Keefes Bimini Undersea ?

[DebbyDiver]

Bill, bottom line is that you never should have gone out at all. As boat owners ourselves (I'm a fourth generation powerboater) we were shocked that you went out, but we were told that if we didn't go out we would forfeit what we paid. Well, we had a crappy rough boat ride and we got a credit but it wasn't worth it. Sorry but it costs me too much to get over there just to cash in an old credit. You should have cancelled the dive and refunded our money.

And I guess I forgot if it was partial credit or full credit or whatever...because we never intended to cash it in.

 

[ScooterSouthFlorida]

One of the most common questions we get from private boaters is "where do we encounter the dolphins?". For a number of reasons we don't share that specific information. Primarily for the safety of the Dolphins. It takes us almost a full year to train a new (experienced) Captain to safely operate a motor vessel amongst a pod of Wild Dolphins.

Primarily to maybe protect a bank account, but safety of the Dolphins? I am sure since most Dolphins just can't get out of the way of a boat....

A year to train a Captain for this? How deep into the bottom of the barrel did you go to hire captain's who take a year to train for this???

But thank you, I laughed so hard at this I almost spewed my coffee all over my laptop.

 

[idive2]

I'm curious.
Did you ever come diving with us ?
Bill Keefe
Bimini Undersea

Bill, I never did get over there but I'm thinking this will
be the year. I'll check to see what kind of trips you are
offering and may get over there in the next couple months !

 

[billkeefe]

Scooter;

If you got a laugh from the last post you will probably find this one hilarious!

Dolphins swim at about 25mph. Max 30 mph for a short burst. Vessels that are operated at a max speed that exceeds 20mph present a significant danger to Dolphins in an encounter type setting. Navigating a vessel within a group of dolphins at speeds that exceed 12 knots or so presents a significant risk. Most often when the vessel operator makes unexpected turns, doing figure 8's, "playing" with the Dolphins. Especially to the young dolphins in the pod. I know that you would never operate a vessel in such a manner, and, we witness that type of behavior by pleasure boaters during the summer months on a fairly regular basis. And, there are pleasure boaters that encounter Dolphins in and around Bimini that conduct themselves in a safe and responsible manner that have incredible experiences on their own.

So, to answer your question. Are there Dolphins that cannot get out of the way speeding boats?
Yes there are. Usually the young ones. And once injured, they rarely survive, becoming easy prey to their main predator, Sharks. In the Dolphin Grounds, Tiger Sharks to be specific.

You don't have to take my word for it. Researchers from the Dolphin Communication Project accompany us on about 90% of the Dolphin Trips we have run over the past 8-10 years. They'll confirm all that I've shared above.

 

[billkeefe]

Debbie;

The offer still stands.
We're talking about a trip that occurred 12 years ago, and, I don't claim to remember the specifics. What I can tell you is that your account of events is not consistent with our long standing policies. Both in regards to trip credits, and, assessing safe operating conditions. We cancel and postpone Dolphin trips on a regular basis due to sea conditions and are very conservative in our assessments. That having been said, you are obviously an experienced pleasure boater and you disagree(d) with our call on that day. I've always said that the great thing about opinions is that everyone gets to have one.

Bottom line though, we seem to be at an impasse. Should you ever change your mind about using the credit, please email me personally at bill@biminiundersea.com

Best in Diving
Bill Keefe
Bimini Undersea

 

[billkeefe]

Look forward to diving with you

 

[KUFan452]

I came across this thread today while responding to another question about Bimini and I must say that I'm a little shocked. My boyfriend and I dived with Bimini Undersea in Nov. 2009 and had a fabulous time. I would attach the link to our trip report if I knew how. You can easily search to find the thread posted by CloseFocusWA.

We had the opportunity to dive on the boat with both Bill and his wife Knowdla as captains. One of their daughters even joined us for the wild dolphin snorkel. I thought the entire operation was professional, polite, friendly, and courteous. They both have a committment to Bimini, the islands, and the environmental health of the seas and the dolphins.

We learned about about the island and the history of diving around Bimini. Bill and Knowdla went out of their way to make sure that we had a safe and fun experience. We definitely plan to go back and dive with them and have absolutely no reservations about recommending them to our friends!