Snorkle or dive Grand Caymans sting ray city?
- Thread starter mikef
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go for a snorkel tour. If you are on a cruise ship schedule, it is a bit harder to hook up with a dive trip to SRC. Not impossible, but harder.
Either way would be nice. I have only done it as a snorkel event. Just take your mask and snorkel, they didn't allow you to have on your fins when I went. No real need for fins, they fear that they may cause injury to the rays. The sand bar is only 2 to 3 feet deep and it is just beautiful there. I had a great time and really enjoyed having my mask and snorkel to view the rays. My husband did the dive thing and I watched his video of it. You are only in about 15 feet of water, so pack on some extra weight to keep yourself steady. He really enjoyed his experience also. Given the opportunity to do it again, I would want to snorkel it, he's a dive-a-holic and I suspect he would insist on diving it. Have a good time.
Charlie99
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I dove Stingray City as the 2nd dive of a 2 dive trip. A real blast.
My wife doesn't dive, and barely snorkels, but my excitement about Stingray City got her on a snorkel boat. They go a spot a couple hundred yards away, sometimes called Stingray Sandbar. It was just waist high water and she was able to STAND in the water with stingrays swarming around her. Awesome.
My wife doesn't dive, and barely snorkels, but my excitement about Stingray City got her on a snorkel boat. They go a spot a couple hundred yards away, sometimes called Stingray Sandbar. It was just waist high water and she was able to STAND in the water with stingrays swarming around her. Awesome.
I've also done the snorkel trip and the experience was great. I really saw no need to do the slightly deeper SCUBA spot.
I doubt you will be disappointed with either, but my vote would be for the snorkel.
I doubt you will be disappointed with either, but my vote would be for the snorkel.
We chose to dive stingray city in Dec 2001 and felt as though the snorklers didn't get the same experience. The depth is only about 15 feet or less and there is a pretty swift current, so definitely wear extra weight. Would also suggest a wetsuit/skin that covers your legs since we got a little cut up trying to stay on the bottom. But, it is definitely a cool experience to have the stingrays flying over your head... they feel like mushrooms on their bellies 
. Also, by diving, our tour operator took us a couple feet away to visit a local moray eel, about 5 feet long! Wouldn't miss the experience.
Best of luck no matter what you do!
. Also, by diving, our tour operator took us a couple feet away to visit a local moray eel, about 5 feet long! Wouldn't miss the experience.Best of luck no matter what you do!
this is one of the few locations that can get a significant amount of current with the miniscule changes in tides in Cayman. You won't always find a current there, but it can occasionally knock you around a bit.
raviepoo
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The snorkelers are observes, but divers are participants. Which would you rather be?
I got a little bored with the stingrays on my src dive and toodled off to look at some of the other fish that live in the area. There are lots of slippery disks and other small wrasses. They're kind of aggressive. If you hold chunks of fish in your hand the little guys will come after so. So will the porgies and snappers. A number of people in my group sustained fish injuries, but it was worth it.
I got a little bored with the stingrays on my src dive and toodled off to look at some of the other fish that live in the area. There are lots of slippery disks and other small wrasses. They're kind of aggressive. If you hold chunks of fish in your hand the little guys will come after so. So will the porgies and snappers. A number of people in my group sustained fish injuries, but it was worth it.
Charlie99
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It sounds like you used an operator that takes both snorkelers and divers on the same boat. Not good.
Both the dive operator I used, Fisheye, took only divers. The snorkle guy (forget the name) took only snorkelers on their boat.
The snorkel boat went to Stingray Sandbar, which is waist deep. The Fisheye dive boat went a couple hundred yards away, to Stingray City, which is about 15'.
On one day I dove at SRC and also snorkled, or better yet "stood", at the sandbar. Both were a disappointment to me. At SRC, we did not have any rays at all becaause they were all lured over to the sandbar where the cattle boats were. During the entire afternoon we were at the site, there was at least 200 people wading around at the sandbar feeding cut up squid to the rays. SRC is only C without any SR's!
After the dive, we went over to join the crowd to at least see the rays. It was pretty cool to have so many rays around but the crowd of screaming people banging into each other took a lot out of it.
SRC is supposed to be the "best 12' dive in the world". I am betting that only is true when the cattle boats are gone. As best I can tell, I'd rather dive in a pool. The sandbar is definitely the best (but not the quietest) bath I have had.
After the dive, we went over to join the crowd to at least see the rays. It was pretty cool to have so many rays around but the crowd of screaming people banging into each other took a lot out of it.
SRC is supposed to be the "best 12' dive in the world". I am betting that only is true when the cattle boats are gone. As best I can tell, I'd rather dive in a pool. The sandbar is definitely the best (but not the quietest) bath I have had.
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