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West Palm Beach, Florida | May 2018

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Added by Steven Backerman from his trip to West Palm Beach, Florida in May 2018

A couple of friends and I went to West Palm Beach, Florida to dive over Memorial Day weekend.  While our 4 day dive trip was cut to 2 days due to inclement weather, the dives there are pretty spectacular.

We dove with 3 different dive companies:  four ocean drift dives were with Narcosis Dive Company while I also did a blackwater dive with Pura Vida Divers and did a muck dive at Blue Heron Bridge with Force-E Scuba Center.

First, let me mention that all 3 dive shops are first rate.  The staff at each center are very friendly and helpful and extremely interested in making sure the dives experiences are positive.

Second, we stayed in an AirBnB, Sunshine Shores Resort, on Singer Island, which was a short walk to the beach and a very close drive to the marinas and dive shops.  Nothing fancy, but they took great care of us when there was an A/C failure and the 2 BR apartment, with kitchen and decent sized living room, was pretty reasonably priced at $200.00 a night, though only 1 bathroom.

As for the diving:

The ocean diving seems to all be pretty much drift diving and the current can be fairly strong, so all four of the dives were negative entry.  We saw turtles on every dive, both Green and Loggerhead, as well as lots of reef fish, lobsters, eels , Great Barracudas and nurse sharks.  I did get to see one Goliath Grouper.  Unfortunately, because of the incoming inclement weather and the daily rain that had pounded the area for a couple of weeks, visibility was a “dirty 30” at best….you could see, but there was lots of particulate in the water.  The crew on the Narcosis was very knowledgeable and helpful, but could probably stand to slow the actual dives down a bit, as I found myself lagging in order to take photographs.  In any event, overall great experience.  Very safe and experienced boat captain, Alex, (who co-owns the company) and the procedures are all well-laid out with a safe, fun experience as a result.

I did my first ever blackwater dive with Pura Vida Divers and it was a blast.  Pura Vida offers the blackwater night dives on Mondays and Thursdays, conditions permitting.  We left the marina around 7:30 pm and headed out a few miles offshore.  Over a 600’ deep seabed, we drifted 5 miles in an hour and a half.  There’s a buoy floated with a downline that has lights strung every 10’ or so, down to a maximum depth of 40’.  The dive briefing includes the instruction that the buoy is essentially everyone’s buddy for the dive.  It drifts along with the divers (and, the boat follows in the current as well).  It is a very relaxing and enjoyable dive, though there was still a lot of particulate in the water.  It’s difficult enough to spot the tiny larval creatures that come to the surface to feed when it’s safer at night, but add in non-living particulate and, boy, it was quite a challenge.  While I saw larval mantis shrimp, what appeared to be a larval flounder and other larval fish, it took me over ½ the dive to figure out how to get decent focus on mostly transparent and/or translucent creatures.  An Arrow Squid made its appearance and I was lucky to get a great shot and I did get a couple of ok shots of cool looking jelly fish that couldn’t have been more than ¼” in size.  It was truly an awesome experience and it won’t be my last blackwater dive.

Blue Heron Bridge was the main reason I wanted to dive West Palm Beach.  It’s considered one of the top muck dives in the world, which is pretty cool given the fact that it is smack dab in the middle of the channel between the mainland and Singer Island.  Unfortunately, conditions were not good.  Visibility varied between 5 and 10 feet and, like the other dives, there was a lot of particulate.  While we saw a ton of creatures, it was extremely challenging to get enough light and, once my torch conked out, I spent the remainder of the dive spectating only and not shooting.  However, it is obvious that with decent conditions and enough light, diving Blue Heron Bridge is a macro lover’s paradise.  I will definitely return.

New Providence, The Bahamas | November 2017

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Added by Steven Backerman from his trip to New Providence, The Bahamas in November 2017.

 

 

This was my first time to the Bahamas and the diving was spectacular.  Visibility was between 80 and 200 feet on every dive, there’s an abundance of life and literally hundreds of dive sites from which to choose.

I dove with Stuart Cove’s in the southeast of the island for 3 days and then dove with Bahama Divers out of downtown Nassau for 3 days.

Stuart Cove’s is a big and busy operation with several boats going out mornings and afternoons.  They also have the SNUBA and SUBs available for non-divers.  Dives are fairly strictly timed to 35-45 minutes in order for the boats and shop to stay on their schedule.  And, the staff seems to be too busy most of the time to be very friendly, but if you persist in communicating, you’ll find they all lighten up and interact more and also become a bit more generous on dive times.

Bahama Divers is quite the opposite of Stuart Cove’s.  The staff are extremely friendly, the operation is fairly small and run quite efficiently, but you don’t feel at all like you’re in a cattle call.  Bahama Divers is also on the opposite side of the island, which means you’ll visit a number of dive sites that you aren’t likely to visit from Stuart Cove’s.  Both operations will take you to the Blue Hole, which, in my opinion, is a lot better than the Blue Hole off of Belize, as there’s quite a bit more life in and around the hole, but Bahama Divers is a lot closer, requiring a much shorter boat trip.

Also, with Bahama Divers, you get to visit Trinity Caves dive site, where you’ll find several aggressively friendly Spotted Moray Eels who enjoy interacting and showing off for the divers.

Both operations will do their best to make sure that you don’t have to visit the same dive sites during your stay, unless, of course, you want to.

As you’ll see from my photos, there’s simply a lot of life, from slugs to sharks, as well as beautiful reefs.  The island sits at the edge of the Continental Shelf, so you’ll find plenty of beautiful walls.

As a word of warning, New Providence is pretty expensive as far as Caribbean destinations are concerned.  I stayed in an AirBnB and there are plenty of hotels and resorts, from rustic and inexpensive to pretty high class, such as the Atlantis.

When I return to dive in the Bahamas, I will opt for a liveaboard in order to dive the other islands (which I’m told are spectacular), too, on a single trip.

 

 

Roatan, Honduras | November 2016

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Added by Steven Backerman from his trip to Anthony’s Key, Roatan, Honduras in November 2016.

I stayed at Anthony’s Key Resort Roatan, Honduras.  It’s easy to get to….from Tucson, you can simply connect in Houston right to Roatan.  Anthony’s Key is pretty short drive from the airport which the resort will arrange.  

You can expect incredible service.  It’s a very well-organized, well-run dive operation.  While there are a few other attractions on the island, such as Gumbalimba Park, where you can zipline, interact with wild white-faced capuchin monkeys and beautiful macaws, the diving is the top draw.

Roatan is situated along the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, the 2nd largest barrier reef in the world (the Great Barrier Reef in Australia is the largest).  Every dive provides stunning visuals of beautiful corals, fans and sponges.

You can expect to see turtles, sharks, octopuses (you don’t want to miss the night dives here) and jawfish.  There are also several wrecks to dive.

You (or your group) will be assigned to a DiveMaster for the length of your stay.  You’ll get a chance to dive at a different site for every dive of your stay.  Mary’s Crack, Key Hole, Barry’s Reef and Fish Den are just a few of the more unforgettable sites. 

The dive operation is extremely efficient, but it is a bit of a cattle call.  Dives are pretty strictly timed to 45 minutes.  If you get in good with your assigned DiveMaster, you’ll manage to be able to dive a bit longer.

Most of the dive sites are considered to be novice to intermediate, mostly at 50′-60′ of depth, with very little current.  We did a couple of 100’+ dives, but that was because we asked to go a bit deeper.

Kayaks and SUPs are also available during your surface intervals.

Accommodations are fantastic:  comfortable rooms, great and abundant meals.  Each staff member in every department is friendly and works hard to be accommodating to individual needs.

For more information about Roatan and/or Anthony’s Key Resort please fill out the Contact Form.

 

San Carlos, Sonora, Mexico

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Added by Steven Backerman from numerous trips to San Carlos, Sonora, Mexico over the years as of October 2017.

 

 

 

 

It’s been said that Jacques Cousteau called the Sea of Cortez the world’s aquarium and there’s no better example than the diving at San Carlos, Sonora, Mexico and Isla San Pedro Nolasco.

From tiny brightly colored nudibranchs to a resident population of California Sea Lions, the Sea of Cortez from the San Carlos shore has something for everyone.

This page contains photos from many different dive trips to San Carlos over the years and I dive in these waters at least once a month, year-round.  The diversity of life is spectacular and changes during the course of the year from the chilly waters of winter to the warm waters of summer.

Over the years, many dive shops have come and gone in San Carlos but Gary’s Dive Shop has remained a constant and for very good reason.  The quality of service is unsurpassed by any of the shops in San Carlos – the boat captains have decades of experience, the crews take excellent care of the divers, lunch is always provided and, most importantly, safety is held in the highest regard.

The best diving is typically at Isla San Pedro Nolasco, about an hour and fifteen minute boat ride from the San Carlos Marina.  Dive sites include South Point (where you might find schooling hammerheads in October), Bahia Elena, Cascaditas, El Faro, Rocas Grandes and North Point.  California Sea Lions will join you on almost all dives at San Pedro!

Closer to San Carlos, some of the best local dives include Eagle Rock, San Antonio Point, Las Gringas, Sea Mount and Window Rock.

Trip Advisor provides a pretty decent set of recommendations for the many hotels and restaurants in San Carlos with food ranging from just-caught-fresh seafood to traditional Sonoran fare.

If you prefer to stay in a home, I rent my San Carlos home for weekends and longer stays.

San Carlos is unique where the desert and its beauty meets the majestic shore.  National Geographic called the ocean view from Mirador Escénico, San Carlos, Mexico one of the 10 best in the world.

Join us on one of our monthly dive trips to San Carlos and experience its beauty first hand!

 

Indonesia | August 2017

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Added by Steven Backerman from his trip to North Sulawesi, Indonesia in August 2017.

Indonesia is a diver’s paradise and heaven for an underwater photographer. 

We dove from three different locations:  Lembeh Strait, Bangka Island and near Manado, all in North Sulawesi, Indonesia.

Lembeh Strait is considered the muck diving capital of the world.  This doesn’t mean the water is murky.  Simply speaking, the majority of the sea floor is black volcanic sand, with occasional rock or coral reefs.  But, the macro sea life is spectacular.  Seahorses, nudibranchs, scorpionfish, shrimp, mantis shrimp are but a few of the wonders of the many dive sites within a 10-minute boat ride from the Lembeh Resort. 

You can dive as often as you wish, as in addition to 2 morning boat dives, 1 afternoon boat dive and 1 night boat dive each day, the house reef is welcoming and full of life

And, it is a photographer’s dream, as no more than 4 divers are assigned to each dive guide.  This means extra time shooting whatever catches your fancy.

The dive guides are some of the most knowledgeable you’ll ever meet.  There is a resident marine biologist who keeps the guides up to date and educated as to names and behaviors of the vast array of life.  On every dive, the guides will make lists of the critters you’ve seen, making it easy to identify what you’ve captured with your camera.

Most dives descend to 70’-80’ and a zig-zagging, slow ascent gives you and your group ample time to find some of the world’s most stunning sea-life, much of which is endemic to Lembeh Strait.

The resort is plush and very well maintained and the food is first-class.  You’ll never be hungry and the choices include traditional Indonesian fare, along with other Southeast Asian cuisines and basic American choices as well.  The dive operation is run by Critters@Lembeh Resort, which is owned by the same folks that own Murex Dive Resorts at Bangka Island and Manado.

After 2 days and 8 dives at Lembeh Strait, we headed for Murex Dive Resort at Manado by way of boat.  We did three dives around Bangka Island, which is famous for spectacular walls and seascapes.  Sensory overload is probably the best way to describe the dives.

Lunch was provided at the Murex Dive Resort on the island and, though we did not stay there, it is clearly a first-rate operation in and of itself.  When I return, I will definitely stay on the island for a couple of days.

Following lunch, we completed our boat trip to Manado where we spent two more days diving.  Day one included two dives out near Bunaken, a protected marine-reserve.  On one dive alone, we saw roughly 18 Green Sea Turtles, in addition to colorful walls and an abundance of reef fish. 

The currents at Bunaken can be somewhat strong, but the guides plan the dive such that the current is always at your back.  The only drawback is having to fight the current, at times, to get the shots you want!

We did the night dive at the Murex Manado Resort House Reef.  Nudibranchs, mantis shrimp, crabs, lobster and octopuses abound!

Like Lembeh Resort, the food and service are plentiful and attentive respectively.  The operations at the resort and the dive shop are well-organized and efficient and customer oriented.

All three locations offer enclosed camera rooms where you can store your camera gear safely, as well as clean the gear and wash and grease your o-rings in climate controlled environments.  There are also camera professionals available if you have questions or other needs.

All in all, this was the best dive trip I’ve ever taken and a place to which I’ll return over and over again.  Highly recommended.

If you have any questions about diving in Lembeh Strait, Bangka Island or Manado or about Lembeh Resort or Murex Dive Resorts be sure to reach out to me by way of the Contact Page.