Unveiling the Interesting History of the Two Distinct Stingray Cities with Crystal Charters
Stingray City is the most visited and popular spot on the Grand Cayman Island. But did you know that there are actually two diverse Stingray Cities? Sounds crazy right! But it’s absolutely true. The two distinct Stingray Cities are the “Stingray City Sandbar” and “The Valley of Rays, The Real Stingray City”.
Here we, the Crystal Charters team will be providing you with a brief history of these two distinct cities to help you decide which Stingray City tours will be right for you!
For years, the local fishermen used to anchor in the shallow and protected waters of North Sound after returning from their day at the sea to clean their catch. And the Real Stingray City i.e. The Valley of Rays that is a few minutes away from the shores of West Bay provided the fishermen their ideal spot for cleaning their catch. Another fish cleaning spot that is also protected by the Barrier Reef and on a sandbar that is hardly 4 feet deep also offered an easy,beautiful, pure and white sand anchorage for daily fish cleaning. Every day during the late afternoon the stingrays would gather beneath the sailboats to enjoy the fish parts that were dropped by the fishermen into the water while cleaning the fish. This procedure sustained for many years up until two dive instructors Jay Ireland and Pat Kenney in 1981 decided to get underwater to have a close encounter with the stingrays.
According to various sources, Jay Ireland was the first one to jump into the water and discover that the stingrays are shy, gentle and no-aggressive creatures and fed squid to them. After which Pat Kenney in 1986 wrote an article named “The Valley of the Rays” and that is where the name came from. Later underwater photographer Geri Murphy visited the spot and wrote an article naming the spot “Stingray City”. And that is how the name Stingray City that we know today was born. The Real Stingray City became even more popular when an article on it was published in the Wall Street Journal, National Geographic that featured Pat Kenney and Skin Diver Magazine.
Then a few years later a shallow sandbar was spotted where the same training of Stingrays occurred enabling tourists to have a simple walk with the Stingrays. And the locals named the spot as The Stingray City Sandbar!
Are you planning a trip to Stingray City in near future? Wish to have an enjoyable experience there? To make your Stingray City trips interesting and enjoyable we the Crystal Charters team provide private charters to the Stingray City that are tailored by keeping your needs and wants in mind. We believe enjoying to the fullest is the motto of trips and tours that is why we make sure to provide you with all sorts of amenities that makes your trip the best and memorable.
If you want to make us your Stingray City Tours partner then do call us today at 1(345)323-8111 or write to us at admin@crystalcharters.com
