Turks & Caicos Aggressor II Captain's Logs

[Aggressor Adventures]

Turks & Caicos Aggressor II Captain’s Report April 13 – 20, 2013

A breezy but sunny day greeted our new arrivals to Providenciales on Saturday and after a short chase boat trip to pick up the boat in Grace Bay. Once everyone unpacked their gear, briefings had been completed, and a fine supper enjoyed, everyone settled down to rest for our week of diving.

With the prospect of 78 – 80 degree water a 3mm wetsuit will suffice with a hooded vest for those who feel a little cooler and with visibility of 80 – 100 feet all were excited.

We were also very excited to have with us this week, Dan & Betty Orr from Divers Alert Network (DAN) and were very much looking forward to some of the presentations and information that they would be imparting with us during the week. Joining them we also have Donna & Mike, Nick, Kim, Lydia & Steve, Lynne, Diane, Linda and Karry.

At first light it was anchor’s away and off to Northwest Point and Black Forest, accompanied en route by dolphins. A great start to the week we very quickly sighted our first hawksbill turtle. Not only did the divers see this but the support on the surface were happy to see this critter on the surface when she came up for air. The Amphitheatre is a great location for all different types of lobster and we were also delighted to see a large scorpionfish relying on the reef for its camouflage. It clearly thought we could not see it as it quite happily sat there, as we got close enough for photographs. Dolphins featured again for the second dive with at least five of our guests seeing the mother and calf as they checked out the edge of the wall.

The afternoon took us to Eel Garden, so named for the garden eels that we see there. In the gorgonians, neck crabs in a variety of sizes, shapes and colours, disguised themselves with algae so that they looked like scraps of flotsam caught in the plumes. All the better to eat any tiny particles in the water flow as the unknowingly float past. Just two for the night dive but a plethora of crustaceans including a well concealed slipper lobster – a good find by Karry, whose first night dive it was.

By sun up on Monday we were well on our way to West Caicos. RGI provided an awesome dive site for our introduction to this next island. Our resident reef sharks circled closely, whilst stingrays took advantage of sandy bottom to feed. A couple of guests saw different spotted drums from juvenile to intermediate, whilst underneath the yacht horse eye jacks, bar jacks and blue runners schooled. At the edge of the wall a school of creole wrasse snapped nutrients out of the water as it swirled around the edge of the wall.

The afternoon took us to Brandywine – a relaxing site for the afternoon dive and a change in pace as we changed our schedule slightly for a dusk dive rather than night so that we could enjoy the transition between day and night.

That evening Dan shared the history of DAN (Divers Alert Network) with us from beginnings to affiliations. Over the course of the week many had experiences to share in one way or another, which were interesting to listen to and learn from. DAN embossed gifts and prizes were flowing and no excuse to find the DAN emergency contact number when it is so freely adorned on such useful items. The bags were a great success!

Spanish Anchor was our choice for Tuesday morning. This was when we started to see yellow-headed jawfish with eggs. The Anchor itself is resplendent with all the encrusting sponges and the ever-growing vase sponge that sprouts from its flukes. Reef sharks accompanied us along the wall and more creole wrasse enjoyed the nutrient rich waters at the edge of the drop off. More camouflage was displayed with another scorpionfish and flounder.

During lunch we took our trip out to French Cay, which was a little less protected but still a delight especially as the water temperature was higher here because of the water leaving the very shallow Caicos banks. Our first site at the cay was G-Spot. Here we experienced Caribbean reef sharks swimming up close and personal. By the mooring yellow-headed jawfish bobbed up out of their holes, a number of them with eggs in their mouths. The night dive was exceptional. The bioluminescence bloomed with the wall glowing as the water moved across the reef. Any diver movement was immediately lit up. All the critters seemed to come to the divers. As soon as we dropped in we were privileged to see a Caribbean reef octopus out hunting, changing colours and seemingly unaware of the presence of the divers. Lobsters, crabs and all manner of crustaceans occupied the reef.

One more dive site on Wednesday morning at French Cay – Rock N Roll – it is a great dive site with a varying wall with steep declines and more gentle sloping areas. A turtle feeding was a delight as it was completely unaware of the divers around it as it ripped pieces of sponge off to eat. Then, back to West Caicos for an afternoon at the Gulley. During our crossing Dan shared with us some of the statistics that DAN have been able to collate over the years and through specific projects. Some fascinating and unusual data was shared including how many fatalities occurred each year by falling vending machines!

At the dive site, burgundy snapper and schoolmaster schooled out of the water movement behind a coral head. Flounder disguised themselves in the sand and then changed colour as they moved onto the reef. On the gorgonians, small juvenile fire worms crawled their way around, bristling as anyone approached. On the purple gorgonian at the edge of the gulley, six unidentified slug left their eggs along the branches of the plume. On the second dive our two resident female reef sharks hung out with us, coming in very close. One shows definite signs of being pregnant, so we shall be watching expectantly over the coming months.

Thursday morning saw Magic Mushroom as the dive site for the morning. The coral head up by the mooring line had six lobsters tucked away in it. A small spotted moray also generated interest toward the end of the first dive. We moved across to Northwest Point at lunchtime and moored up at the Dome. A great afternoon was spent watching the tiny blennies pop out of their holes all over the structure. A queen angelfish provided a challenge for Dan as he photographed it moving around the framework. In the Dome itself hundreds of yellow tailed snapper sought protection and a spotted moray lay its entire length in the pipework within the structure. Near the tires, to which the yacht is moored, a corkscrew anemone sported a couple of spotted cleaner shrimp dancing their way to display that their services are available. During the night dive, the resident octopus was out and about inside the Dome, and the measled cowries that usually hide in the pipework during the day were abroad and feeding. Everyone enjoyed this shallow night dive.

Friday morning took us to Shark’s Hotel where we watched the reef come alive as the sun rose higher in the sky. Only one shark remained to entertain our guests along with the large Nassau grouper that is regularly seen chasing smaller grouper away and was quite content to hang out for photographs. Just as everyone had returned to the yacht, a mahi mahi graced us with its presence right off the back deck, which was an unusual surprise for all who shared it and a great end to the week.

We would like to thank Dan & Betty for joining us this week, sharing their passion with us and entertaining us with their insightful tales.

Your crew this week were Captain Amanda, Captain Nelson, Cole, Dave, Carlos and Chef Brian.

 

[Aggressor Adventures]

Turks & Caicos Aggressor II Captain’s Report April 20 – 27, 2013

Water Temperature: 78-80° F
Thermal Protection Recommendation: 3 mm
Visibility: 90 feet

Sunny skies welcomed our guests from Captain’s Nemo Dive Center. After our introductions and safety briefings, we made way for North West Point where we enjoyed a beautiful sunset. A very large school of bottlenose dolphins accompanied us as we motored around the north west point of Providenciales. Chef Brian welcomed our divers with a delicious roasted strip loin with mushroom jus with rosemary potatoes.

We spent the first morning at North West Point. Eel Garden gave divers a good start to their trip, as the soft gorgonians, hydroids and black coral adorn the wall while allowing divers to adjust buoyancy and trim on the sandy flats scattered with small coral heads. Our guest Jenny got a brief visit from a lone dolphin and was quick enough to get a photograph for proof. Marty got to see his first shark of the trip.

The weather was favorable so we moved to West Caicos during lunch on Sunday to R.G.I. Divers came up jazzed after having sited a golden moray and a juvenile golden tail damsel. They also saw white spotted file fishes. Lots of bioluminescence, sharks, and lobsters made the first night dive of the week a great one.

Monday was Magic Mushroom morning. Most of us got a chance to visit the lobster hotel where there were two very large spiny lobsters. About 8 feet away we got to see two juvenile spotted drums whipping their long dorsal fin for all the photographers.

At Brandywine in the afternoon (named for the large barrel sponges that resemble brandy snifters), Scott, Brian, Bill, and Marty had their cameras out in anticipation of the variety of life at West Caicos and the reef ecosystem provided numerous subjects for all photographers, including the scrawled filefish, honeycomb cowfish and smooth trunkfish.

On Tuesday morning, we dove The Anchor, which is covered with coral and sponges. The old Spanish anchor is embedded in the reef, down inside a gully. As you start your swim through the gully about 45 feet deep, you swim near the anchor, then out in to the blue over a beautiful wall near 72 feet. Once you make it through the wide opening turn around and you have an awesome wall dive. On the first morning dive, I led Marty and Bill through the gully, as I was swimming through it, a 3 foot gray reef shark swam across the opening of the channel. The reef shark stayed in the area for the entire dive along the wall. On top of the wall we saw a cowfish, a male and female white spotted trigger fish, and on a later dive the guest saw a slipper lobster in the same area.

During lunch, we cruised south to French Key for our afternoon and night dives. First stop there-G Spot, and it didn't disappoint! The swim to the steep drop off is just a few feet from the back of the T&CII. Deep sea gorgonians, orange elephant ear sponges and lots of healthy barrel sponges adorn the wall here making this a spectacular dive. Three large reef sharks were circling under the T&CAII when we jumped into the water and were there on our return to the boat as well. Spanish lobster and eagle rays were some of the other highlights during the afternoon dives and an octopus sighting during the night dive.

Our final dive in French Key was at Rock and Roll – We were lucky to find a yellow headed jawfish with eggs in his mouth. Normally, we tend to see more yellow headed jawfish with eggs during the months of April and early May. The T&CII Aggressor crew also did some preventative maintenance on the mooring on yesterday’s site (G-Spot).

Wednesday afternoon was bright and sunny. Just the way we like it and perfect conditions for diving Gulleys. The visibility was crystal clear, enabling the divers to see way down the wall and out into the blue. The school of jacks circling under the boat was one of the biggest yet with several mid-size to large barracuda mixed in. Of course the reef sharks were there in full force and no one was disappointed by the action.

In the morning, we woke to clear skies and the hopes of finding the petite and curious looking creature – the pipe horse. Elephant Ear Canyons treated us to one clinging on to a 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.

At The Dome, we celebrated our steward’s certification as a new scuba diver. Most of you reading this will probably appreciate what a momentous event that was when we got certified and how, for many, it has become a life altering experience. Congratulations Carlos. Carlos described his dive at The Dome and talked of the beautiful schooling blue fishes (aka creole wrasses), and the underwater plants (aka gorgonians and sea whips). Other divers saw a pipefish and several southern stingrays.

The last dive off the week was on one of my favorite walls on North West Point. The name of the site is Black Forest. The wall has lots of voids and crevices where we often find lobsters of various species. We saw a large spiny lobster on this particular dive. The wall also has large formations of different variations of black coral, large barrel and tube sponges. But on this particular day our highlight was the juvenile trumpet fish; it was my first ever sighting. He was difficult to spot as he was positioning his body parallel to a gorgonian formation. There was a more mature trumpet fish just a few inches away and I wondered if it was the mom…or dad. We swam up to the top of the wall around 50 feet and there we came across a large green moray and a field of smaller yellow headed jawfishes.

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.

Your crew: Captain Amanda, Nelson, Brian, Cole, Carlos, and Dave.

 

[Aggressor Adventures]

Turks & Caicos Aggressor II Captain’s Report April 27 – May 4, 2013

Water Temperature: 78-80° F
Thermal Protection Recommendation: 3 mm
Visibility: 90 feet

Greetings from the Turks and Caicos Aggressor II (T&CII). Briefings, introductions, gear setup, and dinner filled our evening on Saturday. On this trip we found ourselves with many familiar faces. Steve and Don have done several trips with both Aggressor & Dancer Fleet and I had personally been on a trip with both of them in the Galapagos in 2008. I had also had the pleasure of meeting and diving with Bobby and Lori last year on the Cayman Aggressor IV. Bobby and Lori convinced Danielle and Denise to join them on yet another trip onboard the T&CII. Also joining us this week were Gerry and Urcula, and Marg and Mike.

We began our diving on Sunday at Black Forest on the North West Point. The wave action on the north side was about 6 to 8 feet, but with a period of 12 seconds the ride was very comfortable. Everyone got a chance to check their buoyancy, gear, and the general environment on this beautiful wall that begins at 50’ and drops down to several thousand. Then for lunch, Chef Kris delighted us with Spicy Pumpkin Soup, Spaghetti Carbonara and Mushroom Risotto. Simply delicious!

Our move at lunch time was a short ways away to Eel Garden. Grey reef sharks curiously welcome the free range humans to the gorgeous wall. Sponges, beautiful corals, anemones and other sea life are just a preview of the great diving ahead. Although not all divers chose to do the first night dive of the week, all attended James’s night dive briefing in preparation for subsequent night dives.

West Caicos is located south of Providenciales and it’s about an hour and half cruise. We stopped on West Caicos for a couple of dives before we headed southeast to French Key for the next set of dives. The Anchor is the southern most dive site on West Caicos. There we saw a hawksbill turtle, a couple of nesting triggerfish, and three gray reef sharks.
Weather on French Key was the best I’ve seen since we returned from our whale charters on the Silver Bank. The diving off French Key is fantastic. One of the differences between French Key and West Caicos is that visibility tends to be a little less than it is on West Caicos; but at 100’ feet on this particular day, who can complain! At G-Spot I got to see one of biggest Eagle Rays I’ve ever seen. Its length was consistent with others I’ve witnessed before, but the girth was greater than most. Our guests also saw a golden spotted moray, fringe-back nudibranch and slipper lobster. Reef sharks circled the hang bar as our night divers got ready to jump in the water, but dispersed as soon as they heard the first splash. The Tomato, Mozzarella & Pesto Mahi-Mahi with Curried Vegetable and Wild Rice that Chef Kris prepared for us was a tasty finish to a great day of diving.

The following day on French Key we moved four tenths of a mile along the south facing wall to Rock and Roll. Another difference between French Key and West Caicos is the amount of growth along the top shelf of the wall; West Caicos has finger reefs and coral heads amongst fields of white sand. French Key on the other hand doesn’t have a lot of sandy fields and the area is mostly covered with coral heads, nooks and crannies, and ledges where critters can hide. While swimming along the wall we saw a stingray, a very young shark, and several barracuda in hunting mode that were camouflage with the bottom. Stephen found a yellow-headed jawfish with eggs (one of his favorites).

Back on West Caicos at Magic Mushroom, others got to see yellow-headed jawfish with eggs, head shield slugs, juvenile barracuda, and several reef sharks. The highlight of the day however was Chef Kris’s Loin of Pork with a Blue Cheese Butter, Potato Fondant, and Steamed Broccoli. Everyone raved about it.

The weather on Wednesday was the best I’ve seen in the last month; light breeze out of the east southeast with seas less than a foot high. At Gullies our dive deck crew watched a large pod of dolphins move towards the boat. We prayed they would come closer to the T&CII and give our divers a show. They did just that. Denise also got great footage of a southern sting ray playing in the sand. The weather was perfect for our lunch on the sundeck.

For the afternoon dives we moored at RGI. We saw both juvenile jackknife and juvenile spotted drums on this site along with a goby cleaning station with about 20 gobies, a couple of corkscrew anemones, and several sting rays.
Elephant Ear Canyon is always good for reef shark sightings as it was on this Thursday. Denise and Danielle got to see a juvenile trunkfish, and other guests got to see pipefish, pipe seahorse, and a large eagle ray.

At lunchtime we headed back to Northwest Point and the infamous Dome. Grunt and snapper schooled within the protection of the framework whilst secretary and spinyhead blennies covered the outside. The hydroids that also cover the dome are the home to several tiny skeleton shrimp, which are challenging to see let alone photograph. By the tires a large corkscrew anemone was the resting place of at least ten Pederson cleaner shrimp and their less friendly counterparts the red snapping shrimp, or as we affectionately call them pistol shrimp. The night dive brought out octopus, hawksbill turtle, a squid that bobbed in front of Bobby’s face, and a small octopus that hid seconds after I spotted him.

Our last critter treat for the week was a hawksbill turtle, large spiny lobster, along the wall. Then on top of the wall we encountered yellow-headed jawfishes and a spiny puffer fish.

Thank you to our returning guests and our first time visitors for a great week of diving and a lot of good laughs.
Till next time, keep diving.

Your crew: Captain James, Nelson, Kris, Cole, Brian, and Dave

 

[Hintermann]

Nice reports. I went on the T&C Aggressor in May 2011 and would rate it as arguably the best overall of my 14 cruises so far. We must have seen in excess of 100 sharks during the week. Fantastic night dive over Rock 'n' Roll reef with all those nurse sharks and jacks darting about and parrotfish trying to hide. Above all, a great crew!

 

[Aggressor Adventures]

Turks & Caicos Aggressor II Captain’s Report May 4 – 11, 2013

Water Temperature: 79-81° F
Thermal Protection Recommendation: 3 mm
Visibility: 90 feet

Thank you to Matvey, Ladiya, Andrey, Svetlana, Otari, Svetlana, Zurab, Yevhen, Alexey, Daria, Andrey, Hernan, Carrie, Ilse, David, Will, and Joe for joining this week on the Turks and Caicos Aggressor II (T&CII). As everyone arrived on Saturday afternoon and unpacked their equipment, all talked excitedly about the upcoming week of eating, sleeping and diving! Chef Kris 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 cruise to North West Point was a little wobbly due to winds coming from the West. Black Forest opened the day up for us. The black coral gives the reef a lacy picturesque landscape. Otari 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 Shark Hotel.

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. For dinner, we enjoyed Dinner Salad with Avocado & Papaya, Mahi-Mahi in a Thai Green Curry. On the night dive a very curious and seemingly hungry nurse shark made its way picking through the reef, while we all took photos.

On Tuesday at Rock and Roll, Joe and Will saw a 2 foot spotted moray right under the boat. Most of us got a chance to swim along the wall where we saw a couple of reef sharks and a large lobster tucked under a ledge. Will got video of a large crab and some of the guest realized that some of the sponges along the wall are almost as big as they were. There was a little bit of current during our swim along the wall which made for a leisurely drift back to the boat. On the second dive at Rock and Roll several divers got the treat of the week when a hammerhead shark swam nearby while it was following an eagle ray. Wow!

Wednesday at The Dome the conditions were excellent with +90’ visibility and a sign that summer is closing in with a rise in temperature of 1 degree. Chef Kris fed us nicely with an opening of White Bean Soup with Chorizo, Leaf Salad, and savory Paella to finish today’s lunch.

Will is an avid critter finder and is also pretty good with his taxonomy. At R.G.I. he found three unusual critters; bandtail puffer, sailfin blenny, and a barfin blenny.

An overcast day kept the temperatures comfortable while we were at Gullies and Elephant Ear Canyon. On both sites we had just enough current to allow everyone to stay close to the boat and enjoy the lobsters, rays, and sharks that were within stone throwing distance of the T&CII.

Our closing dive was at Eel Garden and we did it at dawn. The enthusiasm is always heightened when divers do a dive at the crack of dawn. We headed back Turtle Cove Marina afterwards so that could make our way in during the high tide.

Your crew: Captain James, Nelson, Chef Kris, Cole, Brian, and Dave

 

[Aggressor Adventures]

Turks & Caicos Aggressor II Captain’s Report May 11 – 18, 2013

Water Temperature: 80-81° F
Thermal Protection Recommendation: 3 mm
Visibility: 90 feet

We had a wonderful group of divers this week and the first dive site of the trip was Shark Hotel. It’s a good site for a check out dive because it offers a flat area at the top of the wall where divers can adjust their buoyancy and trim during the first few minutes of the dive. Then, if comfortable, they can move to the wall and appreciate the large barrel sponges and plate coral formations along the precipitous edge. Bruce, Richard, and Douglas got a chance to dive together and I was able to spot a very young juvenile spotted drum. Bruce had his SLR camera with a 60mm lens and was able to get a few shots of it. We saw several lobsters, large groupers, and snappers, and I was able to also find two indigo hamlets.

At Gullies we had unusual conditions. A moderate current was running north but the wind was out of the northeast and therefore the vessel was not resting in its usual position. Even with the moderate current, which was only present during the first afternoon dive, all divers were able to make it to the wall and once there Richard saw a large eagle ray. He tried to get a photo but the ray was a bit elusive. There were several reef sharks and one had a hook sticking out of the corner of his mouth. The big attraction was the green moray that was getting cleaned by both Peterson shrimp and several gobies. Philis was able to get several photographs that were well exposed and in focus. During the night dive, divers witnessed a jack hunting over the reef with the help of the divers’ torches.

Tuesday the surface conditions were perfect; flat calm surface and a light breeze out of the northeast. Our first dive site of the day was The Anchor and during lunch we moved to French Key to dive Double D for the afternoon. We had perfect conditions at French Key also. Visibility was about 100’ but the water was calm and the sun was out. During one of the dives Richard saw and photographed a Fingerprint Cyphoma. At a distance they look like a common cowry but the mantle pattern is different. It was a great find by Richard. On the night dive we saw an octopus, our resident Cubera snapper, and a couple of sharks came by for a visit.

The next morning at G-Spot, Philis photographed her long awaited yellow headed jawfish with eggs in his mouth. More sharks cruised the area while our divers visited the area where black coral and large barrel sponges adorn a zigzag along the precipitous wall.

Tide and surface conditions allowed us to visit a site not often visited during our trips to French Key, Half Mile. The marine life and coral growth are very different from the other sites around French Key but interesting nevertheless. I saw three turtles, a large lobster (both on the day dive and my night dive), a couple of sharks, large spotted drum, and an unusual sighting for French Key, a large male hogfish. During the night dive, I found a baby octopus and tried to show my dive buddy Charlotte, but it was so tiny and hiding so far under a ledge that Charlotte never got access for viewing.

We departed for West Caicos at 5:30 am and our dive site was Elephant Ear Canyon. Stingrays, stingrays, stingrays…oh, and sharks too! We went in search of the elusive pipe fish and pipe seahorse and were not successful on the first dive. On the second dive, Captain James led a group of divers to the sea grass area and was successful in finding the pipe seahorse that was only about 3/4” long and hiding behind a thin piece of sea grass. The cruise to North West Point was a little bumpy, but it didn’t stop anyone from enjoying the Sweet Potato Soup, Beef Goulash, Egg Pasta and Tomato & Red Onion Salad that Chef Kris prepared for lunch. The lee side of the island made things more comfortable for our divers at The Dome. The food and the diving must have gotten the best of Bruce and Doug because both decided to sleep in for the first dive of the afternoon. Hey, it’s their vacation and they can do whatever they please.

For our final dive we moored at Eel Garden. Because of our requirements to enter Turtle Cove Marina at high tide, we offered a dawn dive so divers could get two dives in before our cruise around the north side of Providenciales.

Thank you to Bruce, Stephanie, Brenda, Richard, Charlotte, Douglas, Philis, and Clara for joining us this week on the Turks and Caicos Aggressor II. We look forward to seeing all of you here on the T&C Aggressor again or on any other Aggressor and/or Dancer Fleet destination.

Keep diving.
Your crew: Captain James, Nelson, Chef Kris, Cole, Brian, and Dave.

 

[Aggressor Adventures]

Turks & Caicos Aggressor II Captain’s Report May 18 – 25, 2013

Shortly after boarding the yacht on Saturday, our guests were briefed and we departed for Northwest Point ready for a great week of diving. Water temperatures remain slightly lower than average for this time of year at 79 degrees, but a 3mm wetsuit suffices to keep any chill at bay.

Looking forward to 80-foot visibility, we rose on Sunday morning at Shark’s Hotel. Our resident Nassau grouper was hanging out at more than one of the many cleaning stations that we find at this site. Pederson and spotted cleaner shrimp danced to promote their services and a variety of fish took them up on their proposition. As we entered the water for the second dive a pod of bottlenose dolphin swam past and spent a little time with our divers in the water; even the back deck crew had the opportunity to enjoy them at the surface.

The afternoon took us to The Dome and the variety of great critters that we enjoy there each week. The secretary blennies popped out of their vacated wormholes grabbing small particles of food as it passed. Our resident damselfish was as fiendish as ever, nipping anyone brave enough to approach. A spotted cleaner shrimp, banded clinging crab, and snapping shrimp all occupied a corkscrew anemone right next to the tractor tire to which the yacht is moored, co-existing happily. Peacock flounder camouflaged themselves against sand and coral alike around the edge of the structure. At the wall we were delighted to see a fingerprint cyphoma, the much more rare cousin to the flamingo tongue. The night dive saw a reef octopus in the feeding around the dome.

We were still at Northwest Point on Monday morning and we dived at Eel Garden giving us access to site of ‘The Crack’. This is where the most photographed anemone in the Turks & Caicos Islands resides. Home to a banded clinging crab on this occasion it is also very close to a beautiful orange sponge that makes a great combination for photos and video.

At lunchtime, we moved across to West Caicos to spend the remainder of the day at Magic Mushroom. The coral head that we know as ‘Lobster House’ is packed with at least 10 Caribbean spiny lobster. At night these critters vacated the coral head and paraded around the sand taunting the night divers with their audacity.

Driveway was the location for Tuesday morning – and what a choice that was! A huge manta ray cruised above the guests; a very unusual and special treat for everyone that saw it. We were to see it again that afternoon at The Anchor. As usual at West Caicos we spent every dive with at least one and often more Caribbean reef sharks. Our expectant female is certainly larger than previously and obviously pregnant. We spent not a small amount of time looking for a seahorse that was rumoured to have been seen a couple of days before, but we did not find one this time. That does not mean that we will not continue to look in the coming weeks, so watch this space for further news on the seahorse watch. Southern stingrays scoured the sands for morsels of food, often accompanied by a bar jack hoping for a sneaky snack. The anchor itself is covered in encrusting sponges and corals and makes a colorful subject. The night dive brought out a Spanish lobster as well as a more common spiny lobster and large channel clinging crab. On a sponge a long horned nudibranch moved around using the chemical protection of the sponge to boost its own natural defences. The high point of the dive was a mid-sized Caribbean reef octopus that moved from coral head to coral head and spreading its mantel, using its tentacles to search out nourishment in the nooks and crannies of the reef.

Brandywine, with its large barrel sponges and mechanical debris, now artificial reef and home to many critters, was our Wednesday morning location. Accompanied, as always with an assortment of reef sharks, we were also very happy to see a spotted eagle ray. By the afternoon we had moved the short distance to Rock Garden Interlude, or Boat Cove. The reef sharks came with us. A very friendly hawksbill turtle hung out with the guests for a while. In the shallower reef we came across a scorpionfish that truly believed that it was completely invisible to us. In a small reef next to it a batwing coral crab hid up in a hole, delightful reddish brown with the batwing design across its back. A tiny spotted drum caused excitement for the crew, as we will look forward to watching it grow in the weeks to come. For this week's guests, it was great to see it flitting backwards and forward with its large dorsal fin. A couple of giant hermit crabs under their seemingly heavy shells feeding on the critters in the sandy bottom were also seen. In a gorgonian, a slender filefish appeared for long enough to cause excitement and then as if by magic disappeared into the foliage. Regardless of the many pairs of eyes looking to relocate this tiny fish it remained elusive.

Elephant Ear Canyon was the setting for the first dives of Thursday. The stingrays played in the vast plains of sand that abuts the edge of the reef, one of which was a huge specimen at least four feet across. The anemone on the wall was out, a delicate white color with a pink spot in the centre of the tentacle. In the shallow reef by the mooring several squat anemone shrimp covered a sun anemone and, barely visible to the eye, a sun anemone shrimp frolicked about. A spotted moray and golden tail moray also inhabited the same area. In the sea grass, a little pipefish swam over the sand and an arrow shrimp bobbed upright between the blades of grass. A pregnant pipe horse was the subject of some extensive photography and as ever proved a challenge as they swung away from the lens at every opportunity.

The afternoon took us over to the Gulley and again our ever-present companions, the reef sharks came in close and swam amongst the guests. Creole wrasse darted along the edge of the wall feeding off the small animals that circulate during an outgoing tide. Two butter hamlets hung out together slightly in from the edge of the reef. We waited during the 5pm dive to see if any mating would take place, but in that respect we were disappointed. Cero mackerel darted along the edge of the wall and jacks of different types schooled under the boat.

Our final site of the week was an early dive back at The Dome and a revisit with friends made earlier in the week.

Joining us for the week were Kevin & Steve, Chuck & Anthony, Hagen, Sue & Arba, Mike, Jim & Stephanie, Fred, Amy, Geoff, Allan and celebrating their wedding anniversary Gustavo and Luciane – congratulations!

Your crew this week was Captain Amanda, James, Carlos, Kris, Brian and Maneco.
Join us next week to see what adventures we have in store.

 

[Aggressor Adventures]

Turks & Caicos Aggressor II Captain’s Report May 25 – June 1, 2013

Hammerhead Sharks, Manta Ray and “JoJo” the Dolphin Sightings!

After being welcomed aboard the yacht on Saturday, our guests for the week Charlie & Lynn, Mark, Celeste, Jon & Eileen, Trish & Dan, Debbie & Jack, Ken, Claude, Sheila, Craig and Kristi, were briefed and we departed for a very short boat ride to Grace Bay - not one of our usual spots, but the conditions were excellent and this made it a fitting start to a great week of diving. As if to cheer us on ‘JoJo’, the island’s resident dolphin, escorted us out to the dive site. Water temperatures have risen slightly and are now at 80 - 81 degrees F, but a 3mm wetsuit still seems to be the appropriate attire.

Looking forward to exploring the delights Grace Bay had to offer we eagerly entered the water at Pinnacles to be greeted at the wall by a passing southern stingray accompanied by a hawksbill turtle. Over the two dives, the 80-foot visibility allowed us to see the very large barracuda resting amongst the coral as well as the reef shark which passed us by. We were also delighted to find not one, but two tiny smooth trunkfish which had clearly just passed their juvenile “pea” stage. Schooling horse-eye jacks and clouds of Creole wrasse on the wall were but two of the many fish species seen here.

The afternoon took us up to The Dome at North West Point. We were not disappointed as a great variety of critters put in an appearance including a small bearded fire worm, a semi-sleeping soapfish and a measled cowrie, which was meandering inside the dome itself. The spinyhead and secretary blennies had to compete with a hawksbill turtle that was enjoying a sponge snack, whilst posing for photos. Black, horse-eye and great amberjacks meanwhile congregated under the boat. The night dive saw Caribbean reef squid, lobsters and a black and white moray, found inside the dome.

Early Monday morning we moved across to Rock Garden Interlude at West Caicos for our next set of dives. Here our first encounter was to see a large school of mutton snappers moving south for the warmer waters. Also seen on the dives were the resident reef sharks lining up for their photo shoot, a camera loving green moray and even a solitary permit cruised by to check us out. The wall itself provided a memorable encounter with a bright red neck crab, which seemed to be practicing its dance moves. A move to Brandywine for the afternoon dives were highlighted with a sighting of a hammerhead out in the blue and a 60+ lb goliath grouper on top of the wall being groomed. The night dive brought out a raucous party of spiny and spotted lobsters vying for attention as well as nurse sharks and a very curious barracuda.

The Anchor was the location for Tuesday morning – still no sign of the elusive seahorse, but other creatures were eager to fill our camera memory cards including a variety of groupers; Nassau, tiger and black, and an orderly queue was even formed for pictures of the anchor itself, as this makes such a great subject with the bright corals and sponges that are found there. Magic Mushroom was our afternoon dive spot and we were not disappointed as a great many reef sharks and another hammerhead made an appearance this week, along with a gorgeous hawksbill turtle desperately seeking the limelight and fame. Watching the lionfish stalk its prey became mesmerizing for some, whilst watching the lumbering gait of a furry sea cucumber occupied others. The great find was an incredibly rare crab, which was the subject of great excitement by Ken, until it was discovered it was in fact plastic and belonged to Trish, what a prankster!!

Wednesday morning found us at Elephant Ear Canyon, a favourite with our Captain! Here a gathering of southern stingrays were feasting on the vast buffet of garden eels in the sand, which stretched from the boat to the wall. The reef sharks came to say ‘hello’ from off the wall and a large shoal of horse-eye jacks swirled along the sand. This site is also a macro lover’s delight and did not let us down; our intrepid divers spotted both a pipe horse and a banded pipefish, along with wire coral shrimp, headshield slugs, sea hares and varieties of sun, corkscrew, giant and branching anemones.

For the afternoon dives the boat was moved to Gullies to search for the elusive gnome and to safely catch and remove some of the invasive lionfish. The dives featured Atlantic spadefish, spotted drums and collectives of parrotfish. But the highlight was the “sharkfest” with at least four Caribbean reef sharks making an appearance together and circling our divers. Our night dive here also did not disappoint with sightings of Caribbean reef sharks “up close and personal” and black jacks darting furiously in and out of the divers’ lights which they were using to hunt by. Caribbean spiny, spotted spiny, red banded and flaming reef lobsters were also spotted, along with a sculptured slipper lobster keeping the gnome company, channel clinging and hairy clinging crabs, brittle stars and a myriad of corals all enjoying their evening dinner. And, as if not to be outdone, a Caribbean reef octopus gave a dazzling colour change display and showed his distinctive parachute pattern, for which these octopus are known.

Our final dives at West Caicos this week took place Thursday morning at Driveway and what a fantastic choice this was. Nassau and tiger groupers were spotted lining up like a Sunday carwash to be cleaned by the army of tireless cleaning gobies. The yellowhead jawfish of varying sizes were seen at different points along the dives and a peacock flounder revealed its blue ring markings whilst going through a dramatic colour change to ensure it matched the bottom below it. Towards the end of the dive, just as we thought we had seen it all, some of our lucky divers encountered a manta ray in the shallows at approximately 40ft.

It was time to say “Au revoir” to West Caicos and head over to North West Point for dives at Eel Garden Thursday afternoon. A large green moray reclined on a ledge off the wall and a little further along a tiny juvenile spotted drum was its neighbour. At one of the many cleaning stations a soapfish was having its weekly clean by Pederson cleaning shrimps who, in their enthusiasm, also started to clean the divers too. An intrepid tiger tail sea cucumber was also spotted extended out, sweeping the reef for food, something normally only seen at night. From small tufted nudibranchs to large Caribbean reef sharks there was something to suit all tastes. The night dive brought out many lobsters and a band of dancing Pederson cleaning shrimp.

Early Friday morning the final dives of the week took place at Sharks Hotel where “big” was the theme. A huge green moray reclining on the rocks was spotted enjoying the view; eventually swimming off to find a more private spot and a spiny lobster outing was taking place, with many lobsters freely wandering around the reef. To round off the morning a gorgeous hawksbill turtle approached, who wanted to play with the divers and pose for as many photos as possible.

What a fantastic week was had by all.

Thanks from your crew this week: Captain Amanda, James, Carlos, Kris, Maneco and Steph. Join us next week to see what adventures we have in store.

 

[Aggressor Adventures]

Turks & Caicos Aggressor II Captain’s Report June 1-8, 2013

Water Temperature: 79˚- 81˚F
Thermal suit recommendation: 3mm with hooded vest
Visibility: 80 feet

We are delighted to welcome back Mike & Mike of the Jim Church School of Underwater Digital Photography and with them some familiar faces and some new friends to be made. Joining us, and the ‘Mikes’ this week were Alex and Lisa, Jennifer, Marie Elizabeth, John and Torrill, Don, Doug, Laura and Stephen, Mike, Bob, Hugh, Kevin and Lance.

The water is taking a little longer to warm up this season but that did not stop us from having some great encounters this week and many, many photographs were taken. Our camera table got used to its fullest extent this week in every way!

We departed the dock early on Sunday morning and cruised around to Northwest Point, off of Providenciales. We started our morning at the dive site of Eel Garden and once all the back deck briefings had been delivered we were into the water, some testing empty housings, some just getting their bearings back into dive mode and others straight in there and photographing and videoing from the outset. The beautiful anemone at the crack was the perfect subject and although there were no critters inside there was a photogenic neck crab near by. There was definitely a taste for the tiny as well as the larger critters this week; headshield slugs provided the macro challenge at this site.

In between dives Mike & Mike shared their expertise of photography with an avid crowd, helped with settings on cameras and assisted with post-production whilst generally entertaining everyone.

At lunch we moved to a favourite of everyone – The Dome. The challenge here seemed to focus around photographing the tiniest of shrimp – the skeleton shrimp. Thank goodness they are small, as anything much bigger would take you into the realms of alien monsters. These miniscule critters latch on to hydroids and capture their food in the water as it passes. They are difficult to see let alone photograph and so the magnifying glasses came into their own. Our resident spotted moray reclined in the structure of the dome, whilst blue striped grunts sought shelter within the construction. The night dive brought out the crazy sponge crabs, resident octopus and other usual suspects of channel clinging crab, Caribbean lobster and basket stars.

By the time everyone was up on Monday morning we were well on our way to West Caicos. Driveway was to be our morning stop with its large number of yellow-headed jawfish and of course our local Caribbean reef shark population. Our pregnant female continues to swell in size and together with the other large females that frequent these waters, she is not afraid to get up close and personal in and amongst the divers. It all made for some great photographs and video. A hawksbill turtle made an appearance, making a great feast of a sponge and quite carefree as divers closed in. We moved to Rock Garden Interlude for the afternoon accompanied by our entourage of Caribbean reef sharks. More turtle encounters as another hawksbill slowly cruised across the sand.

Excitement was building for Tuesday morning and The Anchor, a sure sign that we were heading to French Cay in the afternoon. The anchor hung in all its glory in the same position that it has been for the last few hundred years. Almost unrecognizable from the encrusting sponges and coral, it is no longer the colour of iron, but bright reds and oranges. The seahorse that has been rumored at this site remains elusive but we still enjoyed the other critters including the peacock flounder – happy to sit on a rock whilst at least eight people photographed it. Of course our accompanying sharks did not abandon us and continued to delight.

So it came to lunchtime and our move across to French Cay. With the high winds that we had experienced over the past few weeks we were excited to make the crossing for the first time in two weeks and although the seas were not as calm as we would have liked them they had settled a little by the time that we got closer to the cay. Visibility was a little low but it is always a pleasure to be at French Cay. Caribbean reef sharks abound as well as the occasional nurse shark. At Rock N Roll for the afternoon and night dive we found the reef sharks circling us and a nurse shark or two content to rest on any unsuspecting photographers fins.

A favourite site for all was G-Spot where the shark theme continued but we were also graced with at least two spotted eagle rays and a very mellow hawksbill turtle. Reports came in of the biggest porcupine fish that anyone had ever seen. The deep water gorgonians, damaged in past years storms are definitely making a come back and as the tide was ebbing it was good to see their healthy-looking polyps out taking advantage of the tide as any tiny morsel of food passed.

Wednesday afternoon took us back to West Caicos and a fantastic dive at Gullies. We were back with our beloved female sharks and their tendency to come in close. Either sitting in the sand, or hanging over the wall our divers got the shots that they wanted with one or two being more than a little surprised as a reef shark swam up the gulley that they were swimming down. The night dive was fruitful with an octopus being spotted almost immediately upon entry to the water. Spiny lobster and channel clinging crab patrolled the reef and basket stars held on at the edge of the wall and feasted. To add something a little bit different we took down a black light and saw all the fluorescence of the corals. A little like a scene from Avatar. Neck crabs almost invisible to the naked eye with a regular flashlight soon became very prominent as the tiny particles that it has decorated itself with and its eyes glowed in the black light.

Evenings were spent in front of laptops producing the final submission for everyone to see on Friday followed by relaxation on the sundeck before preparing for the following day, deciding what lens to use and wondering what critters there would be to capture.

Thursday took us to one of the crews’ favourite dive sites – Elephant Ear Canyon. Yes, there were sharks but at this stage most had opted for the macro world. Headshield slugs and a number of pipe horses were the subjects of the morning as they hung out in the sparse sea grass that we have at this site. At least eight southern stingrays swam around the photographers vying with each other for food with the garden eels disappearing out of sight as soon as they came near. Rosy razor fish darted in and out of the sand with no apparent hole to go into, only to reappear just a few minutes later. Pederson cleaner shrimp, spotted cleaner shrimp and sun anemone shrimp abounded in a variety of anemones and a single flamingo tongue trailed its way across the sand, we assume to find another home.

We returned to Northwest Point and the Dome for the afternoon again shooting skeleton shrimp, peacock flounder, spotted and Pederson cleaner shrimp and even the snapping shrimp that also inhabit the corkscrew anemone.

One final dive at Pinnacles in Grace Bay ended our week and set everyone up for a relaxing afternoon and graduation. Much was learnt, great photos were taken and great fun was had by all. Thank you Mike & Mike for an awesome week.

Joining in with the fun this week your crew was Amanda, James, Cole, Dave, Kris and Carlos.

 

[Aggressor Adventures]

Turks & Caicos Aggressor II Captain’s Report June 8 – 15, 2013

Water Temperature: 81 - 82 F
Wetsuit Recommendation: 3 mm

Welcome back to another week onboard the Turks and Caicos Aggressor ll. A warm welcome this week to the Southern Skin Divers group hailing from Alabama. Joining us this week are Scot & Tyronza, Richard & Holly, Don & Linda, Barry, Jason, Carolyn & Fritz, John A, John P, Chuck & Mary, Kayla & Heather, Spencer, and Dylan. All were briefed and eager to get wet as we headed to Grace Bay for our first dive.

Pinnacles was the first site chosen and is becoming somewhat of a staff favorite. Here the opportunity to search for some smaller life is always relished. The dives today were no exception with sightings of a large leopard flatworm and a not so common black spotted sea goddess. A large school of yellowtail snapper kept the divers company during the safety stops and there were reports of a solitary reef shark cruising through the pinnacle fingers. All in all, a very enjoyable checkout dive providing an ideal spot for some of the guests to re-familiarise themselves with equipment and techniques (some not used for years)! The water temperature was staying at a pleasant 81 degrees with most divers opting for a 3 mm.

For the afternoon and evening dive we made for Eel Garden. There is always plenty to see on this site…roving barracudas, inquisitive blennies and an unusual octopus out and about in daylight hours. A rare-sighted sun anemone shrimp was also seen with the visibility at around 60ft. After an excellent dinner, compliments of Chef Kris, divers were given the night dive briefing and braved the depths for what proved to be an eventful night dive. Nudibranchs, octopus, and squid the size of fingernails were all spotted. The usual suspects of barracuda and blackjacks were patrolling the boat-lit area, and some greater amberjacks provided a brief flurry of action towards the end. Five dives later, and fortified with a bit of Jamaican rum cream, some extremely satisfied guests turned in waiting the following day eagerly. A special mention to John P. for completing his first night dive. Congratulations John!

Monday saw us heading to West Caicos after an early start. Fresh brewed coffee and the smell of sizzling bacon roused any late risers, and all were keen to jump in for a dive at Magic Mushroom. Divers dropped in to find a large hawksbill turtle unconcernedly munching its breakfast, and were then treated to a courting pair of spotted morays. The action continued throughout the dive with three large reef sharks keeping on the periphery; one female being heavily pregnant. Pederson cleaner shrimp, banded coral shrimp, jawfish, and a huge cubera snapper also made an appearance. After a fantastic couple of dives, time for a spot of lunch, and then onwards! After lunch we moored up at our next dive site, Brandywine. Plenty more shark sightings and a magnificent peacock flounder, as well as a curious porcupine fish were spotted. Also, many spotted their first green moray eel, and to top it off, were treated to the sight of two Pederson cleaner shrimp diligently providing dental service. Visibility improved for the afternoon and for those new to blue water diving it was a real treat. The night dive here is always lively and tonight provided a large reef shark to keep the divers company, plenty of lobster roving the reef, as well as a lesser-seen slipper lobster along with more miniscule squid braving the school of blackjacks under the boat. Tonight it was congratulations to Susan and Jason for completing their first ever night dives! Well done!

Tuesday kicked off with two dives at Elephant Ear Canyon. This is a truly beautiful dive site with white-sand channels dropping down through pristine wall and our divers as usual winding up in the shallows with a hunt for some macro delights. Two golden tail morays were nestling on the edge of the wall, as well as a large grouper, moodily gliding past divers. Other sightings worthy of note included a tiny headshield slug, several pipe horses, and a pike head blenny. The pipe horses all seem to be spotted pairing up at the moment, could there be love in the air? Following the first dives we headed for Gullies; another staff favorite and the usual collection of reef sharks seemed to be awaiting our arrival, with four or five seen throughout. A huge channel cleaner crab was also out for a stroll, as well as a school of Atlantic spadefish observed on the lip of the wall. Beautiful gorgonians punctuate the wall on this site, and as usual guests came up thrilled with the beauty of the semi-closed swim throughs that give this site its name.

The night dive was one to remember for John A. as he reached one hundred dives. Huge congratulations, John, and here’s to many more! The cubera snapper kept us company once again and a curious nurse shark was seen investigating the reef, aided by our lights. Towards the end, and during the ascent, we spent a good five minutes watching a spotted moray lithely slipping his way around in the hunt for unwary prey.

Conditions at Driveway were sparkling for Wednesday’s two morning dives. Good visibility and water at a pleasant 82 degrees. Jawfish cautiously popped up and down as divers spent time investigating the shallower areas. The dazzling white sand provided an excellent backdrop for a hunting stingray and a couple of reef sharks were seen in and around the “driveway”. After some “Wacky Wednesday” entries, and a splendid belly flop from Barry, it was time to cast off and head to French Cay.

Mooring up at G-Spot we could already tell the visibility was going to be outstanding and later most agreed that this was their favorite site. The nutrient-rich water provides some pristine coral and all the marine life found here is in particularly good health. Three turtles were spotted on the first dive, as well as nurse sharks, reef sharks, a moray eel, countless jawfish and some lucky guests were also treated to a graceful display by a huge solitary eagle ray. Collections of juvenile basket stars, equidistantly and delicately sewn onto a sea fan, were a beautiful reminder of some of Mother Ocean’s finest needlework. After such great day dives, most of the group were keen to sample G Spot for the night dive. The nurse sharks were active and in full hunt mode, one in particular seen upside down as it rammed its head deep into a crevice! A larger octopus was conducting its business around the reef, banded coral shrimp plucked bloodworms from the torchlight, and a miniscule juvenile scorpion fish observed the divers, with bug-eyed fascination. As usual, G Spot did not disappoint.

Thursday morning’s dives at Double D were an excellent way to end our time at French Cay. Three types of lobster were identified and sightings of eagle rays were reported on both dives. A massive green moray was tucked away just under the boat, and swathes of parrotfish and wrasses circled the two D’s. Some really beautiful soft corals were seen at this site too, as the sea plumes gently sway with the current all over the site, sometimes hiding hunting trumpetfish.

After a much smoother crossing back to West Caicos we moored at The Anchor and got straight down to business. The daylight dives provided sightings of another pregnant reef shark, as well as a jawfish, complete with eggs! More cubera, which seem to be coming more common right now, some cleaner gobies, and Pederson cleaner shrimp supplied lucky divers with a manicure, dancing on the reef to draw them in.
The night dive saw a very playful octopus come out to see what all the lights were about and several nudibranchs were found amongst some of the softer corals. One very curious barracuda kept guard of the divers making safety stops, whether they liked it or not! And several reef sharks were making use of the lights to track down any distracted prey. After casting off we made for North West Point where we moored up at our next mornings dive spot, The Dome, and settled down for the night.

A dawn dive at The Dome is always a magical affair and this week the guests were so eager they woke before the crew! A juvenile trunkfish was the most talked about sighting of the morning along with our guests finding another daytime octopus (it must be that time of year). The resident school of grunts was also circling the interior of the Dome, and some divers were treated to a solitary turtle gliding over the shallows. Between dives, guests were treated to a preview of Cole’s (our Video Pro) masterful creation, an opportunity to relive some of the special moments in the week.

What a lovely way to end a fantastic week of diving with the Southern Skin Divers. Thank you all for joining us and we hope to welcome you back aboard in the near future!