Utila Aggressor II Captain's Logs

[Aggressor Adventures]

Utila Aggressor II Captain’s Report July 21 – 28, 2012

Saturday 21.07.2012

This Saturday is a special day, as Utila is hosting an annual carnival and there is a big procession going on in town. The owner of the boat shows up on horseback with about 15 other riders on show horses for the carnival. Everybody is enjoying the unusual scene of dancing horses just a few yards from the boat. The rest of the guests have missed their international flight and will arrive until the next morning. The guests get a boat orientation by Captain Nestor and we get to know our new guests during our first excellent dinner on the boat.

Sunday 22.07.2012

We get up around seven and get the boat ready for departure. After the delayed guests arrive we immediately leave port to get to our first dive site.
At “Ted’s Point” we conclude our first dives of the trip and do check out dives. Some of the divers have just been certified and it is their first real dive on a beautiful reef. An Eagle Ray cruising past gently can be seen on both dives and we also find a huge Toadfish sitting in a channel crevice. Throughout our second dive we can hear Dolphins at all times and at the end of the dive we get accompanied by Spinner Dolphins back to the boat.
The “Jack Neil’s Reef” on the southwest side of the island is our second and last dive site for today. We do afternoon dives and night dives on this amazing site, offering shallow sand with Seahorses swimming around Pinecone-Algae-Trees and Decorator Shrimp hanging in Black Coral on a 70 ft wall. Besides the Yellow and Fuzzy Seahorses we get to see an instigated territorial fight between two male Sailfin Blennies.
Upon night dive time surface conditions have become challenging due to winds, but we manage to get our first night dive done. We encounter squids that draw nearer to the light as we swim along a wall riddled with the small critters of the night. Squid being inquisitive and ever hungry get closer when confidence subsides fear. One ends up swimming into my dive light, gets spooked and splits with a squirt of ink.
After diving we move the boat into the Utila harbor for a sheltered mooring for the night, because the winds have picked up.

Monday 23.07.2012

This morning the winds have died down and we head out to the north side of Utila. “The Pinnacle” at “Turtle Harbor” is our first dive site of the day. Four of our guests take a challenge this week and take PADI Specialty-classes for Deep and Wreck diving. The first deep dive is my task for the first morning dive and we go “Underwater Skydiving” off the edge of the impressive north side wall. Along the wall we find an Eagle Ray flying past and a very playful turtle that swims with us for about 20 minutes of the dive.
On the second dive we go deep again and explore a most fantastic swim-through right at the pinnacle. Then we spend time in the shallows and explore the channels and overhangs of the reef-fringe. Lucky again we find three tiny juvenile Spotted Drums in one spot and enjoy their infinite-dance swimming style.
After a light lunch of various salads, including my favorite shrimp salad, we head on to do a drop-off dive at the wall in front of Turtle Bay. Spotted Morays peek out of crevices along the wall and we get o see a rare Red Coral Crab.

Afternoon and night dives are taking place at Spotted Bay and as if on cue we find Spotted Eagle Rays, Spotted Morays and Spotted Drums. An especially not-scared Squid actually makes our afternoon dive memorable as we can watch it up-close laying eggs inside little reef crevices. A small school of huge Tarpons passes by on the night dive.

Tuesday 24.07.2012

Early morning dives before breakfast are a diver’s delight any day. Diving a wreck makes it even better. The wreck of the “Halliburton” is where the wreck diving specialty takes its course. The very accessible, purposely sunk wreck of a cargo ship is a picturesque home for reef fish and their predators. We can see some huge Cubera Snappers on top of the wheelhouse of the “Halliburton” surrounded by a large school of juvenile bar jacks.
During breakfast the Utila Aggressor II is making her way to Roatan. We dive on the west end of the island at “Fosters Reef”. This dive is all about turtles and again Eagle Rays. I am teaching another part of the deep diving specialty. Learning about compressible and incompressible items at depth we hover on top of a bright sandy bottom. We can enjoy a free-swimming seahorse amidst a forest of little pine cone tree algae growing amongst the countless Brown Garden Eels.
The afternoon and night dives take place at the “Lighthouse Reef”. During the daylight dive a group of four big Rainbow Parrotfish swim past and later we see a very large school of Creole Wrasse swimming away from the lighthouse point. This procession of dark blue wrasse seems to be endless. We get tired of watching after 20 minutes. On the night dive three different Octopuses are found and seem very playful as they stick around for quite some time.

Wednesday 25.07.2012

Early in the morning we steam out to a group of islands called “Cayos Cochinos” and dive in a marine park site called “Coco’s Seamount”. Big schools of fish and a beautiful underwater mountain make this site a great dive. Also a great number of lionfish can be found and a few newbie’s to the lionfish slaying can carve their first notches in their spears.
On our way back to Roatan we do the shark dive at “Cara A Cara” and meet around seven Grey Reef Sharks face to face. We attract the sharks with a freshly speared Lionfish and they home in around us posing for great videos and pictures. As one shark finally grabs the fish he takes the spear that is attached to it with him. We have to laugh hard about this and one dive master has to swim hard to get it back from Davie Jones Locker.
In the afternoon we continue teaching wreck diving at a little wreck called “Mr. Bud”. This old shrimp boat was beautifully sunk next to a shallow reef at 60 ft and makes for great fun dives and training dives. There are always a lot of Crabs and Lobsters in and around the wreck and on the sandy bottom Jewfish can be seen looking out of their holes in the ground. On the night dive the divers get very lucky again and find two free-swimming octopus.

Thursday 26.07.2012

In the morning we anchor just next to our morning dive site “Pirate’s Point”. Here we tie the boat up to an old military tank and go for a relaxing first dive of the day. Interesting creatures cross our path on this dive. A Spanish Lobster or Slipper Lobster sits under a rock, just next to it a Bur fish, which looks like a small, fuzzy Porcupine fish. Later a Stargazer is the lucky find of the dive.
“Mary’s Place” is where we continue diving this morning. This guided-only dive takes the group in single file on a tour of fantastic swim throughs beneath deep coral channels and walls. Green Morays are found some even swimming around hunting.
On the surface interval and already moored up to our next dive site “Taviana Wall” we find Hawksbill Sea Turtles coming up for air. On the dive we find some of them too and we get long interludes of picture-time with the turtles.

For afternoon and night dives we move to the west end of Roatan to the “Eel Garden”. Here we find sandy patches and shallow reefs and then sandy channels on deeper coral reefs. We swim over the fields of Brown Garden Eels and watch them duck in their holes as we get too close and slowly creep out after we swim along. Deep Diving is getting finished here with the fourth and last dive needed for certification. The night dive offers huge Channel Crabs and also large Spiny Lobsters in big numbers. Everybody lights up the stage with their dive lights as we get to feed a previously speared Lionfish to a Spotted Moray Eel.

Friday 27.07.2012

Another wreck dive is required for the wreck divers to conclude their course. We dive the “El Aguila” before breakfast for our first plunge of the day. Many Groupers and big Snappers can be found here and they all expect to be fed by anything blowing bubbles. So as we go down a parade of fish is headed our way hanging out real close until they get what they want. Tuna cuts are gabbed up by the nearest fish in a split of a second after they get out of the container. After a short while a huge Green Moray Eel named “Juanita” comes out to play and sticks her nose in the container eating up the rest of the chum. Loads of digital memory is created in a short time.
The Wreck divers pan out on the wreck looking for entry and exit points, and then penetrate the stern hold with reel deployment and retrieval in their buddy teams. All divers are certified wreck divers upon ascent.
We make our way back to Utila and our last dive of the trip takes place at “East Harbor Reef”, just next to the in-water lighthouse. We all enjoy that last dive and get to take pictures with two Sea Turtles. We also take a load of group-shots with all the divers and make it a fun time to remember.
After lunch every diver takes care of their equipment and gets it cleaned up and dried, ready for travel. That evening the crew shows all the pictures and a video of the trip to the guests over wine and cheese. After that we enjoy our last day on the boat together and celebrate new friendships and make plans to catch up later to go diving again on the Utila Aggressor II, so come see us soon and have a great time with us.

Chris Achberger
Instructor

 

[Aggressor Adventures]

Utila Aggressor II Captain’s Report July 28 – August 4, 2012
“Get On My Boat”

CREW
Captain Nestor Vidotto
Chef Corina Fuentes
Steward Marna Collins
Instructor Luis Wesley
Instructor Maria Merrin
Deck Hand John Bodden

Visibility 80 to 100 feet
Wind 15 to 25 km out of the E
Temperature 80 to 82 F
Wetsuit recommended 3mm ‘Full suit or Shorty’

This week the Utila Aggressor II welcomed a group of divers who have been planning dive trips together every year for the past 33 years. The destination choice for them this time was Utila and Roatan.

The group had completed their Instructor course together in 1978 and have been happily diving together ever since. They arrived separately on Saturday and some hadn’t seen each other since the previous year’s trip. They reunited on the boat with hearty laughs and jokes that would rival any fraternity party. The crew knew we were in for a wild ride.

They caught up with one and other as they set up their gear, feasting on snacks and drinks to get the trip started off right. Later that evening, the announcement for a safety orientation and a welcome aboard was made by Captain Nestor, and everyone enjoyed a toast to christen the week’s upcoming adventures.

First thing Sunday morning we arrived at Utila’s infamous North Side with two dives at Blackish Point and Great Wall. As the guests returned from their dives, warm towels fresh from the dryer and scrumptious snacks awaited them to enjoy. As they ate and shared pictures with each other we made our way South to Blue Bayou and Jack Neil Point, one of Captain Nestor’s favorite sites for fun in the sand! Flounders, squids, pipefish, garden eels, and TWO sea horses were delighted over by all the divers. As we made our way to calmer waters for the night the smell of Corina’s delicious cooking beckoned us into the lounge for the remainder of the evening. More jokes, videos, and wine were shared around until it was time for the guests to retire to their deluxe cabins.

As the sun crept up early Monday morning, bringing with it a gentle breeze and calm waters, we motored our way back to Turtle Harbor on the North Side of Utila with two more magical dives at The Pinnacle, with its well-known swim through and crevices to explore. As the guests enjoyed another home cooked meal brought to us by the lovely Chef Corina we took the opportunity to make our way south to Black Hills, a feeding station brimming with huge schools of spade fish and free swimming eels. We then followed the current further south to a seamount by the name of Brown Bank where a turtle took time to explore us and pose effortlessly for each diver that snapped shots off like paparazzi. Captain Nestor ended the dive as he took aim at a hidden lionfish and presented his offering to a very grateful goat fish tucked beneath the beautifully colored coral. The divers surfaced absolutely thrilled with plenty of smiles and praise. I thought to myself, “You haven’t seen anything yet!”

The journey continued the next morning with a dive on The Halliburton Wreck, sunk purposely in 1998, where we marveled over a leopard flatworm. Then onward to the north with a stop at the remote Coco’s Sea Mount, where the ocean floor rises from hundreds of feet to only 40 feet from the surface. This seamount is far from Utila and Roatan; therefore day boat divers rarely visit it. This is an excellent place to encounter desired requests like Eagle Rays, Turtles, Queen Trigger Fish, and massive Horse Eyed Jacks. After one of the trip’s best dives, the Utila Aggressor divers moved on to sample Roatán’s spectacular walls.

Next was one of the crew’s favorite dives called Cara-A-Cara (face to face in English), where guests swam face-to-face with a host of Caribbean Reef Sharks. Captain Nestor added to the festivities with multiple lionfish offerings bringing the feeding sharks within arms reach.

That afternoon we enjoyed dives at Mr. Bud, a cargo ship located on a sand bank as well as Pirates Point, a fantastic site for viewing gorgonians, such as the giant split pore sea rod, sea plumes and the yellow sea whip, among others. We marveled at how they danced to the movements of the water. As we gleefully boarded the platform of the mother ship, some divers enjoyed happy dances of their own! That evening Captain Nestor entertained us with a thrilling documentary called “Shark Waters”, highlighting the crisis of sharks today. The movie moved all the guests to want to make a difference in the future of these precious creatures, as well as prepare us for our upcoming shark dive the following day.

The morning kicked off with huge helpings of eggs-your-way, crispy bacon, cinnamon and sugar dusted waffles, famous Honduran coffee, and an assortment of delicious juices. The divers indulged happily as though knowing they would need all the energy they could muster to prepare them for the much anticipated shark dive at Mary’s Place. During the dive the struggle to help save these amazing animals echoed in the back of everyone’s minds making the experience that much more enjoyable. After orange and banana smoothies were enjoyed by all we dove back in for a drop dive at Half Moon Bay Wall, which descends vertically from 50ft to 120ft where it meets a sandy bottom and then, with less angle, continues to a second wall that descends to great depths. Nassau groupers, cubera snappers, black durgeons, oceanic triggerfish, and Creole wrasses stretched out as far as the eye could see. We ended the day with dives at Foster Beach, adding to our lionfish kill shots, and a night dive at Tabijana, which converted one of our guests to an adamant night diver. “Now I see why people go night diving!” she exclaimed as she ascended the ladder.

Just when the trip seemed to have peaked we dropped down to Roatán’s El Aguila Wreck where the crew hand fed giant groupers inches from the spell bound guests. Peter’s Place soon followed as we found the entrances to small caverns and labyrinths with sandy bottoms where the harlequin bass and lettuce sea slugs were found hiding. To wrap up the day’s events we visited Lighthouse Reef and Eel Garden. Ending the last night dive of the trip was a massive lionfish everyone agreed was the biggest they had ever seen!

The final dives of the week were Friday morning. At the request of one of our guests we visited Pablo’s Place in Roatán’s Marine Park. It was exemplary of the type of topography found on the south side of the island. Then, we went to West End Wall where we found ourselves fighting a bit with the current. However, the divers were pleased with a bit of a work out to help burn the many calories packed onto us by our wonderful Chef Corina throughout the week.

As the trip wound down the crew and guests spent the day relaxing together, sharing favorite pictures, and bragging rights as to who had the most dives, bottom time, and best air consumption. With a final hurrah, we enjoyed a wine and cheese party where Captain Nestor presented a humorous toast, lionfish ceviche and an astounding video, which seemed to capture each precious moment shared by everyone on the trip. We laughed, some cried, and we all shared in group pictures and hugs.

Another great and fantastic week is over and waiting for more takers to come on down and enjoy your vacation the way a dive vacation is suppose to be, so come see us aboard the Utila Aggressor II if you want your trip to be like this one, you never know it might just get better.
GET ON MY BOAT!!!

Instructor – Maria S. Merrin

 

[Aggressor Adventures]

Utila Aggressor II Captain’s Report Aug 4 – 11, 2012
CREW
Captain Nestor
Chef Marna
Steward Candy
Instructor Luis
Instructor Maria
Engineer Brenson

Visibility 80 to 100 feet
Wind 15 to 25 km out of the E
Temperature 80 to 82 F
Wetsuit recommended 3mm ‘Full suit or Shorty’

This week the Aggressor Fleet received a wild and rambunctious bunch from Tennessee. They arrived together at 3:00pm to our dock in Roatan laughing and welcoming one another with big hugs and hearty pats on the back. The whole group was already acquainted with each other and had been diving together for years at a dive center called “The Dive Shop” located in Tennessee.

The owners Lisa and Randy had put this group together and the crew knew immediately this trip would be entertaining, and full of laughs. They set up their gear quickly and spent most of the evening entertaining the crew with stories highlighting each other’s funniest mishaps. Our captain Nestor completed the Safety Orientation and formally welcomed everyone on board. After a few more jokes, we all raised our champagne glasses high to celebrate the beginning of a glorious week. To end the evening our chef Marna delighted us with enormous helpings of her baked chicken and gravy, scalloped potatoes, fried plantains, and salad. We all went to sleep with our bellies full of food and hurting from all the laughter we all shared.

First thing in the morning we awoke to the brilliant sun making its way across a perfectly blue colored sky, not a cloud to be seen. The smell of banana pancakes, cheese-covered eggs and crispy bacon beckoned everyone from their cabins to the salon to receive their breakfast. When everyone was finished the crew assisted the divers into their gear and off the boat to begin the first dive of the week. We began our journey at a site called Taviana’s Wall. Named after the magnificent beach that overlooks the site, this site offers a lot of variety. Below the boat the wall runs parallel to the coast and descends to 90ft. The sandy bottom continues to 120ft where we found a Southern Stingray. On the plateau at 35ft we found a great congregation of Sea Plumes. When all the divers ascended the ladder joyously we were hand served homemade chocolate cookies that were hot from the oven.

That afternoon we motored down to Half Moon Bay Wall. This site has a lot of canyons to explore, as well as sandy areas where we surprisingly encountered a nurse shark. In one of the crevices of the wall we also found some juvenile spotted drums. So very cute! That evening we had the pleasure of enjoying juicy steak, sautéed onions, mash potatoes and buttery veggies. Once satisfied, a few of the guests came out for a night dive and were not disappointed. We spotted a turtle, free-swimming eel, and massive crabs. When we boarded the boat the wind caught our attention, but was quickly over shadowed by the steamy cups of hot chocolate waiting for us.

Early the next morning as the sun rose slowly more laughs were shared between the guests and crew over coffee and breakfast burritos stuffed with eggs, ham, and avocado. We were excited that day to dive at El Augila since most of our divers had never seen a wreck before. They were stunned not only to experience the wreck for the first time, but as well to see huge snappers and goliath groupers being hand fed by our crew. One guest was able to snap a one-of-a-kind picture as the grouper snatched up a piece of fish inches from his camera. On the boat we replayed the video over and over as everyone was astonished.

Connie’s Place and Mr. Bud were the next two stops on our expedition, each presenting wonderful sites. At a depth of 20 to 30ft the upper part of the reef is generally flat and is abundant with soft corals and hard coral heads. At this depth you will be able to see holes that act as skylights to the caverns below at 50ft. Mr. Bud allowed us to have another great experience with a wreck. Since the wreck sits on its side, the swim through made for an interesting view for our divers.

Mary’s Reef was born out of volcanic activity and it looks like a thumb-like protrusion from the wall. Through the protrusion, two steep faults are carved out. A mooring buoy is placed over an area of 20ft depth. This unique and beautiful dive can be commenced by descending the mooring line and by swimming to the east of the wall. Upon reaching the wall, one can turn towards the right and find the sheer canyon, enter it and swim ahead gradually. The crevice starts at a depth of 60ft and rises only up to 40ft and this fault comes into sight at a right angle to the first crevice. One can enter this second fissure, then swim through the wall, than turn right again clinging to the wall and swim forward towards the opposite end of the first fissure and enter it at the west side. To return to the boat, one may swim through to the entry of the fault on an alternate course. As we ascended the ladder every diver had that, “I just went diving at Mary’s Place” smile from ear to ear. What a great start to the day. To top it all off out popped Chef Marna with toasty conch fritters and tangy dipping sauce for all to enjoy.

Following a quick nap we continued down to Foster’s Reef, a shallower dive to contrast to Mary’s Place. Fantastic sandy bottom dotted with stony coral formations. We didn’t miss the chance to check out the variety of sand dwelling creatures living here, from the Peacock Flounders, to the Seahorse, and even a few Stingrays cruising by. I also had the opportunity to spear a few lionfish for our Chef Marna to prepare her famous Lion Fish Ceviche.

That evening was quiet and calm making for great night diving weather. The crew decided Eel Garden would be an excellent choice. As the divers prepared their gear and torches we splashed excitedly into the dark waters of Roatan. As we edged the coral walls we were amazed to see giant crabs everywhere, as well as a turtle surfacing and then shooting back down towards us. Then coming over the wall we followed a free-swimming spotted eel, and 2 octopuses. Making our way back to the boat we covered our torches with our hands and as we glided through the warm waters the bioluminescence covered us like orahs. Truly a dive not to be forgotten!

Awakening to the last day of the trip is always bitter sweet. All the fun memories, new experiences, and friends made have been life changing, but must now come to an end. We culminated our week at two of the crew’s favorite sites, Peter’s Place and Gibson’s Bight.

Peter’s Place is made up of rather deep mini walls that are renowned for the presence of spotted eagle rays and sea turtles. The mooring buoy rests at 50ft above the reef surface. The reef crest then falls to the bottom of nearly 130ft. descending from the mooring line; one may continue to drift for a short distance reaching the wall. The focal point of the dive is the spectacular sight of green and hawksbill turtles, and huge spotted eagle rays weighing between 400 – 500 pounds.

Sadly but surely the end was upon us, but not without one final hurrah. We gather all the guests in the salon where Chef Marna had prepared a selection of treats for us to feast on. Home made chips and salsa, mini sandwiches, various cheeses, and a toast of champagne. Captain Nestor made a humorous speech and played a video he had made highlighting all the great sites we had encountered over the course of the week. What a great ending to a terrific week.

If you are reading this because you too will be joining us aboard The Aggressor Fleet soon than I have only one thing to say. Get excited! Great crew, fabulous diving, and some of the best food you have ever had served with a smile J we can’t wait to see you for more fun in the sun.

 

[Aggressor Adventures]

Utila Aggressor II Captain’s Report August 11– 18, 2012

CREW
Captain Nestor, Chef Marna, Steward Candy, Instructor Luis, Instructor Maria, Engineer Brenson

Visibility 80 to 100 feet
Wind 15 to 25 km out of the E
Temperature 80 to 82 F
Wetsuit recommended 3mm ‘Full suit or Shorty’


Welcome back for another fun filled week on the Utila Aggressor II! This trip brought us a spirited group of divers from ASC Dive School located in Washington D.C. Some divers came to us with hundreds of dives already under their belt (or dive belt I should sayJ), while others came fresh from their open water course. They arrived to our dock on Roatan around 4pm, late from their flights and thoroughly exhausted from traveling all day. Once they boarded the Utila Aggressor you could see their troubles melt away. We welcomed them with smiles, took their bags to store away for the week, and provided them with the life savers of the island “Salva Vida”!

They took time to set up their gear as we collected their preferences in weights, air or Nitrox, and seating positions. As everyone joyously welcomed the beginning of their vacations we helped them all become acquainted with one another. Although they all dove at the same dive shop many had never met. Some came with friends of friends, but all with the same purpose; EAT SLEEP AND DIVE!

Once all the gear was set, tanks filled, bags stowed, and shoes taken off we began the welcome party. As we entered the salon, the sweet smell of freshly made chips and salsa, sandwiches, and specialty cheeses brought our stomachs to a low hum. The guests immediately dug right in. The captain entered into his safety briefing making sure the crew and guests were well informed on the protocol ensuring a safe and exciting week. With bellies satisfied and introductions complete the crew passed around champagne to commence a toast for all the turtles, eagle rays, and sea horses yet to come!

We all sat down together that night for the first meal of many to come. Chef Marna impressed the guests this evening with her famous smothered chicken and gravy, creamy scalloped potatoes, hot fried plantains, and for dessert; perfectly baked strawberry cheesecake. We assured the guests not to worry about the calorie injections Chef Marna would be providing us. The Utila Aggressor completes 5 dives a day everyday to help counteract the addicting food.

As the Utila Aggressor departed the next morning we left behind all of our worries and cares and prepared for a life changing adventure into the unknown. We began the trip with dives at Mr. Bud and Eel Garden in Roatan. Mr. Bud is Roatan’s newest planned wreck sunk by Coco View Resort in January 2003 in front of French Cay in French Harbour. The site was enjoyed so much we completed a second dive here.

The Eel Garden presents more than the regular shard drop-off. This site is located just off the West Bay and is a quite shallow reef slightly sloping eastward. One may think of this site as a novice ski slope with several sand plots. This site is where the garden eels live together in harmony with rays, lizardfish, flounders, sail fin blennies and goatfish. The main attraction for our divers is the sand flats at the 50-foot level. Large colonies of garden eels are seen here and files of eels extend their bodies out from their sandy holes. Garden eels are shy creatures and to observe them our divers made advances very carefully and slowly. Once threatened by approach, they retreated in waves leaving behind only a cloud of sand.

Back on the boat hot showers and warm towels awaited our guests. Chef Marna served us freshly made almond cookies to hold us off for dinner. Once showered and dressed we sat down to another marvelous meal of fresh tilapia, buttery veggies, and a well spiced sauce that blanketed the whole plate. For dessert warm chocolate brownies, iced and served with a heap of vanilla ice cream. Those who had not succumbed to their food comas completed a night dive at Eel Garden where we saw giant lion fish, two leaping octopus, several glittering squid, and bioluminescence with each kick of a fin.

In the morning we awoke to the smell of Chef Marna’s Spanish omelets, bacon, and fluffy pancakes. After we had our fill we gathered to receive the briefing for the upcoming dives. The water was calm and clear making it easy to find our way over to Peter’s Place and Taviana’s Wall.

Peter’s Place is known for spotted eagle rays and we saw two that day! They are identified with splendid white circles or spots coating their dark bodies. Spotted eagle rays are commonly seen floating by on a light flight and they may also be found scouring the reef areas or sea grass beds searching for mollusks, which make up their diet.

Taviana’s Wall is an amazing dive site with a lot of variety. The wall to the west of the mooring which sits in about 40ft of water and just under the buoy there are a few swim throughs which we enjoyed towards the end of our dive. The wall starts at about 25ft and goes down to 90ft near the mooring further west. The wall has quite a few sponges where we discovered lobsters and crabs in the crevices. We also found large groupers, barracuda, and a turtle! To the east of the buoy the wall is a little more sloping and in one sandy area we spotted a nurse shark under the reef skirts.

That night we decided the Blue Channel would make for the perfect night dive. We followed each cut in the reef discovering turtles, lionfish, and octopus with every turn. We came up to find hot chocolate waiting for us from Chef Marna who laughed along with us to all our recounts of the dive.

The sun rose beautifully on the next morning. After a hearty breakfast of cinnamon waffles, eggs your way, and sausage we chose the two most famous dive sites to enjoy. Cara A Cara and Mary’s Place here we come! Cara A Cara is Spanish for face to face. It is quite different from sites found on similar shark encounters around the Caribbean. Firstly, the sharks have not been “chummed” away from their natural environment. The sharks we dove with were all Caribbean reef sharks displaying a daytime schooling behavior known only to a few species of sharks. Typically about 6 to 9 feet long and several hundred pounds each, these are handsome, powerful fish – healthy hunters of the reef in natures system of checks and balances.

In-between the dives Chef Marna served us the most delightful conch fritters, warm and toasted with several sauces to dip them. Many of our guests enjoyed their snacks in the hot tub where we also shared video and excitement over the last few dives.

Our last morning in Roatan was spent at another quite famous dive site called El Aguila, which is Spanish for “The Eagle”. This site contains a wreck about 75 meters long with a duel-deck cargo area. The boat was sunk upright in 1997 and in October 1998, Hurricane Mitch arrived breaking it into 3 pieces. The three pieces created extra nooks and crannies to investigate. We enjoyed massive Goliath groupers, a giant moray eel named “Juanita” who lives in the wreck, as well as a terrific swim through at the end of the dive.

That afternoon we enjoyed our lunch outside on the top deck. With the breeze in our hair we feasted on juicy hot dogs and hamburgers with every topping your heart could desire, potato soup, watermelon, and fresh ice tea. We motored our way to the Island of Utila for more amazing diving.

With just enough time to enjoy a pleasant nap after lunch we reached Utila and one of its best dive sites; Black Hills. What makes this site so spectacular is that it is a sea mound a few miles away from the island of Utila that creates a feeding station for a wide variety of fish. We saw a huge turtle, free-swimming eel, as large schools of spadefish, groupers, and Creole wrasse. The dive was enjoyed so much we decided to stay for the second dive as well.

Early the following day the sky was perfectly blue and you almost could make out where the water ended and sky began. We made our way to the north side of Utila to the protected marine area by the name of Turtle Harbour. Our first dive was at The Pinnacle. Known for its shear drop offs and swim through, the dramatic pinnacle that it is named for dramatically rises alongside the wall from 140 feet to 20 feet. We descended the chimney between the east side of the pinnacle and the wall to 80 feet to enter a twisting, winding tunnel that opened out into the deep blue at 130 feet. We than headed to another great sea mound by the name of Brown Bank, we encountered another turtle and a rare glimpse of a toadfish. What a treat! That night we dined on tender steak, grilled onions, mash potatoes and amazing gravy. For dessert we enjoyed tres leches cake topped with whipped cream.

That next morning we woke to the final day of the trip. We were so excited to dive, but it was all bittersweet knowing our fabulous week had to come to an end. We chose Pretty Bush Sea Mound and Lighthouse Reef as the last two dives of the trip. As we coasted past eagle rays, queen triggerfish, blue spotted filefish, and playful arrow crabs we all looked back at all we had experienced together that week. Each of us knew we had all shared a truly magical place in time where nothing else mattered but diving and what Chef Marna was cooking that day. The most difficult decisions that week were which way on the wall to follow and how much time we had to nap in between dives. We all knew it would be hard to return to the real world where all this will have seemed like a dream.

Once all the gear was rinsed, wet suits dried, weights stored away we all came together for one last party. Captain Nestor presented the guests with a video and collection of pictures he had put together throughout the trip. We laughed, took final pictures together, and shared our final stories of everything we had experienced together all week. Captain Nestor ended with a special toast always saved for the last day of the trip.

“If you lie, may you lie to save a friend. If you cheat, may you cheat death. If you steal, than steal some time and come back to visit us on the Aggressor Fleet!”

If you too are looking for an escape from reality where all your diving dreams can come true, than don’t wait! Please join us on the Aggressor Fleet for a truly life changing experience.

 

[Aggressor Adventures]

Utila Aggressor II Captain’s Report September 1 – 8, 2012

CREW
Captain Nestor, Chef Corina, Steward John, Instructor Luis, Instructor Maria, Instructor Joshua, Engineer Brenson

Visibility: 80 to 100 feet
Wind: 15 to 25 km out of the E
Temperature: 80 to 82 F
Wetsuit recommended: 3mm ‘Full suit or Shorty’

Welcome back divers to another miraculous trip in paradise aboard the Utila Aggressor. This week brought us a packed boat of 18 comical guests from all over America, Canada, Mexico, and even New Zealand. Our journey began on a sunny Saturday in beautiful Utila. The guests arrived right on schedule with wide eyes and jovial smiles. We greeted them on the dock dressed in our bright white seaman attire to help with loading bags, questions, concerns, and drinks to ease the stress from their full day of travel.

Each guest took time carefully selecting their place on the boat and began unloading and setting up their gear. The dive gear lives happily in the same place all week with a locker for storing any and all dive accessories. Most of the guests joining us on this trip had never met and took time to get acquainted with one another as well as the crew. The majority of the guests were very experienced divers with hundreds of dives already under their belts. Stories were passed around between them and the crew almost as much as the drinks were.

Once everyone had settled into their place, we all headed into the salon for the much anticipated Captain’s Briefing. The salon was decorated with all kinds of foods. Home made chips, a variety of salsas, mini sandwiches, an assortment of cheeses, and more celebratory drinks were dotted all over the room. When Captain Nestor entered the salon you would have thought Elvis had entered the building. His enormous echoing laugh permeated the room as he went around introducing himself personally to each guest.

After the introductions were in place he continued and introduced the staff. First and most importantly our fabulous Chef Corina who would be making sure no one was hungry for any part of the trip. Our chef not only cooks breakfast, lunch, dinner, and desert every day; but also snacks after each dive of the day. Next was our steward John who handles all the cleaning and is in charge of the beautiful table settings. Then he introduced the first mate Luis who acts as a back up captain if needed, and dives with the guests as an instructor as well. Than came myself, Maria an instructor. Better known as the fin ferry, towel ferry, tank ferry, and diving ferry. Whatever needs the guests may have are covered by me. All they need is to click their fins together and I will appear. This is what makes the service on the Utila Aggressor second to none. The guests will enjoy a week of having their fins put on and removed by me before and after each dive. Warm towels are happily placed on their shoulders once they have showered and their tanks are filled promptly after each dive. Finally, a new member of the crew was introduced, Joshua, he is a local Utilian who has been diving as an instructor on the island for many years and was already very familiar with the rest of the crew. After the Captain’s Briefing concluded we got the party started with a toast of champagne. More drinks and stories were shared before everyone retired to their cabins for a pleasant nights sleep.

Early the next morning we awoke to a magnificent morning sky and the sweet smell of banana pancakes wafting through the air. Toast, butter, jellies, juices, fruits, and an assortment of cereals also accompanied the pancakes. Once everyone was plumped full we herded onto the deck to brief for the days dives. We began with some of Utila’s best sites, Blackish Point, and Great Wall, and Brown Bank. Blackish Point is located on the western end of Rock Harbour with an extensive stretch of small caves or cavers, some with chimney holes providing light. It is about 20 meters and offers a nice dive admiring the caves and overhangs with colorful coral everywhere. In recent years, the invasive red lionfish is spotted in large numbers at the dive site. Just towards the end of the dive we were lucky enough to see a huge Marlin swimming past us on the surface. What a site!

As the morning sun rose over another luminous day in Utila the guests trickled into the salon where Chef Corina had prepared Spanish omelets, spicy sausage, and sweet plantains. With full bellies and anticipation hanging in the air we prepared for the days dives. Instructor Luis drew maps of each of the dives we would make to help the guests plan their dive profiles. “Let’s go play!” he announced as we all slipped on our wet suits and gear. One by one the guests were assisted into their fins and helped off the boat.

We descended to a dive site by the name of The Pinnacle, which is known, for its amazing swim through and breath-taking wall which appears to drop forever. While gliding along the wall we encountered a huge yellow stingray that seemed more amused with us than we were of him. Green House was the next dive on the agenda and as we made our giant strides off the mother ship massive groupers and schools of Creole wrasse dotted the waters around us. As each guest returned to the boat they were greeted with warm towels and delicious almond cookies. The guests gathered on the top deck to spend some of their surface interval relaxing in the hot tub, what a great treat.

That evening the captain brought us to one of his favorite night dive sites, Jack Neil Beach where he found several seahorses, two flying gurnards, two octopuses, and a scorpion fish. The guests were truly delighted with his finds and spent dinner regaling the stories of the dive.
As the evening melted in to the early morning we gathered for another home made breakfast with waffles, eggs your way, and bacon. The Haliburton Wreck dive would be the last dive in Utila before we headed onto Roatan. The boat was buzzing with some die-hard wreck divers and everyone suited up excited for what they would find. As the guests each took turns penetrating the wreck you could see the look of excitement painted on each of their faces. We shared in the joy of discovering fire worms, two nudibranchs, a free-swimming eel, and a curious turtle at the safety stop. What a dive!

As the Utila Aggressor made her way over to Roatan the guests turned up their music, jumped into the hot tub and bathed in the afternoon sun. As we approached Roatán, instructor Luis lit up upon seeing his home town. Captain Nestor motored over to Luis’s favorite diving spots, Pablo’s Place and Mary’s Place. Pablo’s Place is different from the rest of the island, due to the converging currents from the North and South shores meeting into a long plateau extending ¾ of a mile out from shore. We drifted along the bottomless wall, teaming with soft corals, black gorgonians and sponges and looked into the blue to discover the occasional turtle and eagle ray.
Mr. Bud is where Captain Nestor decided to do the night dive. All the divers jumped in with the moon shinning above. We investigated the small wreck found here and hunted lion fish through the night. At the end of the dive we were lucky enough to witness instructor Luis feed the lion fish to a hungry octopus. Many guests agreed it was the most amazing site they had ever seen in their lives. We came back to the boat with cheers for Luis. Chef Corina had hot chocolate waiting for us and we gathered in the hot tub to celebrate Luis’s heroic feet.

The morning sun brought us over to more of Roatán’s amazing dive sites. Today we would dive 40ft point, Lighthouse Reef and my personal favorite, Taviana’s Wall. Lighthouse Reef was filled with rows of clams stretching out their tentacles from their fiery tinted body cavities. Lizardfish, friendly angelfish, wrasses, harlequin bass, and porcupine fish were just a few of the sites we encountered here. Taviana’s Wall has a deeper reef and flatter contour in comparison to many of the other sites. We encountered plenty of pelagic fish, turtles, and large groupers. We even discovered a small nurse shark hiding amongst the corals. The guests were all very excited that night at dinner. As we feasted on steak with potatoes, grilled onion, and cherry cheese cake we all took turns sharing pictures with each other.

The next day began with breakfast burritos big enough to satisfy a whale shark. We needed all the energy we could get for the fun-filled day the captain had planned. We started the dives with El Aguila. A truly spectacular chance to see us feeding chum to “gianormous” Goliath groupers and the resident moray eel by the name of Juanita. Great change for all our guests to get up close and personal with these amazing creatures. This dive will yield some of the best pictures you can imagine. Like my favorite one of Juanita swimming up and around the legs of one of the guests. After that we made our way to Dolphin Caves a dive site full of amazing swim throughs with the remains of dolphins. The beams of light shinning through the coral create a path for you to follow. As we swam along we passed through huge groups of silverside fish that made it look as if it were raining under the water. That night we completed the last night dive of the trip at Eel Garden where we discovered spotted eels, huge lobster, crabs, and several octopus hunting.
The last day of the trip was spent in Utila at Black Hills, one of the most popular dive sites. A sea mound set away from the island it creates a feeding stating for many creatures. We swam with enormous schools of horse eyed jacks, and spade fish. Captain Nestor took time to video tape each guest for a video he makes personally at the end of the trip.

That evening we celebrated together at the wine and cheese party. We took final pictures together, ate great food, and made a final toast.

To LIE, CHEAT, and STEAL….

If you lie, may you lie to save a friends life. If you cheat, may you cheat death on a daily basis. And if you steal, than make sure you steal some time to come back and visit us on The Aggressor Fleet!!!