The Iconic Stingray
The southern stingray (Dasyatis americana) is one of the most iconic images associated with the Cayman Islands. This is due to the popularity of the world-famous Stingray City dive site and the Sand Bar. Every day, hundreds, if not thousands of visitors to Grand Cayman make their way into the North Sound to spend a bit of their vacation in the water with these magnificent animals. For many, it it is a pilgrimage to connect with the ocean and the animals within its depths.
Stingrays are basically a flattened version of their cousins, the sharks. Both sharks and stingrays are cartilaginous fish, which means that instead of a bony skeleton, their skeleton is made of cartilage, the same material in our noses and ears. Stingrays differ from sharks in many ways, one of which is that their skin is more of a velvety texture (a shark has tiny skin-teeth that makes them feel as rough as sandpaper).
The teeth of the stingray are fused into a bony plate that allows them to crush and grind their food. When foraging for food, stingrays use a special sense of electroreception to detect prey, which typically consists of crustaceans (crabs), mollusks (snails, clams, mussels), worms and other bottom-dwelling animals. Their eyes are located on the top of their body next to a large opening called a spiracle (one next to each eye). The spiracle is where the ray draws water into its body for breathing. When a ray is buried in the sand, often the spiracles are the only part of the body that is visible.
When swimming, the southern stingray gracefully flaps its pectoral fins, which are often called 'wings' by excited visitors. Indeed, they looks as if they are gliding or even flying with ease through the crystal clear waters around Cayman. The southern stingray is a non-aggressive animal, posing little threat to humans. However, when stepped on, the ray will use the single, serrated spine at the base of its tail in defense.
Southern stingrays range from New Jersey to Brazil in the Atlantic Ocean, and are most often found in tropical and subtropical waters including the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico. They prefer shallow coastal waters or grassy beds that have sandy bottoms, although they have been observed in depths to 180 feet (53 m). Southern stingrays can be found alone, in pairs and occassionally in large groups. The southern stingray reaches an average width of 30-32 in (75-80 cm) for a female, with males being a bit smaller at 20.4 in (51 cm). Some of these rays can grow larger that even this! Southern stingray pups are ovoviviparus, meaning they hatch from their egg capsules inside the mother's uterus and are born live soon afterward.
The stingrays began gathering in the area now known as Stingray City decades ago when fisherman used to clean fish on the shallow sand bars after a day of fishing in the Caribbean sea. The stingrays quickly learned to associate the sound of a boat motor with food. Divers joined the traditon in the late 1980s, feeding the stingrays and creating the world's most acclaimed 12-ft dive site. Many tour companies offer daily trips to Stingray City and the Sand Bar. Whether one wishes to dive with the stingrays, wade in waist-deep water to meet them at the Sand Bar or simply to watch their elegant interactions with other visitors from the comfort of a topside view, there are many operators who will gladly provide the experience with Cayman's iconic stingray! Don't forget, kissing a stingray means seven years good luck! Click here to see CITA watersports operators who will help you spend time with the stngrays.
Sources:
Florida Museum of Natural History Ichthyology Department
www.iucnredist.org
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