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Carib Dancer Captains Report Oct 6 13, 2012
Water Temperature 79-84 F
3 or 5 mm Wet Suit Recommended
Saturday afternoon late after some delayed flights, with everyone boarded the Carib Dancer and its guest Luis, Antonio H., Antonio S., Francisco, Carrie, Charles, Jon, Laura, Angel, Greg, Marta B., Paul, Ana and Marta H. departed its home dock at Elizabeth On Bay and started our trip out to the Exuma Islands. On the way to the Exumas from Nassau theres an area called the Yellow Banks. The Yellow Banks is a very shallow area of spotted coral heads that should only be crossed during daylight hours. The Carib Dancer anchored for the night just on the outside of the Yellow Banks. It was a very nice night under the stars.
Sunday morning early we pulled anchor and headed across the Yellow Banks for our first dive site Pillar Wall. The top of the reef is only about 40 feet and is covered with soft corals. While diving Pillar Wall we saw sharks, mackerel and a schools of Atlantic spadefish near the mooring line. We nest headed to a shallow dive site called Lobster No Lobster. We could have stayed here all week and enjoyed the colors and diverse marine life on Lobster No Lobster. We took pictures and video of lobsters, rays, and beautiful nurse sharks. As we entered the water to enjoy the night dive about 30 juvenile reef squid greeted us at the dive platform.
Monday our first dive site was Crab Mountain Wall. This dive site is so big we have two areas. One is near the wall and the other in shallow waters. On this dive we were diving near the wall where we enjoyed swim thrus full of silversides, sharks and a very colorful wall. After shooting some excellent video and pictures on Crab Mountain we made the short 4-mile run to the wreck of the Austin Smith. The top of the wreck sits in about 40 feet of water. The main attraction on the Austin Smith during the day is Caribbean reef sharks, lots of Caribbean reef sharks. While swimming along the wreck some of these sharks and other marine life swim within a few feet of us. We could easily fill a memory card with video and stills of sharks, groupers and schools of tropical fish. We finished this Monday on one of my favorite dive sites called Hammerhead Gulch. As we were pulling into the Gulch we saw several turtles on the surface. While underwater we again saw several turtles as well as crabs, rays and schools of juvenile tropical fish. It was like swimming in an aquarium.
As we continued the week of diving the Exumas, Black Tip Wall was where we really enjoyed swim thrus and a beautiful wall full of colorful sponges and sea whips. We ventured further south into the Exuma Park to Danger Reef where as we pulled up to the mooring several sharks and large black groupers swam straight up to the boat and dive platform. Diving Danger Reef is always fun with the sharks and grouper, however swimming along the high profile corals heads you can find just about any creature in a Marine ID book. Our last dive for the day was 3 Peaks Reef. Lobster, lobster and more lobsters were seen while diving on 3 Peaks, especially on the night dive. Too bad we were in the park and a no take zone, but thats also the reason these creatures were so big.
Amberjack Reef was our first dive on Wednesday Morning. Amberjack is close to Danger, so it was no wonder the sharks and groupers met us as we pulled up to the dive site. The sun was just right this morning for some great pictures of channel clinging crabs, schools of horse-eye jacks under the boat and Atlantic spadefish near the mooring line. Slowly making our way back North we stopped and enjoyed Cracked Coral Head. The wall here is awesome, but I really like going thru the swim thrus when they are covered with little silversides. When the light comes in from the hole in the top of the reef, shooting pictures inside the swim thrus is all fun.
The wreck of the Austin Smith is such a fun dive that a lot of time guest want to repeat the dive. Today was one of those days. As divers we love being underwater, but theres something about being underwater when a five-foot shark swims within six inches of you and you feel ok about that experience. On the wreck of the Austin Smith we feel that on ever dive. So many people sit in an office or at home wondering what it would feel like to be that close to such a powerful creature. Ok, it feels nice and lets not forget the huge loggerhead turtle. When you come to the Bahamas and dive with us on the Carib Dancer make sure you ask about diving the wreck of the Austin Smith. To finish a great week of diving we went to Barracuda Shoals. This shallow dive site has beautiful coral head that are covered with hard and soft corals. Today we enjoyed wonderful visibility and very warm waters.
Crew for this Charter was Captain Dennis, 2nd Captain Mario, Instructor Gregory, Instructor Nicole and Chef David.
Water Temperature 79-84 F
3 or 5 mm Wet Suit Recommended
Saturday afternoon late after some delayed flights, with everyone boarded the Carib Dancer and its guest Luis, Antonio H., Antonio S., Francisco, Carrie, Charles, Jon, Laura, Angel, Greg, Marta B., Paul, Ana and Marta H. departed its home dock at Elizabeth On Bay and started our trip out to the Exuma Islands. On the way to the Exumas from Nassau theres an area called the Yellow Banks. The Yellow Banks is a very shallow area of spotted coral heads that should only be crossed during daylight hours. The Carib Dancer anchored for the night just on the outside of the Yellow Banks. It was a very nice night under the stars.
Sunday morning early we pulled anchor and headed across the Yellow Banks for our first dive site Pillar Wall. The top of the reef is only about 40 feet and is covered with soft corals. While diving Pillar Wall we saw sharks, mackerel and a schools of Atlantic spadefish near the mooring line. We nest headed to a shallow dive site called Lobster No Lobster. We could have stayed here all week and enjoyed the colors and diverse marine life on Lobster No Lobster. We took pictures and video of lobsters, rays, and beautiful nurse sharks. As we entered the water to enjoy the night dive about 30 juvenile reef squid greeted us at the dive platform.
Monday our first dive site was Crab Mountain Wall. This dive site is so big we have two areas. One is near the wall and the other in shallow waters. On this dive we were diving near the wall where we enjoyed swim thrus full of silversides, sharks and a very colorful wall. After shooting some excellent video and pictures on Crab Mountain we made the short 4-mile run to the wreck of the Austin Smith. The top of the wreck sits in about 40 feet of water. The main attraction on the Austin Smith during the day is Caribbean reef sharks, lots of Caribbean reef sharks. While swimming along the wreck some of these sharks and other marine life swim within a few feet of us. We could easily fill a memory card with video and stills of sharks, groupers and schools of tropical fish. We finished this Monday on one of my favorite dive sites called Hammerhead Gulch. As we were pulling into the Gulch we saw several turtles on the surface. While underwater we again saw several turtles as well as crabs, rays and schools of juvenile tropical fish. It was like swimming in an aquarium.
As we continued the week of diving the Exumas, Black Tip Wall was where we really enjoyed swim thrus and a beautiful wall full of colorful sponges and sea whips. We ventured further south into the Exuma Park to Danger Reef where as we pulled up to the mooring several sharks and large black groupers swam straight up to the boat and dive platform. Diving Danger Reef is always fun with the sharks and grouper, however swimming along the high profile corals heads you can find just about any creature in a Marine ID book. Our last dive for the day was 3 Peaks Reef. Lobster, lobster and more lobsters were seen while diving on 3 Peaks, especially on the night dive. Too bad we were in the park and a no take zone, but thats also the reason these creatures were so big.
Amberjack Reef was our first dive on Wednesday Morning. Amberjack is close to Danger, so it was no wonder the sharks and groupers met us as we pulled up to the dive site. The sun was just right this morning for some great pictures of channel clinging crabs, schools of horse-eye jacks under the boat and Atlantic spadefish near the mooring line. Slowly making our way back North we stopped and enjoyed Cracked Coral Head. The wall here is awesome, but I really like going thru the swim thrus when they are covered with little silversides. When the light comes in from the hole in the top of the reef, shooting pictures inside the swim thrus is all fun.
The wreck of the Austin Smith is such a fun dive that a lot of time guest want to repeat the dive. Today was one of those days. As divers we love being underwater, but theres something about being underwater when a five-foot shark swims within six inches of you and you feel ok about that experience. On the wreck of the Austin Smith we feel that on ever dive. So many people sit in an office or at home wondering what it would feel like to be that close to such a powerful creature. Ok, it feels nice and lets not forget the huge loggerhead turtle. When you come to the Bahamas and dive with us on the Carib Dancer make sure you ask about diving the wreck of the Austin Smith. To finish a great week of diving we went to Barracuda Shoals. This shallow dive site has beautiful coral head that are covered with hard and soft corals. Today we enjoyed wonderful visibility and very warm waters.
Crew for this Charter was Captain Dennis, 2nd Captain Mario, Instructor Gregory, Instructor Nicole and Chef David.