Welcome to the Bahamas
(Saturday-Saturday)
Throughout the week aboard the Carib Dancer guests will depart Nassau to explore the dramatic walls, lush coral reefs and exciting animal encounters of the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park. This protected area is one of the world’s most successful marine parks with an area of 176 square miles consisting of an array of more than 350 small islands and cays. The crystal-clear tropical Atlantic pours over the deep cuts between the cays and constantly shifting sand bars. Waters are thick with coral reefs that are alive with every imaginable ocean critter from the living jewels – angelfish and butterfly fish – to the charismatic food-chain toppers like grouper and barracuda – right down to the tiniest living invertebrates. Night diving allows guests to experience an entirely different group of critters and bevy of behaviors not visible during the day.
The Bahamas and her Out Islands offer a distinct blend of international glamour and tropical ease. The islands and cays sprawl across nearly 100,000 square miles of ocean, beginning at the northern point east of Palm Beach, Florida and spanning practically 750 miles to the southeast where there come inside 50 miles of Cuba and Haiti.
Getting There:
The Commonwealth of The Bahamas consists of 700 islands and nearly 2,500 cays. About 30 of these islands are inhabited. The capital city of Nassau is located on New Providence Island. Close by is Paradise Island which is accessed by bridges from Nassau. The closest island to the U.S. is Bimini, about 55 miles off the coast of Florida.
Many major airlines fly into Nassau: American Airlines, Air Tran, Bahamas Air, British Airways, Delta, Jet Blue, Spirit, United, US Airways. There are many direct flights from the US and several connecting flights through the US gateway cities of Miami, Fort Lauderdale and Atlanta.
The Carib Dancer departs from Elizabeth on Bay Marina in downtown Nassau, a short ride from Nassau International Airport (NAS). Your return is greatly simplified with US Customs and Immigration Pre-Clearance services at the Nassau International Airport. All flights originating out of Nassau and arriving in the USA arrive as a domestic flight. This in turn allows travelers to have normal “domestic” connection times instead of extended “international” connection times.
Arrival/Boarding/Departure:
Guests arriving into Nassau (NAS) International Airport on Saturday will first clear customs then proceed to the taxi stand located just outside the terminal building. A fixed fare taxi can be secured to take you to “Elizabeth on Bay Marketplace and Marina” in downtown. Guests may board the Carib Dancer after 4 pm on Saturday. At 6 pm the yacht departs for its night anchorage to prepare for diving Sunday morning. After a full week of diving, the Carib Dancer returns back to the Elizabeth on Bay dock in Nassau Friday afternoon after lunch. Check-out is Saturday morning at 8 am. The crew will assist organizing transportation back to the Nassau International Airport Saturday morning or a local hotel if you are extending your stay.
Diving Environment:
- Sharks, Eagle Rays, Stingrays, Groupers, Walls and Reefs with abundant marine life and multiple macro critters.
- All dives from mothership.
- Water temperature: 78-84F, 25-28C (summer months) 75–80F, 24-27C (winter months, with possible 72F, 22C drop in January)
- 3-5 mm wetsuit recommended
Taxes & Fees:
Plus Port charges $90, Park fees $10 (paid onboard).
Transfers:
Not included in charter price
Top Dive Sites – Bahama Islands
The Exumas consist of an array of more than 350 small islands and cays streaming down from just 35 miles south of new Providence to the anchor islands of Great and Little Exuma to the south. The Exumas are a 120-mile-long island chain-within-the-chain of the Out Islands. The Cays are the most exotic of the Out Islands, a collection of tiny jewels set in the aquamarine and sapphire of the most beautiful water you’ve ever imagined with an intriguing combination of walls and rich shallow reefs.
Nassau
Lost Blue Hole – The rim of this large blue hole lies in 40′ of water surrounded by coral heads, stingrays and many schools of fish. There is a lobster filled crevice at 80′. In the sand surrounding the hole, divers will find many small fish such as Banded jawfish, Seminole gobies and Tobacco fish. There are usually 1 or 2 nurse sharks here and during the spring a large school of Blacknose sharks inhabits the bottom of the 200′ hole. This is the location of the Bahamas first lionfish sighting.
Periwinkle Reef – This is a shallow patch reef that is teaming with fish. The local Nassau operators feed fish here, so sergeant majors and angelfish will approach scuba divers looking for a handout.
Exumas
Amberjack Reef – A 50′ patch reef that has prolific fish life. You will see reef sharks and up to 10 large grouper. This dive also has many interesting small critters such as pirate blennies and garden eels. During the safety stop divers will be surrounded by a school of 100+ horse-eye jack that hang out under the yacht.
Austin Smith Wreck – A 90′ Bahamian Defense Force Cutter lying in 60’ of water that sank in 1995 while being towed to San Salvador to be sunk there as a dive site.
Barracuda Shoals – This bankside patch reef has huge schools of fish as well as many small critters on the reef and surrounding sand.
Blacktip Wall – Hammerhead sharks have been sighted frequently on this wall. This reef is also where Ned Deloach (Reef books co-author) found the very rare Lemon goby.
Cathedral – This site is part of the Dog Rocks Reef. This reef starts at 35′ and slopes off to 50′ before dropping straight down into the Exuma Sound. The Cathedral is a large swim-thru where the light filters down from above reflecting off the thousands of silversides that occupy the swim-thru. This swim-thru has many grouper and jacks that come to feed on the silversides. The wall has large stands of black coral and orange elephant ear and tube sponges. Pelagics, eagle rays and sharks are frequently seen off the wall.
Cracked Coral Head – This massive coral head rises 40′ off the bottom. Several large swim-thrus make it looked like it is cracked.
Jeep Reef – This site named from a coral encrusted jeep that sits near the morring is in the middle of the Exumas Land & Sea Park and hosts a healthy population of fish. It is also one of the prettiest reefs you will ever see. Current that sweeps through this cut keeps the reef ‘s corals very healthy..
Pillar Wall – One of many excellent wall dives. It starts at 30′ and slopes to 50′ before dropping 5,000′ to the bottom. There are many caves and crevices. There is a large colony of Yellowhead jawfish in the rubble inside the reef.
Southwest Eleuthera
Cave Rock – A large coral mound in 50′ of water surrounded by several smaller coral heads. There are several caves where you can swim from one side to the other. The large variety of corals and fish will amaze you. Hammerhead Sharks have been frequently seen here.
Monolith – Large mounds of coral rise out of the sand at the edge of the wall. They start at 100′ and rise to 55′. There is a colony of Garden Eels in the sand next to the mounds.
Little San Sal (Half Moon Cay)
Cave Reef – This 40′ shallow patch reef has several large swim-thrus cutting through the middle.
Empress Pinnacles – This wall dive features 30′ high pinnacles coming out of the sand at the edge of the wall. Peligics are seen frequently in the clear water off the wall. There are large stands of black coral on the sides of the pinnacles.
The Yacht – Bahamas
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Nassau, BahamasBuilt to Lloyd’s Registry and American Bureau of Shipping Standards.
- Length: 100 ft.
- Beam: 22
- Passengers: 14
- Crew: 5
- Saturday to Saturday trips
- Boarding: Saturday 3 p.m.
- Check out: Saturday 8 a.m.
The Bahamas has been a Dancer Fleet destination since 2012.
Staterooms
Room #1 Quad Stateroom
Rm Size: 11’0″ x 6’6″ feet |
Top Bunk:
Lower Bunk:
Top Bunk:
Lower Bunk: |
30 x 74 inches
30 x 74 inches
30 x 74 inches
30 x 74 inches |
Room #2 Deluxe Stateroom
Rm Size: 6’7″ x 6’10” feet |
Top Bunk:
Double: |
30 x 74 inches
53 x 74 inches |
Room #3 Deluxe Stateroom
Rm Size: 6’4″ x 6’1″ feet |
Top Bunk:
Double: |
30 x 74 inches
53 x 74 inches |
Room #4 Deluxe Stateroom
Rm Size: 7’4″ x 6’3″ feet |
Top Bunk:
Double: |
30 x 74 inches
53 x 74 inches |
Room #5 Deluxe Stateroom
Rm Size: 6’3″” x 6’0″ feet |
Top Bunk:
Double: |
30 x 74 inches
53 x 74 inches |
Room #6 Deluxe Stateroom
Rm Size: 7’3″ x 6’3″ feet |
Top Bunk:
Double: |
30 x 74 inches
53 x 74 inches |
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