STINGRAY CITY TOURS (AND FREE PEDICURES!)

INTRODUCING "DARK VADER"

One of the biggest surprises for most visitors to the Stingray Sandbar in Grand Cayman, is how the stingrays display personalities and character traits much like we do.

"Barbara" is without doubt Captain Mario's favourite, while "Snowflake" has captured Duayne's heart for good. But over the last 2 or 3 months of excursions, we have started noticing a gorgeous looking lady who is fast making her way into the "Acquarius group".

"Dark Vader" settles in for a while

And what a beauty she is ....... forget shades of grey and bring black back! This girl is one slinky, sexy stingray caped in black velvet, bearing a mesmerising aura that weaves a spell on many a guest cradling her.

After playing just enough hard to get, she is oh so content to settle in for cuddles and kisses, and yesterday had her heart quite set on kissing a young male who refused to take his snorkel mask off ....... a disappointment she no doubt seldom suffers. Not sure if he was more afraid of the kiss or the stingray???

We love growing relationships with these awesome creatures and watching them come out of their "shells" and to the fore - it is an absolute honour and privilege.

So next time you are on vacation in Grand Cayman, come join us on a tour to meet the "ladies" - it's a memory you will never forget!

FROZEN IN CAYMAN

It would have to be a really bad voice that would motivate Catholic Christian Brothers to ask a child to do anything, anything,  ANYTHING, except SING, during mass.

I would be hard pressed to believe that any adult would be so hurtful towards a child, let alone believe that a group of religious teachers preaching generosity of spirit to others would be behind this.

BUT. We are talking about Captain Mario here, and around him, nothing is impossible. "Sticks and stones may break his bones" but those words have never hurt his indomitable spirit, and he has carried on singing to his heart's content whenever he has felt like doing so. Loudly. Vigorously. And with all his heart.

Suffice to say love is blind, but possibly also deaf, as two people in this world adore listening to his singing, one being his wife and the other being his daughter.

You may ask - why write about this on a blog about Stingray City Sandbar in Grand Cayman, where kissing stingrays and tours that take you there are the prime subject....................???

Because Captain Mario loves sharing the experience of cradling and feeding the stingrays at the sandbar, and he will do just about anything to encourage intrepid excursion guests. Even sing......

And so it was on an absolutely gorgeous Caribbean day, that he found one of his guests frozen to the boat platform ladder, half way up and half way down, really wanting to meet the stingrays but feeling simultaneously terrified at the prospect. Forcing a guest into the water is not an option, and her vice grip on the ladder was not going to be easily loosened.......

So, what's a guy to do? Well, summing up the situation and falling back on his hours of watching a certain movie enforced by his 4 year old daughter, he sucked in an enormous lung-full of air and burst forth with his rendition of "Let it go". Loudly. Vigorously. And with all his heart.

Did it work? You betcha! She was in the water before you could say "Olaf". Was it because of Captain Mario's encouragement or to get away from his singing? We shall never know........ but we do know she got her stingray kiss and Captain Mario steered back to dock a happy man. Who will NOT stop singing.

Kiss accomplished! Stingray City in Grand Cayman

ROUGH WEATHER - BUT TOUGH GUESTS!

It is that time of the year when Grand Cayman experiences some its most turbulent tropical weather, with high winds, choppy seas and weather conditions that can change in the flick of an eye.

Safety for our guests is #1 priority. Captain Mario will NOT take chances - he and his crew are often teased about having the best jobs in the world (which seriously, cannot be far from the truth), but with their jobs comes the awesome responsibility of looking after the lives & well being of each guest onboard.

Rain is never an issue for us - you are getting wet by entering the water at three beautiful sea sites anyway! Plus, we have a large interior cabin which can provide shelter during squalls. But wind is a different story, and high winds can change the North Sound (where Stingray City Sandbar is found) from one enormous and stunningly beautiful pond into a cauldron of currents and waves.

Smooth sailing (left) versus Rough days (right) at Stingray City Sandbar

For Captain Mario, it is hard to face guests with disappointing news that a trip will be cancelled due to unsafe conditions, especially when he sees all the kids' faces drop. Some guests have been saving up for this visit for over a year, some are celebrating a special occasion and some are ticking off bucket list items.....the disappointment is never easy.

But sometimes, it is just safe enough for the trips to go ahead and we are always proud of our brave and valiant guests who go ahead despite difficult weather - kudos to you all!

STINGRAY CITY EXCURSION......JUST ENJOY

Watch.

Breathe.

Escape.

Dream a little.

Stingray City tours and snorkel excursions - Grand Cayman

STINGRAY CITY GRAND CAYMAN - and the luckless office staff!

TODAY SHOULD NOT BE A DESK DAY!

Every day in Grand Cayman is beautiful, but there are some days when this island just makes office staff want to burn their desks in protest at being left in the office....today is one of those days for sure!

Awesome conditions today - azure skies, just a breath of wind.......the Stingray Sandbar is going to be spectacular. The Caribbean waters at the snorkel site should be wonderfully clear. Add to this a number of "no-shows" (which is not nice for us, but great for our guests) means the boat is going to be extra spacious for the tour...awesome luck!

Stingray City Grand Cayman - the Sandbar - awesome conditions!

Captain Mario and the crew will be on great form - with smooth waters they have far less worry regarding the safety of our guests, and will get to relax with them which usually translates to great fun all round.

Hope our guests are having the time of their lives.....while us desk-people sulk!

CRUISE EXCURSIONS TO GRAND CAYMAN

Good morning to all! The weather conditions in Grand Cayman today are looking spectacular for the sea tour operators....blue skies with scattered clouds and just about no wind......some of the best conditions that the excursion operators can ask for when taking guests to Stingray City! Yup, if you looked up from Grand Cayman this is what you should see today.......

Today has been quite hectic with a cruise ship arriving and changing it's in-port time at the very last minute. This can cause so much stress for the independent operators and the guests who have booked excursions with them. Luckily, Captain Mario has just called to say that all our guests are safely with him and on their way to enjoy their visit to Stingray City, a snorkel stop and Starfish Point! Have fun Acquarius Sea Tours guests!