September 20, 2016

Snorkeling and Stingray City in Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands (September, 2016)

Our second stop on the cruise was in Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands. We had booked a tour with a local tour company for all 21 of us to go to Stingray City and do some snorkeling as well as swimming and interacting with the stingrays on the sand bar, so this time we brought all of the kids off the ship with us. It was a beautiful day and the water was clear. 

 Zander, just off the ship in the Cayman Islands.

Sawyer, with her newest cousin, Capri on the boat headed out to Stingray City, Grand Cayman.

We started out by having a snorkel near the sandbar by a local reef. The kids enjoyed seeing some of the fish and checking out the coral. Then we were off to Stingray City to play with the stingrays. There were dozens of stingrays on the sand bar both small and large and the tour guides taught us how to hold them and catch them. The larger females were much easier to catch than the smaller males. Cody got pretty good at catching them and since he had a long-sleeve rash guard he was immune to the "hickeys" the sting rays would give if they sucked your skin. The guides gave us pieces of squid to hold in our hands and the stingrays would swim over and suck the squid right out of our hands. It was a very unique experience to interact with these animals. There were a lot of people from many boats trying to interact with them, but there were enough stingrays to go around and it was very cool and personal for everyone.

A small male stingray at Stingray City, Grand Cayman.

Ryder, Nash, Cody, Sawyer, Eliza, and Zander with a large female stingray at Stingray City, Grand Cayman.

Family picture with a large female stingray at Stingray City, Grand Cayman.

Cody, bringing a female stingray that he caught to Sawyer, Jovi, Zander and Mac on the boat.

Zander, touching the stingray for the first time.

Nash, holding a female stingray at Stingray City, Grand Cayman.

Nash, giving the stingray a kiss.

Cody, with a female stingray at Stingray City, Grand Cayman.

Uncle Ian showing Zander, Eily, Jovi, Sawyer, and Mac a big female stingray.

Sawyer, snorkeling over a reef in Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands.

Nash and Cody holding a female stingray.

Cody, trying to hold on to a female stingray that is escaping his grasp.

 Cody, hunting for stingrays at Stingray City, Grand Cayman.

 Ryder, holding a female stingray at Stingray City, Grand Cayman.

Eliza with niece Tessa on the boat at Stingray City, Grand Cayman.

 Cody, with Zander and Kip holding a female stingray at Stingray City, Grand Cayman.

Cody, with a female stingray at Stingray City in Grand Cayman.

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