Ever since Steve Erwin's death in 2006 stingrays have received bad press as evil monsters of the sea. In 2008 a woman died from a collision when she was struck by a ray that jumped out of the water in a freak accident in the Florida Keys. She was sitting in the front seat of a boat going 25 mph when a 75-pound spotted eagle ray leapt from the water and hit her in the face and she died from blunt trauma to the head caused by the collision with the eagle ray. So I can see why it may be difficult for some people to not be frightened of stingrays. But like most creatures they are doing what stingrays do and are both graceful and harmless.
The Caribbean Southern Stingray can grow quite large, over five feet, including body and whip-like tail that has one or two venomous spines on it. You will usually see them scurrying around the sand looking for crustaceans to eat or buried in the sand with only their eyes exposed. You can closely approach a stingray and they are generally unconcerned. I have had them rake my legs with their spines and while it is a little unsettling I never felt concerned.
The stingray is a wonder to watch as it glides through the water like a kite in the wind and then suddenly plunges into the sand to eat. An opportunistic Bar Jack is usually shadowing the ray to pick up a free meal as the ray digs in the sand.
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