

If you don’t swim directly overtop of a ray (as Irwin did), if you don’t step on or kick a ray, and if you don’t grab and yank on the back of a ray, I can’t imagine any situation in which you would be spiked. Most ray injuries occur for two reasons: one, someone steps on or kicks a ray buried under the sand (rays like to camouflage themselves under a layer of sand, and often if you see anything all you will see is the small raised area where the eyes are located as a bump in the bottom); two (and the most likely problem in the “swim with stingrays” programs), someone trying to feed a ray forgets to use a fist and leaves a finger out along the offered fish or squid, and the ray’s strong suction pulls the finger into its mouth, where the combination of the suction and the cartilage that forms the ray’s mouth (rays have NO TEETH and are all cartilage – no bone) causes a pretty decent bruise (you’ll hear people who work with rays talk about their ability to give a prodigious hickey!).

 

Step on a dog or cat, even your own, and it’s likely to snap at you or possibly even connect with a bite, more out of instinctive reaction to the surprise and fear than any intent to harm. The “poison” on the barb will do no more than cause pain; the most severe injuries when people are spiked come from crap in the water getting into the wound, resulting in infection, which then can destroy tissue.

 

I’ve been very close to huge rays (spotted eagle rays, my favorites!!, over eight feet long -- 15 if you count the tail) – but I would never swim directly above one. The main feeling I have is awe at their incredible grace and beauty. I’ve also handled small rays in the ocean (the divemasters in Cozumel are particularly fond of flushing out yellow rays and passing them around).

 

Lots of things can theoretically happen. I was almost killed in, and will have lifelong health effects from, a car accident four years ago – but I still drive. I could have a diving accident on one of my vacations and drown. Someone who doesn’t obey the leash laws could let his dog out and I could be mauled. I don’t worry about it. And lest you think I’m some daredevil with too much testosterone, I’m a 50-year-old overweight mom with a desk job!

 

Whoever said to avoid cattle boats and go with the smaller reputable operators makes an excellent point – with fewer people milling around, you’ll get a more personal experience and you’re less likely to get into trouble from someone else doing something stupid (which is why I prefer to book dive excursions on my own rather than with the cruise line whenever possible). Listen to the briefing before you get into the water. If you’re truly not comfortable when you go, don’t force yourself to get in; watch from the boat. Maybe that will give you enough comfort to try it after a few minutes; maybe not – but you’ll still have an amazing experience!

 

Do what you love. Don’t take stupid chances – be informed. Then take the risks that you consider worthwhile. The alternative is to live in a Plexiglas box and let others have all the fun! :)

[jmcc]

We are deeply saddened by Steve Irwin's death and know that it was a freak accident.

 

My husband and I went on a stingray feeding expedition in Tahiti and loved every minute of it. As we approached the shallow site we could see a large group of stingrays coming toward the boat for their feeding. They were like little puppy dogs just waiting for their handout. They were used to the routine of the boats and human interaction. You always have to use caution around animals, but we would definitely go on another tour like that one in the future.

 

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Steve Irwin's family and friends.

 

Julie and Doug

[BobMcD]

They are going WAY overboard explaining how this Steve Irwin thing was a freak accident, but always having wanted to do this, it makes me wonder and second guess this.

 

Is anyone altering their stingray visit plans?

 

Yes, although I climbed into a pen with about 50 of them in Tahiti and fed them with no problems in waist-deep water. I'm scared now.

[Ziggy7]

The main thing to remember is that, if your afraid in the first place then perhaps thats not an excursion for you.

 

Also accidents happen all the time with all things, and if you have ever looked at the stingray city photo's, you will see pics with hundereds of pax doing this, seven days a week. If there were deaths, we would be hearing about them.

 

So the odds are there but very low for getting hurt swimming with stingrays in a controled place.

 

I would not approch one if I was free diving a reef for sure :)

[redfish1]

I grew up floundering with my dad on the TX gulf coast, and he always told us to shuffle our feet in case stingrays were "hiding" in the sand. By shuffling, you just bump them with your foot and they swim off. Yes, stepping on one directly MIGHT cause them to have a reaction, which is their defense mechanism. I've also caught many of a rod and reel and never been barbed while taking them off the hook and returning them to the water.

 

I think common sense plays a big part in all of this.

 

I consider this as a probably highlight of my cruise, and will not cancel.

 

Has anybody here actually emailed or called Capt. Marvin's or Nativeway and asked them about the possibility of getting barbed, and what their "track record" with this is?l

[TheMermaid]

We've done this tour many times and it's a major highlight.

 

:D These rays have always been very gentle and affectionate, actually they look and feel a great deal like floating ****ake mushrooms. I took my two year old last time and she loved it. On the sandbar you're only in roughly four feet of water. Be SURE to take your snorkel, mask and an underwater camera because we're talking National Geographic style photos. Believe me, you are in no danger and you'll really regret not doing this one.

[soymilkisgood]

My friend and I took the Stingray Tour in 2003. I was scared to get in the water with the Stringrays so I watch everyone else enjoy touching, feeding and swimming with them. I was able to touch them when a guide held one for me when I was standing on the steps of the little boat.

 

You don't have to leave the boat from the tour. It really up to your comfront level. They explained to us that they were harmless but a wild animal is a wild animal. I didn't want to be the accident "victim" :(

 

Here a few pictures from our tour:

 

Just click the View slideshow:

 

http://www.kodakgallery.com/ShareLandingSignin.jsp?Uc=18tjuqvp.9ghhlt19&Uy=-cu2nqi&Upost_signin=Slideshow.jsp%3Fmode%3Dfromshare&Ux=0

[TechKnowBabble]

I wasn't trying to be rude, I was trying to make a point. There are accidents all of the time and if we stop doing things just because something happens then we wouldn't do anything. Learn from other peoples accidents and just be more cautious.

If you get to the stingrays and feel like you can't do it just stay on the boat.

 

I'm sorry...I wasn't clear. I didn't mean YOU were rude, I meant me joking that I didn't know there were car accidents was rude. My next question to everyone is....I'd love to take our camcorder but not sure if I would be able to do so without getting the camera wet. Should I forgo it and just take a waterproof disposeable? I know if we do the excursion he'd love to have a video of it

[TechKnowBabble]

Please don't take this the wrong way as I'm truly trying to help. If you have such severe phobias the best thing would be to see a therapist trained in phobias. Usually the cause of such fears are deeprooted and need to be brought to the surface so you can start enjoying everyday things.

 

I don't take offense to your post. I do enjoy everday things as long as they aren't reptiles, snakes, etc. Hehehheee....you are right though. I can't think of what could have caused the phobias to begin with. I've never had any 'animal-based' traumas.