Stop the Carnivalat 'Sting Ray City'
Dear Sir
There has been much controversy recentlyconcerning Stingray City Sandbar and its use by different operators.There have been many articles and letters to the editor discussingwho has the right to the cruise ship tourist business and howit should be split up amongst the various operators. There hasalso been much controversy over how many cruise ships a day istoo many or if there is such a thing. In this letter I do notattempt to address these issues or to take sides on them. WhatI would like to address is the manner in which we treat this valuableresource: The Stingrays themselves.
Stingray City Sandbar is a unique attraction.An attraction, which brings many tourists and their dollars tothe Cayman Islands. Without this attraction many thousands ifnot millions of dollars would be lost to Cayman. I believe thatno one would dispute that these rays are a valued and treasurednatural resource, one that should be treated with respect notas a freak side show attraction in a carnival.
Stingrays are fish. And a fish out of wateris a fish out of its natural element. Rays breath water throughtheir gills extracting life-sustaining oxygen from the water.Just as the human lungs cannot extract oxygen from water nor canthe rays extract oxygen from air. When a ray is removed from thewater it is unable to control the oxygen intake. The ray essentiallyis "drowning in air", much the same as if you took achild and held it underwater.
On any given day at the sand bar you willsee two types of "Stingray handlers" in the water withthe tourists.
There are those who gently and respectfullyhold the rays in the water, giving the tourist a chance to interactwith the rays, photograph them, and learn to respect and enjoythem.
There are also those who lift the rays outof the water. Holding them over their heads, or the heads of thetourists, in what is called the "Stingray Hat". Or holdingthem out of the water using them as a "squirt gun" sprayingthe tourist as the ray desperately expels the last of the lifegiving water from their gills. These handlers are in effect turningthe rays in to a sideshow attraction.
Now I have heard the argument that "wehave been doing this for years and the rays are all right."Need I remind you that for years the Grouper holes have been fishedand there were still plenty of Groupers. Or "we have takenConch, or lobster for years". I think any of you readingthis will get the point. We must not assume that just becausewe have done it in the past that it is all right to continue todo so. It is my understanding that the research team, which iscurrently studying the Stingrays, has suggested that this practiceshould be banned, as should the wearing of any footwear at thesandbar.
I make my living at the sandbar taking andselling pictures of the tourists with the rays. I refuse to takea picture of a ray out of the water. I do not want these picturesgoing out to all corners of the world, sending the message thatthis is how we treat our marine life in the Cayman Islands.
I ask all the individuals that make theirliving at the sand bar to please. "STOP The Carnival"leave the rays in the water where they belong.
I urge all owners and operators to insistthat their crewmembers do not take the rays out of the water.I ask all of the photographers and videographers to refuse totake picture of the rays being removed from the water.
We are putting more pressure on Stingray city now then ever inthe past; there are more boats and more tourists every day onthe sand bar. If we are to continue to benefit from this wonderfuland unique natural resource we must start now to treat the raysbetter. Stop the carnival leave the rays in the water.
Len Layman