castaway cay, paradise or swimmer beware

[tigger53]

we've been to castaway cay five times and enjoyed every magical moment of being there, that was before i found these very informative boards. my typical routine of arriving in paradise is to hop the tram to serenity bay, grab my little blue floatie thing, stake out my spot that has a hammock, plop a chair at or in the water's edge and begin to sip the "drink of the day" while all my worries and cares ease away(of course this is day 6 and one should have no worries or cares at this point anyway) , after i"m in a mellow mood me and my floatie thing set sail to gaze up at the usually blue sky while the warm tropical water washes over my very relaxed body, now i'm reading about , dare i even say it, SEA LICE, i never had any run ins with that before but i can bet that on my cruise next summer i'll be covered with it, power of suggestion and me go hand in hand, and not only that, now i read that my crystle clear waters has creatures co-habittating with me, monsterous jelly fish, never saw a one any of the five times there, they'll be waiting for me for sure, and then i read on some more and instead of the "tiny cute" looking fish that swim happily by while i flex my toes at them are probably trying to avoid being dinner to a barracuda that has been sighted recently, is nothing sacred, my paradise has turned into a nightmare, and Jim if you happen to be reading this that very nice big fish your holding isn't a souviner of your day at serenity bay is it??? lol. well in keeping with my philosopy, i'm in disney, and everything is wonerfull and magical, no worries here. by the way where do you buy that safe sea stuff again.

 

[jgalecpa]

Jim if you happen to be reading this that very nice big fish your holding isn't a souviner of your day at serenity bay is it???

ARRRGGGHHH, No, she be from colder waters, he said.

But if ye like, I'll be keeping an eye out for the 'cuda at the old Cay in two weeks.

I'll be having a stern word, and if it don't be listening, when he'll feel the wrath of me auld rod, he will.



Jim

 

[bffttsiu]

Make sure you don't step on the stingray that cruises the waters at serenity bay. Also, it likes to follow you when you snorkle.

 

[kcashner]

When DCL first started, there was much press about a barrier net that kept larger, dangerous fish out of the swim area, However, it seems it was not totally effective. On my last snorkel at CC, I saw a barracuda. I mentioned it to the lifeguard, who confirmed that there are at least 3 of them in the area, and that the are sometimes frightening because they are "overly friendly." However, they are very nearsighted, so if they are near the bottom, they can't even see you.

Yes, there are biological dangers out there...but you do your homework and know how to minimize your risks....then have fun.
Kathryn

 

[HooKooDooKu]

The waters around CC are a part of nature, and just like it's possible that you will run into a bear if you take a walk in the wood, you might swim into any of the animals that swim in the local waters.

But that is not intended as a warning to stay out of the water. After all, most of these animals are just going about their business trying to survive. They are generally afraid of humans and certainly don't have a desire to ever attack humans.

So far, my biggest thrill has been snorkeling in Serinity Bay and got lucky enough to see a shark (I even got a picture of him).

So far, the only harm that's ever come to use swimming around CC was stepping on a sea urchine (sp?) while wadding in the waters of Serinity Bay while bare foot (always were some water mocks or flippers out there). I don't think urchines are a problem in the "sheltered" swimming areas.

 

[2tinksmom]

Jim,


Michele

 

[pal2pluto]

I swear that fish of Jim's gets bigger every week!

And now, with all that "piratey talk"......I think I need to watch Pirates of the Carribean again......whew:

 

[jkovick]

DH and I snorkeled at Serenity Bay on 11/29 cruise. We did count about 7 or 8 smallish jellyfish but those were the only things we saw. Many people were in the water and I never heard anyone complaining of having a run in with them. Don't worry, just be a little aware and you will be fine.

 

[the8thdwarf]

very funny story. i know i'll be on the lookout when we go in in the spring

 

[markºoº]

My understanding is that the family beach does have some sort of net to prevent large fish from entering but that the adult beach does not have a net. Given the layout, this makes sense since the family beach really has a pretty small inlet compared to the adult beach.

 

[tigger53]

i remember reading somewhere that castaway cay was protected with some sort of net so thats why i was surprised to read some of these posts regarding baracudda's and what not, i don't think i'll be floating around next summer without having one eye looking out for the catch of the day and of course the other eye looking out for the drink of the day

 

[CruiserDew73]

We just were on the 11/29 cruise and saw the baracudda while snorkling at the family beach... he loked viscious.