Stingray City
Cayman Islands · Caribbean
Stingray City on Grand Cayman's North Sound is a shallow sandbar where dozens of southern stingrays have been fed for decades by tour boats — divers and snorkelers can stand in chest deep water surrounded by them. More photo op than dive site.
How this reef is doing
ⓘ How we measure thisReef state
Sandbar interaction site — not a reef dive. Surrounding patch reefs are thinning.
Coral cover
Fish life
Heat
Hot enough that coral is bleaching now.
Fishing
Protected on paper, but boats are still busy nearby.
Sources · AGRRA and GCRMN reef surveys · NOAA Coral Reef Watch · Global Fishing Watch and reef gravity
Coral cover over time
Live coral cover, by survey year
Across surveys in 2014 and 2024, live coral cover here has fallen from 31% to 26%. Every point is a real survey reading, never a projection.
Live coral cover, percent by year
| Year | Coral cover |
|---|---|
| 2014 | 31% |
| 2024 | 26% |
What you will see
19 species across the dive sites here
Great barracuda
Seen 2 months ago
at USS Kittiwake
Least concern
Greater Antillean Grackle
Seen 2 months ago
at Stingray City
Least concern
French angelfish
Seen 2 months ago
at Eden Rock & Devil's Grotto
Least concern
Red Junglefowl
Seen 2 months ago
at Stingray City
Least concern
Cayman Curly-Tailed Lizard
Seen 2 months ago
at Stingray City
Endangered
Atlantic tarpon
Seen 3 months ago
at USS Kittiwake
Vulnerable
Bar jack
Seen 3 months ago
at Stingray City
Least concern
Grand Cayman Anole
Seen 3 months ago
at Stingray City
Least concern
Southern stingray
Seen 3 months ago
at Stingray City
Near threatened
Nurse shark
Seen 3 months ago
at Stingray City
Vulnerable
Green moray eel
Seen 3 months ago
at USS Kittiwake
Least concern
Green sea turtle
Seen 3 months ago
at USS Kittiwake
Least concern
Nassau grouper
Seen 3 months ago
at USS Kittiwake
Critically endangered
Spotted eagle ray
Seen 4 months ago
at USS Kittiwake
Endangered
Caribbean reef squid
Seen 5 months ago
at Eden Rock & Devil's Grotto
Least concern
Bermuda chub
Seen 5 months ago
at Eden Rock & Devil's Grotto
Least concern
Yellowtail snapper
Seen 8 months ago
at Stingray City
Goliath grouper
Seen May 2025
at USS Kittiwake
Vulnerable
Hardhead silverside
Seasonal visitor
at Eden Rock & Devil's Grotto
Least concern
Dive sites
What divers say
Touristy and worth it. The rays are absurdly habituated and the photos are inevitable.
Good to know
Ethics
Decades-long feeding interaction has clear ecological tradeoffs; aware divers should understand the model.