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Grand Cayman Island is a very widely held cruise ship haven of call in the western Caribbean. Like Costa Rica, the Cayman Islands were discovered by Columbus. He originally named them Las Tortugas because of the  mulitude of turtles on the islands. They were shortly renamed Caymanas in favor of the crocodiles. Today the Caymans are a key Caribbean banking and economic hub and a widely held cruise and holiday destination. Although Grand Cayman is flat and relatively unsightly, its lax tax and banking laws have seen millionaire residents from around the planet.  Its crystal clear water and sparkling beaches don't hurt either!

One of the top shoreline excursions in the Caribbean is on Grand Cayman. Paddling with stingrays by  Stingray City is all the rage with all ages. From 30 to 100 stingrays visit the calm waters of shallow North Sound, which is situated something like two miles east of the northwestern tip of Grand Cayman. Travellers to the vacinity can paddle or snorkel in the center of these serene animals. An alternate shore excursion allows you to go to see the stingrays from the dryness of a glass bottom boat. This excursion additionally includes an island tour and a stop at the Cayman Turtle Farm, the single money-making sea turtle nursery on the planet.

Grand Cayman is additionally the only Caribbean spot where you can take a trip on a semi-submarine. This shore excursion gives people the chance to observe the undersea vacinity around Grand Cayman. This "Cayman See and Sea Tour" includes a visit to the Cayman Turtle Farm and the world renowned Seven Mile Beach. The trip also includes the small island city of Hell, a grand place to mail a postcard back homewards!

The last Grand Cayman shore excursion is kayaking. Kayaking along the delicate coastal area lets people envision the large mangrove communities, shallow sea grass beds, and coral reefs. What a worryfree way to envision the many coastal ecosystems of Grand Cayman!

Stingray City at Grand Cayman Island is one of the best shore excursions in the Caribbean. Many of cruise boat tourists and passengers take the short craft drive from the northern base of Grand Cayman to mingle with these attractive sea animals. Stingray City is located off the coast of Grand Cayman Island and is one of a thread of sand bars that intersect the North Sound from Morgan Harbor to Rum Point. Inhabitants suggest that the stingrays started congregating inside the vacinity 10 years past when fisherman used to gut fish on the shallow sand bars. The stingrays would not show their normally shy characteristics and they would dine on the guts of the cleaned fish. Soon after the stingrays started to connect the noise of a cruiser motor with food. In the late 1980s, divers started feeding squid to the stingrays, which the sting rays love. Before long, dozens of rays would show themselves all day, waiting to be fed, attracted by the cruiser engines.

Here are three ways to enjoy Stingray City. Generally, many take a snorkeling trip. Many Caribbean handbook books say the snorkeling at Stingray City the "best snorkeling experience in the world." It has all of the characteristics of world-class snorkeling, including crystal clear water, numerous friendly stingrays and fish, and simple entry. You don't have to have any snorkeling experience to take this shore excursion, and the water is shallow, so you don't have to be a skilled swimmer.

The second way to enjoy Stingray City is as a SCUBA diver. It is remarkable diving experience.

The third way to experience Stingray City is via glass bottom boat. This alternative is great if the weather is too turbulent for snorkeling (as it was the day we were there). Furthermore, a glass bottom boat ride can be put together with a tour of the island and  other attractions--the Cayman Turtle Farm and the "village" of Hell.

The beach is populated with resort hotels, but we all agreed that the view from the cruise ship was better than from any of the resorts. Leaving the bus, we took a fleet boat ride into the North Sound where two glass bottom boats, called the Stingray Explorer Observatories, were anchored. All of us had a grand view from our locations on the glass bottom boat, although one couple was claustrophobic. The stingrays started surfacing even before the diver got into the water. He fed them squid while we listened to an informative narration about the Stingray City vacinity and the "life of a stingray". The diver coaxed rays up to the windows, and we all got a number of remarkable photos of the rays by turning off the camera flash and putting the camera lens right next to the glass window.

I've snorkeled with stingrays in French Polynesia and in the Bahamas, and was concerned that this tour would be disappointing. However, it was a grand trip. In fact, I got better photos of the stingrays, and I didn't get wet! After watching the rays for about 20 minutes, we returned ashore and continued our trip to Hell and the Cayman Turtle Farm. If Grand Cayman Island is on your cruise ship's schedule, go ahead and visit Stingray City. With three way of visiting the area, it's recommended for all ages. You won't be disappointed.

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