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Archive for the ‘Carribean’ Category
This Eastern Caribbean island is a paradise where the majestic mountainous landscape is as spectacular underwater as above. There are approximately 20 dive sites to explore including caves, swim-throughs, volcanic vents, and coral gardens. Marine life is plentiful offering many rare species including seahorses, flying gunards, and batfish. Water temps are in the high 70s in winter; mid-80s in summer. Vis ranges from 60 to 100 feet. The most popular diving is found along the island’s western coast–with sites clustered in the south, mid-island and north.
Off Dominca’s southwestern end, Soufriére Bay is actually the submerged crater of an ancient volcano. Divers can explore the shallow reefs that line the rim of the crater or drop down for a deeper profile. Operators also take divers outside the bay to sites like Scott’s Head Pinnacle. Dominica’s mid-island region (mostly off Salisbury Beach and Grande Savane) features patch reefs sloping down to steep walls at sites like Rodney’s Rock, Castaways Reef and Nose Reef. Larger blue-water pelagics like spotted eagle rays and rainbow runners that are largely absent from southern sites can be spotted here. Northwestern sites offer a varied underwater topography, exemplified at sites like Toucari Caves with its honeycombed caverns dripping with black coral and golden sea spray. Sperm whales are common off Dominica from October to March, and most of the island’s dive operators take groups on weekly excursions during this time.
Some interesting dives include:
Volcano Site at Prince Rupert Bay – This unique area has volcanic gases venting from the sea floor, which bubble up gently through the sand and coral. Hot sand, multi colored from the sulfur deposits, surrounds the huge sponges and brain corals flourishing at this site.
Pole to Pole- Dive under the Cabrits Cruise Ship Dock…this easy dive features, on a regular basis, some of the rarest critters around. Seahorses, batfish, flying gurnards, sand eels and more, all set against a background of towering wooden poles which are covered in sponges. Amazing both as a day and a night dive.
Toucari Caves at Toucari Bay- Toucari bay is excellent for day or night dives, as this site boasts a wide variety of sea life, including octopus, moray eels, rays, squid, lobster, crabs, trumpet fish, parrotfish and puffer fish, just to name a few. The healthy corals in this area include finger, pillar, fire, brain and vase. The “cave” part is secluded area with coral covered rocks reaching from the beach out to the main reef at about 40 feet. Toucari Bay is a honeycomb of tunnels, some as long as 45 feet, that provides exquisite swim-throughs and harbor schools of french grunts. On the lip of the bay, the reef drops to 110 feet and is home to large schools of mahogany snapper, big crabs and frogfish.
Hey baby, what's your sign?
I recently started asking around for new blog ideas, and got an earful of weird dive experiences from my fellow recreational divers. It was an unusual accumulation of aquatic encounters that I just had to put together into a post.
Subway Cars – “Early in 2009 I dove the Atlantic City Reef to see the NYC subway cars that they put there the year before. It was really strange to see some of them sitting upright, looking like they were waiting to pull out of the station. Some sediment had built up on the seats, looking like somebody stuck more gum on them. I love diving wrecks, but I’ve never seen anything manmade look so bizarre underwater. At least boats were meant for the ocean!” -Rick T.
Divemaster Feeding a Moray from his Mouth – “I just got back from a trip to Moorea in French Polynesia, where I went on a shark feed dive. After most of the fish pieces had been fed to the sharks, one of the divemasters started feeding pieces of tuna to a moray eel who had stuck his head out of the nearby reef. Apparently unsatisfied with his hand-feeding technique, the divemaster took out his regulator, put a piece of tuna in his mouth, and then swam over to give the moray a mouth-to-mouth feeding experience. I guess he thought the move was funny or clever, but I just thought: What a dumbass!” -Tony A.
Wall of Jellyfish – “Diving Jellyfish Lake in Palau was definitely the strangest dive ever. Actually I was freediving because you can’t scuba in the lake. When I first got in the water I didn’t see anything. But then as I swam out into the middle of the lake where the sun was hitting the water, I ran into a wall of jellyfish so thick I couldn’t see through it. They were everywhere; it was like swimming in jell-o.” –Amanda B.
Squid Sex – “In Bonaire my dive group came across a pod of squid during one early morning dive. The squid kept circling each other and would occasionally flash different colors or make their skin look striped. Back onshore I asked our divemaster about it because I had never seen squid do that before. Usually they just hang out in a line and get spooked if you get too close. Turns out the behavior was “cephalopod mating rituals,” a.k.a. squid sex.” Michael R
Though the weather outside is frightful...
We’ve returned from our dive trip to St John’s. It was a fantastic week filled with colorful macro creatures, turtles, barracuda, tarpon, all manner of reef fish and some really unique underwater rock and coral formations. Vis wasn’t too good due to the weather front that has hit the islands over the past few weeks, but water temp was a balmy 82 degrees!
Now we are back home and frozen solid from the snow and ice that mother nature dumped so unceremoniously on us (thanks, Mom!) Already I am longing for more snowflakes. Snowflake Eels, of course.
Vinnie the Venomous Fish
Great White sharks get all the press when it comes to discussion of the ocean’s deadliest killers. But, plenty of other things in the sea are just as mean and nasty, if not more so. A selection of some of my favorites:
Vinnie the Venomous Fish – Imagine being a lowly fish, armed only with the ability to school and a sense of sea humor. Now add a little venom to your arsenal, and suddenly you are a Big Bad Swimming Machine. Venomous fish like stonefish, lionfish and scorpion fish produce their own toxins then generously share it with the rest of the aquatic world via their already unpleasant spines. My favorite is the stonefish, who are at their deadliest when lying on the ocean bottom doing nothing at all except looking like…you guessed it…an ugly stone. All it takes is a passerby with a naked foot and a bad aim and bam, you get one unhappy tourist (and the fish is a little flatter for the experience as well.)
Octopussy – James Bond proved one could overcome their enemies by throwing a Blue Ringed Octopus on their face in this classic 1980’s spy movie. Theoretically I suppose this could work, though you are likely to get bitten in the process. Since it injects neuromuscular paralyzing venom that can kill a human in minutes, you won’t really get to enjoy your victory over the forces of evil for very long. Better to remove the bad guy’s shoes and point him in the direction of some stonefish instead.
They Freak Me Out On Land, Too – Sea snakes tend to favor the warm, fish-filled tropical waters that most scuba divers also like. Though shy unless provoked, a single snake produces enough poison to kill not only you, but the rest of the folks on your dive boat, too. Most are a normal snake size, but a few can grow to seven feet or more. I personally am sure that if I ran into a seven-foot sea snake while diving I would give up the sport right then and there.
You are diving a wreck when you find a shiny trinket that appears valuable. Do you:
a) Leave it where it is..you still remember kindergarten when you learned to “look with your eyes, not with your hands”
b) Hide it in your bathing suit (remember that scene from Pulp Fiction…) you will study it later and hopefully make a million dollars off of it
c) Proudly display it to everyone you com in contact with until the local authorities cart you off to jail for stealing national treasures
CNN recently ran a story about a diver who found a pocket watch near a wreck, and decided to go with a modified version of choice b above. Instead of looking to make a million on it, he spent 9 years researching the history behind it and looking for the current-day, rightful owner.
The story got me thinking about the possibilities of the sunken treasure that lies beneath the waves, and the possibilities of turning my aquatic hobby into a money making venture. After some research I have learned that, sadly, there is no direct line from the sea floor to my pocket. Underwater treasure hunting is governed by the U.N. Law of the Sea, which is about as straightforward as a slinky. The original ship owner, the location of the wreck, the contents of the cargo, the phase of the moon and even the number of goals last scored by Manchester United all seem to play a part in the ultimate meaning of “finders keepers.”
Many privately owned underwater archeology companies (ie. treasure hunters) ply the planet’s oceans each year looking for riches. You’d be hard pressed to actually name one of these companies, however, as they are more secretive than the SPECTRE bad guys in the old James Bond movies (but actually have access to even cooler gadgets.) One such company found $500 million in coins last year, shipped it all back home, buried it in their backyard, then raised their hand and said “Um…we think we might have found something.” The Spanish government is still trying to get the booty back, resorting to armed encounters and public claims of grave robbing in order to “persuade” the salvage shop to return the loot.
Since I’ll be spending my lottery winnings on that $95 million orca yacht, I won’t be able to afford the high tech toys needed for the salvage operation. And since this blog is gathering a healthy following of divers, it looks like the secrecy requirement isn’t going to work either. Guess I’ll have to stick to salvaging the usual abandoned dive gear and old bottles…although a piece of Andrea Doria china would be nice.
Many consider the Exuma Cays to be the most beautiful chain of islands in the Bahamas. These islands are the very definition of “tropical paradise” with turquoise waters lapping miles of white sand beaches and secluded anchorages. The Exumas comprise 365 cays spread over 120 miles. The cays themselves vary in size and terrain: some are low and barren with white sandy beaches; others have rolling hills covered with dense vegetation and small trees. The largest of the cays, and the only one with any significant population, is Great Exuma, which is 37 mi (60 km) in length. The northernmost islands are under an hour away from Nassau by speedboat and many tour operators offer day trips. George Town on Great Exuma has the only airport in the islands, which receives flights from Miami, Ft. Lauderdale and Nassau.
Water visibility ranges from 80 to 150 feet, depending on the site. There are a wide variety of underwater opportunities to cater to every taste, including drift dives, shallow reefs and deep reefs, walls, tunnels and swim throughs, and even blue holes to explore. Expect to see large ocean-going fish like sharks, eagle rays, barracuda, along with standard reef fish and invertebrates like colorful nudibranches. Healthy stands of black coral, elkhorn coral, and staghorn coral can be found at numerous sites.
A dramatic drop-off runs parallel to the islands along Exuma Sound on the eastern side. The wall starts in about 50 feet of water and plummets to several thousand. The edge contains huge caverns, tunnels, and large fish of numerous species.
Just inside the wall are areas of reef formations in 20-60 feet of water. These reefs vary from shallow coral gardens to tall coral heads on white sand. These shallower dives yield hundreds of species from the smallest nudibranchs and shrimp to the larger reef fishes such as barracudas and sharks.
To the west of the Exumas, the Great Bahama Bank ranges 40 miles. Only 40 feet deep, these shallow coral reefs teem with tropical fish. The tidal flow creates strong currents between the islands – ideal for drift dives over a mile in length.
Some of the more interesting dives include:
Thunderball Grotto – This impressive hollowed out island close to Staniel Cay is an underwater paradise teaming with tropical fish, rare sponges and corals. This setting was used for scenes from James Bond’s “Thunderball” and “Never Say Never Again” as well Disney’s “Splash”. Weave through the grotto’s many entrances and passageways, then escape to the outside through its holes. Gaze skyward when inside the amphitheater to see light streaming through the roof where rain has eroded natural skylights.
Wax Cay Cut – A high velocity drift dive, considered by many to be one of the finest in the Caribbean. Fly like Superman at speeds of over 2 knots past vibrant corals and sea fans. You will see rays, sharks, eels and numerous fish as you drift with the current in this cut between the islands. The sheer density of staghorn, pillar and finger corals is amazing. There are several other drifts dives in Exuma such as Hammerhead Gulch and Coral Cut, but none quite as impressive as this.
Dog Rock Wall – Hundreds of Atlantic spadefish call this spot home. Glass minnows choke the swim-throughs that lead to the wall. Massive black coral trees decorate the wall face.
Angelfish Blue Hole – Just off Elizabeth Harbour, rising and falling tides create an ever-moving current through this cavern, attracting a huge variety of fish. The site drops from 30 to 90 feet before entering a cave system best left to certified cave divers. However, the schooling fish and large angelfish that occupy the blue hole are magnificent.
Amberjack Reef – A patch reef where you are sure to see a number of different types of sharks including Caribbean Reef sharks and nurse sharks due to the numerous operators who feed them. Large black groupers also ply the area looking for a handout.
The Washing Machine – The strong incoming tide takes scuba divers through a narrow cut where water drops off a ledge and then makes a sharp bend to the left. This causes the water to swirl like the water in a washing machine, sometimes tossing scuba divers head over heels. After passing through the cut, divers swim out over a large patch reef filled with typical tropical fish and coral.
The Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park – This site is part of the Bahamas National Trust, encompassing 176 square miles of pristine diving in which all living creatures are protected. These waters have been managed as a no-take marine fishery reserve since 1986. This has allowed populations of commercially important species such as queen conch, Nassau grouper and spiny lobster to thrive. In addition, sea turtles swim throughout the coral reefs that teem with marine life.
The road to Atlantis?
Just 55 miles east of downtown Miami, Bimini sits on the edge of the Gulf Stream, so anything can happen underwater–and usually does. The Bimini Islands, near the northwest corner of the Great Bahaman Bank, are the closest Bahamian Islands to the United States. Bimini consists of North Bimini, South Bimini, and several smaller islands and cays originally settled by emancipated slaves from Nassau and then frequented by rum runners during Prohibition.
Dive spots in Bimini range from shallow reefs and wrecks to deep wrecks and walls dropping into the abyss of the Gulfstream waters. The corals are healthy and vibrant. More than 20 sites have permanent mooring buoys placed and maintained by commercial dive operators who welcome the use of the buoys by all boaters. Large schools of fish and other marine animals are attracted to the shallow waters around Bimini. The Gulf Stream, to the West of Bimini, brings hundreds of marine animals close to the islands. It’s not uncommon for visitors to see Loggerhead turtles, Southern stingrays, reef sharks, nurse sharks, and barracudas, along with many game fish and tropical fish. The reefs along Bimini’s protected shoreline range in depth from 35 feet to 95 feet with beautiful white sand bottoms. Other unique diving opportunities include strange underwater rock formations and pods of wild spotted dolphins. Some interesting dives include:
The Bimini Road – The Atlantis Road, or Bimini Road, is just off shore of North Bimini. Limestone blocks sit in 15-20 feet of water in two rows of parallel stones in a “road” formation. Many people speculate that the blocks are the remains of an underwater road to the lost continent of Atlantis, a mysterious explanation first proposed by an American psychic in the 1930’s. Since the 1970s, the structure has been explored by thousands of visitors, filmed for several TV specials, written about in books and magazines and drilled into by geologists. Natural, manmade, or Martian-made, you decide.
Bull Run – Bull Run is a popular shark dive south of the Biminis, a site frequented by the Blackbeard’s and Nekton live-aboard boats, as well as dive and pleasure boats from Bimini. The sharks get pretty used to associating divers with food and typically swim near, whether there is bait in the water or not. Ultra-clear water and high-profile coral heads make for a nice complement to the shark action.
The Kinks – The Kinks offers a scattering of patches of coral heads along a white sandy bottom perfect for night dives. The inner edge of the reef is at 38 – 40 feet. The outer edge lies at 42 – 51 feet. Sea creatures to look for include green morays, spotted eels, hawksbill turtles, lobster, crabs, hogfish, damsels, squirrelfish, and angelfish of all kinds. The occasional shark and remoras have also been spotted here.
Tuna Alley – Tuna Alley is a pristine reef system off of North Cat Cay, where high profile corals have formed walls at 45 feet that gently slope down to 80-100 feet. Divers can swim along a canyon with numerous crevices, caverns, and swim-throughs that exit 100 feet or more down the wall. When the current is running this site is a great drift dive. The site’s name comes from the scores of tuna often found schooling along the reef. In the deep, blue water divers may spot loggerhead turtles and reef or nurse sharks.
The Sapona – This 270-foot troop transport ship was built by Henry Ford in 1911 for WWI. After the war, the Sapona was used by rumrunners between the Bahamas and Florida during Prohibition. Hurricanes have left her where she is today, between South Bimini and Cat Cay, where she is only partially submerged. Her hull is riddled with holes from aircraft target practice bullets and time. Massive schools of grunts are found inside the stern section.
Because Bimini is just 50 miles from Miami, Florida, many people travel to Bimini on their own boats in about three hours. Charter air flights are also available from Miami and Ft. Lauderdale. North Bimini is connected to South Bimini by ferry or seaplane. South Bimini is quieter and mostly residential, but more and more cottages, condos, and resorts are developing here each year. Bimini’s remote location has left the islands with a unique, laid-back, small-town feel with a loyal fan base of recurring visitors. For the topside vibe and varied underwater opportunities, divers find themselves returning year after year.
With more than 300 known shipwrecks–large, small and in between and from warships and schooners to frigates and freighters–Bermuda has a built-in claim to diving fame. Unlike most shipwreck sites, which are located in deep waters, wreck diving around Bermuda is done in shallow waters at an average of about 40 to 50 feet. Also, the Atlantic waters of Bermuda are home to some of the most northern reef formations in the world. Although you can dive while visiting Bermuda almost any time of year, the best times to check out the underwater scenery are from May to November when the Atlantic is at its warmest. Bermuda’s dive season parallels the U.S. East Coast’s, with Water temps are in the mid-60s in winter; high 70s to mid-80s in summer. The visibility averages 70 to 100 feet.
Bermuda’s reef system covers 230 square miles and forms canyons, tunnels and archways that rise to meet the water’s surface. Though it lacks the coral diversity of Caribbean destinations, the Bermuda reef is obviously healthy, with no signs of bleaching or disease. The usual collection of reef fish, from small blennies to big parrotfish, are here, as well as black groupers, tarpon from September through March and even black sea hares.
Some interesting dives in Bermuda include:
King George – A 171-foot dredger scuttled in the 1930s, fully intact at 60 feet and teeming with fish life and a stunning array of soft corals.
Marie Celeste – A Civil War era paddlewheel steamer the Confederate Navy converted into a blockade-runner
Constellation – One of the shipwrecks used in the film “The Deep” by Peter Benchley. A 192 ft wooden hull schooner built in 1918 just over 200ft long sitting in 30 feet of water on the northwest end of the island.
Hermes - Purposely sunk and now an artificial reef, the Hermes, once a US built freighter, is one of the few wrecks that lies upright, intact and in 75ft of water. The great visibility of the south shore gives divers the chance to explore her from engines and deck winch to propeller and pilothouse.
Hangover Hole – Dramatic tunnels and arches are a major feature of this site. With many swim throughs and caves it is perfect for video and photography. Marine life is plentiful it is ideal to observe a wide range of Bermudas sea life. The depths range from 10 to 43 ft.
Ceasar - An English brig sunk in 1818 on a reef off the West End of Bermuda, sitting in 35 feet of water. A cargo of grindstones, medicine vials and glassware can still be seen today surrounding the site.
Bermuda is one of the safest, cleanest and most efficient destinations in the Caribbean. There are more golf courses here per square mile than any other place on the planet, museums, shopping, a rich history and a unique culture. The groomed resorts, the pink sand beaches, the quaint cottages and the businessmen decked out in power ties, shorts, dark socks and dress shoes–they’re all the real culture of Bermuda.
The Bond movie Thunderball was on late night TV yesterday. It’s got all the makings of a great Bond film: bad guys, women, nuclear warheads, women, extortion, women, and best of all lots of scuba diving. The flick is from 1965, when diving was much rarer and inaccessible than it is today, making the scuba scenes even more important to the success of the movie. But even today the movie industry uses scuba diving as a way to add action and skimpy bathing suits to spice up the screen. A few examples:
Sean Connery, Thunderball – 1960’s James Bond heads to The Bahamas to recover two nuclear warheads. This film is chock full of kitschy scuba diving content including archaic dive gear and shots of sharks that were probably somebody’s pet. If you want to live out your Bond fantasies, you can still dive the Thunderball wreck in the Bahamas.
Hank Azaria, Along Came Polly - This movie was awful, except for a entertaining guest appearance by Hank Azaria as Claude, the smarmy French scuba diving teacher (you can shut it off after his scene is over.) If you have ever dove in a French-influenced place such as French Polynesia you can relate to the speedo-wearing, galoise-smoking, soap-deficient French divemasters out there who pray to the God Cousteau before they go to bed each night.
Jessica Alba, Into the Blue – Lots of diving, lots of skimpy bathing suits. Scuba sex still sells.
Owen Wilson & Bill Murray, Life Aquatic – This is an odd movie: either you love it or you hate it (we here at scuba-dive.org love it’s quirky, offbeat style.) It’s underwater-themed plot enables plenty of diving scenes and sea life shots. Wilson and Murray aren’t exactly sx symbols with scuba gear, but they hold their own.
Woody Harleson, After The Sunset – Jewel theft, the Bahamas, and lots of diving. What more could you want? Brings new meaning to Paradise Island.
Pierce Brosnan, Tomorrow Never Dies– 1990’s James Bond throws on the scuba gear yet again. This time the plot, surprising, includes: bad guys, women, nuclear warheads, women, and extortion. This gear is much more high-tech then last time, and is used more to compliment the plot rather than carry it along. To her credit Michelle Yeoh, the headstrong female lead, doesn’t just flop around helplessly in her gear. Rather, she makes diving look easy.
CubaGooding Jr, Men of Honor– Gooding plays Carl Brashear, the first African American US Navy Diver. The movie is intense, but you get enough insight into the origins of dive gear to really appreciate the gear you use now, no matter how many times your mask floods.
Sponge Bob, Square Pants – Don’t hate us for throwing this in. He lives under the Pacific Ocean in the town of “Bikini Bottom” for clam’s sake. He has to use scuba gear at some point. Did you know this is the most watched cable television show right now? Think of all of the kids (and, sadly adults) that think starfish talk.
Located some 60 miles east of Nassau, Eleuthera and Harbour Island feature both peaceful topside scenery and underwater adrenaline rushes. Wrecks, reefs, and inland blue holes, make these islands fun to dive, but by far the highlight is the Current Cut, a 10 knot drift dive, the fastest in the Caribbean. Divers are dropped off at one end by the dive boat then fly past large coral heads and colorful filter feeders until the tidal channel spits them out the other side.
There is a concentration of excellent wrecks near Harbor Island. The Devil’s Backbone off nearby Spanish Wells has claimed many ships over the years, and at least one train. The train was aboard a barge that sank during the Civil War and can be dived in 30 feet of water. Other wrecks include a 200-foot freighter from 1919 and the wreck of a 265-foot freighter that sank in 1971.
Other interesting dive sites in Eleuthera and Harbour Island include:
Plateau: 45-100ft. Rolling coral mounds, undercut by ledges
The Arch: A giant arch of coral that forms a nearly concealed grotto
Current Cut: Divers ride the current through a marine menagerie of fish and Eagle Rays
The Pinnacles: 100 ft. Dive on a cavernous mountain of coral
Carnavon: 35 ft. This intact 200-foot freighter sank in 1919
Smuggler’s Plane Wreck – 70ft. Drug smuggler’s four-passenger plane covered in soft corals and fish
The main island of Eleuthera is a destination for those interested in history and nature. Natural attractions include the Glass Window Bridge, Hatchet Bay caves and Surfer’s Beach in the north, and Ocean Hole and Lighthouse Beach at the south end. Preacher’s Cave on the north end was home to the Eleutherian Adventurers in the mid-17th century, and recent excavations have uncovered Arawak remains at the site. There is not a lot of nightlife on these islands, but after all of the diving and topside exploring, you’ll be asleep before the sun fully sets.