Travelers on family vacations to the Grand Cayman Island don't have to scratch their heads for something interesting to do with the kids. Out in the middle of the blue sea is a sand bank where visitors can stand amidst the waves in 3 feet of water. Before long, they'll notice dark shapes gliding through the water around them, but no one has to panic. They've only entered Stingray City, one of the best family-friendly activities in the Caribbean, according to USA Today.
The founding of an underwater city Stingrays are normally very shy creatures, but the one thing that can coax them out of their meek tendencies is food. Decades into the past, local fisherman used to use the shallow sand bars of present day Stingray City on their way back to land to clean and gut the fish they caught on their voyage, according to the Cayman Island Department of Tourism. All of the insides and pieces of fish floating around gradually attracted the stingrays in the water who overcame their social fears for an easy buffet.
Over time the stingrays began to connect the engine sounds of the boats with food, and every time a ship came near, they would congregate. Divers began feeding the animals some of their best-loved food, squid, at the end of the 1980s, and now one of the best attractions in the Cayman Islands has emerged for everyone to enjoy where tourists can continue the tradition of feeding stingrays.
An experience with the local wildlife Tourists can take one of the many tour boats out to Stingray City so they can stand in the middle of the sea with a handful of squid and these agile sea creatures gliding around their feet. Captain Marvin's is one such boat that also offers snorkeling to get an even closer look at the friendly stingrays.
The calm and warm waters leave nothing to worry about as people of all ages can enjoy this experience if they are tall enough to keep their heads above the water or have proper flotation devices. The animals will love the attention as long as no one tries to pick them up out of the water.
A trip to Stingray City is a sure way to make a family vacation in the Caribbean a very memorable one. Any previous encounters with stingrays in tanks or pools at aquariums can't compare to seeing the creatures move around in their natural habitat.
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