A Close Encounter with stingrays! Any Questions?

Many marine animals can seem scary and such is certainly the case with an encounter with stingrays. But in reality, Rays are just small, mainly bottom-dwelling sea animals with no ill intentions towards humans. As with any animal, as long as we treat them with kindness and respect, there is really nothing to fear.

For good reasons, getting to swim with such a friendly sea animal should be on every family’s bucket list for their beach vacations. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience for both children and adults that allow us to connect with these creatures and better appreciate their existence.

Today we want to offer you a list of tips and things to know before you come and enjoy an afternoon with them!

Encounter with stingrays: things to know to help you get the most out of this unique experience

1.-The rays will not sting you!

This experience is safe for both humans and the animal. We have trimmed the ray’s barb, which is like clipping a toe-nail, (so the trimming isn’t painful or dangerous), to make sure every guest feels at ease and is completely safe around these silky-soft friends. The barb is located at the base of the tail, not the tip, which tells us it is only a defensive weapon. But, there IS a toxin in the grooves of the barb and it does sting, so you will want to avoid touching that area. The guide will provide many details to enhance your comfort level.

2.-You can interact with them

We have two goals: 1. To provide a fun experience, but also 2. To raise awareness of what it’s like to coexist with these animals and how much they are like us. All stingrays like to eat and play for a little bit! 

The guides will provide you with some food for the rays. With this, you can feed them with your hand and get them to get close to you and carefully touch them, feeling the softness of their wings and the tickling as they swim around your legs like a kitten. They have no teeth, only two large cartilage plates they mash their food between. They suck the food into their mouth and smash it. Your guide will teach you the easy technique for safely delivering the food to the ray.

3.-You will encounter many other creatures during your time at Stingray Beach 

There are two parts to the program; first, in the shallow water encounter portion, you get to meet the rays, feed them, and touch them, and this lasts for about 30 minutes. Then, you will get into full snorkeling gear (all included) and will get to swim and dive freely for another 30 minutes in the deeper section of our enclosure. Spend this time with the rays and their babies (if you’re in the right season) and also a variety of colorful fishes, and maybe even some nurse sharks!

All this in an area featuring a new coral reef installation: 10 artificial marine habitats with more than 800 coral.

The sights you’ll discover here are like nothing else in the world!

4.-The rays are well taken care of and love their enclosure

For the rays, it is no different from being in the open ocean, and for you, it is like being able to swim in an Aquarium! As we mentioned before, taking care of both guests and animals is our number one priority. We excel at making sure that our rays are living comfortably, happy, and safe. Our experts are constantly monitoring them and providing them with anything they need.

But how can we tell that our rays are in excellent condition? Well, because they’re making babies!

If they were feeling threatened or somehow restless, the rays would not be in the mood for reproducing. Fortunately, we are always blessed by baby rays when the season comes, which lets us know our rays feel at home enough to make their families bigger! So don’t worry, this experience is completely safe and animal-friendly.

Now you know a little bit more about this encounter with stingrays! Are you ready to meet them? We can’t wait to welcome you! 

Also if you want to know more about Cozumel, check this article.