A Layover Adventure in Antigua
In July 2019, during a day-long layover between our flights from:
- Montserrat Island – Exploring the Exclusion Zone where a volcano destroyed the capital city of Plymouth
- Dominica – Swimming with sperm whales, the world’s largest toothed predator, and exploring its natural wonders
My wife, Paula, and I took the opportunity to explore the Caribbean island nation of Antigua. As a well-developed travel hub with strong tourism infrastructure, Antigua is easy to navigate, and we quickly arranged for a taxi to take us to Antigua Stingray City, a marine reserve on the opposite side of the island well known for swimming with wild Southern Sting Rays.
Where is Antigua
Location of Antigua
Swimming with the Southern Stingray
Our destination offered the great combination of rum punch and the chance to swim with the Southern stingray, the largest species of stingray in the Americas. The reserve was well-organized, and we booked a boat tour to the outer reef, where around 30 to 40 wild stingrays—accustomed to being fed by guides—glided gracefully through the shallow waters.
Unlike an aquarium setting, these stingrays were completely free to come and go, making the experience feel truly wild and authentic.
Are Stingrays Dangerous?
Despite their venomous barbs, capable of delivering a lethal sting if stepped on or mishandled, Southern stingrays are generally docile. They seem to understand that the price of being fed is performing for tourists, and they rarely sting—though, according to one guide, occasional incidents do happen.
Paula being playfully attacked by a hungry sting ray. The guide had to pull it away
A Close Encounter with Stingrays
The eyes and mouths of the stingrays have an oddly human-like appearance, making them both fascinating and eerie. As Paula and I waded through the shallow waters, the giant stingrays glided around us, occasionally brushing against our legs or nibbling at our feet with their peculiar, tooth-like structures.
Rather than biting, stingrays use these structures to latch onto prey with a powerful suction.
Feeding the Stingrays
The Antiguan guides handled the stingrays effortlessly, feeding them small squid and allowing us to:
✅ Hold the stingrays
✅ Hand-feed them
✅ Feel the surreal suction as they inhaled food from our palms
At the height of the feeding frenzy, stingrays swarmed us from all directions. I instinctively walked with one hand guarding my privates—paranoid after seeing how forcefully they inhaled their food. I’m glad I did, because at one point, a stingray rushed toward me and latched onto my hand with its surprisingly strong vacuum-like suction.
Snorkeling with sting rays
Paula feeding the sting ray
Mouth of sting ray
Sting ray brushing up on Paula from behind
One must shuffle their feet to avoid being stung
Paula and I with a giant sting ray