During a family cruise vacation several years ago, we participated in a shore excursion to Stingray City in Grand Cayman. Everyone was issued snorkel gear and a handful of dead squid to feed the rays.
The creatures, gliding below, looked so serene. If you put out your hand while holding a piece of squid, a ray would zoom by and grab the squid with the mandible on its underside.
I had my face in the water, admiring the animals' agility, when I felt a sudden, acute pain. I stood up, ripped off my snorkel mask, screamed, and began to cry. My family swam over to me, an all-out sprint with the aide of their fins.
