Explorer Ventures Trip Report - Caribbean Explorer II (Saba/St. Kitts)

[EVMike]

Caribbean Explorer II - Trip Report - 11/10-17, 2012
A Reef shark, turtle and a huge sting ray were the welcoming committee for the first dive at Custom’s House. It was a turtle kind of day as there were several small juvenile turtles at Tent Wall as a well as a huge 7 foot green eel that was free swimming along the top of the reef, trying to find cover and not fitting in any of the holes he tried. The night dive at Torrens Point was a huge hit with a lobster the size of a small dog, porcelain crabs, bi colored flat worms and a nurse shark.
Monday – Tedran Wall was a great start to our day with great visibility and little to no current. Tent Reef delivered as always. The afternoon dive provided great excitement with a huge lobster, turtles and an octopus that entertained Kay and Cindy for the majority of their dive. The guests were anxious to get back in for the late afternoon dive to see what else was going to entertain them.
Tuesday – Was a sharktastic day all around we started with the pinnacle with 5 reef sharks and a couple of nurse sharks. We then headed to Big Rock Market where we had a small reef shark cruise past and a tiny baby nurse shark was sleeping under a coral head it was only about a foot long. We rounded the afternoon at Tent Reef and off the deep mooring we had 3 reef sharks cruise by. Tent reef also delivered several octopi.
Wednesday in St. Kitts we spent the day at Sandy Point starting at paradise reef. The guests were treated to an octopus during the day. Anchors Away was our second destination and the guests loved finding all the anchors. There was a bit of current but that didn’t keep the turtles away or the guests from enjoying the afternoon dive. After enjoying Larry’s fish dinner the guests had a spectacular night dive on Paradise reef – with long horn nudibranchs, octopus, squid, a couple of free swimming eels and a hoard of sting rays playing in the sand. Truly paradise for the guests.
Thursday - Old road bay had a special on octopus as there were 4 octopus within a 4 foot squared area right under the boat. We have never seen so many octopi that close together. We finished the day at the River Taw, always a treat with decorator crabs, a huge turtle the size of a small car that had 3 huge Remora on it the size of small nurse sharks. Everyone was quite excited after the night dive.
Friday – We finished the week at Monkey Shoals where it was a shark and octopus fest. Several nurse sharks and an octopus showing his stuff during the morning without a care in the world. Great visibility and a great way to end the week for our guests.
Our theme for the week was sharks, octopus and turtles…

 

[beaverdivers]

Welcome to SCUBAboard.

Thank You for your trip report!

 

[EVMike]

Caribbean Explorer II - Trip Report - 11/24-12/01, 2012
We started the week off at Monkey Shoals with a nurse shark and sail fin blennies. We then moved over to the River Taw for the remainder of the day. Schools of sergeant majors protecting their eggs, an octopus hiding behind shells in his den out by the bulldozer, a huge lobster, turtles and a bat fish rounded the afternoon. The night dive brought a turtle convention by the mooring line and rubble pile – there were 6 turtles in all. The beaded sea cucumbers were also out in full force with well over 100 they were everywhere.
Monday – Started on the Corinthian with great visibility, sun anemone with sexy shrimp. Moving on down the island to Old Road Bay we did two dives with turtles, an octopus out being harassed by 3 coneys, a huge school of unicorn file fish and a bat fish. Paradise reef concluded the afternoon with a game of find the anchors and Nora was delighted to find a flying gurnard.
Tuesday – Our guests started the morning on paradise reef with a turtle and a flying gurnard. We spent the rest of the afternoon at Anchors Aweigh where the guests were entertained by turtles, 3 octopus – the baby one inked Steve. Several flying gurnards and a juv. Spotted drum. As the guest were coming up from the 4^th dive we had a pod of at least 50 dolphins make their way past the boat – they didn’t get too close as they were hunting but did put on quite a show from the distance.
Wednesday – Tedran wall had a bit of current but the guests loved the deep wall with lots of fish. Diamond rock’s first dive was lovely with reef sharks and a nurse shark, big angel fish. Second dive had quite a bit of current this didn’t keep the reef shark from coming in for a closer look. Torrens point finished the afternoon and night, the guest enjoyed the swim through and puttering around the shallows – Nora and Pete were very excited to find a Caribbean Spanish dancer on the night dive.
Thursday – Eye of the needle started our day with a couple of reef sharks – very little current. We then moved over to tent wall had a very lovely dive, no current, good vis you could see the pinnacles from the wall. Tent Reef always a favorite, we had turtles, sharks and lots of little stuff.
Friday – We finished the weeks diving with a dawn dive and 2^nd dive on Custom house. No current lots of fish and the guests loved finding the lettuce sea slugs.

 

[farsidefan1]

What kind of water temperatures do you normally experience in April - May and how calm is the water (my wife likes very calm seas)?

 

[rongoodman]

What kind of water temperatures do you normally experience in April - May and how calm is the water (my wife likes very calm seas)?

We were there this year from 4/7--4/13, and looking at my X1, water temps were right around 78. I wore a 5mm suit with a hooded vest and was comfortable all week, even doing 5 dives daily every day. (If you go too light on the exposure protection, you're likely to be skipping dives by the middle of the week). Water was calm. The only rough water I've run into with them was on a trip to the southern Bahamas a couple of years ago.

 

[EVMike]

Trip Report: Caribbean Explorer II - Saba/St. Kitts/St. Maarten – January 5-12, 2013. We started our week on the M/V River Taw and M/V Corinthian where we were entertained by Pipefish, Goldline Sea Goddess, Mantis Shrimp, Turtles, Lobsters and Octopus. As we moved further down St. Kitts to Old Road Bay our divers were met with Lobsters, an Eagle Ray and several Flying Gurnards. Paradise Reef and Anchors Away had a big Turtle and the guests had a great time trying to find all the anchors. Torrens point has a resident juvenile Nurse Shark who follows the divers around on the dive. It was very playful, attentive and posed for pictures. Rounding out the week with Tent Reef our divers found a Gold Spotted Eel, Sting Rays, a huge Grouper, several Turtles and a Nurse Shark. Another great week of diving!

 

[EVMike]

Trip Report: Caribbean Explorer II – Saba/St. Kitts/St. Maarten – March 23-30, 2013
We started the week at Saba with Lettuce Sea Slugs, Turtles, Octopus, a tiny Sharp Nose Puffer, a Sharp Tail Eel, Spade Fish and Lobsters. Diamond Rock was a favorite site with tons of “pretty fish”. The divers had an Octopus come to play on the night dive at Tent Reef.
Tent Reef was another favorite with a Nurse Shark, several Groupers and a Gaudy Clown Crab.
Moving over to Paradise Reef and Anchors Aweigh on St. Kitts the divers were entertained by Bar Hamlets, several Eels, a Nurse Shark, Turtles and 12 juvenile Spotted Drums.
Old Road Bay, M/V Corinthian and M/V River Taw dive sites produced sightings of Squat Anemone Shrimp, Pike Blennies, Yellow Head Jaw Fish with eggs in his mouth, big Green Moray Eel, Turtles and Octopus.
We finished the week on Monkey Shoals with Scorpion Fish, Sail Fin Blennies, Nurse Shark and several Groupers. Another great week of diving!

 

[EVMike]

Trip Report: Caribbean Explorer II – Saba/St. Kitts/St. Maarten – April 27 – May 4, 2013.
Another nice week of diving with 80 degree water temp and 80+ degree sunny days!
Aquatic sighting this week around St Kitts include: Turtles, Indigo Hamlet, Pike Blennies, Sail Fin Blennies, Nurse Sharks, Octopus, Sting Rays, Gold Line Sea Goddess, Sexy Shrimp, Mantis Shrimp, Green Morays, Spade Fish, Flying Gurnard, Juvenile Spotted Drum and Channel Clinging Crab.
Aquatic sighting this week around Saba include: Sting Rays, Golden Coney, Nurse Sharks, Reef Sharks, Juvenile French Angel, Turtles, Scrolled File Fish, Turtles, 2 Yellow Sea Horses, Yellow Headed Jaw Fish, Octopus, Lettuce Sea Slugs and a White Spotted File Fish. Thanks to all of the guests for making this another wonderful week.

 

[EVMike]

Trip Report: Caribbean Explorer II – Saba/St. Kitts/St. Maarten –July 27-August 3, 2013
[FONT=&amp]We started our week on Saba with Custom House, Big Rock Market and Torren’s Point. Our guests were treated to 2 Long Horn Nudibranch, Lettuce Sea Slug, a Reef Shark, several Nurse Sharks, 3 juvenile Trunk Fish and a Sail Fin Blenny. On the night dive, it was Nudibranch heaven with Goldline Sea Goddess, Leatherback Doris and 3 Spanish Dancers. A few Squid came along to check out the divers. Day two we dove the Pinnacle, Tent Wall and Tent Reef. We now have 4 Seahorses on Tent Reef which are always a highlight. Turtles, juvenile Drum’s, Nurse Sharks, Octopus, Cryptic Tear Drop Crabs and 5 black Flat Worms rounded out the day. As a special treat, we visited Statia for the day and dived the following sites: Double Wreck, Baracuda Reef and Wreck City. There were a school of Squid, several Turtles, lots of really big Sting Rays and juvenile Angel Fish. [/FONT]
[FONT=&amp]As we continue on to St. Kitts we spend the day at Paradise Reef and Anchors Aweigh. A Seahorse was spotted on Paradise Reef, 2 Octopuses under the boat, a Flying Gurnard, Arrow Blenny and “VW” the Turtle and a Flying Gurnard joined in the fun on the night dive. [/FONT]
[FONT=&amp]As we work our way down the island we stopped at Old Road Bay where we found 2 Frog Fish. A rare Spotted Cyphoma was also seen. The M/V River Taw was an exceptional site this day with a small black Frog Fish, a Mushroom Scorpion Fish, 6 Gold Line Sea Goddess and a rare Harlequin Blue Sea Goddess. Bedroom Bay was equally rewarding with a Seahorse, Lancer Dragonet, Bumble Bee Shrimp, a wonderful Decorator Crab and several Lobsters. All this was right at the mooring line. [/FONT]
[FONT=&amp]We finished our week at the M/V Corinthian and M/V River Taw, with another Seahorse and several Octopuses.[/FONT]
[FONT=&amp]Our guests had a great time! Congratulations to Joli for finishing her Nitrox course and to Clay for completing his Solo Diver course.[/FONT]