Bahamas liveaboards and the effect of lionfish

[caz36]

Hi all,

I'm looking a liveaboard options for the Bahamas, but have also heard quite a bit about the effect that the lionfish have had on the marine life there - can anyone tell me whether it's a serious as some people make out? I live in Cayman, so am pretty lucky in getting some amazing diving and marine life etc, and was hoping the Bahamas would offer something a bit different (sharks etc), but also some good, healthy well-populated reef. Which are the best Bahamas areas, as I know that the liveaboards go from a number of different places?

Also wondering if anyone can comment on the non-diving activity on some of the liveaboards, as it would be quite good to see some of the islands topside when I'm not underwater!!

Thanks!
Caz

 

[Blackbeard's]

I spent a year collecting and observing lionfish for some NOAA studies on them. I believe they will have a major affect on fish in the Caribbean but at this time there is only a few spots that has actually happened. Of all our dive sites, we only one where they have had any affect and that is the blue hole outside Nassau. They have pretty much eliminated little fish and shrimp here. This has led to many of the snappers, grunts and lionfish leaving due to lack of food. The blue hole is still a great dive site with many pelagics, sharks and rays. Hopefully they will solve the problem before it becomes worse. As far as non-diving activity on liveaboards. We do some shore excursions on Blackbeard's but the Aqua Cat Scuba Diving Bahamas Liveaboard Aqua Cat Cruises offers shore excursions several times a day. You can feed the iguanas at Allens Cay, hike the nature trails at Warderick Wells, kayak or snorkel the mangroves or have a beautiful beach to yourself.

Bruce Purdy

 

[leadweight]

I saw a lionfish in the Southern Bahamas last August. It was a night dive and a bit of a shock at that. Is there any sort of program to control the lionfish population.

 

[Aqua Cat]

We have been collecting lionfish on our boats. Not only the Aqua Cat but Blackbeard's, but since they are in all habitats and from 2' to 400' trying to stop them by collecting them is impossible. You can reduce their numbers on your reefs. I think the best we can hope for is coming up with something to limit their growth.

 

[robint]

Hi all,

I'm looking a liveaboard options for the Bahamas, but have also heard quite a bit about the effect that the lionfish have had on the marine life there - can anyone tell me whether it's a serious as some people make out? I live in Cayman, so am pretty lucky in getting some amazing diving and marine life etc, and was hoping the Bahamas would offer something a bit different (sharks etc), but also some good, healthy well-populated reef. Which are the best Bahamas areas, as I know that the liveaboards go from a number of different places?

Also wondering if anyone can comment on the non-diving activity on some of the liveaboards, as it would be quite good to see some of the islands topside when I'm not underwater!!

Thanks!
Caz

The Nekton liveaboard visits Cay Sal Bank and Medio Reef which are south of Bimini and there have been very few, if any, lionfish sited in that area. We did the Medio trip last year and loved it. One dive saw one lionfish up by Bimini the first day but that was it all week.
As far as visiting islands - the point of doing a liveaboard is to be away from land diving areas that the day boats can't reach. The Nekton boats sometimes have an afternoon in Bimini the last day before heading back to Ft. Lauderdale. Other than that, we never saw land all week. Plus when doing 4-5 dives per day, there isn't time to do much else.

 

[leadweight]

The Nekton liveaboard visits Cay Sal Bank and Medio Reef which are south of Bimini and there have been very few, if any, lionfish sited in that area. We did the Medio trip last year and loved it. One dive saw one lionfish up by Bimini the first day but that was it all week.
As far as visiting islands - the point of doing a liveaboard is to be away from land diving areas that the day boats can't reach. The Nekton boats sometimes have an afternoon in Bimini the last day before heading back to Ft. Lauderdale. Other than that, we never saw land all week. Plus when doing 4-5 dives per day, there isn't time to do much else.

Been there, done that, loved every minute of it. Great trip. I am a light breather and with the steel tanks I used no weights and had loooong dives. Get your buddy, plan your dive, dive your plan, no goofballs leading you around, heaven. Did see one lionfish, just one somewhere way South.

 

[scubamgb]

I just returned from a Nekton trip to Medio Reef Bahamas (May 23-May30) and I can say without a doubt there are Lionfish in this area. On all of my dives, I saw 2-3 Lionfish. Having said this - Medio Reef and Cay Sal Banks are some of the most untouched and lush reef systems I have ever had the opportunity to dive ( have done Turks and Caicos, Cozumel, Roatan, Fort Lauderdale).

I have read on the SB forum where they are now finding Lionfish in Cozumel - both times in Cozumel I never saw Lionfish so the reef system here is changing as well.

They are beautiful to see and photograph but are bad for the reef ecosystem. One of the crew members said they heard that the Bahamian goverment was thinking of offering up some money to dive operators to catch Lionfish. Again - the crew member heard it somewhere so I really don't know how true this fact is.

My suggestion - go to Medio Reef / Cay Sal Banks as the reef systems are amazing! Not too many liveaboards go to these locations so they are unspoiled.

 

[leadweight]

I just returned from the Exumas on Blackbeard's Morning Star. Eighteen great dives (out of a possible 20) and I saw Lionfish on nearly every dive. Sometimes several of them. They are totally established. In the Bahamas it is legal to spear Lionfish on scuba, the only species where this is allowed, so far as I know. It seems that when one is shot, two more take its place.

This reminds me of the old joke, get some guys from Louisiana, tell them it tastes like chicken and the season ended last week.

 

[Blackbeard's]

I just got off one of our trips to Bimini where we made it south to Orange Cay and east to the Gingerbreads. Lionfish were seen on less then half the dives. We only had two dives where more then one was seen and on one of these they all turned into sushi. The only dive where large numbers were seen was the Hesperus, a wreck on the bank. This trip marked our 30th anniversary and I was lucky to have Bob "Stubby" Stubbs from Ikelite onboard. By coincidence it was his 30th trip with Blackbeard's.

Bruce

 

[cleanershrimp]

Who said it was legal to spearfish lionfish in The Bahamas? The government has not issued a public statement nor has it informed the dive shops in Grand Bahama of this.