Open water is no joke...

[dotfurio]

We ran into a huge one in Mexico while snorkeling. We were following it (duh us) until it turned around to face us - we got a little freaked and took off the other direction. This was before the whole Steve Irwin incident.

 

[Tonka's Skipper]

Stingrays are not aggressive but will defend themselves if they feel the need.

You need to watch for any sea life, shuffle your feet along the sand as another poster said, to let them know your around and don't step on them, you will be fine. Frankly I would be more worried about the lion fish and a dozen other sea creatures in the Caribbean and Sargasso

AKK

 

[Cruise-n-2015]

thanks for the heads up, although yes it is the ocean ( like someone so graciously pointed out) I probably would have been quite surprised also!

Not what we are use to seeing in our typical Canadian lakes ehh?

Lol hope the rest of you vacation was smooth sailing and the only shuffle you did was after a few cold slushie drinks of the day!

 

[lizabu]

Look, it was my first time at the beach/swimming in the ocean. I grew up (and still like in Canada). The worst we get in our lakes are leeches!

We thought those things were in the ocean, yes, but more like miles away, not 50 feet from the beach. I honestly thought nothing would happen. We were surprised to see a (real) starfish!

I know how you feel. I'm also from Canada. I grew up swimming in the Great Lakes. The water is very dark so if there are fish you can't see them. The water at Castaway Cay is so clear you can see everything. I remember being freaked out when a fish got near to me. I would probably get out if I saw a stingray or a barracuda. I know it may seem silly to people who are more familiar with the ocean and all of its sea creatures but I think everyone has a different threshold for what will freak them out.

 

[MUN]

Is the other fish a piranha?

 

[Weedy]

Here's my husband at Castaway




Not really. I thought I would add a little humor to this thread.

 

[ladyofthetramp]

There were 2 sting rays very close to shore over by the cabanas on the family beach just last week. We observed from a distance and let them be. It was amazing, our own excursion right at the water's edge. Life guard said they worked for "the Mouse" LOL

 

[mevelandry]

Is the other fish a piranha?

I like to make jokes about it ... but I don't think so.

But like most of the creatures in there, I know nothing about that fish.

I think I could identify jellyfish, dolphins and sharks (not the species) but that's about it.

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

I'd rather swim in the ocean and encounter a sting ray than swim in a lake here is Wisconsin. There are some snapping turtles in the lakes around here, those things snap onto something and don't let go! I'm afraid of those things, the sting rays I've encountered just swim the other way away from me.

 

[aggiedog]

We did a cruise to Bora Bora and did lots of snorkeling. By the end, I considered the stingrays to be the ocean's equivalent of petting zoo goats. They were everywhere, and would come up to us wanting to be fed. (If you hold food out in your open palm, they glide over it and suck it up - a very strange sensation.) Dh, who has never been a fan of aquatic animals was pretty stressed much of the snorkeling time, since there were also many small black tipped sharks. We are in Texas, and much like up north, you really can't see in the water, which always stresses him out. Turns out seeing is worse for him!

Leeches. I grew up in Upper Michigan. We used to dare each other to run thru certain bodies of water to see who would come out with leeches on them. Such sweet childhood memories!

 

[pgroom48]

Huh?

I don't understand why you are telling me that.

My apologies, I didn't mean to come across badly. I only meant we shouldn't let things (posts and comments) sway us from enjoying ourself and experiencing life. Of course we should use caution but the chances of something like what happened to Steve Irwin are remote. My comments weren't directed at you or anyone else for that matter personally.

 

[jlemieu1]

thanks for the heads up, although yes it is the ocean ( like someone so graciously pointed out) I probably would have been quite surprised also!

Not what we are use to seeing in our typical Canadian lakes ehh?

Lol hope the rest of you vacation was smooth sailing and the only shuffle you did was after a few cold slushie drinks of the day!

No leeches at CC like Canada/Minnesota

 

[hanscarlet]

I've heard there are some wild ones on Serenity Bay... my mom was there and she said some of the adults were "getting a kick" out of swimming with them in Serenity Bay and she was like thinking ,"man I hope they realize this isn't the stingray excursion where they are trained"

 

[boardwalkbride729]

When we were there in 2013 my husband saw a small shark very close to shore while he was walking along the waters edge. And to think I fell asleep in my beach chair in the ocean

 

[Footnotegirl]

Look, it was my first time at the beach/swimming in the ocean. I grew up (and still like in Canada). The worst we get in our lakes are leeches!

We thought those things were in the ocean, yes, but more like miles away, not 50 feet from the beach. I honestly thought nothing would happen. We were surprised to see a (real) starfish!

Leeches are much worse than stingrays, because they actively seek you out to attach themselves to you and drink your blood. Stingrays want to avoid you, for the most part. You are neither their food nor their predator. If you annoy them, they will defend themselves but other than that, you're pretty safe.

Sting rays appear in Serenity Bay quite close up (as in, 'swam by us while standing in ankle deep water' close). They are less likely to be seen on the family beach when there are people there because the notice the churned water/sand and don't want to be near it, plus there won't be any fish there.

 

[JW9DVC]

I will have to post some video when we were on castaway. Great photo! I had my gopro and got within a few feet. We were just on the other side of the sandbar on serenity.

 

[TutuWahineLV]

Let's see if I can explain it, LOL. Just drag your feet in the sand as you walk around so they will know to move on. You don't want to step on them.

this is a good description of the stingray shuffle... you just skuff your feet along... cause if your picking em up and putting em down, you stand a higher chance of stepping ON a stingray that's buried itself in the sand...and that's usually when you get stabbed by the barb.

 

[ludari]

I'm a rescue certified scuba diver and dive all the time when on cruises and other trips but most of my dives have been primarily around Southern California. I've seen all sorts of sea life that people consider dangerous when I'm diving (sharks, eels, barracudas, rays, etc). I also volunteered at a local aquarium for a few years where I fed eels, sharks and other fish while diving and maintaining the aquarium exhibit. I have been followed by sharks but they keep their distance and I only suspect they are just curious. I respect all sea life and never purposely try to handle or get too close to any sea life which has worked for me for years.

 

[iloverags2]

Back in 2012 I saw a barracuda while out in the water at Serenity Bay.

 

[Melissa S]

I was bitten by a barracuda at CC while sitting in a few inches of water watching DD play. I wore my rings and the diamond must have sparkled and caught it's attention. I didn't even notice it until it bit onto me and I was bleeding. It would not let go. DH had to punch it to get it off me and I had to be treated. Luckily we had already been to CC a few times so it hasn't changed my opinion of CC I am just super cautious now.