Saba/St.Kitts on "Caribbean Explorer", May 18-25 - Trip report
Since I "lurk" on this board most of the times, I should introduce myself first. I did my OW last November in New York and got totally hooked up on scuba. Prior to this trip, I had 17 dives - Key Largo and Bimini (on Blackbeard's).
I decided to go to Saba on "Caribbean Explorer" for several reasons: 1) it was cheaper than most of other liveaboards; 2) Saba is considered to be one of the top diving destinations; 3) very good comments from divers who "been there, done that".
On my way there I didn't have any problems with security (I checked in all my gear with exception of regs and my prescription mask). There are several American Airlines flights to St. Maarten, some of them direct from New York - very convenient. By all means try to avoid using Liat - the local airline.
Bobby's Marina, where "Carib Explorer" is docked, is quite a ride from the airport, and it gave me a chance to see some of the island - lush tropical plants blooming everywhere, white beaches, and turquoise water.
At the marina I was greeted by Jean-Francois ("JF"), the captain, and Jennifer. I was the last passenger, so after we quickly finished all the formalities (c-card, passport etc), the boat departed. The crossing from St. Maarten to Saba was quite rought, but I took my doze of Dramamine and was fine napping on the sun deck.
The boat - is 106 feet. It takes up to 16 passengers (it was 13 of us that week). Lower deck - 5 double-occ. cabins with lower and upper berth, each with a vanity and a small closet; two heads with unlimited fresh-water showers. I was lucky and, as a single traveller, didn't have to share a cabin.
Main deck - main salon with galley (they have VCR and quite a collection of tapes, books, and magazines), and diving deck with a head. The diving deck was quite spacious (at least for me). There is dedicated photo/video equipment table, rinse buckets for the equipment, masks, and for wetsuits (with baby shampoo). Individual compartments for diving gear located under benches. White boards - one for dive briefing, one for daily schedule, and two for divers to record their dive profiles on the trip. There are also two warm fresh-water showers and a wetsuit rack with hangers.
The rules are simple - no solo diving; 130' depth limit; no diving and drinking; and be on the boat with 500 psi. You can dive your own profile or follow a DM.
Entry - giant stride from both sides of the boat; exit - two ladders on the dive platform. The usual fill was 3000 psi, but the boat doesn't have Nitrox.
Upper deck - 3 more cabins with a head, wet bar, table, and sun deck where everyone spend most of their time between dives.
The crew was great! JF - captain, Jennifer - boat manager/videographer, Bill - engineer, Craig - notorious Aussie chef and entertainer, Doug - all-around helper and the main supplier of warm towels after night dives. Two DMs, Rene and Richard, did excellent job. Friendly, easy-going, fun, with great sense of humor, all of them were doing their best to make us feel comfortable.
Food deserves a separate report. The variety and quality was great. Snacks between dives and fresh fruit. Cooler is stacked with beer (including non-alcoholic), there is a variety of liquor and wine with dinner. Desserts were simply mouth-watering (tiramisu, cheesecake, poached pear with chocolate sauce - to name just a few..). I am very partial to desserts, so let's just say that often I finished my (extra!) brownie or rice crispie fully geared up and with reg in my mouth...
Diving
The weather wasn't very accomodating - very windy, currents on many dive sites. Average temperature - 83 air, 80 water. Visibility - 40-60', because of currents, wind and lots of plankton. Because of the weather, we didn't go to Statia and dove Saba and St. Kitts only. But - the diving was absolutely incredible!
The reef is amasingly beautiful and healthy. Schools of juvenile fish are everywhere. Before I start describing each dive site, here is what I saw on each of them: butterflies - spotted, reef, four-eye, long snout); rock beauties; sergeant majors; blue and brown chromis; wrasse - creole, clown, yellowhead; honeycomb cowfish; blueheads; trumpetfish, smooth trunkfish; black durgons; parrots and angels. I am sure that I missed more than I saw, though!
Since we dove almost each site several times, I won't describe each dive (I did 24) and will just write max depth and whatever else I saw there.
Ladder Labyrinth, Saba
76' max
Black margates, a cuda, large whitespotted filefish, queen triggerfish, 6' nurse shark, large grey angels, banded coral shrimp, nassau groupers, spotted moray eel.
The same site at night - 2 nurse sharks, lobsters, spotted drums, absolutely enormous crab, a flying gurnard - we found him on a sand bar and followed for a while watching amasing color of his "wings". Under the boat I was greeted by several large tarpons - the fish looks like an "Alien" creature!
Tent Wall, Saba
80' max
Oscar the nassau grouper (Jennifer's favorite), cudas, a turtle, huge "tiger tail" sea cucumber (it reminded me of a quite sizable boa constrictor).
Coconut Reef, St. Kitts
109' max
groupers, lots of princess, stoplight and red band parrots, a spotted moray eel, a sharpnose puffer, spotted drums. At the end of the dive I saw 5 or 6 squid.
M/V River Taw (wreck dive), St. Kitts
41' max
quite a few puffers, starfish, three lizard fish (one of them had it's mouth cleaned by a coral shrimp).
Ballast Bay (aka Bedroom Bay)
40' max
We did two night dives here, and both were, as they say here in NYC, "totally awesome, dude!".
two reef octopi, green and spotted moray eels, huge lobsters, sea urchins of unbelievable colors, bearded fireworms, coral shrimp, brittle stars in clusters on sea fans, beaded sea cucumber (about 5'), "tiger tail", decorator crabs, yellowline arrowcrabs, scorpionfish.
Old Road Bay, St. Kitts
97' max
spotted moray eels, juvenile and adult spotted drums, puffers, a huge stingray, a turtle, "flamingoe tongue".
Corintian - "the Tug that Never Made It" (wreck dive), St. Kitts
68' max
garden eels, upside down jelly fish, usual (by now) set of puffers, spotted drums and spotted moray eels. On the very top of the wreck there is a small school of different fish - just "hanging out". They are quite tame and swim up very close to check you out. A brave yellowhead wrasse tried to catch my hair!
Paradise Reef, St. Kitts
91' max
spotted morays, a large turtle, stingrays. A school of quite large horse-eye jacks. Night dive on the same site - a sleeping turtle, crabs and two large sleepy cudas.
Diamond Rock, Saba
82' max
sea cucumbers, several peacock flownders, two scorpionfish; very large parrots and grey angels; school of blue tangs eating eggs of sergeant majors; large jacks. One diver saw a black tip shark, but it disappeared before I could spot it. Had to abort the second dive because of strong current.
Torren's Point, Saba
49' max
Absolutely, THE dive of the trip. In 30' of water we saw a manta ray!! (very unusual for Saba). It was small (about 6' or so) and obviously attracted by plankton. Also - a stingray, two turtles, a nurse shark, and a very lonely and fuzzy-looking lined seahorse.
Third Encounter/ Eye of the Needle, Saba
126' max
Famous pinnacle in the middle of the deep blue. We actually had to swim across the deep blue to get there. It was a guided dive. Usually divers see black tip sharks there, but we weren't so lucky and saw only a nurse shark and a large and unhappy-looking (tired of divers?) grouper.
On Friday afternoon, the boat docked in St. Maarten, and we all went out to "Greenhouse" restaurant - the food was very good, and local beer, Carib, is very drinkable. On Saturday morning, it's time to say "Good bye" to everyone and return to "normal" life.
Conclusion
The diving was amasing, the service great. I will definitely come back, probably next year (but I will bring camera with me this time!). If you need more info or have any questions, please feel free to email me!
P.S. Needless to say, I am planning my next trip already!
DSAO,
Julia
Since I "lurk" on this board most of the times, I should introduce myself first. I did my OW last November in New York and got totally hooked up on scuba. Prior to this trip, I had 17 dives - Key Largo and Bimini (on Blackbeard's).
I decided to go to Saba on "Caribbean Explorer" for several reasons: 1) it was cheaper than most of other liveaboards; 2) Saba is considered to be one of the top diving destinations; 3) very good comments from divers who "been there, done that".
On my way there I didn't have any problems with security (I checked in all my gear with exception of regs and my prescription mask). There are several American Airlines flights to St. Maarten, some of them direct from New York - very convenient. By all means try to avoid using Liat - the local airline.
Bobby's Marina, where "Carib Explorer" is docked, is quite a ride from the airport, and it gave me a chance to see some of the island - lush tropical plants blooming everywhere, white beaches, and turquoise water.
At the marina I was greeted by Jean-Francois ("JF"), the captain, and Jennifer. I was the last passenger, so after we quickly finished all the formalities (c-card, passport etc), the boat departed. The crossing from St. Maarten to Saba was quite rought, but I took my doze of Dramamine and was fine napping on the sun deck.
The boat - is 106 feet. It takes up to 16 passengers (it was 13 of us that week). Lower deck - 5 double-occ. cabins with lower and upper berth, each with a vanity and a small closet; two heads with unlimited fresh-water showers. I was lucky and, as a single traveller, didn't have to share a cabin.
Main deck - main salon with galley (they have VCR and quite a collection of tapes, books, and magazines), and diving deck with a head. The diving deck was quite spacious (at least for me). There is dedicated photo/video equipment table, rinse buckets for the equipment, masks, and for wetsuits (with baby shampoo). Individual compartments for diving gear located under benches. White boards - one for dive briefing, one for daily schedule, and two for divers to record their dive profiles on the trip. There are also two warm fresh-water showers and a wetsuit rack with hangers.
The rules are simple - no solo diving; 130' depth limit; no diving and drinking; and be on the boat with 500 psi. You can dive your own profile or follow a DM.
Entry - giant stride from both sides of the boat; exit - two ladders on the dive platform. The usual fill was 3000 psi, but the boat doesn't have Nitrox.
Upper deck - 3 more cabins with a head, wet bar, table, and sun deck where everyone spend most of their time between dives.
The crew was great! JF - captain, Jennifer - boat manager/videographer, Bill - engineer, Craig - notorious Aussie chef and entertainer, Doug - all-around helper and the main supplier of warm towels after night dives. Two DMs, Rene and Richard, did excellent job. Friendly, easy-going, fun, with great sense of humor, all of them were doing their best to make us feel comfortable.
Food deserves a separate report. The variety and quality was great. Snacks between dives and fresh fruit. Cooler is stacked with beer (including non-alcoholic), there is a variety of liquor and wine with dinner. Desserts were simply mouth-watering (tiramisu, cheesecake, poached pear with chocolate sauce - to name just a few..). I am very partial to desserts, so let's just say that often I finished my (extra!) brownie or rice crispie fully geared up and with reg in my mouth...
Diving
The weather wasn't very accomodating - very windy, currents on many dive sites. Average temperature - 83 air, 80 water. Visibility - 40-60', because of currents, wind and lots of plankton. Because of the weather, we didn't go to Statia and dove Saba and St. Kitts only. But - the diving was absolutely incredible!
The reef is amasingly beautiful and healthy. Schools of juvenile fish are everywhere. Before I start describing each dive site, here is what I saw on each of them: butterflies - spotted, reef, four-eye, long snout); rock beauties; sergeant majors; blue and brown chromis; wrasse - creole, clown, yellowhead; honeycomb cowfish; blueheads; trumpetfish, smooth trunkfish; black durgons; parrots and angels. I am sure that I missed more than I saw, though!
Since we dove almost each site several times, I won't describe each dive (I did 24) and will just write max depth and whatever else I saw there.
Ladder Labyrinth, Saba
76' max
Black margates, a cuda, large whitespotted filefish, queen triggerfish, 6' nurse shark, large grey angels, banded coral shrimp, nassau groupers, spotted moray eel.
The same site at night - 2 nurse sharks, lobsters, spotted drums, absolutely enormous crab, a flying gurnard - we found him on a sand bar and followed for a while watching amasing color of his "wings". Under the boat I was greeted by several large tarpons - the fish looks like an "Alien" creature!
Tent Wall, Saba
80' max
Oscar the nassau grouper (Jennifer's favorite), cudas, a turtle, huge "tiger tail" sea cucumber (it reminded me of a quite sizable boa constrictor).
Coconut Reef, St. Kitts
109' max
groupers, lots of princess, stoplight and red band parrots, a spotted moray eel, a sharpnose puffer, spotted drums. At the end of the dive I saw 5 or 6 squid.
M/V River Taw (wreck dive), St. Kitts
41' max
quite a few puffers, starfish, three lizard fish (one of them had it's mouth cleaned by a coral shrimp).
Ballast Bay (aka Bedroom Bay)
40' max
We did two night dives here, and both were, as they say here in NYC, "totally awesome, dude!".
two reef octopi, green and spotted moray eels, huge lobsters, sea urchins of unbelievable colors, bearded fireworms, coral shrimp, brittle stars in clusters on sea fans, beaded sea cucumber (about 5'), "tiger tail", decorator crabs, yellowline arrowcrabs, scorpionfish.
Old Road Bay, St. Kitts
97' max
spotted moray eels, juvenile and adult spotted drums, puffers, a huge stingray, a turtle, "flamingoe tongue".
Corintian - "the Tug that Never Made It" (wreck dive), St. Kitts
68' max
garden eels, upside down jelly fish, usual (by now) set of puffers, spotted drums and spotted moray eels. On the very top of the wreck there is a small school of different fish - just "hanging out". They are quite tame and swim up very close to check you out. A brave yellowhead wrasse tried to catch my hair!
Paradise Reef, St. Kitts
91' max
spotted morays, a large turtle, stingrays. A school of quite large horse-eye jacks. Night dive on the same site - a sleeping turtle, crabs and two large sleepy cudas.
Diamond Rock, Saba
82' max
sea cucumbers, several peacock flownders, two scorpionfish; very large parrots and grey angels; school of blue tangs eating eggs of sergeant majors; large jacks. One diver saw a black tip shark, but it disappeared before I could spot it. Had to abort the second dive because of strong current.
Torren's Point, Saba
49' max
Absolutely, THE dive of the trip. In 30' of water we saw a manta ray!! (very unusual for Saba). It was small (about 6' or so) and obviously attracted by plankton. Also - a stingray, two turtles, a nurse shark, and a very lonely and fuzzy-looking lined seahorse.
Third Encounter/ Eye of the Needle, Saba
126' max
Famous pinnacle in the middle of the deep blue. We actually had to swim across the deep blue to get there. It was a guided dive. Usually divers see black tip sharks there, but we weren't so lucky and saw only a nurse shark and a large and unhappy-looking (tired of divers?) grouper.
On Friday afternoon, the boat docked in St. Maarten, and we all went out to "Greenhouse" restaurant - the food was very good, and local beer, Carib, is very drinkable. On Saturday morning, it's time to say "Good bye" to everyone and return to "normal" life.
Conclusion
The diving was amasing, the service great. I will definitely come back, probably next year (but I will bring camera with me this time!). If you need more info or have any questions, please feel free to email me!
P.S. Needless to say, I am planning my next trip already!
DSAO,
Julia
