Blackbeardsintern09
Registered
Hi everyone! I am a summer intern for Blackbeard's Cruises, a liveaboard dive company based in Freeport, Bahamas. Each summer Blackbeard's reserves one of their 65 ft. sailing boats for scout troops, and I was lucky enough to go out on the first scout trip of the summer last week! The crew of Sea Explorer welcomed Venturing Crew 2125, from Wellington, FL, onto their boat for a week of diving, snorkeling, fishing, island exploration, and fun! The crew had a great time on the open ocean, and became more confident divers and boat handlers!
Below is a trip report for their weeklong dive adventure!
6/6/09
After traveling to the Bahamas on board a Discovery cruise from Fort Lauderdale, meeting the Sea Explorer crew, and unpacking all their gear into their racks, the scouts were ready to set sail! Captain Ernie briefed us on safety procedures, introduced the crew, and held a vote for the group to decide on their itinerary for the week. The venturing crew opted to travel to the Bimini Chain with the promise of additional bonfires and the opportunity to climb several lighthouses on their island explorations. After leaving the dock, the group completed a check out snorkel right outside the channel at a site called Angel Camp, to ensure everybody was comfortable in the water before starting to dive the following day. Of course, everyone did great, and the group even saw a shark! After the initial snorkel it was time to starting the crossing, a 35 mile drive down to the Bimini chain, most of which was completed during the night. Scouts took turns doing driving shifts, and most enjoyed Chef Sarahs delicious turkey dinner! Those that didnt learned the hard way that it takes a few days and a few waves to get your sea legs! All in all, everyone slept very well that night, and woke up the following day excited to hop in the water for the first dive!
6/7/09
We awoke to the first of many sunny days on Sunday morning, having arrived at our first dive site, called Stevies Wonder. Since the group was newly certified, the first dive was devoted to practicing skills with Jeremy and Sarah, our dive instructors for the trip. We practiced compass navigation, mask clearing, and a few other review skills, and then enjoyed looking at all the magnificent coral features. Everyone came up from the dive more confident in their SCUBA skills, which kept improving tremendously over the course of the week!
After that dive, the group tried their hand spearfishing under the watchful guidance of our two spearfishing experts on board, Captain Ernie and our dive instructor Jeremy. Amazingly, two scouts were able to catch fish on their first attempt, and although neither of them were edible, the group was excited to keep honing their spearfishing skills and bring in a big fish! The group did two more dives, one at a site called Riding Rock Reef, where we saw some huge barracudas waiting for us under the boat on our ascent! Scouts also explored the island of Riding Rock in the afternoon, snorkeling over to the island and exploring its unique coastal tide pools and taking a dip in the blue hole in the middle of the island. After another filling dinner, Ernie and the crew entertained the scouts with jokes and knot tying tricks as the sun set on a great day in paradise.
6/8/09
The wind on Monday morning provided the perfect opportunity for a little sailing, so after breakfast the scouts helped the crew rig up the main and jib sails for a sailing adventure to our morning dive sites. Because the scouts were expected to act like crew members, they were in charge of our sailing success, cleating off lines, raising sails, and giving each other encouragement along the way! One of the highlights of the day came during our sail in the form of the ever-popular halyard dunk, where a halyard line in attached to a seat cushion and scouts are dunked in the water from 15 feet in the air while underway. All the scouts (and some of the crew and parents) tried out the halyard dunk, and all returned to the boat wanting to try again!
Our first dive of the day was the always impressive Bull Run, which is the usual site for the Blackbeards shark dive. Although the venturing crew didnt do a formal shark feed, the sharks still circled around the site, which featured beautiful high profile coral formations. Seeing that many sharks up close was a thrilling way to spend the morning. The next stop on our journey was Gun Cay Lighthouse, where the venturing crew explored one of the most crucial navigational beacons in the Bahamas. As a service component of the trip, the scouts and crew brought over wood planks to begin rebuilding a decrepit dock on the island, and the scouts were enthusiastic about making the island a better place than it had been when they arrived! Two more dives at Tuna Alley and Big Greene showcased more spectacular reef environments replete with big parrotfish, some large bar jacks, and lots of beautiful tiny reef fish!
Monday night was spent at port in South Bimini, a quiet island with a pool, beach, and most importantly, a grill. After a refreshing splash in the pool and a delicious grilled dinner, the scouts did what they do best and made an awesome bonfire, which everyone enjoyed despite the warm Bahamian night!
6/9/09
Tuesday morning was spent visiting the South Bimini Shark Lab, which was just a short walk from the dock. A student working there gave the group an informative tour around the Shark Lab facility and told us all about the important mission of the Shark Lab, which is to conserve lemon shark populations in the Bahamas, and gather year round, ongoing data about the threats sharks face from fishing and habitat destruction.
Once we left South Bimini, the scouts did two dives at Hawksbill and the Strip, where they saw an abundance of high profile coral filled with lobster! Next the group snorkeled at a site called Bimini Road, which is a shallow area with large stones placed at the bottom in the sand. In addition to being rich in marine life, theses stones were thought to be part of an ancient road to the mythical underwater city Atlantis! After an awesome snorkel, the scouts tried their first wreck dive at a site called Hesperus, which is a fairly shallow reef visited by sharks and turtles. The scouts did a transition dive there (around dusk) and were able to get the night dive experience while underwater exploring a spooky wreck. Fortunately the spooky factor was overwhelmed by the big fish and the shark seen at this site. The scouts came up from the dive very excited about their finds, and proceeded to the throw a glow stick party on deck, which involved glow sticks being splattered in hair, clothes, and on the deck. While the scouts had a great time, deck clean up the following more was a bit messier than usual!
6/10/09
Our first dive on Wednesday was a site called Bomb Rock, an area with protruding rocks that were used as target practice during World War II. The bottom of this dive site was littered with fully intact bombs of all sizes, most of which were very well preserved. The scouts had a blast looking at all the bombs underwater, and searching for different sizes and types of bombs! Although this was one of the most popular dive sites, the current was a little strong, and after the dive most scouts were ready to get on dry land and climb the lighthouse on Great Isiac! The scouts braved a long staircase to reach the top of the lighthouse, and shot some amazing pictures of Sea Explorer from high above!
The scouts and crew of Sea Explorer then made the return crossing back to Grand Bahama, taking turns driving the boat and doing some serious fishing off the stern! Several mackerels and a rainbow runner were caught, which was an exciting accomplishment for the scouts!
After making the crossing, Sea Explorer camped in the waterway of Grand Bahama that evening, allowing the scouts one more opportunity for a raging bonfire. The venturing crew pulled out all the stops, and made the biggest bonfire possible! Something in the wood pile caused the flames to turn blue, which was exciting for the scouts! After an awesome bonfire, the crew went back to the boat for a relaxing night.
6/11/09
The last day of the voyage was just as sunny and beautiful as the first, as the boat explored dive sites close to Grand Bahama. The scouts dove sites like Blair House, which was the deepest dive of the week, and Sea Star, an awesome wreck, which was complemented by perfect visibility! Captain Ernie challenged the scouts in the Cinnamon Challenge, where scouts must eat a teaspoon of cinnamon in one minute, which is definitely harder than it looks! The last dive of the afternoon was Shark Junction, the site of another shark feed, and the scouts were amazed by the close proximity of the sharks throughout the dive! The day ended with another pool party, this one at Port Lucaya. After spending a few hours at the pool, the venturing crew docked the boat one last time at the house at Freeport, and said their goodbyes the following morning! Everyone had a blast, and learned a lot about SCUBA diving, boat handling, and the islands of the Bahamas!
If you would like to see photos of our scout trips or learn more about Blackbeards high adventure trips for scouts and youth groups, visit our website!
Below is a trip report for their weeklong dive adventure!
6/6/09
After traveling to the Bahamas on board a Discovery cruise from Fort Lauderdale, meeting the Sea Explorer crew, and unpacking all their gear into their racks, the scouts were ready to set sail! Captain Ernie briefed us on safety procedures, introduced the crew, and held a vote for the group to decide on their itinerary for the week. The venturing crew opted to travel to the Bimini Chain with the promise of additional bonfires and the opportunity to climb several lighthouses on their island explorations. After leaving the dock, the group completed a check out snorkel right outside the channel at a site called Angel Camp, to ensure everybody was comfortable in the water before starting to dive the following day. Of course, everyone did great, and the group even saw a shark! After the initial snorkel it was time to starting the crossing, a 35 mile drive down to the Bimini chain, most of which was completed during the night. Scouts took turns doing driving shifts, and most enjoyed Chef Sarahs delicious turkey dinner! Those that didnt learned the hard way that it takes a few days and a few waves to get your sea legs! All in all, everyone slept very well that night, and woke up the following day excited to hop in the water for the first dive!
6/7/09
We awoke to the first of many sunny days on Sunday morning, having arrived at our first dive site, called Stevies Wonder. Since the group was newly certified, the first dive was devoted to practicing skills with Jeremy and Sarah, our dive instructors for the trip. We practiced compass navigation, mask clearing, and a few other review skills, and then enjoyed looking at all the magnificent coral features. Everyone came up from the dive more confident in their SCUBA skills, which kept improving tremendously over the course of the week!
After that dive, the group tried their hand spearfishing under the watchful guidance of our two spearfishing experts on board, Captain Ernie and our dive instructor Jeremy. Amazingly, two scouts were able to catch fish on their first attempt, and although neither of them were edible, the group was excited to keep honing their spearfishing skills and bring in a big fish! The group did two more dives, one at a site called Riding Rock Reef, where we saw some huge barracudas waiting for us under the boat on our ascent! Scouts also explored the island of Riding Rock in the afternoon, snorkeling over to the island and exploring its unique coastal tide pools and taking a dip in the blue hole in the middle of the island. After another filling dinner, Ernie and the crew entertained the scouts with jokes and knot tying tricks as the sun set on a great day in paradise.
6/8/09
The wind on Monday morning provided the perfect opportunity for a little sailing, so after breakfast the scouts helped the crew rig up the main and jib sails for a sailing adventure to our morning dive sites. Because the scouts were expected to act like crew members, they were in charge of our sailing success, cleating off lines, raising sails, and giving each other encouragement along the way! One of the highlights of the day came during our sail in the form of the ever-popular halyard dunk, where a halyard line in attached to a seat cushion and scouts are dunked in the water from 15 feet in the air while underway. All the scouts (and some of the crew and parents) tried out the halyard dunk, and all returned to the boat wanting to try again!
Our first dive of the day was the always impressive Bull Run, which is the usual site for the Blackbeards shark dive. Although the venturing crew didnt do a formal shark feed, the sharks still circled around the site, which featured beautiful high profile coral formations. Seeing that many sharks up close was a thrilling way to spend the morning. The next stop on our journey was Gun Cay Lighthouse, where the venturing crew explored one of the most crucial navigational beacons in the Bahamas. As a service component of the trip, the scouts and crew brought over wood planks to begin rebuilding a decrepit dock on the island, and the scouts were enthusiastic about making the island a better place than it had been when they arrived! Two more dives at Tuna Alley and Big Greene showcased more spectacular reef environments replete with big parrotfish, some large bar jacks, and lots of beautiful tiny reef fish!
Monday night was spent at port in South Bimini, a quiet island with a pool, beach, and most importantly, a grill. After a refreshing splash in the pool and a delicious grilled dinner, the scouts did what they do best and made an awesome bonfire, which everyone enjoyed despite the warm Bahamian night!
6/9/09
Tuesday morning was spent visiting the South Bimini Shark Lab, which was just a short walk from the dock. A student working there gave the group an informative tour around the Shark Lab facility and told us all about the important mission of the Shark Lab, which is to conserve lemon shark populations in the Bahamas, and gather year round, ongoing data about the threats sharks face from fishing and habitat destruction.
Once we left South Bimini, the scouts did two dives at Hawksbill and the Strip, where they saw an abundance of high profile coral filled with lobster! Next the group snorkeled at a site called Bimini Road, which is a shallow area with large stones placed at the bottom in the sand. In addition to being rich in marine life, theses stones were thought to be part of an ancient road to the mythical underwater city Atlantis! After an awesome snorkel, the scouts tried their first wreck dive at a site called Hesperus, which is a fairly shallow reef visited by sharks and turtles. The scouts did a transition dive there (around dusk) and were able to get the night dive experience while underwater exploring a spooky wreck. Fortunately the spooky factor was overwhelmed by the big fish and the shark seen at this site. The scouts came up from the dive very excited about their finds, and proceeded to the throw a glow stick party on deck, which involved glow sticks being splattered in hair, clothes, and on the deck. While the scouts had a great time, deck clean up the following more was a bit messier than usual!
6/10/09
Our first dive on Wednesday was a site called Bomb Rock, an area with protruding rocks that were used as target practice during World War II. The bottom of this dive site was littered with fully intact bombs of all sizes, most of which were very well preserved. The scouts had a blast looking at all the bombs underwater, and searching for different sizes and types of bombs! Although this was one of the most popular dive sites, the current was a little strong, and after the dive most scouts were ready to get on dry land and climb the lighthouse on Great Isiac! The scouts braved a long staircase to reach the top of the lighthouse, and shot some amazing pictures of Sea Explorer from high above!
The scouts and crew of Sea Explorer then made the return crossing back to Grand Bahama, taking turns driving the boat and doing some serious fishing off the stern! Several mackerels and a rainbow runner were caught, which was an exciting accomplishment for the scouts!
After making the crossing, Sea Explorer camped in the waterway of Grand Bahama that evening, allowing the scouts one more opportunity for a raging bonfire. The venturing crew pulled out all the stops, and made the biggest bonfire possible! Something in the wood pile caused the flames to turn blue, which was exciting for the scouts! After an awesome bonfire, the crew went back to the boat for a relaxing night.
6/11/09
The last day of the voyage was just as sunny and beautiful as the first, as the boat explored dive sites close to Grand Bahama. The scouts dove sites like Blair House, which was the deepest dive of the week, and Sea Star, an awesome wreck, which was complemented by perfect visibility! Captain Ernie challenged the scouts in the Cinnamon Challenge, where scouts must eat a teaspoon of cinnamon in one minute, which is definitely harder than it looks! The last dive of the afternoon was Shark Junction, the site of another shark feed, and the scouts were amazed by the close proximity of the sharks throughout the dive! The day ended with another pool party, this one at Port Lucaya. After spending a few hours at the pool, the venturing crew docked the boat one last time at the house at Freeport, and said their goodbyes the following morning! Everyone had a blast, and learned a lot about SCUBA diving, boat handling, and the islands of the Bahamas!
If you would like to see photos of our scout trips or learn more about Blackbeards high adventure trips for scouts and youth groups, visit our website!
