Gibbs Cay Turks and Caicos
Gibbs Cay (also known as Stingray City) is a small island located approximately 1 mile (1.5 km) off the eastern coast of Grand Turk. This is a truly beautiful 7-acre island with an excellent beach on the western coast and scenic ironshore on the east. In the center is a hill with sea oats.
The unique attraction of Gibbs Cay is the southern brown stingrays in its surrounding waters, which appear in vast numbers whenever a boat lands. Stingrays have been found in the area naturally, but their presence is encouraged by the fish and squid fed to them by tour guides.
See also Top Things to Do on Grand Turk.
Origin of the Name
Gibbs Cay is quite possibly named after George Judson Gibbs who was a Grand Turk resident during the 1800s. He is also known for donating the historic Lucayan duho (a ceremonial seat) currently housed at the Turks and Caicos National Museum.
Tours
Several local companies offer tours, all catering to cruise guests (and also overnight visitors). Tours for cruise guests depart from near the Grand Turk Cruise Center, and others typically depart from Cockburn Town. Many include free pickup.
Lunch is included in many of the tours (sometimes for an extra fee), along with snorkel gear, soft drinks, and water. It’s often cooked up right on the beach at Gibbs Cay while you’re swimming and snorkeling with the stingrays.
Snorkeling
Tours vary by company, but most also include a 30-minute (or similar duration) snorkeling stop south of the island. Other tours include conch diving.
Safety
Many people are initially wary at the thought of swimming with stingrays. However, the stingrays at Gibbs Cay today have grown up around people and are extremely friendly. You’ll see tour guides picking them up out of the water and feeding them (guests are encouraged to feed them too).
The Grand Turk Cruise Center opened in 2006 and sees around one million cruise visitors per year. We're only aware of one injury to a visitor (not fatal). The visitor was feeding a large group of stingrays, slipped and fell, and then stepped on a stingray’s barb. The visitor was attended to by the ship’s medic and was on crutches for a few days. This is the only injury that we know of involving stingrays at Gibbs Cay.
