Wild Encounters: The Caribbean Experiences That Will Actually Impress Your Teen

Article written by Lisa Kadane.

My kids have hiked in the American Southwest, skied in the Canadian Rockies, and glamped in Mexico’s Baja. But our most memorable family vacations have taken place in the tropics, where sandy beaches meet tourmaline waters. As my daughter and son have gotten older and more adventurous, our sun holidays have graduated from splashing in waterparks to snorkelling with sharks (hey, we’re competing with screens!).

We now make sure to include close encounters with finned, feathered or furry friends every time we travel south. From swimming with stingrays to marching with flamingoes, here are five teen-approved and animal-inspired travel experiences.

Antigua and Barbuda:  Visit Stingray City 

Antigua-Stingray City Photo courtesy of Blake Ford

Prior to docking in the dual island nation of Antigua and Barbuda on a cruise stop, the closest our family had gotten to stingrays was watching them glide through the water on the other side of an aquarium’s glass partition. But Antigua is famous for its “Stingray City,” a shallow, sandy bay off the north coast near Betty’s Hope that’s frequented by southern rays. Our kids were thrilled at the prospect of interacting with the gentle creatures in their ocean home instead of just observing them in captivity.

After a safety briefing, we piled into a speedboat and headed offshore to a floating dock surrounded by turquoise sea and coral reefs. From there we hopped into waist-deep water and were immediately surrounded by rays looking for love in the form of pets and food. Guides showed us how to hold pieces of squid in a fist and let the stingrays (whose mouths are located on the underside of their bodies) suck up the snack. Trepidation gave way to awe at their soft fins, followed by giggles over their mouths’ strong suction. When everyone had their fill, we snorkelled alongside the graceful creatures before heading back to shore.

Exuma, The Islands of The Bahamas:  Swim with Pigs

Swimming with pigs…

What’s pink and adorable and will tread water for watermelon? Pigs, of course! Long before we landed in the Bahamas, our family had heard all about the “piggies in paradise” that live on Big Major Cay, an uninhabited island in the Exumas, and swim out to tourist boats for snacks of fruit and veggies. What’s more, we’d seen pictures of the adorable pastel-hued pigs doggy paddling in cerulean water on social media, and our teens were planning Instagram posts before we even waded into the sea for a swine swim.

How to describe “swimming” with farm animals? Zen with pigs it was not. Instead, picture a hoe-down in churning water, with pigs sniffing out the treats like blood hounds. While no fingers were nibbled as we stood in waist deep water proffering apple skewers, I can honestly say my belly hurt from laughing so hard. The chaotic experience was weird and wonderful, and both kids agreed it was a trip highlight.

Should I add a sentence about how swimming with pigs is so popular, that copycat experiences have popped up on other island in the Bahamas? This might be a way to allude that we did it elsewhere (not in Exuma), without saying where (Grand Bahama).

Turks & Caicos Islands:  Snorkel with Sea Turtles

Snorkelling in Turks and Caicos. Photo courtesy of Lisa Kadane

Consistently ranked as one of the world’s best beaches, Grace Bay in Turks and Caicos features powder-soft white sand and water so blue it looks electric. But just offshore, Bight Reef (also called Coral Gardens), part of Princess Alexandra National Park, holds the real treasures. We signed up for a snorkel trip included with our resort stay, and headed out on a boat for the one-hour tour.

We saw the usual assortment of tropical fish—blue tangs, damselfish, parrotfish and colourful wrasses—plus spiny lobsters and even a Caribbean reef octopus crawling along the coral. The highlight though was kicking after a green sea turtle, who had us swimming in circles around massive clumps of brain coral. There was so much to see that my son wanted to float in the sea all morning, following his new shelled friend around the reef. We remedied that by booking another tour for the following day.

Jamaica:  Scuba Dive with Sea Life

Scuba pool practice at Beaches Negril, Jamaica. Photo courtesy of Lisa Kadane

Both our kids know how to snorkel, and we always bring our own gear whenever we fly south. On a trip to Beaches Negril, our daughter had the opportunity to dive deeper into marine life thanks to the resort’s Discover Scuba Diving Experience. The three-hour program included land instruction and time in the resort pool. The very next day, she was ocean ready and submerged in the reef just offshore of Seven Mile Beach.

While my husband, son and I snorkelled over staghorn and elkhorn coral, colourful cowfish, and a rusty cannon from a wrecked pirate ship, our teenage daughter was off at a dive site 10 metres below the surface, floating above rays and nurse sharks, and observing elusive moray eels tucked into coral hideaways. After just one lesson she was confident underwater, and the dive reinforced those new skills. Scuba diving made her feel unencumbered and at one with the ocean environment, and she plans to pursue her certification.

Nassau Paradise Island: March With Flamingoes

Flamingo march Nassau. Photo courtesy of Blake Ford

Did you know that flamingoes mate for life? That’s just one interesting fact we learned in Nassau at Ardastra Gardens, an animal conservation centre that protects and rehabilitates a variety of animals and tropical birds, including a flock of Caribbean flamingoes. The flamingoes, which are the Bahamas’ national bird, originally came to the centre as part of a breeding program for the endangered species. The park’s founder realized flamingos can be trained to march—a movement similar to their natural courtship ritual—and they soon became a tourist attraction.

The flock parades around the garden a few times a day, and lucky audience members are often called to participate in the show. Our daughter was soon standing on one leg next to her new feathered friends, wondering how we convinced her to do a flamingo dance. She agreed they make great partners—she didn’t worry about them stepping on her toes, and at nearly five feet tall, they’re just the right height.