Cayman's Coast Guard to Manage Stingray City

Please register or login

Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.

Benefits of registering include

  • Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
  • A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
  • You can make this box go away

Joining is quick and easy. Log in or Register now!

KathyV

ScubaBoard Supporter
ScubaBoard Supporter
Messages
5,415
Reaction score
3,674
Location
Midwestern US
# of dives
500 - 999
See the story below. It's the Stingray Sandbar area that gets the most crowded with cruise ship passengers because they can just stand in the water and the rays come to them.

Divers and snorkelers go to Stingray City to swim with the rays and it is less crowded, but I still recommend going early or late in the day when possible to avoid the of cruisers.

Coastguard to manage Stingray City - Cayman Islands Headline News

Coastguard to manage Stingray City
Cayman News | 27/11/2019 |

(CNS): The Cayman Islands Coast Guard has been given the remit to patrol and manage Stingray City to try and address the overcrowding as well as growing reports about the anti-social and sometimes criminal behaviour of boaters and operators at Cayman’s number one tourist attraction.

When the new agency goes live in January it will take on responsibility for enforcement of all laws that apply to the designated Wildlife Interaction Zone, according to Commander Robert Scotland.

Appearing before Finance Committee, Scotland said that the coastguard has committed to provide what cover it can to the area, as he explained the role of this new enforcement agency.

The coastguard will be on patrol to police drunk boat captains, ganja smoking and dangerous behaviour of any kind on the water, as well as policing the borders and supporting search and rescue operations.

During the government’s cruise port meeting on Tuesday evening, Tourism Minister Moses Kirkconnell said that as well as taking responsibility for patrolling Stingray City, the coastguard will manage the licences issued to operators allowing them into the zone.

But he said government was going to take back control of this attraction and place a moratorium on licences until a review is conducted to address the capacity of the attraction and the best way to manage it in the future. He confirmed that more than 200 licences have been issued.

Speaking at the Cruise Port Referendum public meeting in West Bay this week, local watersports tour operator Troy Leacock, who takes thousands of guests there every year, said the impact of mass tourism on Stingray City was not only driving the rays away but was creating a dangerous situation at the attraction.

The coastguard is expected to have revised legislation and new regulations in place early next year to help it police the popular attraction and enforce the law to prevent the anti-social behaviour being complained of, as well as preventing the abuse of the rays.

Once the coastguard is officially up and running, it is expected to be 21 officers strong, around half of whom will come directly from the joint marine unit of the RCIPS. The police commissioner told Finance Committee that there will be a recruitment drive for the new agency early in the new year for the rest.
 

Back
Top Bottom