Cavorting with Stingrays on Grand Cayman

He was a smooth operator, this one, his silky body caressing mine in the most provocative ways. But I knew we wouldn't be leaving together. His home was a sandbar he shared with several of his wingmen. They were very large wingmen, with the emphasis on wing. And while we were visiting them in the wild, let's be clear: they know exactly where their next squid meal is coming from.

Stingray City, Grand Cayman. Photo by Victor Block

Up close and personal with a stingray

Still, Midnight and I made eye contact. I mean close eye contact, and his eyes were huge. We were so simpatico as I cradled his long, slinky body in my outstretched arms that I kissed him on the nose. I later learned that a kiss guarantees seven years of good luck. A totally unexpected bonus.

That was my introduction to the seductive appeal of stingrays, on Red Sail Sports' Stingray City and snorkeling excursion near Rum Point on Grand Cayman, where my husband and I were spending two weeks. Between stops, simply being out on the open water aboard a 65-foot catamaran at full speed is its own exhilaration.

Snorkeling the reef

The muted grays of the stingrays' world give way to vivid color on the snorkeling portion of the trip. Countless fish roam their coral-reef home in a riot of color. You'll return to that memory again and again, and words can't quite capture it.

Snorkeling on a Red Sail Sports excursion off Grand Cayman. Photo courtesy of Red Sail Sports

Red Sail supplies all the gear, including flotation vests for anyone who wants one. Before you enter the water, it also supplies a firm warning: don't touch the reef. Coral is extremely fragile and dies from human contact, and the briefing left me convinced that even drifting too close would make me a would-be killer.

The fish are another story. They show no fear of humans at all, flitting gloriously all around you. If you're really lucky, I was told, you might spot a turtle or a giant grouper. I settled for a crowd of blue-and-yellow darlings and their equally colorful companions. Back on board, a fish guide helps you identify the denizens of the deep you've just communed with. Better still, there's a bar to reward all that effort in the water.

A beach bed at Kaibo

The bed-style loungers at Kaibo Beach. Photo by Victor Block

Later, I stretched out on a wide, cushioned lounger at Kaibo Beach that was more bed than beach chair. I gazed up at palms swaying in the breeze, my foot tapping to the reggae drifting from the speakers, a piña colada in hand.

Every so often my mind wandered to the sub-freezing temperatures back home. Yup, there was nowhere else I'd rather be. Except, maybe, sharing another intimate moment with Midnight.

For more information, visit redsailcayman.com.