I guess it depends on which article you are reading about how common stingray stings are. And here's a link to another in Texas. http://www.kristv.com/Global/story.asp?S=5363493 The sites in Australia seem to downplay the dangers, either because Of Aussie Machismo or fear or scaring tourists, or perhaps truth. But if you are swimming in very shallow water and a ray feels threatened and whips up his tail and punctures your body cavity, you are in for some very serious medical stuff. Here is an eye witness account from someone who witnessed a "minor" stingray sting. http://www.jerrylabella.com/stingray.html Of course wasp stings are much more common! There many wasps to the square mile all over most of the US. And by that measurement, lions aren't very dangerous either. When did you last hear of someone killed by a lion? But there are several reports a year of a child being killed by a pit bull. There are many conflicting reports on stingrays, but all agree that they are capable of causing "horrific injuries" and that the venom causes extreme pain and that some people may be allergic to the venom. As for swimming with the rays, there are quite a few places where you can swim with the mantas, but I don't believe too many where you can swim with the stingrays. As for doing the "stingray shuffle"...Yeah, I've done it and had a few skitter away. Had I known then what I know now, I would have been more of a beach sitter than a water wader. Linda C Here is a link that might be useful: stingrays

We're home. I wish I could turn around and go back but at least it wasn't freezing cold when we got home. Temps are in the 60's here. I collected loads of seeds and figured that I'd just Fed Ex them home but when I found out that the least expensive fed Ex box was $69 I nixed that idea. I ended up just wrapping the seeds in little foil packets (about 40 packets) and packing them in my suitcase along with some equally illegal Cuban cigar boxes. I was sure that they'd be confiscated and figured I'd just play stupid but to my surprise everything made it home just fine. That's not saying a whole lot for customs in Miami and Baltimore. lol The entire time on the plane I was thinking what I was going to say when they pulled me aside at customs and asked me about the illegal items. With all the scanners that my luggage went thru I can't believe that the items weren't seized. Grand Cayman is a beautiful island and we had a wonderful time. The reef is gorgeous and loaded with colorful fish. This was Kyle's first time snorkeling and he had a blast. If you swam out a short distance to the reef at the beach where we were staying the snorkeling was great there as well. We got to swim with and feed stingrays. We had a really nice relaxing time. Here's a few pics. The beach we stayed at. In town On the boat to go snorkeling Crystal blue water stingrays blue iguana a native endangered species green iguanas all over the place. They have become a pest but they are cute. snorkeling view from bedroom deck beach bar - we spent a lot of time here. lol

Actually.....I was in Australia just two weeks before Steve had his "accident". I shopped at curio shops in the town next to the bay HE dove. We went back 6 months later and ALL the dive boats were a-chatter. He boxed the ray in, cornered it, swimming right above it, trying to get a "good camera shot". .... then grabbed it, which caused it to fling it's barbed tail to defend itself....and killed him. No one is jealous....more disgusted. Steve Irwin was seen as an animal intimadator by his crew. This incident left people questioning the safety of Grand Caymans' "Stingray City". It caused a financial crisis for the excursion boats....and no food for the rays. Divers said the rays became aggressive. Everyone was afraid to dive it. It took years of "no accidents".....confidence building through discussions.... a TOTAL fiasco for a lot of dive businesses. We sat on the bottom and fed them calamari...cool place! As I recall....Lars...? Didn't you step on a ray in shallow water? Nasty business and always a possibility. The Irwin's are conducting themselves as a business. I wish their business HUGE successes. I enjoy hearing about anyone who has a success story to tell. Bindi is super nice, as I've heard of those that work around her. Any zoo that cares for animals is a PLUS. There is little habitat for wildlife in our industrial world. Yes, I'm looking forward to Bindi having a BIG family and lots of exposure for her zoo. Taking care of the zoo animal population....YOU GO Bindi!

Yes, they did a blood test and said no gout. However, I read this: Blood tests to measure levels of uric acid can support a diagnosis of gout, but cannot confirm it. This is because it is possible for people with gout to have normal levels of uric acid, especially during an attack. It may well have been a bite or sting, but if it was that she never noticed it and there was nothing visible. I think it was gout because it was the top of her foot, right over the joint of the big toe, and nowhere else. That is where it usually presents. It is so oddly specific. Also really the amount of food pushed on us was crazy. Like cruises almost.