Playing with stingrays

[Dargo]

I just spent the day out in the ocean on a private trip playing with stingrays. These things are pretty cool and don't have any real fear of humans. They pretty well know that they can kick your ass if you screw with them, so they are not much afraid of you. It's really pretty cool to hand feed them. They are like a 25hp vacuum cleaner under water! They get all excited and can sort of surprise you when there are a few dozen around you!

 

[BoneheadNW]

Just make sure that they don't mistake "Winky" for food. Yow!
Bonehead

 

[Dargo]

Just make sure that they don't mistake "Winky" for food. Yow!
Bonehead

Uh, er, yeah, I know!

 

[Melensdad]

But how much did you enjoy it???

 

[Doc]

Looks like fun. I'd never heard of that before.

 

[HGM]

Pretty cool, I've gotten to handle small ones before, but not in the open water..

Have you had a chance to "swim" with the dolphins or sea lions? The sea lions are a trip.. I took my son to the Keys a couple of years ago an we did both.. Really a cool experience if you get a chance..

 

[Melensdad]

Pretty cool, I've gotten to handle small ones before, but not in the open water..

Have you had a chance to "swim" with the dolphins or sea lions? The sea lions are a trip.. I took my son to the Keys a couple of years ago an we did both.. Really a cool experience if you get a chance..

We got lucky and swam with rays and sharks in open water. The sharks in the area were nurse large sharks, but they were rather intimidating never the less.

My daugther did a dolphin swim, but that was not in open water.

We also did a starfish swim which was pretty cool. When you are only used to seeing rigid dried up dead ones, it was very cool to see and handle moving starfish. They had a very odd feel to them as they crawled over your hands.

The one fish that really scared me was a barracuda. Bigger than I expected, faster than I am (which isn't saying too much) and a set of chompers that looks like they could tear your flesh off. I don't know if they ever attack people, but honestly I did everything I could to stay away from the one that I swam up on. . . especially after he turned, looked at me and opened his mouth. I think I was probably 10 to 12' away and that was way to close for me.

Dargo, not trying to hyjack the thread, but I had to post these!

 

[Dargo]

Okay, a few other neat things; I have a pic of a ForumsForums T in an exotic location and I also have a pic of Paul Allen's yacht moored just off shore here where I ate dinner at a place called The Wharf. My only regret is that I left my camera on my desk at the office since this was a last minute business trip. Oh yeah, I watched an idiot feed a wild 6' Moray eel by hand while snorkeling! Holy crap, he hugged the mother and tried to hand it to me. I nearly drowned getting away. Here are the pics of the Forums T on display on Grand Cayman (with Mrs. Dargo) and one of Paul Allen's yacht just before both helicopters came and landed on it (no shit!).

Sorry again for the poor quality pics. Here is more info on the yacht: http://yachtcrew-cv.com/paulallen.htm

 

[OkeeDon]

Was that the Tatoosh, anchored over in Spotts Bay? It was there last week (I think it was the 13th) when we hit Grand Cayman on the Costa Allegro. Looks like you're having better weather than we did; it was so rough, all the tours from the ship were cancelled, including the stingray bit.

Bob, several years ago we were in Grand Cayman and snorkeled right off the Georgetown docks. I was not any closer than 40' to a large barracuda, but I had a similar reaction -- when it turned and eyed me, I came up out of the water and choppered back to land with my flailing arms. I do not like living things in the water, especially if they are bigger than me.

 

[Dargo]

Was that the Tatoosh, anchored over in Spotts Bay? It was there last week (I think it was the 13th) when we hit Grand Cayman on the Costa Allegro.

I don't know which of his yachts it is. I understand he has 3 large yachts. It did have 2 turbine powered helicopters that landed on it though. Bummer the weather wasn't better for you. The weather has been absolutely perfect while I've been here.

 

[HGM]

Bob, several years ago we were in Grand Cayman and snorkeled right off the Georgetown docks. I was not any closer than 40' to a large barracuda, but I had a similar reaction -- when it turned and eyed me, I came up out of the water and choppered back to land with my flailing arms. I do not like living things in the water, especially if they are bigger than me.

Cuda's can definitly be intimidating..While growing up in the Keys, I had the opportunity to swim with quite a few and catch some big ones.. But luckily the only people I have ever heard of being attacked by them had on some sort of flashy jewelery..They apparently only struck because it looked like a bait fish(or should I say prey).. The largest one I ever caught was 5', shoulda seen the teeth on that thing..

 

[Dargo]

Cuda's can definitly be intimidating..While growing up in the Keys, I had the opportunity to swim with quite a few and catch some big ones.. But luckily the only people I have ever heard of being attacked by them had on some sort of flashy jewelery..They apparently only struck because it looked like a bait fish(or should I say prey).. The largest one I ever caught was 5', shoulda seen the teeth on that thing..

I was actually quite startled when a 5' Tarpon came by and grabbed the food out of my hand I had for the stingrays. The captain got a laugh at my reaction. Capt said it smelled the bait and liked my watch.

 

[HGM]

I was actually quite startled when a 5' Tarpon came by and grabbed the food out of my hand I had for the stingrays. The captain got a laugh at my reaction. Capt said it smelled the bait and liked my watch.

They get really big....There's a place (again) in the Keys, where they let you feed the tarpon.. They'll actually come out of the water and swallow your hand-forearm if your not paying attention

Look here

 

[jpr62902]

I assume you were at Stingray City off of Georgetown? Was Darth Vader still there? Boy that sure was a neat experience. I couldn't believe how tame those rays were.

My first Barracuda encounter was last year, scuba diving off of Marathon Key. What a surreal moment -- me and the cuda, seemingly face to face. We just floated there, staring at each other. I don't know if I thought he'd be more tasty or if he thought the same way. He eventually got bored and lazily swam away -- what a chicken (of the sea?).

 

[Melensdad]

My first Barracuda encounter was last year, scuba diving off of Marathon Key.

I know that place, we used to go to a fishing camp on Grassy Key right next door to you. Nice little place called Rainbow Bend, not fancy, but very quiet, most of the rooms are suites and they include the daily use of a Boston Whaler so you could go off exploring, fishing, diving, etc.

 

[HGM]

I know that place, we used to go to a fishing camp on Grassy Key right next door to you. Nice little place called Rainbow Bend, not fancy, but very quiet, most of the rooms are suites and they include the daily use of a Boston Whaler so you could go off exploring, fishing, diving, etc.

It used to be nice down there.. I practicly grew up on the bay side of Key Largo. My family had a couple of trailers down there and for the first 16yrs of my life, every weekend and vacation was in the Keys.. We had allot of fun, but it became too commercialized(compared to what we knew) and we sold everything(good chunk of money, but nothing compared to todays standards).. From there I started "living" in the Glades, cant really say which I prefer, but they are the only two things I miss about Florida.. Its great to visit the old memories, but I cant say I'd like to live there anymore..

 

[Ricochet]

Wow, looks like fun! I need to get back into scuba diving and the wife and I are going on a cruise to Cozumel in Nov. (10 year deal) and a stingray thing like this is available. Hmmm!

 

[DAP]

Just make sure that they don't mistake "Winky" for food. Yow!
Bonehead

You kidding? That sounds like the blowjob of a lifetime!

 

[Melensdad]

You kidding? That sounds like the blowjob of a lifetime!

Umm, they might mistake Mr. Winkie for bait But I think Dargo found that out!!!

 

[jpr62902]

You kidding? That sounds like the blowjob of a lifetime!

I wouldn't say THAT. While stingrays don't have teeth per se, they do have rows of serrated cartilage in their mouths than can do their fair share of damage.