Liveaboards- Hammerheads

[Natalie_13]

Hi all- I am new to this site so please go easy on a newbie. I've done a fair amount of 'holiday diving', most recently in Komodo with the Manta Rays which was an incredible experience.

I would still very much class myself as a new diver. I want to improve this and really want to do a pure diving focused trip. I have always had a dreamed of seeing Hammerheads and am therefore thinking of the Caribbean.

My question is does anyone know of any reputable liveaboards, I will be traveling alone (female). I also want a company that doesn't expect all advanced divers and will have the patients for a fresher diver.

Any tips, advice recommendations or shared experiences would be greatly appreciated

Thanks

Natalie

 

[Dan]

Welcome to SB!

I have been diving in Utila, Bonaire, Cayman Brac, Little Cayman, Tobago, but have never seen hammerheads in Carribean. Hopefully someone who have done liveaboard diving there can shine a light for you.

The only liveaboard I have been in to see hammerheads was Galapagos Master, as posted here: How is diving in Galapagos in December? However that trip is for a more advanced divers who are comfortable to dive in currents, negative entry, launching DSMB, etc. However, you have been in Komodo, so that could be fine for you. You just need to stick with the guide closely.

I plan to go to the Ring of Fire trip (Maumere-Alor-Banda-Ambon), Indonesia next year to see the schooling of hammerheads with Blue Manta, as posted here: Ring of Fire September 9-19, 2019

I have heard of AquatCat in Bahamas going to Tiger Beach to see tiger shark, which may include some hammerheads. It's some kind of shark feeding show.

Another place is Jupiter, Florida, but it's not a liveaboard, just a day boat dive trip. Also it's a shark feeding show.

I plan to go to Cocos in September (next month) with Argo for diving with hammerheads. Another one in December in Socorro with Nautilus Under Sea, but not sure if I would see hammerheads there.

Have fun diving!
Dan

 

[diversteve]

Hammerheads school in the Socorros - my buddy shot video. Also Manta's are a given. One of the sites is nicknamed the Boiler which gives an idea of the conditions - lots of current, live drops from tenders etc. Maybe when you have more dive experience? Rocio Fel Mar is another option - smaller boat and the owner Dora will be on board and possibly your dive buddy - she's real nice. They have a 2nd boat but it's more of a research trip so the cabins are shared in larger groups than the usual 2 per cabin.

But it's colder, depp, rougher conditions and an all day crossing. Nautilus has 2-3 boats that go out there - Belle Amie is a nicer option.

You will have to either pay a single supplement or share a cabin with a female diver - it's how they all work.

Tiger Beach is mostly big Tiger Sharks and big Lemons. It's shallow but can be a little intimidating when they "bump:: you. I didn't think Aquacat went there but the Bahamas Aggressor does. There's also Epic Diving or the shop at the Viva Foruna resort that go there from Grand Bahma Island on day trips

I've seen two hammerheads in the Out Islands in a week of diving but no boats currently go there. Plus it was lucky and they were going away from us fast - they're pretty shy.

PS the Scorrros are a day boat ride from Cabo San Lucas and Cocos is off the coast of Ecuador so not the Caribbean but willder areas of the Pacific.

 

[diversteve]

Most liveaboards I've been on single divers are "adopted" by the group right away. We picked up a new single female Canadian diver on our way to the boat - by the time we got there a dr., his wife and son had asked her to be their 4th diver - I buddied with her one night and lent her lights. She also ate with us since we were a smaller group - a bunch of NYC doctors were the big gorup - all real nice. We also buddied with a male diver we'd met at the airport waiting for the van,

 

[Damselfish]

As you may have gathered by now the Caribbean is not really the place to go for hammerheads. I've never seen one there, liveaboard or otherwise. Closest I got was little Cayman when people who happened to go a different direction saw one. You hear about it occasionally but those folks are getting pretty lucky. I think the only place with decent chances is certain areas of the Bahamas (technically in the North Atlantic, not the Caribbean.)

 

[dirtfarmer]

Check out Booking powered by FareHarbor

Not sure of the experience requirements

I'm going in January! Can hardly wait but I'll have to.

 

[diversteve]

Shearwater is a nice boat but it;s all bunks belowdeck not cabins.

 

[mbs]

I have seen them several times in San Salvador (bahamas), but definitely not a given. This one was unusual in that it came right up by the boat quite shallow!

 

[diversteve]

I forgot one - not a liveaboard but island based -
http://www.biminiscubacenter.com/great-hammerhead-safari

 

[runsongas]

the bahamas aggressor and bahamas master do 10 night west end trips with bimini that supposedly have a shot at hammerheads