Houston Chronicle photo

[WGregVet]

Howdy folks. I've been a lurker on this board for a while, I usually prefer reading stuff than writing
But today's Houston Chronicle's travel section article titled "Calling all tourists back to the island" had a photo from stingray city that I found pretty upsetting. The article can be seen at http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/travel/2906595
The photo shows a couple of snorkelers at stingray city lifting a stingray out of the water for fun. Not only is this dangerous for the snorkelers but its potentially harmful to the stingray. Yet the editors let this kind of advertising slip through encouraging others to do the same.
I'm writing a letter to the editor of the Chronicle expressing my feelings on this.
Greg

 

[AmyJ]

Howdy folks. I've been a lurker on this board for a while, I usually prefer reading stuff than writing
But today's Houston Chronicle's travel section article titled "Calling all tourists back to the island" had a photo from stingray city that I found pretty upsetting. The article can be seen at http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/travel/2906595
The photo shows a couple of snorkelers at stingray city lifting a stingray out of the water for fun. Not only is this dangerous for the snorkelers but its potentially harmful to the stingray. Yet the editors let this kind of advertising slip through encouraging others to do the same.
I'm writing a letter to the editor of the Chronicle expressing my feelings on this.
Greg

Thanks for taking action! It is just awful!!! I don't know how people can be so dumb (those in the picture and THOSE publishing the picture!!) Let us know if you get any feedback. Thanks again!

 

[Grajan]

Here is somewhere to complain to:

http://www.caymanislands.ky/tour_guide/contact.asp

Thanks for taking action! It is just awful!!! I don't know how people can be so dumb (those in the picture and THOSE publishing the picture!!) Let us know if you get any feedback. Thanks again!

 

[Jester]

Obviously, they don't know what a pissed off stingray can do!

Can you imagine if everyone who visited Stingray City did this?

 

[eeg0323]

I agree that this is not something that should be done, but the two times we have been to Sting Ray City, the tour operators actually show you how to do this and get you to try it.

 

[WGregVet]

Thanks all for your replies. eeg0323 thanks for bringing that up. Its been several years since I went to Stingray City and at time such handling was taboo. I wonder if that is now the norm or from some misguided guides.
Surprisingly the Houston Chronicle published my letter today. Here is a link to the letter (its toward the bottom of the page):
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/editorial/2914181

 

[Debraw]

:dazzler1: :dazzler1: Wow that is awesome that they published your letter. Thank you for taking action!