SHORE EXCURSIONS

OVERVIEW

Cruise the Allura catamaran to Stingray City, a collection of shallow sandbars teeming with southern stingrays that are used to humans petting them. On the way there, the crew will brief you on how best to maximize the experience. Once you reach the sandbars, you will be free to interact with these graceful, docile creatures according to your comfort level. You may feed them, stroke their sandpaper-like skin or simply watch the stingrays glide along by flapping their sides like wings. The choice is yours. Although some people are apprehensive about being in the water with stingrays, these creatures are actually quite shy. Many of the same ones frequent the crystal-clear waters at Stingray City and have even been named after famous “Rays,” such as Ray Charles. Southern stingrays are fascinating creatures with flat, diamond-shaped bodies. They use electro-receptors and their heightened sense of smell to locate prey buried in the ocean floor.

HIGHLIGHTS
• Visit a series of shallow sandbars with so many stingrays that it’s called Stingray City.
• Discover some of the reasons these bashful creatures are so misunderstood.
• Feed and touch the stingrays or simply observe them from a distance.

HELPFUL HINTS
• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing with a bathing suit underneath.
• Bring a towel and sunscreen.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.