Turks & Caicos Aggressor II Captain's Logs

[Aggressor Adventures]

Turks & Caicos Aggressor II Captains Report
May 19 - 26, 2012

Water Temperature: 27 C
Thermal Protection Recommendation: 3 mm with possible sleeveless vest
Visibility: 30 meters

Warm greetings from the Turks & Caicos Aggressor II. Our divers this week are: Joe & Patty Maslizek, Scott & Sharon Hagan, Tony Holden, Tammy Schade, Gary Poenisch, Lance & Julie Johnson, Karen Kayser, Karen & Jim Garren, Bryce Brady and Richard Riddle. On Saturday afternoon, guests started arriving, As they made their way on board, Chef Josh was preparing the evenings dinner – a medley of Mixed Green Salad, Caribbean Jerk Pork accompanied by sweet potato mash and mixed vegetables and finished off with Apple Bake for dessert. Guests unpacked their equipment, settling in and enjoying the many pleasures of the Aggressor style. Captain Amanda formally introduced us to the itinerary for the week and the many more delights to come. After a day of travel and excitement, finished off with such a lovely dinner, guests happily bedded down for the evening.

At first light, we pulled away from the docks and headed for Eel Garden, at Northwest Point. Everyone had their camera’s ready to catch the male Yellow Headed Jawfish in action, aerating his eggs by spitting them quickly out of his mouth, only to daftly pull them back in - barely after a seconds glance. The afternoon was spent at The Dome, a favorite of local divers. The immaculate wall and steel structure are homes to countless species and varieties of sea creatures. Sea whips and soft corals sculpted the wall, while a green turtle welcomed all to the “Thunder Dome”. Territorial damselfish gave divers a laugh and those with sharp eyes wondered at the petite size of the skeleton shrimp, which seem to blanket the structure in bits and pieces.

We made the trip to West Caicos early the next morning. Brandywine, named for the large barrel sponges that resemble brandy snifters, was simply breathtaking. Small Longhorn Nudibranches ambled about as reef sharks cruised by the wall, exciting and awing divers. Over a fantastic lunch, we made the short trip to French Cay, to dive yet another local favorite – G-Spot. The kink in the wall, the “G”, is teaming with life – Nassau Groupers, Caribbean Reef Sharks, large barracuda with big smiles, eagle rays and stunning Gorgonians dancing in the current. The night dive was phenomenal – octopus flittering along the reef, squid being chased by black jacks and one of our divers, Tony, had the experience of a life time. Lying down on the sandy bottom, just barely a foot above the sea bottom, Tony gazed at a Caribbean Reef Squid. Suddenly, he felt something move in between his legs, then up and underneath him. To his surprise, as he looked down, a cuddly nurse shark had wedged himself in between himself and the sand.

Double D opened the following day. The swifter current here brings in a variety of pelagic life forms, as well as sharks, turtles and eagle rays! To our surprise a friendly Nassau Grouper followed a few of our divers along and in the end, we succumbed to his charm, petting and loving him. Over a beautiful lunch, we traveled on back to West Caicos, diving Gullies for the remainder of the afternoon and night dive. Marked by big sand channels, reef sharks circled underneath the boat. One of particular interest, Sully, is now quite pregnant with her entourage of male followers.
In the morning, we woke to clearer skies and the hopes of finding the petite and curious looking creature – the pipe horse. Elephant Ear Canyons treated us to not only one, but two pipe horses, both clinging on to the same stalk of sea grass, bobbing about in the carefree way. Not too far off, a southern stingray swept the sea bottom for a quick lunch as divers and fish alike followed him around. Moving just a few mooring sites down, we found ourselves at R.G.I. (Rock Garden Interlude). Grayson or Bob, as some like to call our resident Nassau Grouper, trailed divers as they made their way down the wall. Spotted Moray Eels hid in the recesses of the reef and several juvenile drum fish hung around “juvie hall”, a large coral head at the base of one of the sand channels that opens out to the wall. The night dive here was fantastic – octopi rambling along the reef as divers watch in awe and excitement.

Our last dive at West Caicos was spent at Driveway. Sea urchins, schools of Creole Wrasse and precocious Porcupine Puffer Fish all speckled the reef with the color and distinctive characteristics, displaying the array of life that can be found on Turks and Caicos Islands. While we ate burgers fresh off the charcoal grill, we traveled back to North West Point and spent the afternoon into evening diving at Stairway, so named for the plate coral that gives the illusions of steps going down the wall. During the dive, Captain Amanda spotted a Spiny Lobster with a sac of orange eggs, just tucked underneath its tail. The back legs keep the orange mass in place, while the tail helps to aerate them. What a find!

Friday morning brought us to Black Forest, otherwise known as Amphitheatre. This particular dive site is marked by a large population of Black Coral and a natural semi-circle theatre. During the final two splashes of the charter, divers saw large barracuda, peacock flounders, spiny lobster, reef sharks and countless other species. While divers tidied and readied their equipment for the trip back home, we set off for Turtle Cove Marina. Arriving in the early afternoon, guests had time to step off the vessel and explore Provodenciales. While the sun set, we all joined together for a wine and cheese reception held on the sun deck, giving us the opportunity to reminisce on the fabulous week past. Thank you for a beautiful week!

Your crew – Captain Amanda, Engineer Rob, Video Pro Cole, Instructor Juan, Stew Michal and Chef Josh.

 

[Aggressor Adventures]

Turks & Caicos Aggressor II Captain's Report - Jim Church School of U/W Photography W

Turks & Caicos Aggressor II Captain's Report - Jim Church School of U/W Photography Week: June 9 - 16, 2012

Warm greetings from the Turks & Caicos Aggressor!!! The Jim Church School of Photography with Mike & Mike visited us this past week with a group of faithful practitioners: Joe, Raji, Mikey, Tadd, Mike & Mike, Frank & Barbara, Debbie, Jennifer, Mike “Doc”, Thomas, Fiona & Pauland Carlos. Guests arrived Saturday afternoon to unpack their equipment and get settled in for the upcoming week of diving and photography practicum. As we made our introductions, we soon realized that “Mike” is, indeed, still a very popular name. We dubbed all Mike’s a proper nickname for the week while we ate a beautiful dinner prepared by Chef Leigh. The lemon curd dessert, sweet and tart, was to everyone’s delight. After a long day of travel, everyone adjourned to their cabins early, ready to be gently rocked to sleep by the lilt of the vessel.

We spent the first day at North West Point. Calm seas made the journey a breeze and the diving was relaxing. Black Forest gave divers a good start to their trip, the soft gorgonians, hydroids and black coral perfect still subjects to dust off the ol’ cameras with. The afternoon was spent at The Dome. As always, the wall and chimney impressed us all. The steel structure of the dome itself hosts so much life that it’s hard to get bored here. Aggressive damselfish flit and dither to and fro protecting their little homes. Thankfully, they’re not much bigger than a few inches; otherwise we’d be in a host of troubles! On the night dive, we saw numerous juvenile squid darting about the reef, inking when they felt frightened.

Our next stop at West Caicos was delightful. Making two dives at Brandywine, we saw the massive barrel sponges that look like brandy snifters and give this dive site its name. Over lunch we made the move to French Cay, first exploring Rock ‘n’ Roll and the following morning – G-Spot. The Caribbean reef sharks were out in force here, circling the divers and following them along as we made our way down the wall. The photographers all came up with smiles on their faces, much like the photos of the sharks they took.

As mid-week rolled around, we moved back to West Caicos. Rob, our engineer, is quite fond of this site and was missing Sully, the pregnant reef shark. She and her harem glided through the water; in and out of the gully/swim through and over the white sand as we all shot photos and film. The sheer size and fullness of Sully is stunning. She should be having those pups any time soon. Will we be there to witness it!? Again, over an amazing lunch, we moved back to North West Point, diving Elephant Ear Canyon in the afternoon. The pipe horses made excellent macro subjects, as well as a juvenile queen angel fish living around a small yellow barrel sponge just under the boat.

We returned to The Dome and Black Forest the following day to take more photos of these particular dive sites. At the dome, we focused on the chimney and lighting, as well as the macro life on the dome itself. In particular the photos of the skeleton shrimp and secretary blennies came out beautifully. At Black Forest we saw large lionfish, dark head blennies, neck and decorator crabs and a rather large green moray eel with a beautiful smile.

Our final dive was at Eel Garden, where the multitudes of garden eels dance through the sand. An added benefit is the yellow headed jaw fish that also live in the sand and are breeding this time of year. The males keep the eggs in their mouths, spitting them out several times in a row to aerate them. It makes for great photos and Christmas cards! We got back to Turtle Cove Marina early afternoon. In the evening we all joined together for wine, cheese and conversation and then back into the salon for The Jim Church School of Photography graduation. It was a blast! Thank you for an amazing week!

Your crew – Captain Amanda, Engineer Rob, Video Pro Cole, Instructor Juan, Stew Michal and Chef Leigh.
Water Temperature: 28 - 29 C
Thermal Protection Recommendation: 3 mm
Visibility: 30 meters

 

[Aggressor Adventures]

Water Temperature: 28 - 29 C
Thermal Protection Recommendation: 3 mm
Visibility: 30 meters

Warm greetings from the Turks & Caicos Aggressor!!! Our divers this week: Carl, Robin, Duane, Nicolene, Christopher, Jason, Jeffrey & Mary Ann, Catherine & Charles, Kara, Christopher, Jeff & Mary and Scott, Laura, Hannah & Maggie. Guests arrived Saturday afternoon and into the evening, unpacking their dive equipment and settling in. With a warm formal introduction given by Captain Amanda, we all became acquainted with one another. After a wonderful dinner prepared by Chef Leigh, we all adjourned to our rooms for an early night’s sleep in preparation for the early departure from Turtle Cove Marina in the morning.

As the sun rose, we set off for North West Point with calm seas and dramatic skies. Our first stop was at Eel Garden – a great first back in the water dive. The sandy bottom is scattered with garden eels and yellow headed jaw fish. The wall teams with life – reef sharks, neck crabs and even a dark headed blenny. In the afternoon, we stopped at The Dome – a staff favorite. As divers swam through the chimney, Engineer Rob took photos of them for the end of the week slide show and Video Pro Cole filmed them throughout the dome’s steel structure. The night dive was absolutely stunning. Yet again, the skeleton shrimp partied the night away with the encrusting sponges painting the dome a myriad of fantastical colors.

The next morning, we made the quick journey to West Caicos, diving R.G.I. (Rock Garden Interlude) for the first two dives. Even before we hooked up to the mooring line, reef sharks circled the boat, enticing divers into the crystal clear waters. Bob, the friendly grouper, was there – following us around and looking for affection. Off in the blue we even saw an Eagle Ray as it glided by into the distance. Over a lunch of chicken curry and toubbouleh, we marched on over to French Cay. The dives at G-Spot were graced by incredibly friendly green turtles, posing for pictures, not having a care in the world. Eagle rays circled at the bottom of the “g”, hypnotizing divers. As Captain Amanda watched them dance, a hammerhead came out of the blue to inquire about these funny bubble blowing divers.

Due to high winds, we departed French Cay early the following morning, heading back to West Caicos. Our first dive was at Driveway, so named for its sand channels leading to the wall and into the blue. Caribbean reef sharks and pea size juvenile drum fish welcomed us back. As we warmed up with chicken noodle soup and fried rice, we moved one mooring over to Brandywine. The two step layout make this a great site to explore the under workings of things. Juvenile drum fish and a bounty of lobster pittered about. The night dive was beautiful – reef sharks, a nurse shark and two octopus!

Wednesday brought us to Gullies in the morning. Sully, our resident reef shark and her male suitors swam through the gully and on top of the sand. Eagle rays glided by in the depths and a turtle lazily made its way along the reef, all as divers photographed and hovered in wonder. As we ate our BBQ lunch, we moved a short distance to the south to The Anchor or White Face. This dive site is marked by a brilliant white face in the adjacent island and a Spanish anchor lodged in one of the gullies. Not only do these landmarks make this site special, but so does the vast array of life on the colorful shelf and wall.

Two amazing morning dives at Elephant Ear Canyons opened the next day. We watched the juvenile queen trigger fish, arrow shrimp and pipe horses hang out in the sand underneath the boat, while several southern stingrays trolled about looking for an easy meal amongst the garden eels. Over lunch, we moved back over to Gullies, for another turn with Sully and her group of men following her about. Photographers snapped photos of the not-so-shy sharks, while others swam in and out of the gully. That night we made the trip back to North West Point, mooring in at Black Forest or Amphitheatre for the final two morning dives of the charter. Stunning as always, divers were stilled by the beauty of the amphitheatre and the vivid life that grows about her. In the evening, we all adjourned to the sun deck for wine, cheese and conversation, reminiscing about the week past and the many experiences we shared together. Thank you for a great week!

Your crew – Captain Amanda, Engineer Rob, Video Pro Cole, Instructor Kadri, Instructor C.Lee and Chef Leigh.

 

[Aggressor Adventures]

Water Temperature: 28 - 29 C
Thermal Protection Recommendation: 3 mm
Visibility: 30 meters
Warm greetings from the Turks & Caicos Aggressor!!! Our divers this week: Jan, Michael, Kelly, Charlie, Denise, Cathy, Wayne & April, Kathy, Greg, Denise & Keith, Michelle, Cynthia, Katharine & Kenneth. As divers arrived Saturday morning, we slowly unpacked our equipment and excitedly chatted about the ten day charter to come! This is the first ten day charter that the Turks & Caicos Aggressor has done. We will be diving North West Point, West Caicos, French Cay, South Caicos and Grand Turk. At three, we moved to anchor out in Grace Bay, enjoying the view. After Captain Amanda formally introduced us all with the welcome briefing, we dinned on Moroccan Chicken prepared by Chef Leigh. It was divine! Our last guests arrived from England shortly after ten. They settled in just fine and we all tucked in early for a good nights sleep. At first light the next morning, the crew pulled anchor and we set off for North West Point, diving Stairway in the morning and The Dome for the final three dives of the day. At Stairway we saw channel clinging crabs, Caribbean reef sharks and a host of other reef living life forms, welcoming us back to mother ocean. The Dome was spectacular as ever! On the way to the chimney, a swim through on the wall, we bumped into a green turtle who decided to follow us on our underwater journey, posing for photos and seemingly not having a care in the world. The night dive was beautiful – skeleton shrimp frolicking about on the hydroids and the colors of the encrusting sponges on the steel structure shocking us all.

The next day, we moved to West Caicos. We opened the day at Brandywine – an absolutely stunning dive site. The duality of the layers of the wall, make it incredibly interesting and a beautiful way to dive a wall – the bottom layer going out and the top layer coming back in. Over a light and refreshing lunch, we moved a couple of mooring sites to R.G.I. or Rock Garden Interlude. A beautiful dive, we saw reef sharks swimming through the sand channels and juvenile drum fish flittering about “juvie hall” – a coral head home to multitudes of juvenile fish. As we looked at a five foot long green moray eel being cleaned by gobies and Pederson cleaner shrimp, Bob or Grayson, the over friendly resident Nassau Grouper snuggled up to divers, giving them his puppy dog eyes hoping for a loving touch. Naturally, we all obliged. We opened the next day at The Anchor, so named for the Spanish anchor that hangs in one of the gullies, covered in encrusting and barrel sponges. There was an incoming tide and the visibility was down, but the wall was still stunning. Lunch found us traveling down to French Cay, making our afternoon dives at G-Spot. A very curious and seemingly hungry nurse shark made its way picking through the reef, while we all took photos. On the night dive he got particularly snuggly, swimming up and underneath Wayne as he filmed another creature and nearly scaring the begesus out of him!

Our first dive of the following day was at Rock ‘n’ Roll. All the usual suspects where there – reef sharks, orange spotted file fish and cowfish all going about their daily errands. We then made the trek first to South Caicos, but upon arriving decided to head on to Grand Turk for calmer waters. We made it there for the five o’clock dive, diving Chief Ministers, named because the dive site lies in front of one of the ministers houses. Here we saw a hawksbill turtle and on the night dive basket sea stars strung themselves out over the reef. Rolling Hills and Mama Nature were darling sites. The soft coral and gorgonians created a colorful menagerie, while schools of grunts and snapper darted about the reef as divers swam through them. A large group of silver sides, small little silver fish about two inches long swam about the coral fingers, reaching out into the blue. In the evening, we relaxed on the sundeck as the cruise ships, the little cities of lights, floated into the marina.

Before light, we pulled anchor and started the journey back to home port, stopping along the way. Our first pause was at South Caicos at The Arches. An upwelling of cool water was not only refreshing but incredibly clear, making it seem like one floated through the air. During lunch, we moved back to French Cay and made our later dives at Half Mile. On the night dive, adult squid darted about the reef as small schools of juveniles flittered in and out of divers’ lights. In the morning we splashed in at Double D. Despite the current running with the outgoing tide, the dive was entertaining – with southern stingrays and a friendly grouper looking for some affection. For the second dive of the day, we moved a couple of moorings in for some protection to G-Spot. Over lunch, we made the short jaunt to West Caicos. The dives at Gullies and Elephant Ear Canyon were just delightful! Video Pro Cole saw a two and a half hammerhead with part of its dorsal fin missing coming out of the gully and over the sandy bottom at Gullies. Pipe horses, pipe fish and even flying gurnards posed for photos and video at Elephant Ear Canyon.

The final dives of the charter at North West Point at Black Forest and Eel Garden were soothing. Reef sharks, turtles, bulbous anemones, yellow headed jaw fish with eggs, swim throughs and more were a perfect way to end this lovely charter. We came into anchor in Grace Bay while we tidied up our equipment and relaxed for the afternoon. Shortly after coming into dock, we had wine, cheese and conversation on the sundeck, reminiscing about a beautiful week past. Thank you for the beautiful memories! Your crew – Captain Amanda, Second Captain Ernie, Engineer Rob, Video Pro Cole, Instructor C.Lee and Chef Leigh.

 

[Aggressor Adventures]

Turks & Caicos Captain’s Report July 4 – 14, 2012
Water Temperature: 28 - 29 C
Thermal Protection Recommendation: 3 mm
Visibility: 30 meters

With everyone settled into their rooms and dive gear set up ready all guests and crew met in the salon for the meet and greet, and to talk excitedly about what was to follow on this, our 2^nd 10 day charter on the Turks & Caicos Aggressor!

Crew member Josie hosted a breathing workshop upstairs on the sundeck. Josie also teaches Freediving so was able to talk to our guests about breathing more efficiently, and how to use the full range of respiratory muscles. Very much an interactive workshop guests practiced breathing techniques and learned more about the anatomy and physiology of breathing. A really interesting experience, with divers reporting improvements in both dive times and air consumption!

Upon leaving the marina we headed off to the ‘North West Point’ of Providenciales. We headed straight to Eel Garden to enjoy its beautiful wall and macro opportunities before moving after lunch to the continuously fascinating and ever surprising artificial reef of The Dome for both afternoon and night dives. The following morning, whilst our well rested guests enjoyed Chef C.Lee’s wonderful breakfast, we moved the short distance to Black Forest, ready for our 8am dive. Black Forest is a site that boasts a wonderful collection of yellow headed jawfish as well as a beautifully formed wall with a scooped out section that creates a fascinating overhang that’s home to a whole host of critters!

Guests enjoyed lunch whilst cruising to West Caicos, arriving at Rock Garden Interlude for the afternoon dives. Opportunity for an evening open air BBQ arose so everyone ate on the sundeck, overlooking the rustic coastline of the island. Then back in again for a fabulous night dive followed by the traditional TCAII hot chocolate with optional Jamaican rum cream and marshmallows!



Both guests and crew were excited to be off to South Caicos and Grand Turk to dive at these new locations. Both the islands are beautiful and host a rich array of aquatic life. We visited 3 new sites this charter, Aquarium (dramatic canyon style topography), McDonalds (named for its 2 arch style swim throughs, it’s an incredibly pretty dive site) and The Arch (a single arch way with lots of hidey holes for all the small stuff). Some of our divers even got to witness the ‘glow worm’ phenomena of the TCI, the monthly mating ritual of some unseen nocturnal critters that leaves a bright phosphorescence that lights the water like the nights sky.

Our return journey took us gently back through dive sites at French Cay, West Caicos and North West Point where we stopped to dive G-Spot (sharks, rays, rich reef and beautiful wall formation), Driveway (wide sand chute with reef rising on either side, undulating off towards the deep making for some beautiful scenery), Elephant Ear (huge colony of garden eels, conch, stingrays and pipehorses), Anchor (swim through with an old anchor embedded inside), Gullies (swim through, resident sharks, turtles, isolated coral heads) and Stairway (rich reef system that has stairway like steps).

It was a great trip, with some wonderful diving going on (some of our divers staying down for 80 minutes as just didn’t want to come up!). Our fun loving group this week were Jim & Alena, Joanna & Brady, Steve & Laura, Brett & Deborah, Father and daughter team Jay & Grace, on their 8^th annual ‘daddy-daughter’ trip together, Nabil, John, Tita & Thomas and Mother and son team Lois & Jody.

Celebrations this week were plentiful; we experienced 3 birthdays (crew member Josie and guests Lois & Jay) with our wonderful Chef C.Lee made a cheesecake for Lois (her son Jody advised it was her favorite) and a ‘colorful cupcake cascade’ for Jay (as suggested by daughter Grace, who helped out in the kitchen making it for her dad!). We also had divers celebrating their 200^th, 600^th & 800^th dives as well as 2 of our intrepid travelers earning the prestigious ‘Iron Diver’ award and doing every one of the divers offered this trip!



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[Aggressor Adventures]

Water Temperature: 28 - 29 C
Thermal Protection Recommendation: 3 mm
Visibility: 30 meters
Another charter week begins and the week ahead has great diving for all. Tides permitting we left Turtle Cove around 7:30am heading for North West Point. On our arrival the guests were certainly keen to get into the water. Welcome to Captain Piers who is onboard this week!! Also, very importantly, we look forward to Phil, our new chef who will fill us with culinary delights. Aggressor welcomes our guests for the week: Lori & Kevin, Robert & Teresa, Randy, Sally, Melanie, Dan & Cynthia, Mark & Joyce, Shannon & Kathryn and Sue & John.

We headed over to The Stairway for the first dive of the trip. With an abundance of coral heads, some divers hung out under the boat exploring the variety of reef fish and coral formations. Popular to these areas is the Caribbean reef shark, and they made their appearance right away on our first dive. A blue spotted moray was seen poking his head out from his home of coral and rocks under the sea. Three very large Caribbean spiny lobsters were seen roaming around with their feelers poking here and there. A huge crab was also spotted. Our second dive at Stairway brought some Atlantic spadefish. With their distinctive marking of black and white stripes, some guests called them the prison fish. Blue striped grunts were also swimming about and seen. Dropping off the wall and swimming North, we also looked at the large crevice that runs W-E, the water cutting it deeper with many small critters hanging around that spot.

Lunch was served and we moved onto Black Forest for the next 3 dives of the day, including our first night dive. Black Forest really spoilt us with so much to see. Jaw fish with eggs was a real highlight as well as a huge green moray, neck crabs, skeleton shrimp and many micro creatures. If you were looking for a manicure, well then we also found some Peterson cleaning shrimp. A tiny juvenile moray eel was also seen, quickly dashing from one hiding spot to the next. Big jacks were attracted by the light that also brought in the reef sharks. A slipper lobster and a school of baby squid came to say “hello”. Warm towels and a cup of hot chocolate ended a great first day of diving.

The engines started up early on Monday morning, and we headed off to The Driveway at West Caicos for our 2 morning dives. A large turtle entertained our guests while feeding during one of the dives. This in turn led to quite a few Caribbean reef sharks becoming a bit more curious and energized with the activity of the feeding. One specifically came very close to our guests, her eyes scanning over us. We traveled onto French Cay after a scrumptious lunch, heading to the next site G Spot. Seemingly swimming around while divers were on the hangbar was a very large cubera snapper. She seemed a bit battle scarred, almost a tasty morsel for a shark…who knows! Also keeping us company under the boat was a large barracuda with its teeth peeking out. An octopus was also seen. There was a milky visibility around, but still good diving conditions. Our afternoon dive brought on a spotted moray and a trumpet fish.

Only having to move a short distance onto our next site, Double D, the divers were soon in the water. After our morning dives, our guests stepped back onboard amazed that they were able to actually stroke a very friendly grouper. A fabulous experience to be so close to nature. Another real treat for both divers and our guests who were tanning on the sundeck was a dolphin. Breaking the waves, it was spotted from the deck, as well as in the water. A stingray and turtle were seen too. Next a short hop over to Rock ‘n Roll for the rest of the dives today. The dives were eventful, with a southern stingray and turtle seen. For two of our guests, Kathi and Shannon, their first night dive was experienced with us at Rock n Roll. Adjusting their eyes and diving to the darkness below, they noticed a nurse shark following them, which was such an experience for our first time night divers. They also saw channel clinging crabs and a lobster, whose colors really came out at night. Their first octopus of the trip was also seen here.

We headed back to West Caicos Island where we enjoyed our dives at Gullies and The Anchor. Gullies treated our divers with a close encounter of a turtle. There was a nurse shark who was showing off her belly, scratching her back up against the sea bed…what a sight. A small juvenile drum fish was darting in and out too. Let’s not forget the comb jellies, garden eels and a trumpet fish. There were lots of reef fish around the coral and a stingray on the sand too. The Anchor had a busy cleaning station and a school of horse eye jacks. Our ladies onboard enjoyed a glass of wine on the back deck and soon they were frolicking in the water. Our night dive brought out neck crabs, shrimps and slipper lobster, reef sharks and basket stars.

Thursday morning a few guests enjoyed a spectacular sunrise on the deck. The blue water below was a warm 29C. RGI was our first dive of the day, where we did 2 dives. Bob, our friendly grouper was about to get some Tender Loving Care from our divers. Being stroked is not the norm when it comes to the relationship between diver and fish, but Bob is an exception. He will swim close by and not leave you alone until the attention is given. Great experience for the divers. Bob also enjoyed a clean at the cleaning station. Mating season for our reef sharks is here. Evidence on the females was seen with bite marks and scuffs on their skin on top of their heads. This is caused by the male sharks forcing the females down into the sea bed in order to reproduce. A stingray floating by under the boat was not phased at all by our photographers who got some great shots. A juvenile drum, dog snapper, slender filefish, spotted moray, southern stingray and a sleeping nurse shark and were also spotted. After lunch we moved onto The Dome. Here our divers were lucky enough to see spawning coral and lots of juvenile fish. A large green moray had its mouth wide open at a cleaning station while banded coral shrimp and gobies went to work cleaning.

The last day of diving and a surprise awaited our divers at Black Forest Dive Site. A dolphin was swimming around to greet our guests a farewell and safe trip home. Great end to a fabulous week.

Your Crew: Captain Piers, Second Captains Ernie & Mike, Instructor and Video Pro Nicole, Dive Master Leigh and Chef Phil

 

[Aggressor Adventures]

Turks & Caicos Captain’s Report Aug 4 – 11, 2012

Water Temperature: 28 - 29 C
Thermal Protection Recommendation: 3 mm or dive skin
Visibility: 100ft

Welcome aboard Aggressor II for another week of sleeping, eating and diving! Guests boarded and got themselves settled into their cabins. Phil, our chef, had prepared divine snacks and soon people were kicking back with a drink exploring their new home on board. Our first morning started with a glorious sunrise over Turtle Cove Marina. Joining the boat were Hal & Carolyn, Mike & Diane, Kyle, Chris, Peter, Sam, Carole & Archie andPaul. At first light, some guests took their places on the sun deck where Amanda, our Captain, navigated us out of the marina. Guests watched the action with lines and fenders being maneuvered around the vessel, and also enjoyed the beautiful sunrise watching the world go by as the crew got the boat out safely.

We started our crossing over to North West Point for the first dive of the day, Eel Garden.
Divers were keen to get into the water and explore their new underwater home for the next week. Lobsters, spotted eel, Peterson shrimp were seen. Great start to the week that’s for sure. A little taste of the amazing diving here in Turks and Caicos Islands. A huge crab was hanging upside down on the reef wall, clambering down, its claws working aimlessly, maneuvering it across the rock surface. Divers enjoyed a nice relaxed swim north to a cove like swim through where they then worked their way back up on the shallower coral reef. After a delicious lunch of assorted pasta dishes, we headed to The Dome to explore the nooks and crannies hidden in the structure. In and around one rock we spotted 4 different crabs. An arrow crab with its long legs and arrow shaped body was perched outside the entrance to under the rock, almost like a guard, watching over the other critters.

An early morning departure took us to West Caicos where our divers enjoyed the easy diving here at Driveway. A sandy stretch leading our guests to the deep blue was very inviting and everyone came back chatting about the fish and creatures they saw. A real treat and marine experience was in store for our guests today….. While some guests relaxed in the salon and others up on the sundeck, Bottle Nose Dolphins were spotted on our starboard side. Gliding through the water towards us, this got everyone out on the deck to watch these amazing mammals. Cole, our video pro and one of the guests, Sam, were quick to get their video gear, snorkel and fins on and jump in the water heading in their direction, in anticipation to experience what we all dream, ‘swimming with dolphins’. For a moment the onlookers thought the dolphins had bypassed our keen swimmers, but the treat was still to come. The dolphins swam back to our two snorkelers and played with them in the water, circling around them and providing great video footages for all our guests to enjoy on our big screen back on board the vessel. Cole dove down below; her fins flapping at the surface, she almost seemed one with the dolphins as they did the same with their tails. Another day at the office hey Cole….? Rock Garden Interlude was dived at 5pm. Cole, our video pro, reported a yellow face pike blenny completely out of its burrowed habitat in the sand, peering at her with its distinctive shaped body.

Tuesday brought another little surprise at our first dive site, The Anchor. A black and white seahorse was spotted here last week, so the divers were off with searching eyes and keen cameras to find the beauty. After a bit of a search, around 20m sitting, with its tail wrapped around some coral, there it perched, almost floating in the water aimlessly, every now and then its tail releasing its grip and moving to another holding position. Head bent low, almost shy to the camera and smiles looking down upon this amazing creature. Close by was a well camouflaged scorpion fish. Thanks to Archie’s great spotting we got to see it. A guest, Sam, and Leigh, our Dive Master, were lucky enough to see a large green Moray Eel swimming out in the open along the reef wall, its body curving in-between the rock surface effortlessly.

We moved onto French Cay and dived Rock n Roll after Phil, our Chef, fed us full. Diane and Mike had a close encounter with a Nurse Shark, looks like Mike has new girlfriend. Archie even stroked her! Our night dive at Rock n Roll was a great way to end the day. Chris had a Stingray up close due to a Nurse Shark chasing it. The ray swam suddenly up over a coral piece where Chris was hovering, coming very close indeed. Dive Site named G Spot had an awesome sighting waiting below for us…..A close viewing of a large Hammerhead Shark. Swimming north to the reef wall, Mike and Leigh were in front of the group. Mike started rattling on his tank to get the other divers’ attention. The Hammerhead swam from the deep blue towards us, and then headed up and over the coral reef wall’s edge. With its disappearance, Leigh glanced over to Mike for an underwater WOW, and saw him cheering and slam-dunking his arms in mid water, clearly very pleased. To end a great dive, a Turtle near the surface made a perfect view from below with sunrays beaming through the rippled water, its shell outlined clearly as we gazed up. There was also a large Octopus with its muscular tentacles hopping here and there making a spectacle of himself, with a keen audience.

Thursday brought us to one of Amanda, our Captains’ favorite dive sites, Elephant Ear Canyon. After exploring the site our divers were well impressed with what this specific dive site had to offer. With a vast Dogs Leg formation sticking out into the blue, it’s an amazing view to just take in the impressive size of the canyon. After the dive, Mike and Diane soaked in the hot tub, enjoying views of West Caicos Island and the morning horizon over the ocean. Good start to the day!! Archie shared some of his photos with us. We identified a group of bridle cardinal fish, only 1-2inches long, all congregating under a beautiful anemone. Divers also saw a rare Juvenile Grey Angel.

Friday morning at North West Point, our guests jumped in the water for an earlier dive this morning. Welcoming them back on the boat was a spectacular sight….47 flamingos flew by the boat in a V formation. Their pink shades made a jaw dropping view with a sunrise backdrop. A great end to another amazing week on the Turks and Caicos Aggressor!!

Fact of the week: Caribbean Reef Sharks were seen at every dive site!

Your Crew: Captain, Amanda, Second Captain: Ernie, Engineer: Rob, Instructor and Video Pro: Nicole, Dive Master: Leigh and Chef: Phil

 

[Aggressor Adventures]

Turk & Caicos Aggressor Captain’s Report September 8 – 15, 2012

Water Temperature: 29 - 30 C
Thermal Protection Recommendation: 3 mm
Visibility: 30 meters

Warm greetings from the Turks & Caicos Aggressor!!! Our wonderful guests this week include: Ron, Chris, Janis, Lana, Ken, Eva, Hugh & Mollie, Tom & Cyndra, Dick, Kevin and Jim. Saturday afternoon was full of excitement and anticipation as guests arrived, unpacked their dive kits and settle in for the week’s charter. Over a lovely dinner prepared by Chef Phil guests got to know one another, chatting about past and future Aggressor voyages.

Sunday morning, we made our way out of Turtle Cove Marina at first light heading towards North West Point. Reef sharks, schools of horse eye jacks, juvenile drum fish and a host of other creatures at Eel Garden welcomed divers to the wonders of the Turks and Caicos diving. The morning light and the calm seas made for a perfect first splash! Over lunch, we moved a few morning sites down to The Dome, a staff favorite. Here we fished our macro lenses out and shot the many tiny wonders that populate the reef here. Decorator crabs, a variety of blennies and even juvenile trunkfish tucked inside the dome, kept photographers busy all afternoon. On the night dive, giant tube dwelling anemones, orange ball callaramorphs and squid delighted us all. Naturally, the hot cocoa with Jamaican Rum Cream served at the end of the night dive topped the night off!

We set sail early Monday morning, moving towards The Anchor, West Caicos. The crystal blue waters embraced divers as the made their giant strides in. Janis and Lana had their own personal trio of reef sharks guiding them along the reef, while others enjoyed the sponge and coral growing on the ancient Spanish Anchor, found in one of the swim throughs. The calm waters beckoned us to French Cay. G-Spot opened the afternoon and proved to be an amazing three dives. Juvenile reef sharks flitted about the reef, moving swiftly, acting like sharks and other wise acting like they had something to prove, being the new guy on the reef. Meanwhile, two curious nurse sharks dug into the reef as divers snapped photos of a hawksbill turtle nibbling on some lunch. Wanting to know what all the commotion was about, the nurse sharks came over, making themselves comfortable in the small space between photographer and sand. At one point, they bumped up against Jim’s strobes numerous times and had a go at Cole’s dome port. Finding nothing they were interested in, the sharks moved along and found a cozy patch to snooze on, leaving the divers and turtle to their own devices.

Waking up to another beautiful day at French Cay, we started the morning off at Half Mile, the dive site closest to the cay. The sandy bottom provides a wealth of little nooks and crannies for yellow headed jawfish to build their homes. Nurse sharks are especially close to the cay this time of year. During the mating season, the nurse sharks move into very shallow water to mate. As Lana and Janis made their way back to the mother vessel mid water column, a spotted eagle ray approached, lazily making loops around them – above, below and in between. They were elated! Just as we were about to enjoy Taco Tuesday’s lunch, Lana exclaimed, “DOLPHINS!” They came from the starboard side, swimming underneath the boat and coming out from the bow.
Absolutely stunning creatures to watch and ponder! After the excitement, we moved to the farthest of the French Cay dive sites, Double D. The amount of cowfish here always is a tickle to those who love the odd shaped swimmers. Barb, the friendly grouper, sought out a special few to share her love with – allowing divers to pet her. Jim was quite surprised to see a reef shark moving quite quickly about the reef, none too soon realizing it was chasing a small hawksbill turtle! Swim turtle! Swim! Eagle rays came by once again. The night dive was stunning. A white spotted nudibranch was a perfect subject, perched on a small coral head with a purple gorgonian. Hiding in the purple plumes, was a pygmy file fish tucked away, waiting for the watchful eyes of the divers to find her!

The massive barrel sponges of Rock ‘n’ Roll make up a large part of the landscape, coming in all shapes and sizes. Reef sharks came in and out, lionfish stayed tucked away in the crevices and a happy go lucky octopus entertained divers while he looked for a mid morning snack. We hauled anchor, heading back towards West Caicos. We found ourselves at Gullies, our engineer, Rob’s, favorite dive site. The reef sharks were in true form, circling around the gulley vicinity. The gulley itself was packed full with silver sides, two inch long schooling fish. As divers swam through them, they closed around them, darting and swooshing about.

On Thursday morning, we moved one mooring north to Elephant Ear Canyons. Everyone is always impressed with the diving here. Crystal clear blue waters and a plethora of life not only on the wall but on the sand as well. The grass patches underneath the boat are full of macro creatures like pipe horses, pipe fish, arrow shrimp, conch, a variety of crabs and southern stingrays. There’s nothing quite like peering through your lens and looking up to see a Caribbean reef shark only feet away, gliding over the sand. The fun doesn’t stop here. The topography of the wall is so picturesque; merely coming up to the edge is quite breathe taking. On top of the wall, we’ve found fingerprint cyphomas, gaudy clown crabs and more. Along the wall, reef sharks cruise on by, grouper snoop about and even a juvenile queen trigger fish makes itself at home in one of the many nooks. The afternoon brought us to R.G.I. or Rock Garden Interlude. Here the reef sharks dillied and dallied, while underneath the bow, the southern stingrays had a bit of a feeding frenzy. About ten of them, with countless yellow tail snapper, bar jacks and goat fish picked through the ocean bottom, stirring up the sand and creating quite the fuss. It was a marvelous episode to encounter.

Our final dives took place at Black Forest. It was spectacular, with dolphins, eagle rays and all sorts of reef life. The natural amphitheater at around eighty feet is home to black coral and sculpted barrel sponges. As we arrived back to Turtle Cove Marina, the sun was high in the sky. After a lazy lunch, some of us took a quick jaunt down town for some shopping, while others snoozed, relaxed and otherwise unwound even more. As the sun set, we all joined on the sun deck for wine, cheese and conversation, reminiscing about the wonderful week past. Thank you all for the memories!

Your crew – Captain Amanda, Engineer Rob, Video Pro Cole, Steward Shamario and Chef Phil.

 

[Aggressor Adventures]

Turks & Caicos Aggressor II Captain’s Report Sept 15 – 22, 2012

Water Temperature: 29 - 30 C
Thermal Protection Recommendation: 3 mm
Visibility: 30 meters

Warm greetings from the Turks & Caicos Aggressor!!! Our wonderful guests this week include: Jerry, Vivian, Steve, Ron C., Gary, Lori, Andy, Bobbi, Sherri, Ron P., John, Dustin and Kevin. Guests arrived Saturday afternoon and into the evening, unpacking their dive equipment, getting to know one another and settling in for the upcoming week of eating, sleeping and diving! Chef Phil prepared a beautiful three course meal – mixed greens with watermelon, feta and balsamic vinaigrette; followed by chicken breast with caramelized onion and mushroom ragout, herb roasted potatoes and steamed broccoli. For dessert, we all enjoyed a rather decadent chocolate fudge brownie with ice cream and berry coulis. I think we’ve started this week out right!

As the sun rose, we made our way out of Turtle Cove Marina, setting our compasses to North West Point. Black Forest provided a smashing first splash. Black coral and massively sculpted barrel sponges decorate the natural amphitheatre. Reef sharks swam by as we mused over the bounty of lobster living in the coral crevices. Our following dives took place at Eel Garden. A massive green moray hung out underneath a coral head on the edge of the wall. Neck crabs perched on gorgonians and the squat anemone shrimp did their little jig of joy in the giant condylactis anemone.

Before first light, we made our way to West Caicos to dive The Anchor or Whiteface, so named for the Spanish anchor that lies at the opening of a sloping gully and the white face of the cliffs that form the shore line. Ribbons of blue runners and Creole wrasse billowed up and down the reef with the ebb and flow of the waters. Juvenile barracuda hung about in the water column near the mooring line, busily investigating the reef for an early morning snack, not quite sure about what the creatures blowing bubbles were. BBQ lunch was served on the sundeck while we ventured out to French Cay. The shark machine was fed extra quarters today – sharks were everywhere. The nurse sharks played nice with the divers, trying to squeeze in the space between the photographers and reef as they snapped pictures of queen angel fish. During the night dive, we were able to witness the sharks hunting and feasting on squirrel fish. Bobbi spotted a juvenile octopus the size of a golf ball and a number of squid.

Tuesday is always a special day because it’s Taco Tuesday. Possibly even more exciting is the shift in schedule – all dives a bit early, providing a platform for a dawn and dusk dive! Our first dive was at G-Spot, the following two at Double D. Smooth trunk fish swam in trio and pairs, flittering above the reef. Sea plumes danced in the surge and a damselfish flirted with Jerry. The reef sharks came in for a few close passes and Barb, a friendly Nassau grouper played with Lori and Vivian. At lunch, we moved a mooring site down to Rock ‘n’ Roll. As we pulled up a large hawksbill turtle ducked dived down to tell all that we’ve finally reached. Two peculiar porcupine fish, one larger, one smaller, swam about in circles, seemingly playing a game of tag up a down the wall. You could hear Cole, our video pro, giggling as they tripped over themselves along the way. Then a curious juvenile reef shark, of only two feet long swam by with another older shark. Both of them investigating a small coral head with three large lionfish inside. Perhaps they were looking for an injured animal?!

We found ourselves back at West Caicos the next morning, diving our favorite dive site Gullies. The reef sharks here are always entertaining, cutting through the blue, circling around us all. The gully that gives this site it’s name, is filled with silver sides or sprats, small two inch schooling silver fish. Swimming through them is other-worldly. A hawksbill turtle snacked on the coral as photographers took pictures and video. Exciting and relaxing at the same time, Gullies is always a pleasure to visit. In the afternoon, we hopped a couple of mooring sites down to R.G.I. or Rock Garden Interlude. Three dolphins graced us with their joyous song and dance. A juvenile trunkfish, the size of a walnut careened about “juvie hall” – a protected coral head.

Elephant Ear Canyons opened Thursday morning with beautiful landscapes and stunning flora and fauna. Southern stingrays combed the sandy bottom for treats, while yellow tail and bar jacks flittered above looking out for leftovers. Conchs idly made their trek, slowly moving over the grasses with their mantles. Pipe horses moved in and out of the grass blades, dancing in the current. Diving The Dome, on North West Point is always fun. The chimney in the wall is home to a plethora of creatures – banded coral shrimp, arrow blennies, tunicates, lion fish and more. Back on the main steel structure of the dome, blennies of all varieties get comfortable in the nooks and crannies. Skeleton shrimp come out at night, precariously hanging on to the hydroids. Orange ball coralimorphs are littered about the site. Protective damselfish hover over the prime real estate, ready to chase invaders, large or small, away.

Our final dive of the trip took place at Stairway. The natural staircase that creates the dive site provides a variety of hiding spots for lobster, juvenile drum fish, squirrel fish and more. Friday evening we all gather on the sundeck for wine, cheese and conversation, reminiscing on the beautiful week past. Thank you all for an amazing time!

Your crew – Captain Amanda, Engineer Rob, Video Pro Cole, Steward Shamario and Chef Phil.

 

[Aggressor Adventures]

Turks & Caicos Aggressor II Captain’s Report September 22 – 29, 2012

Water Temperature: 30 - 31 C
Thermal Protection Recommendation: 3 mm
Visibility: 25 meters

Warm greetings from the Turks & Caicos Aggressor!!! Our wonderful guests this week include: Paul, April C., Chris, Bill, Jim, April S., Kate, Kim, Kevin and Randy. As everyone arrived on Saturday afternoon and unpacked their equipment, all talked excitedly about the upcoming week of eating, sleeping and diving! Chef Phil prepared a lovely three course meal, leaving everyone stuffed. We all tucked in for an early night, preparing for the next day events.

The morning jaunt to North West Point was smooth sailing. Black Forest opened the day up for us. The black coral give the reef a lacy picturesque landscape. Bill spotted a scorpion fish sprawled out in one of the barrel sponges, seemingly taking a mid morning siesta. Tiny sea whip shrimp scuttled up and down the whips, prancing about. Our next stop was Brandywine at West Caicos. Here two reef sharks circled about and a young nurse shark slept under a coral head with lionfish tucked away in the recesses. A turtle came in, greeting divers and posing for photos. The engine block is covered with small sponges and encrusting corals, with a damselfish savagely guarding it.

Monday morning took us to the southern most dive site, The Anchor. Rob and Cole hovered at the swim through opening, snapping shots and taking film as divers passed. A reef shark swam by curiously while the sea plumes moved with the current. Chef Phil made us a BBQ lunch as we journeyed to French Cay. The dives following at G-Spot were stunning. Reef sharks circled as we entered the water and even broke the water surface. Barracuda lurked around, as the divers made their way to the wall and the enclave that gives this dive site its name. A cornucopia of life makes a home here, especially the resident porcupine fish piddling about a barrel sponge, posing for photographers. The eagle ray that swooped by was the highlight of the day.

Tuesday was not only a great day because it’s “Taco Tuesday”, but also because we saw an eagle ray gliding along the wall at Rock and Roll. The visibility was over a hundred feet. The hypnotic blue water drew Paul out and held him as he melted into the sea herself. The diving is always beautiful here, but today is something really special. We spent the afternoon at Double D, where nurse sharks circled in between the two large coral mounds, ribbons of Creole wrasse waterfalled down the wall and a friendly grouper made friends with a few of our divers, enticing them to pet and coddle him. Back at Rock and Roll for the night dive, we saw a multitude of nurse sharks, some feeding basket stars reaching out for plankton and lobsters walking about.

We woke up back at West Caicos, with the reef sharks waiting for us. The first few dives were at Gullies. Sully and her crew made themselves acquainted with us as we investigated the schooling silversides in the gully. It’s hard to say who is more graceful – the sharks or little silvers. The horse eyed jacks were not to be out done, making a halo over the swim through, completing the picture of elegance. In the afternoon, we moved to R.G.I. or Rock Garden Interlude. The sharks followed us here from Gullies. A resh pike blenny skittled along the sand, almost invisible like the head shield slugs that slowly crept by. A large octopus flared his legs, giving a color changing show as Bill photographed him on the night dive! We also saw, basket stars and a slender file fish!

Thursday was jam packed with adventure. The first dives at Elephant Ear Canyon were marvelous. Conchs and southern stingrays milled about looking for an early morning treat. One of the conchs took a particular liking to April and trotted over her hand! The reef sharks circled us as we descended and through out the rest of the dive, even coming up to bid us adieu at the hang bar. The anemone that lives at its basin housed a bounty of squat anemone shrimp. The afternoon brought us back to North West Point, where we made the final dives of the day at The Dome, still a staff favorite. The Spanish grunts schooled in the dome and French angel fish pecked at the steel structure. A timid green turtle hid underneath the dome. Once discovered, it sped off into the blue. A massive nurse shark made its presence known during the night dive. This dive site is always a treat!

The Friday morning dives at Eel Garden were relaxing and the perfect way to say, “see you next time” to the reef. The reef sharks lazily swam in and out. The yellow headed jaw fish busied themselves in the sand, catching particulars in the water column. A hawksbill turtle nibbled on the reef. In the evening we all gathered on the sundeck for some wine and cheese and to reminisce about the wonderful week past. Thank you to all for such a beautiful week!

Your crew – Captain Amanda, Engineer Rob, Video Pro Cole, Steward Shamario and Chef Phil.