EXCURSIONES EN TIERRA

OVERVIEW

Behold the wonders underwater while snorkeling two vastly different reefs and swim with stingrays in their natural habitat. The waters off Grand Cayman are teeming with marine life, which you will observe in an ever-changing parade of tropical fish. There is no telling what you will encounter while snorkeling, but chances are you will see neon-colored parrotfish, striped sergeant majors and silvery yellow French grunts, whose name refers to the noise they make by grinding their teeth. You may even spot a sea turtle or two. For sure, you will see southern stingrays at Stingray City, a series of sandbars where you can stand in the shallows and interact with these typically shy marine creatures. You might feed them or simply allow the stingrays to brush by gracefully. Either way, it will be exhilarating and provide you with plenty to talk about while enjoy a buffet lunch on Kaibo Beach.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Cruise into the sheltered turquoise waters of North Sound.
• Observe countless marine creatures while snorkeling two different reefs.
• Interact with southern stingrays while standing in the shallows of Stingray City.
• Enjoy a traditional Caymanian buffet lunch while relaxing on Kaibo Beach.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing with a bathing suit underneath.
• Bring a towel and sunscreen.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

OVERVIEW

Cruise to a collection of sandbars in the North Sound to swim with stingrays and enjoy a tropical lunch onboard while overlooking a secluded beach at another idyllic location. As you cruise through the sheltered waters off George Town, you will feel a cool sea breeze on your skin and a genuine sense of adventure. Your first destination will be the aptly named Stingray City, which is typically teeming with native southern stingrays. While standing in the shallows of the sandbars, you can interact with the stingrays however you are most comfortable. Stingrays are quite shy and docile, although people often mistakenly think otherwise. Continuing on, the captain will drop anchor at Starfish Point, whose shallows attract countless numbers of starfish. They should be easy to spot in the crystal-clear sea. In keeping with the theme, the menu for lunch will feature fresh seafood prepared according to traditional Caymanian recipes.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Cruise into the sheltered turquoise waters of North Sound.
• Visit a series of shallow sandbars with so many stingrays that it is called Stingray City.
• Feed and touch the stingrays or simply observe them from a distance.
• Enjoy a seafood lunch and open bar while anchored off secluded Starfish Point.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing with a bathing suit underneath.
• Bring a towel and sunscreen.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

OVERVIEW

Interact with southern stingrays on a shallow sandbar and observe an abundance of other marine life by snorkeling a barrier reef off Grand Cayman. A scenic cruise along beautiful Seven Mile Beach will bring you to Stingray City, a collection of sandbars teeming with stingrays. These graceful creatures may look somewhat ominous, but they are docile and shy, often burying most of their flat bodies in the sand. While swimming with the stingrays, you might feed them, run your hands over their sandpaper-like skin or simply allow them to brush by. The stingrays that inhabit this particular sandbar are quite friendly and accustomed to sharing the water with people. After cruising to a nearby reef, you will see many of the other marine creatures that live in the crystal-clear waters. Among the most colorful are queen parrotfish, red-and-white striped squirrelfish and silvery yellow French grunts, whose name refers to the noise they make by grinding their teeth.

HIGHLIGHTS
• Visit a series of shallow sandbars with so many stingrays that it’s called Stingray City.
• Feed and touch the stingrays or simply watch them from a distance.
• Snorkel a barrier reef and observe the other marine life that lives off Grand Cayman.

HELPFUL HINTS
• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing with a swimsuit underneath.
• Bring a towel and sunscreen.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

OVERVIEW

Interact with southern stingrays and a passel of pigs while wading in the crystal-clear waters off Treasure Island. It won’t take long to reach the private oasis, giving you all the more time to enjoy these unusual encounters. Stingrays are abundant there and quite willing for you to touch them. As you will discover by being so close to these graceful, diamond-shaped stingrays, they are used to human contact. You will also have the opportunity to touch starfish, conchs and sand dollars, so you can expect the interaction to be incredibly fulfilling. Perhaps even more surprising, you will be greeted by swimming pigs. The guides will show you how to maximize your time with these friendly porcine animals. They love attention so be ready for a fun and immersive experience as the pigs happily share their swimming hole. They may even follow you ashore to the observation deck that overlooks the sea. Feel free to explore the 5000 sq ft observation deck, visit the retail store for unique souvenirs, and access the bar with breathtaking views. A variety of cold beers, Treasure Island Rum Punch, water, and more are available for purchase.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Wade into the shallows off Treasure Island where you will encounter stingrays and pigs.
• Touch and pet the typically docile stingrays as they swim right up to you.
• Interact with the island’s cute resident pigs, who are remarkably good swimmers.
• Touch other marine creatures such as starfish and conchs.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear a swimsuit and bring a towel.
• Wear flat, comfortable water shoes.

OVERVIEW

Snorkel two reefs and a sunken shipwreck teeming with marine life before relaxing on a beach that precipitous limestone cliffs shelter. You will reach the sites on an outrigger boat that will make the adventure all the more enjoyable. There is no telling what you will observe just off Balinsasayaw although tropical fish are especially abundant. Twin Peaks Reef is another favorite snorkeling spot where you may see an even greater variety of marine creatures. Graceful stingrays, bi-colored parrotfish and scissortail sergeant majors are commonly seen around the coral reef. Then, there is Skeleton Wreck, a snorkeling and dive site named for the skeletal remains of a World War II Japanese gunboat. It lies in about 15 feet of water. A bit farther down the coast, you will stop at Beach 91, a beautiful stretch of sand that invites relaxing and doing nothing more ambitious than basking in the sun.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Cruise an outrigger boat to three spectacular snorkeling sites and an idyllic beach.
• Observe tropical fish at Balinsasayaw and at Twin Peaks Reef.
• Snorkel the waters above the wreck of a World War II Japanese gunboat.
• Relax however you wish at beautiful Beach 91.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing with a swimsuit underneath.
• Bring sunscreen and a towel and wear comfortable walking shoes.

Take a short drive in air-conditioned comfort to Dolphin Discovery where you’ll begin your journey of fun and excitement. The highlight of your stay will be when you see the family of beautiful bottlenose dolphins at play in their natural habitat. You’ll begin your Dolphin Swim experience with a brief orientation, and then enter deep water where you’ll be introduced to these friendly dolphins. Get ready for an experience of a lifetime! Feel the magical thrill of "riding" the dolphin belly to belly. Get to know the dolphins and even enjoy a kiss or two. Professional Photographers are there to capture your memories and experience of a lifetime.

Next, you’ll take a short bus ride over to the Yacht club where you’ll board a spacious boat with shaded areas for a 30 minute ride to Grand Cayman’s famous Stingray City Sandbar. Here you’ll interact with and feed dozens of Southern Stingrays in the wild. Then return to the Yacht club before being transported back to George Town for optional shopping.

OVERVIEW

Venture into the snowy Antarctic where penguins play, walk underwater through a reef where sharks and rays swim, and catch bird’s-eye city views from 1,072 feet up. This excursion is all about exciting environments – beginning with Kelly Tarlton’s Sea Life Aquarium, named for a well-known Kiwi adventurer. Inside, moving walkways transport you through clear underwater tunnels revealing all sorts of aquatic habitats. You may see sharks being hand-fed, massive stingrays gliding by, or neon-colored fish and delicate seahorses nestling in the reef. The Antarctic Ice Adventure section replicates polar life above and below the water – with a colony of King and Gentoo penguins as the featured entertainment and a replica of Captain Scott’s polar expedition base from 1911. The scene at Sky Tower is considerably elevated, as you zoom by glass elevator to the top of New Zealand’s tallest manmade structure – an engineering marvel built to withstand winds of 125 mph or a magnitude 8.0 earthquake. Your heart will be doing the pounding today as you take in breathtaking 360-degree views over Auckland and its harbors, bays and volcanoes. On a clear day, the range is about 50 miles – but even watching fog up here is an amazing experience.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Travel along scenic Tamaki Drive to Kelly Tarlton’s Aquarium along Okahu Bay.
• Experience a diverse range of aquatic life up close, walking along transparent underwater tunnels.
• See everything from feeding sharks and stingrays to tiny, delicate seahorses and vibrant reefs.
• Enter the frozen domain of the Antarctic and watch penguins cavort above and below the waters.
• Zoom up to the glass-walled observation deck atop the Sky Tower for wondrous panoramic views over Auckland.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Wear casual, weather-appropriate clothing.
• Flat, comfortable walking shoes are recommended.
• Bring a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen as needed.

There is so much to do and see on the island paradise of Key West, and you can see it all on this one tour combining the World-Famous Conch Tour Train, Key West Aquarium and the Shipwreck Treasures Museum. The World-Famous Conch Tour Train has been the favorite way to explore since 1958! All aboard our themed train vehicles for a fun-filled tour conducted by our expert train engineers who will share the history, legends and landmarks of the Southernmost City in the Continental United States. Be seduced by the tropical plants, sultry aromas of tropical flowers, and the stately homes of ships’ captains as you wind through the streets of the Historic District. Hear the stories of famous residents like President Truman, renowned author Ernest Hemingway, and Pulitzer Prize winning playwright Tennessee Williams, and like them, fall in love with this island paradise.

Following your exclusive, 1-hour tour of the island, step into the first tourist attraction on the island, the Key West Aquarium. Located in Key West’s famous Mallory Square, the Key West Aquarium is one of the island’s most popular attractions for people of all ages. Home to alligators, jellyfish, sharks and many other marine animals, guests can enjoy interactive conservation talks as well as animal feedings. Guests also have the unique opportunity to meet live sharks and stingrays. The Key West Aquarium allows you to get up close and personal with some of the most fascinating creatures in the Florida Keys!

Wreck Ashore! With these words, enter the world of 1856 Key West. The era of the wreckers. At the Key West Shipwreck Treasures Museum, you will step back in time as you discover Key West’s unique maritime heritage and how it became the richest city in the United States. Located in Mallory Square, the Key West Shipwreck Treasures Museum combines actors, films and the actual artifacts from the 1985 rediscovery of the wrecked vessel Isaac Allerton, which sank in 1856 on the treacherous Florida Keys reef. You will be invited to climb the 65′ lookout tower to relive the search for wrecks on the reef.

OVERVIEW

Cruise the Allura catamaran to Stingray City, a collection of shallow sandbars teeming with southern stingrays that are used to humans petting them. On the way there, the crew will brief you on how best to maximize the experience. Once you reach the sandbars, you will be free to interact with these graceful, docile creatures according to your comfort level. You may feed them, stroke their sandpaper-like skin or simply watch the stingrays glide along by flapping their sides like wings. The choice is yours. Although some people are apprehensive about being in the water with stingrays, these creatures are actually quite shy. Many of the same ones frequent the crystal-clear waters at Stingray City and have even been named after famous “Rays,” such as Ray Charles. Southern stingrays are fascinating creatures with flat, diamond-shaped bodies. They use electro-receptors and their heightened sense of smell to locate prey buried in the ocean floor.

HIGHLIGHTS
• Visit a series of shallow sandbars with so many stingrays that it’s called Stingray City.
• Discover some of the reasons these bashful creatures are so misunderstood.
• Feed and touch the stingrays or simply observe them from a distance.

HELPFUL HINTS
• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing with a bathing suit underneath.
• Bring a towel and sunscreen.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

You'll be greeted by the staff at the Stingray City dive shop and given a safety briefing before a fun interaction with the rays. Protected by the fringing reef, the calm crystal-clear waters are home to many southern stingrays. You'll be assisted and supervised by the qualified staff into the stingray habitat where you'll be able to play with, pet, and perhaps even feed the stingrays. Entry into the 3-8-foot deep water is an easy step from the large swim platform. Even non-swimmers can enjoy the rays. These amazing animals will surprise you with their gentleness and with the informative briefing you receive, these once-feared ‘beasts’ will find a special new place in your heart and provide you with an unforgettable memory.