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New 10 Night Carib Dancer “Off The Beaten Path” Itineraries

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The Carib Dancer will be offering two extended 10-night itineraries in 2014 and 2015 where guests will be able to enjoy more of what the Bahamas has to offer by adding more islands to their Liveaboard experience with some unique stops.

 

The dates of the two 10-night itineraries are September 24 – October 4, 2014 and September 23 – October 3, 2015.

 

Beginning in Nassau, these trips will cruise the Bahamas Out Islands and journey far into the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park. This protected area is the first of its kind in the world and is famous for its pristine beauty, outstanding anchorages and breathtaking marine environment. The many islands, forming a chain stretching 100 miles southeast of Nassau, are flanked by the Exuma Sound to the east providing deep-water reefs, and the shallow banks to the west providing sea gardens, anchorages, shallow reefs and passages between the islands.

 

Excellent diving, snorkeling, and even a few shore excursions await passengers as the Carib Dancer visits some weekly favorites such as the Exuma Islands and Eleuthera, along with some Out Islands rarely visited. Though the actual route of the charter will be flexible due to the nature of the weather, planned stops are at the Exuma Islands, Eleuthera Cay, Little San Salvador, Conception Islands, Staniel Cay, Halls Pond Cay, Warderick Wells Cay and Highborne Cay before returning to port.

 

Guests aboard the Carib Dancer will journey to Eleuthera for some outstanding diving opportunities, as this land mass sits between the ocean-swept reefs of the Atlantic and the shallow, underwater gardens of the great Bahama Bank. Next, a planned stop at Little San Salvador, more commonly known as Half Moon Cay, is open for exploration as the island is also a significant nesting area for waterfowl and to date only 2% of the island has been developed.

 

The Carib Dancer will cruise next to Conception Island, which may be the loveliest island in the Bahamas as this uninhabited island has miles of pink sand beaches, gorgeous sandstone cliffs, and an extraordinary abundance of wildlife on the land and in the sea. There are numerous locations for spectacular scuba diving and snorkeling and the coral reefs and grass flats in the surrounding sea are unusually healthy and are home to an abundance of sea life.

 

In all, there are 365 islands in the Exuma chain (one for each day of the year), with Staniel Cay in the center. This small island is known for its hospitality and Thunderball Grotto, one of the most outstanding snorkeling attractions in all of the Bahamas. While this hollowed out rock has been the location for the James Bond movies ‘Thunderball’ and ‘Never Say Never Again’, as well as the blockbuster movie ‘Splash’, it lures snorkelers to enjoy a natural fishbowl of colorful fish, corals, sponges and other sea life. Not far away is Big Major Cay, home of the famous swimming pigs. Yes, that’s right, swimming pigs – and guests will have a chance to share these warm, inviting waters with these friendly mammals.

 

Guests will then cruise to Halls Pond Cay, which is privately owned and visits ashore are ‘by invitation only’, but spectacular diving is found just offshore at a site called Jeep Reef. Out of the sand and turtle grass beds, small pieces of coral begin to appear, gradually developing into massive boulders standing up to 28 feet. There is the wreck of a jeep on the southwest side of this “J” shaped reef and typical of many sites in the Bahamas Out Islands, it is best to dive this reef at slack water only because of the strong current that maintains the pristine nature of these reefs.

 

Next planned is a visit to Warderick Wells, which is home to the Exuma Land & Sea Park headquarters.  Unique on this cay is Boo Boo Hill, a 70-foot high hill where for many years boaters have been placing memorabilia of their vessels. From the top of Boo Boo Hill the views of the island are incredible! There are also some pretty cool blowholes nearby that shoot a tall stream of water up through the rocks when the conditions are right. From the blowholes you can take a side trip down to Careen Beach where astounding views of the Caribbean waters await or take a small detour down to Powerful Beach where you can see the skeleton of a 53’ sperm whale that washed up on shore.

 

Guests will continue to dive the waters of these Out Islands as the Carib Dancer continues north of the Exuma chain and back to port in Nassau.

Carib Dancer signature amenities are included in these charters: deluxe accommodations, chef-prepared meals and snacks, soft beverages, local beer and wine, tanks, weights and air fills.

 

As the longest operating and largest organization of liveaboard adventure cruises in the world, the combined knowledge, resources, experience, and technical expertise of Aggressor Fleet and Dancer Fleet are all focused on delivering a safe adventure you will remember for a lifetime on each and every cruise.

 

For more information  or to make a booking for this itinerary email info@liveaboardfleet.com or call +1-800-348-2628 or 1-706-993-2531. Visit www.aggressor.com and www.dancerfleet.com for specific yacht and destination information.

Marine Life & Conservation

Double Bubble for Basking Sharks

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The Shark Trust is excited to announce that, for two more days only, all donations, large or small, will be doubled in the Big Give Green Match Fund!

Donate to Basking in Nature: Sighting Giants

The Shark Trust is hoping to raise £10k which will be doubled to £20k. This will go towards Basking in Nature: Sighting Giants. And they need YOUR help to reach they’re goal.

The Shark Trust’s citizen science project is to monitor and assess basking sharks through sightings; encouraging data collection, community engagement, and promoting nature accessibility. This initiative aims to enhance health and wellbeing by fostering a deeper connection with British Sharks.

Campaign Aims

  • Increase citizen science reporting of Basking Sharks and other shark sightings to help inform shark and ray conservation.
  • Provide educational talks about the diverse range of sharks and rays in British waters and accessible identification guides!
  • Create engaging and fun information panels on how to ID the amazing sharks and rays we have on our doorstep! These can be used on coastal paths around the Southwest. With activities and information on how you can make a difference for sharks and rays!
  • Promote mental wellbeing through increasing time in nature and discovering the wonders beneath the waves!

Donate, and double your impact. Click Here

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Northern Red Sea Reefs and Wrecks Trip Report, Part 1: Welcome to Adventure

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red sea

Jake Davies boards Ghazala Explorer for an unforgettable Red Sea diving experience…

The Red Sea is known for its range of dives, from bright, colourful reefs with a diverse array of reef species to world-famous wrecks scattered along its numerous atolls. The reefs and wrecks of the North Red Sea are one of the best ways to experience many of these.

Organised by dive tour operator specialist Scuba Travel, Ghazala Explorer was going to be home for the week for this exciting trip, a 37m steel-hulled vessel with top-class reviews by previous guests.

red sea

Departing from Hurghada, the plans were to head north for the first couple of days, including check dives on Global reefs, before then heading to see a few of the wrecks at Abu Nuhas reef. Then we would head across the Gulf of Suez into Ras Mohammed National Park to see what are considered to be some of the best reef dives in the Red Sea. From there, we would head to the Strait of Tiran for a day, then head back south to dive the world-famous wreck and one of the trip’s highlights: the SS Thistlegorm. This would include a night dive prior to heading back for the final day’s diving around Hurghada before heading back to port.

Arriving from Gatwick into Hurghada late in the evening, the Scuba Travel rep was waiting for arrivals ready to take us all to the Ghazala Explorer, docked in Hurghada’s New Marina. Stepping onboard, the high-quality and spacious deck spaces and interior provided an instant sense of comfort. There was a friendly welcome by the crew and guides. After some food, it was time for the boat briefing, which was detailed and covered all the important safety aspects of the vessel and procedures. The kit was then set up in the allocated spaces, and the spacious tables in the interior provided the perfect place to build up my camera ahead of the week’s trip. As soon as everything was done, it was time to head to the cabin to get some rest before an early start for a check dive.

red sea

The northerly wind provided a chop, but it wasn’t felt as the steel hull of the vessel cut through each wave. By mid-morning, we were moored up at the reef at Gobal Island, sheltered from the chop on the other side. With Ahmed providing a detailed briefing, it was time to kit up and get in the water to explore some of the reefs below during the check dive. It’s always exciting to stand on the stern of the boat, looking into the clear blue water before taking a stride entry to enter the colourful coral scenery below.

red sea

Like most of the dives on coral reefs in the Red Sea, the colours and busyness of the reefs were great to see. It was great to be back on the reefs, taking the time to watch the many species which make up the Red Sea ecosystems before picking out a few to film and photograph. The time flies by as you are constantly engaged with the surroundings, and then before I knew it, it was time to head back onboard, where everyone coming back from the water had big smiles and were full of excitement and anticipation for the rest of the week.

red sea

The next two dives, which included the night dive, were on the wreck of the barge, where very little remains act as an artificial reef for many species, which included a few perfectly hidden large stonefish and a crocodile fish camouflaging on the sand beneath the hull. Looking up though was the highlight of the dive, as a squad of squid could be seen mid-water, dancing around. Ascending slowly and calmly, I was able to position myself amongst the squad for the opportunity to get a few close-ups of this great species. Shortly after, the squid were then accompanied by a shoal of halfbeaks just below the surface. Everywhere was just full of life!

red sea

After some afternoon snacks, and as part of the safety protocols of the vessel, it was time to practice an emergency drill to put the briefings into action. The fire alarm rang, and we then had to carry out a full drill of getting the life jackets and using the closest emergency exits to then gather at the muster point on top deck where we would then have a run-through of the life rafts. The drill was great to do and I thought it was a really important part of the boat’s safety, as it was an opportunity to use the emergency exits to ensure a safe and effective evacuation, while also convening at the muster station to go through different scenarios and become familiar with some of the kit used during these emergencies.

Check in for Part 2 from Jake tomorrow!

To find out more about the Northern Red Sea reef and wrecks itineraries aboard Ghazala Explorer, or to book, contact Scuba Travel now:

Email: dive@scubatravel.com

Tel: +44 (0)1483 411590

www.scubatravel.com

Photos: Jake Davies / Avalon.Red

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