It's not often you get to have a close encounter with a wild creature but this is one of them. We were picked up from Kaibo Yacht Club & taken by a pleasant Motor Launch to the Sandbar & our trip included a packed lunch & drinks (it was part of an all day cruise excursion). From the moment you slip off the back of the launch onto the sandbar, into the waist deep water, the Stingrays are around you & brushing past you. The guide briefs you how & where you can touch the rays before you get in the water & they are familiar enough with humans to be held, stroked, fed & even kissed if it takes your fancy. The Stingrays have been described as a wet portobella mushroom on the bottom and a fine sandpaper on top & that is very true. There is something very tranquil about standing in the middle of the sea, the sun on your back & watching these creatures swim around you & brush past you. The day we went, there was quite a swell & it was difficult to keep your feet sometimes, so some of the passengers found the possibility of losing their footing & stepping on a Stingray a little unnerving & returned to the boat. Although our guides were very knowledgable & confident with the Stingrays, they were a little disorganised & more interested in getting the photographs for the DVD they were going to try & sell you than anything else. Subsequently many people missed out on feeding the Stingrays. Also the cost of the DVD, for about 8-10 pictures of you & some library pictures was $40 – outrageous. So be aware of that but these should be considered minor points in an otherwise memorable experience I would recommend you have a go at.
