- Messages
- 270
- Reaction score
- 6
Carib Dancer Captains Report July 27 Aug 3, 2013
Water Temperature: 82-84 F
3 mm Wet Suit or Skin Recommended
The Carib Dancer continues with its Special Charters out of the West End Of Grand Bahama with a variety of dives. Some of our dives were shallow, some deep, some drift but all were Fantastic! The water was warm and clear blue and the marine life was plentiful.
Our adventure started on Saturday afternoon when our guest Wayne, Nicholas, Emmanouil, Allen, Kelly, Joe, Louise, Glen, Curt, Corinne and Nicole boarded and shortly after our Safety Briefing, the Carib Dancer set a course for the Little Bahama Bank under a beautiful night filled with stars.
We started our West End Adventure on a sweet dive site called The Sugar Wreck. The Sugar Wreck is an old barge that sank somewhere around the late 1890s. Because the barge was carrying molasses at the time of its sinking it became known as the Sugar Wreck. The wreck is scatted over about a 50-yard area, located in about 25 feet of clear, warm water. Over this part of the Little Bahama Banks there is nothing around for marine life to congregate around so when this molasses barge became part of the underwater world the marine life started using the wreck for shelter and at any given time you can find hundreds of fish and other underwater creatures. After enjoying the Sugar Wreck we spent the afternoon and night on Hogfish Reef. While diving we saw Nassau, tiger and black groupers, Caribbean spiny lobsters and hawksbill turtle. Then Mother Ocean added Caribbean reef sharks and a few lemon sharks to come play up close for some pictures and video shots.
Its Monday and No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problem because we are diving on the West End Of Grand Bahama and our first dive site is the Mini Wall, which is a large reef about 300 yards long. The east side is in only about 35 feet of water while the west side sloops to about 65 feet looking like a mini-wall. The top of the reef is full of soft corals and it would take a week of diving this site to see the entire variety of marine life present. The afternoon was all about Classic Tiger Beach. Can this sandy area get any more popular for sharks? Today while diving here we always had at least 10 lemon sharks around us, and at any point during our long bottom times they would come within a few inches of us. We were able to get some excellent shark pictures and video.
Tuesday our first stop was Shark Paradise, and this is not far in distance from Tiger Beach where we see lots of sharks. The reef here is covered with a variety of marine life such as snappers, angelfish, groupers, barracudas, jacks, spotted moray eels, crabs, lobsters and sharks. While diving we saw several Caribbean reef sharks and a big lemon shark. The afternoon we did a couple of drift dives near an area we call Mount Olympus, an area that is made up of huge coral heads that start in about 45 feet and drop down past the recommended limit for diving. Today we had the pleasure of diving with turtles, eels, sharks and a few spotted eagle rays that swam in for a closer look at the group. We finished our diving today on the Sugar Wreck for our night dive. Spotted drum, hawksbill turtle, spotted moray eels and octopus were only some of the things we enjoyed spotting tonight.
Wednesday was a busy day of drift diving. The Gulf Stream runs very close to the Little Bahama Banks and sometimes we can feel part of that current traveling from the south to the north. Today was one of those days. We started the drift day with everyones favorite from yesterday Mount Olympus, and then it was drifting at El Captaan. After this we enjoyed El Dorado, and to finish off a day of drift diving it was on to the Mini Wall. I would be talking all night to list all the things we had a chance to see. As one of our guests said, It was the very good day of diving. Because of current all day we went to our sweet little wreck, the Sugar Wreck for our night dive. I know some of you are thinking, not again. But each time we have done this site has been different. Tonight we saw over a dozen porcupinefish, big ocean triggerfish, and some of the biggest gray angelfish I have ever seen anywhere. I had a green moray eel swim out of its hole right next to me and he was small, only about 3 feet. Also we saw a spotted moray and a hawksbill turtle eating. There was a Caribbean reef shark that almost ran over me, and as I was headed up the mooring line to finish the dive there was squid hanging next to me as I slowly made my way up.
Thursday was Classic Tiger Beach Day. We arrived at Classic Tiger Beach in the early morning hoping to see a tiger shark and right from the start as we entered the water we had lemon sharks all around us. Tiger Beach is basically a sandy beach located under about 15 -20 feet of water. Its an amazing feeling that while swimming on top of this white sandy beach you have about 15 lemon sharks swimming along side with the smallest shark being about 4 foot, though most average around 6 feet in length. Everyone was happy we stayed for the rest of the day on Tiger Beach. After a wonderful lunch, we entered the water with all the lemon sharks and just a short time later we were joined by a pod of spotted dolphins. Then a tiger shark, around 10 feet in length, joined us. It did a few swim bys, and off he went. It was a very exciting day at Classic Tiger Beach.
Friday morning we finished our week of diving on Fish Tail Reef. This reef is about 200 yards long and about 75 yards wide and the top of the reef is covered with soft corals and a huge variety of marine life. While diving here we also had several Caribbean reef sharks and a nurse shark stayed near for most of the dive. We get the chance to see so many big creatures while diving that sometimes we forget about the small stuff. Thats why it was so nice when Kelly found a juvenile smooth trunkfish. It was another amazing week of diving on the West End of Grand Bahama and we thank our guests for joining us.
Best Fishes,
Crew for the Carib Dancer was Captain Dennis, Video Pro David, Photo Pro Jason, Assistant Engineer Julia and Chef Shea.
Water Temperature: 82-84 F
3 mm Wet Suit or Skin Recommended
The Carib Dancer continues with its Special Charters out of the West End Of Grand Bahama with a variety of dives. Some of our dives were shallow, some deep, some drift but all were Fantastic! The water was warm and clear blue and the marine life was plentiful.
Our adventure started on Saturday afternoon when our guest Wayne, Nicholas, Emmanouil, Allen, Kelly, Joe, Louise, Glen, Curt, Corinne and Nicole boarded and shortly after our Safety Briefing, the Carib Dancer set a course for the Little Bahama Bank under a beautiful night filled with stars.
We started our West End Adventure on a sweet dive site called The Sugar Wreck. The Sugar Wreck is an old barge that sank somewhere around the late 1890s. Because the barge was carrying molasses at the time of its sinking it became known as the Sugar Wreck. The wreck is scatted over about a 50-yard area, located in about 25 feet of clear, warm water. Over this part of the Little Bahama Banks there is nothing around for marine life to congregate around so when this molasses barge became part of the underwater world the marine life started using the wreck for shelter and at any given time you can find hundreds of fish and other underwater creatures. After enjoying the Sugar Wreck we spent the afternoon and night on Hogfish Reef. While diving we saw Nassau, tiger and black groupers, Caribbean spiny lobsters and hawksbill turtle. Then Mother Ocean added Caribbean reef sharks and a few lemon sharks to come play up close for some pictures and video shots.
Its Monday and No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problem because we are diving on the West End Of Grand Bahama and our first dive site is the Mini Wall, which is a large reef about 300 yards long. The east side is in only about 35 feet of water while the west side sloops to about 65 feet looking like a mini-wall. The top of the reef is full of soft corals and it would take a week of diving this site to see the entire variety of marine life present. The afternoon was all about Classic Tiger Beach. Can this sandy area get any more popular for sharks? Today while diving here we always had at least 10 lemon sharks around us, and at any point during our long bottom times they would come within a few inches of us. We were able to get some excellent shark pictures and video.
Tuesday our first stop was Shark Paradise, and this is not far in distance from Tiger Beach where we see lots of sharks. The reef here is covered with a variety of marine life such as snappers, angelfish, groupers, barracudas, jacks, spotted moray eels, crabs, lobsters and sharks. While diving we saw several Caribbean reef sharks and a big lemon shark. The afternoon we did a couple of drift dives near an area we call Mount Olympus, an area that is made up of huge coral heads that start in about 45 feet and drop down past the recommended limit for diving. Today we had the pleasure of diving with turtles, eels, sharks and a few spotted eagle rays that swam in for a closer look at the group. We finished our diving today on the Sugar Wreck for our night dive. Spotted drum, hawksbill turtle, spotted moray eels and octopus were only some of the things we enjoyed spotting tonight.
Wednesday was a busy day of drift diving. The Gulf Stream runs very close to the Little Bahama Banks and sometimes we can feel part of that current traveling from the south to the north. Today was one of those days. We started the drift day with everyones favorite from yesterday Mount Olympus, and then it was drifting at El Captaan. After this we enjoyed El Dorado, and to finish off a day of drift diving it was on to the Mini Wall. I would be talking all night to list all the things we had a chance to see. As one of our guests said, It was the very good day of diving. Because of current all day we went to our sweet little wreck, the Sugar Wreck for our night dive. I know some of you are thinking, not again. But each time we have done this site has been different. Tonight we saw over a dozen porcupinefish, big ocean triggerfish, and some of the biggest gray angelfish I have ever seen anywhere. I had a green moray eel swim out of its hole right next to me and he was small, only about 3 feet. Also we saw a spotted moray and a hawksbill turtle eating. There was a Caribbean reef shark that almost ran over me, and as I was headed up the mooring line to finish the dive there was squid hanging next to me as I slowly made my way up.
Thursday was Classic Tiger Beach Day. We arrived at Classic Tiger Beach in the early morning hoping to see a tiger shark and right from the start as we entered the water we had lemon sharks all around us. Tiger Beach is basically a sandy beach located under about 15 -20 feet of water. Its an amazing feeling that while swimming on top of this white sandy beach you have about 15 lemon sharks swimming along side with the smallest shark being about 4 foot, though most average around 6 feet in length. Everyone was happy we stayed for the rest of the day on Tiger Beach. After a wonderful lunch, we entered the water with all the lemon sharks and just a short time later we were joined by a pod of spotted dolphins. Then a tiger shark, around 10 feet in length, joined us. It did a few swim bys, and off he went. It was a very exciting day at Classic Tiger Beach.
Friday morning we finished our week of diving on Fish Tail Reef. This reef is about 200 yards long and about 75 yards wide and the top of the reef is covered with soft corals and a huge variety of marine life. While diving here we also had several Caribbean reef sharks and a nurse shark stayed near for most of the dive. We get the chance to see so many big creatures while diving that sometimes we forget about the small stuff. Thats why it was so nice when Kelly found a juvenile smooth trunkfish. It was another amazing week of diving on the West End of Grand Bahama and we thank our guests for joining us.
Best Fishes,
Crew for the Carib Dancer was Captain Dennis, Video Pro David, Photo Pro Jason, Assistant Engineer Julia and Chef Shea.