Stingray Feeding Information & Protocols
Stingray Feeding Program
Guests will now have an opportunity to feed the stingrays in the touch pool.
How to purchase:
Guests can purchase the experience from guest services between the hours of 10am-4pm. This experience is not available for advanced online sale.
Price: $3/cup of food. Guests can purchase multiple cups of food.
Guest services will provide the guest with a ticket. Guests will receive1 ticket per cup of food purchased.
There is a daily limit for how many cups of food can be purchased.
Guest services will radio volunteers to inform them when feedings are sold for the day.
Volunteer Responsibility:
1 volunteer stationed at the ray pool during the week
2 volunteers stationed at the ray pool on weekends, holidays, and anticipated high attendance days. When 2 volunteers are scheduled, 1 is responsible for general pool oversight and guest engagement, and 1 is responsible for oversight of the feeding program. Volunteers can rotate through these responsibilities during a shift.
Feedings can occur anytime between the hours of 10:00am-5:00pm. At this time we are not restricting feedings to specific time frames.
If feedings sell out for the day - after the last feeding has occurred - radio maintenance to have them remove the feeding signage. The feeding station will turn into a regular touch area for the rest of the day.
Guests who are not feeding can touch the rays/sharks as usual.
Ray Feeding Updates:
What will guests beFood items will be prepared by animal husbandry staff each morning and stored in the cooler at the ray touch pool. At this time, silversides are offered.
Each cup of food will contain 2 fish.
Allergy Alert: Food items may include or may have come in contact with shellfish and seafood. Guests with a shellfish or seafood allergy should not participate in this program. The fish are exposed to shellfish in the back.
We are not able to provide guests with non-latex gloves for feeding.
How to feed the rays
Allow one family at a time to feed. Multiple children from the same family can be feeding together (ok to have a few hands in the water at the same time). Families waiting to feed can roam the gallery as to not create congestion.
A video showing how to properly hold the food and an underwater view of a ray feeding
What if....
A guest drops a piece of food on the floor?
Have them dispose of that piece of food in the nearest trash. They can receive a one-time replacement. Animal husbandry will provide 6 extra cups of food each day for these replacements.
There are unsold cups of food at the end of the day?
Leave them in the cooler. Animal husbandry will remove them.
Feedings for a day are sold out and a guest wants to feed?
Unfortunately, we are not allowed to add additional feedings. The feedings we sell are calculated into the animals daily dietary needs.
The stingrays/sharks are acting strangely or overly excited?
Radio animal husbandry (code 1) to come and assess the tank and determine next steps.
Hands-on Training
There will be opportunities to practice ray feedings with floor supervisors. If you do not feel comfortable overseeing this feeding program please let the volunteer supervisor team know
Guests will now have an opportunity to feed the stingrays in the touch pool.
How to purchase:
Guests can purchase the experience from guest services between the hours of 10am-4pm. This experience is not available for advanced online sale.
Price: $3/cup of food. Guests can purchase multiple cups of food.
Guest services will provide the guest with a ticket. Guests will receive1 ticket per cup of food purchased.
There is a daily limit for how many cups of food can be purchased.
Guest services will radio volunteers to inform them when feedings are sold for the day.
Volunteer Responsibility:
1 volunteer stationed at the ray pool during the week
2 volunteers stationed at the ray pool on weekends, holidays, and anticipated high attendance days. When 2 volunteers are scheduled, 1 is responsible for general pool oversight and guest engagement, and 1 is responsible for oversight of the feeding program. Volunteers can rotate through these responsibilities during a shift.
Feedings can occur anytime between the hours of 10:00am-5:00pm. At this time we are not restricting feedings to specific time frames.
If feedings sell out for the day - after the last feeding has occurred - radio maintenance to have them remove the feeding signage. The feeding station will turn into a regular touch area for the rest of the day.
Guests who are not feeding can touch the rays/sharks as usual.
Ray Feeding Updates:
- Ray feedings are done at various points of the pool. Please rotate the spot in which ray feedings are done each feeding.
- Please note the original feeding station is now covered, signage has been removed, and barriers are in place. Please do not offer feedings from this location at this time. Please deter guests from this area at this time for the heath and safety of our rays.
- Review the guest's tickets for how many cups have been purchased. Write an "X" on each ticket when the feeding has been redeemed and place the ticket in the waste basket.
- Holding the fish in your hand, walk the guest to a spot in the ray pool that is different than where you did the last feeding.
- Explain the rules, and demonstrate proper feeding techniques (empty hand)
- Help guests have a great feeding experience
What will guests beFood items will be prepared by animal husbandry staff each morning and stored in the cooler at the ray touch pool. At this time, silversides are offered.
Each cup of food will contain 2 fish.
Allergy Alert: Food items may include or may have come in contact with shellfish and seafood. Guests with a shellfish or seafood allergy should not participate in this program. The fish are exposed to shellfish in the back.
We are not able to provide guests with non-latex gloves for feeding.
How to feed the rays
Allow one family at a time to feed. Multiple children from the same family can be feeding together (ok to have a few hands in the water at the same time). Families waiting to feed can roam the gallery as to not create congestion.
- Hold the food item in a gently closed fist with the top of the food extended above the hand
- Place the hand in the water and allow the rays to swim over the top. Guests should always keep their hand in a fist. The rays will use a sucking motion to remove the food from the guest's hand.
- For the safety of the guests, we will not be feeding the sharks. If a shark swims into the feeding area the guest(s) should remove their hands from the water and wait until the shark swims by and the area is clear before resuming feeding.
- Guests should wash their hands after feeding using the nearest handwashing station.
A video showing how to properly hold the food and an underwater view of a ray feeding
What if....
A guest drops a piece of food on the floor?
Have them dispose of that piece of food in the nearest trash. They can receive a one-time replacement. Animal husbandry will provide 6 extra cups of food each day for these replacements.
There are unsold cups of food at the end of the day?
Leave them in the cooler. Animal husbandry will remove them.
Feedings for a day are sold out and a guest wants to feed?
Unfortunately, we are not allowed to add additional feedings. The feedings we sell are calculated into the animals daily dietary needs.
The stingrays/sharks are acting strangely or overly excited?
Radio animal husbandry (code 1) to come and assess the tank and determine next steps.
Hands-on Training
There will be opportunities to practice ray feedings with floor supervisors. If you do not feel comfortable overseeing this feeding program please let the volunteer supervisor team know
1 point
How much is a cup of food to feed the rays?
1 point
True or False: We can provide non-latex gloves to guests with shellfish allergies.
1 point
True or False: Members from the same family can feed the rays at the same time.
1 point
What should guests be instructed to do if a shark swims into the feeding area?