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Carib Dancer Captain’s Report May 12 – 19, 2012
Water Temperature 78-81 F
3 or 5 mm Wet Suit Recommended
On May 12, 2012, the Carib Dancer started it’s first of many wonderful dive charters throughout the Bahamas. On board this first cruise leaving Nassau headed to the Exuma ‘s were Makia, Michelle, Linda, Elvira & Udo, Rebekah & Zachary, Carol, Julie, Christine, Mark, Michael and John.
Leaving Nassau our first dive site was The Blue Hole. A deep hole going to depths of close to 200 feet surrounded by shallow sand and spotted coral heads. We saw stingrays, Caribbean reef sharks and many small creatures around the spotted coral heads. This was an excellent way to start off the first two dives. After diving The Blue Hole we made our way South to the Exuma Islands. Just off Highborne Cay there’s a beautiful shallow reef call Basketstar Reef; named for the numerous basket stars that can be seen during a night dive. However during the day it’s a colorful reef with schools of jacks, snappers, angelfish, nurse sharks and this week - one of the largest loggerhead turtles that I’ve ever seen. This was an excellent afternoon and night dive.
Monday our dive was on Shroud Wall with a couple of Caribbean reef sharks among the colorful whip coral and sponges that were spawning. The afternoon was spent at Crack Coral Head. This very high profile coral head looks like it has a large crack through the center. Swim thru’s, angelfish, lobsters, crabs, octopus and schools of snappers were on hand to entertain us.
Tuesday our first dive was Pillar Wall. Just before getting to the wall we swam over medium to high profile long coral ridges surrounded by sand and inside the ridges we found lobsters, crabs, eels and lots of small cleaner fish. Swimming over the wall we found colorful sea whips, sponges and even a Caribbean reef shark or two. The afternoon and night were on a shallow reef called Barracuda Shoals, which is named for the very large great barracuda that stayed under the Carib Dancer the entire time we dove these shallow coral heads. We spent our time finding puffer fish, wrasses, school of grunts and some nice channel clinging crabs.
Wednesday morning we made the short ride back out into the Exuma Sound for another easy wall dive. Our choice this morning was Jewfish Wall. We knew this was going to be good when a spotted moray eel greeted us at the bottom of the mooring line by swimming out in the open. This gave a few guests an excellent chance to get some wonderful picture of the eel. Here we enjoyed swim thru’s, ledges and an array of hard and soft corals. One swim thru was about 80 feet long starting at 50 feet and exiting over the wall at 95 feet. Two dives here wasn’t enough, we may just have to come back.
Hammerhead Gulch was the afternoon and night dive. We had lots of soft corals, small tropical fish and a nice small turtle to swim along side. This dive site is located between a few small islands, which make it an excellent place to play for several hours.
Thursday morning and back to Pillar Wall. This was such a nice dive in the first part of the week we did another dive off the wall. After swimming along side a school of Atlantic spadefish, looking at countless Caribbean spiny lobsters and brittle sea stars on colorful sponges that lets no forget that colorful wall.
We next made our way over to the Wreck of the Austin Smith. A few small Caribbean reef sharks along with other creatures both on and around the wreck made for a good time. In the afternoon we made our way over to Dog Rocks aka Church Wall. Here’s one of those special dive sites that you could spend all day on. Just under the Carib Dancer we have an array of soft corals to photograph and only a few feet from our mooring pin is a beautiful wall with lots of swim thru’s. You never know what you will see here: lobsters, large channel clinging crabs, a loggerhead turtle or a spotted eagle ray swimming just over our head. This night dive was one of the best that I have done in a very long time. Amazing colors is all I can say.
After a very peaceful night with flat calm seas we enjoyed a pre dawn dive again on Dog Rocks - Church Wall. Like the night dive last night colors jump out at us and as the sun rose we enjoyed watch this beautiful reef come alive. Small schools of fish waking up, lobsters and crabs looking for a place to hide and just as we started to head back to the boat two large spotted eagle rays swam just over our heads. This was an excellent place to finish a wonderful week of diving in the Bahamas.
It has been over three years since I last visited the Exuma’s Islands. Just as I remember from before this is a very special place; both underwater and topside and it definitely feels good to be back in the Bahamas. We would to thank our guests for sharing this special inaugural trip with the crew of the Carib Dancer.
Crew for this special charter was Captain Dennis, Instructor Craig, Engineer Gareth, Instructor Jason and the Best Chef Anna.
Water Temperature 78-81 F
3 or 5 mm Wet Suit Recommended
On May 12, 2012, the Carib Dancer started it’s first of many wonderful dive charters throughout the Bahamas. On board this first cruise leaving Nassau headed to the Exuma ‘s were Makia, Michelle, Linda, Elvira & Udo, Rebekah & Zachary, Carol, Julie, Christine, Mark, Michael and John.
Leaving Nassau our first dive site was The Blue Hole. A deep hole going to depths of close to 200 feet surrounded by shallow sand and spotted coral heads. We saw stingrays, Caribbean reef sharks and many small creatures around the spotted coral heads. This was an excellent way to start off the first two dives. After diving The Blue Hole we made our way South to the Exuma Islands. Just off Highborne Cay there’s a beautiful shallow reef call Basketstar Reef; named for the numerous basket stars that can be seen during a night dive. However during the day it’s a colorful reef with schools of jacks, snappers, angelfish, nurse sharks and this week - one of the largest loggerhead turtles that I’ve ever seen. This was an excellent afternoon and night dive.
Monday our dive was on Shroud Wall with a couple of Caribbean reef sharks among the colorful whip coral and sponges that were spawning. The afternoon was spent at Crack Coral Head. This very high profile coral head looks like it has a large crack through the center. Swim thru’s, angelfish, lobsters, crabs, octopus and schools of snappers were on hand to entertain us.
Tuesday our first dive was Pillar Wall. Just before getting to the wall we swam over medium to high profile long coral ridges surrounded by sand and inside the ridges we found lobsters, crabs, eels and lots of small cleaner fish. Swimming over the wall we found colorful sea whips, sponges and even a Caribbean reef shark or two. The afternoon and night were on a shallow reef called Barracuda Shoals, which is named for the very large great barracuda that stayed under the Carib Dancer the entire time we dove these shallow coral heads. We spent our time finding puffer fish, wrasses, school of grunts and some nice channel clinging crabs.
Wednesday morning we made the short ride back out into the Exuma Sound for another easy wall dive. Our choice this morning was Jewfish Wall. We knew this was going to be good when a spotted moray eel greeted us at the bottom of the mooring line by swimming out in the open. This gave a few guests an excellent chance to get some wonderful picture of the eel. Here we enjoyed swim thru’s, ledges and an array of hard and soft corals. One swim thru was about 80 feet long starting at 50 feet and exiting over the wall at 95 feet. Two dives here wasn’t enough, we may just have to come back.
Hammerhead Gulch was the afternoon and night dive. We had lots of soft corals, small tropical fish and a nice small turtle to swim along side. This dive site is located between a few small islands, which make it an excellent place to play for several hours.
Thursday morning and back to Pillar Wall. This was such a nice dive in the first part of the week we did another dive off the wall. After swimming along side a school of Atlantic spadefish, looking at countless Caribbean spiny lobsters and brittle sea stars on colorful sponges that lets no forget that colorful wall.
We next made our way over to the Wreck of the Austin Smith. A few small Caribbean reef sharks along with other creatures both on and around the wreck made for a good time. In the afternoon we made our way over to Dog Rocks aka Church Wall. Here’s one of those special dive sites that you could spend all day on. Just under the Carib Dancer we have an array of soft corals to photograph and only a few feet from our mooring pin is a beautiful wall with lots of swim thru’s. You never know what you will see here: lobsters, large channel clinging crabs, a loggerhead turtle or a spotted eagle ray swimming just over our head. This night dive was one of the best that I have done in a very long time. Amazing colors is all I can say.
After a very peaceful night with flat calm seas we enjoyed a pre dawn dive again on Dog Rocks - Church Wall. Like the night dive last night colors jump out at us and as the sun rose we enjoyed watch this beautiful reef come alive. Small schools of fish waking up, lobsters and crabs looking for a place to hide and just as we started to head back to the boat two large spotted eagle rays swam just over our heads. This was an excellent place to finish a wonderful week of diving in the Bahamas.
It has been over three years since I last visited the Exuma’s Islands. Just as I remember from before this is a very special place; both underwater and topside and it definitely feels good to be back in the Bahamas. We would to thank our guests for sharing this special inaugural trip with the crew of the Carib Dancer.
Crew for this special charter was Captain Dennis, Instructor Craig, Engineer Gareth, Instructor Jason and the Best Chef Anna.