Atlantis Dive Resorts
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Atlantis Azores Captain’s Report April 26 – May 3, 2014
Tubbataha Itinerary
Weather: Hot, windless, and SUNNY!
Seas: Flat calm
Water: My computer was reading 84 F at the surface
Air: It was hot!
Log Entry by: Capt’ Todd
This week we had a few smaller groups aboard: Bill from Singapore, his Oregonian buddies - Denis, Robert, Brian, Paul and Brad from Portland (all locals of the Aquatic Sports dive shop there), Claudio from Italy, Joji from Japan, along with returnees Ellen and Bill, Paul and Marty. Everyone was onboard and “Tubbataha briefed” by the lovely ladies, Emma and Helen of the Tubbataha management office by 9pm and then we were off! Such a calm crossing was never had; it almost felt like we floated on air to our destination.
Sunday we visited the Malayan Wreck for our first day and jumped in on the high tide and “checked the wreck”. A slight current carried us south and we surfaced right back at the boat. The rest of the day was spent floating leisurely through the adjacent sites, with minimal current to speak of the whole day.
Monday we cruised north with the daybreak on our starboard bow, while we enjoyed an absolutely BEAUTIFUL sunrise. Arriving at the North Mooring site, we readied for our first dive of the day at Shark Airport where we had it completely to ourselves. No current once again, even though the tide change was pretty significant, h’mmm. By dive four though, we had enough current to carry us along quite nicely and wake up the underwater inhabitants. We saw schooling jacks and a few sharks, and everybody enjoyed the ride.
Tuesday started at Amos Rock, which is our destination today, and again we have it all to ourselves as we look across the Atoll and see EVERYBODY else over at the Malayan Wreck, h’mmm… Oil slick seas and no current - and we still managed a couple of Whale shark sightings! The viz was holding at 60-80 feet.
Wednesday we first had a north to south, and then a reversed south to north drift at Black Rock for dive one. Everyone was just going with the flow! We saw a school of barracuda along with some hungry jacks, and Bill got some wonderful footage of an octopus. At lunch we cruised south to try out the new mooring at Delsan Wreck, and as luck would have it, another vessel was just pulling off the mooring when we arrived, so we jumped on it and dove my favorite site for the afternoon. An ultra-low tide at dusk revealed the entire wreck. It’s amazing that the boat had gotten that far up on the reef. There must have been quite a storm surge when she ran aground (back in the 70’s) to put her up that high.
Thursday we opted to begin with a super early 6:30 am dive at, once again, Delsan Wreck. This is, in this captain’s opinion as well as many guests’, the “premier” dive site of the atoll. First dive, bingo, Whale shark! So we dropped in again for dive two. We then moved the Azores a mile or so to SW Wall for the afternoon and night dives. The seas continued to be glassy smooth with just a hint of a current – and we saw another Whale shark! We also had some really big jacks cruising alongside the boat right on the surface, facing into the current like trout in a stream. Very cool!
Friday we finished the week with two dives at Jessie Beazley Reef in splendid conditions. Afterwards there was lots of time to dry out everyone’s well-used equipment on the smooth and relaxing ride back to Puerto Princesa.
Tubbataha Itinerary
Weather: Hot, windless, and SUNNY!
Seas: Flat calm
Water: My computer was reading 84 F at the surface
Air: It was hot!
Log Entry by: Capt’ Todd
This week we had a few smaller groups aboard: Bill from Singapore, his Oregonian buddies - Denis, Robert, Brian, Paul and Brad from Portland (all locals of the Aquatic Sports dive shop there), Claudio from Italy, Joji from Japan, along with returnees Ellen and Bill, Paul and Marty. Everyone was onboard and “Tubbataha briefed” by the lovely ladies, Emma and Helen of the Tubbataha management office by 9pm and then we were off! Such a calm crossing was never had; it almost felt like we floated on air to our destination.
Sunday we visited the Malayan Wreck for our first day and jumped in on the high tide and “checked the wreck”. A slight current carried us south and we surfaced right back at the boat. The rest of the day was spent floating leisurely through the adjacent sites, with minimal current to speak of the whole day.
Monday we cruised north with the daybreak on our starboard bow, while we enjoyed an absolutely BEAUTIFUL sunrise. Arriving at the North Mooring site, we readied for our first dive of the day at Shark Airport where we had it completely to ourselves. No current once again, even though the tide change was pretty significant, h’mmm. By dive four though, we had enough current to carry us along quite nicely and wake up the underwater inhabitants. We saw schooling jacks and a few sharks, and everybody enjoyed the ride.
Tuesday started at Amos Rock, which is our destination today, and again we have it all to ourselves as we look across the Atoll and see EVERYBODY else over at the Malayan Wreck, h’mmm… Oil slick seas and no current - and we still managed a couple of Whale shark sightings! The viz was holding at 60-80 feet.
Wednesday we first had a north to south, and then a reversed south to north drift at Black Rock for dive one. Everyone was just going with the flow! We saw a school of barracuda along with some hungry jacks, and Bill got some wonderful footage of an octopus. At lunch we cruised south to try out the new mooring at Delsan Wreck, and as luck would have it, another vessel was just pulling off the mooring when we arrived, so we jumped on it and dove my favorite site for the afternoon. An ultra-low tide at dusk revealed the entire wreck. It’s amazing that the boat had gotten that far up on the reef. There must have been quite a storm surge when she ran aground (back in the 70’s) to put her up that high.
Thursday we opted to begin with a super early 6:30 am dive at, once again, Delsan Wreck. This is, in this captain’s opinion as well as many guests’, the “premier” dive site of the atoll. First dive, bingo, Whale shark! So we dropped in again for dive two. We then moved the Azores a mile or so to SW Wall for the afternoon and night dives. The seas continued to be glassy smooth with just a hint of a current – and we saw another Whale shark! We also had some really big jacks cruising alongside the boat right on the surface, facing into the current like trout in a stream. Very cool!
Friday we finished the week with two dives at Jessie Beazley Reef in splendid conditions. Afterwards there was lots of time to dry out everyone’s well-used equipment on the smooth and relaxing ride back to Puerto Princesa.
