Introducing Stingrays & Sunset

An exhilarating visit with the Stingrays after rush hour and then a relaxing Sunset Sail to savor the experience: the ultimate after hours experience

Combining two of Cayman’s most sought-after experiences – swimming with stingrays and enjoying a sundowner with friends − we're launching a late afternoon catamaran trip to the Sandbar that begins with a rendezvous with the southern stingrays and winds up with a happy hour sunset sail back to the dock. Twice a week starting in mid-May, on Tuesdays and Thursdays, guests can sign up for the Stingrays and Sunset excursion that departs from the Safehaven dock at 4:30 pm and returns at 7:30 pm. 

Stepping aboard a luxury 65-foot catamaran, passengers will enjoy a boat ride through the North Sound to the Sandbar, which after the busy day’s boat traffic has cleared and the crowds have left for the day, will be quiet in the late afternoon. The sound of the catamaran’s motor as it pulls up to the area will bring dozens of stingrays out to play. Once the crew drops anchor, guests will be able to enter the shallow, clear water to swim with the stingrays and enjoy one of the Caribbean’s most famous sea critter encounters.

The stingrays began gathering in this shallow area decades ago when fisherman began cleaning their catch on the sand bars of the North Sound, and the rays began feeding on what was thrown overboard. Eventually the stingrays began connecting the sound of a boat motor with food. In the mid to late 1980s, divers began hand-feeding the stingrays and “Stingray City” was born. Today dozens of stingrays congregate at two sites in the North Sound, Stingray City in 12 feet of water just inside the fringing reef of the North side and at the Sandbar where guest can get out and walk among the rays in 3 feet of water.

A visit to Stingray City is considered a “must-do” for all visitors to the Cayman Islands and the late afternoon trip with Red Sail Sports will offer a unique opportunity to visit with these amazing creatures when there are no crowds. Guests will be the center of attention as they stand in the clear water while the southern stingrays glide by looking for a handout.  This unique brush with sea life will make anyone’s Cayman vacation unforgettable.

“The stingrays are so popular that the Sandbar becomes crowded with boat traffic, especially on cruise ship days, that it becomes difficult for individual guests to experience these wonderful creatures up close, and some people miss out,” said Rod McDowall. “We think running this trip after hours –will offer customers a chance for better one-on-one interactions after things quiet down.”

After the Sandbar stop the sails are hoisted and the catamaran heads out across the sound for a sunset sail.  Guests can enjoy happy hour drink prices while watching a spectacular Cayman sunset and saying goodbye to the day and hello to the evening. Complimentary light snacks will be served during the sail back. A Red Sail Sports sunset sail with friends and your favorite sundowner in hand is the perfect way to cap off any day in paradise.

Stingrays @ Sunset with Red Sail Sports

Stingrays and Sunset trips depart from the Red Sail Sports dock at Safehaven in the Seven Mile Beach area on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 4:30 pm and return at 7:30 pm. The price is US$80 per person and reservations can be booked online at http://www.redsailcayman.com or at any of the Red Sail Sports outlets across Grand Cayman. FREE transfers are available from the following resorts: Westin Resort, The Ritz-Carlton, Marriott Beach Resort and Grand Cayman Beach Suites.

Red Sail Sports offers a variety of stingray catamaran sails that provide exceptional value and plenty of adventure. Early morning risers can enjoy ‘Breakfast with the Rays’ which combines a light breakfast with great sailing because at this hour the sailboat catches the best seas and lightest winds. This trip generally allows Red Sail Sports to be among the first boats to the Sandbar and stingrays. In addition to their popular afternoon ‘Stingray and Reef Sail’, the company also offers a sailing and snorkeling adventure that combines two other Grand Cayman must-see attractions – the Sandbar and the Rum Point Club. Red Sail Sports’ ‘Stingray Sandbar and Rum Point’ snorkel trip takes guests to visit the Stingrays and then sails to nearby Rum Point for lunch.  This all-day excursion offers the best Grand Cayman two-for-one trip during any vacation.

“Red Sail Sports takes seriously its commitment to offer the best watersports outings in the Cayman Islands, and we go out of our way to create the most unique experiences for our customers when they are visiting Cayman’s famous stingrays,” says Rod McDowall. “We allow them to have a wonderful interaction with the rays and then combine their trip with a variety of other must-do activities. We want to make the ‘Sunset and Stingrays’ another must-do trip when visitors plan their stingray experience.’

   

Red Sail Sports also offers a number of other adventures for the whole family―glass-bottom boat trips to the Stingray Sandbar, Waverunner safaris, a variety of Catamaran snorkel trips, sunset sails and dinner sails, scuba diving, windsurfing, kayaking and more.