The Caribbean
THE TURKS & CAICOS ISLANDS
A tranquil and unspoilt diving paradise
Season: Year-round diving
Visibility: 30-50 metres
Water Temperature: 25-29°C
Special Offer: TURKS AND CAICOS AGGRESSOR Repeat Aggressor clients can bring a buddy for 50% off the regular rate on selected cruises: 8-15 May 2010, 27 November-4 December 2010.
Chain Moray (Alex Mustard)
In the Turks Island Passage, which links the turbulent waters of the Atlantic Ocean to the warm, tropical Caribbean Sea, a string of small islands trails off the end of the Bahamas. These are the Turks and Caicos Islands. To the west lies Cuba, to the south lies Hispaniola. Only eight of these 30 islands and small coral cays are inhabited. Several hundred years of salt producing industry have left their mark. Vegetation is sparse on these low-lying islands as, in the past, almost every tree and palm was chopped down in an attempt to discourage rain, as year-round desiccating winds and low humidity converted trapped sea water into natural salt.
Gin clear water shading from deepest cobalt to pale turquoise surrounds the islands with their many largely-undiscovered dive sites that have, as a consequence, remained in a near pristine condition. The government are making every effort to conserve and protect their wonderful natural resource and have established several marine national parks.
A fascinating parade of interesting marine life passes through the waters of these islands, including the awesome sight of the Humpback Whale migration. Between February and April the humpbacks migrate through the Turks Island Passage to reach their breeding grounds on the Mouchoir and Silvers Banks on the north coast of the Dominican Republic. Divers frequently hear the beautiful and eerie sounds of calling whales (and Turks & Caicos Aggressor offers special whale charters to snorkel with these fantastic creatures). In the summer months these blue tropical waters hold Manta Rays. As the Great Blue Herons come to feed at the pools, wild dolphins leap and dance offshore amongst the waves. The Turks and Caicos Islands are nature lover’s islands, where the adventurer and the escapist will find peace and tranquillity.
THE CAICOS ISLANDS
Both Turks & Caicos Explorer and Turks & Caicos Aggressor explore a wide range of dive sites around the west coast of Providenciales, the west coast of West Caicos and French Cay. The dive sites are characterised by steep walls and superb sponge populations (especially Elephant Ear Sponges and Crimson Rope Sponges) along with a good variety of Caribbean reef fish and the chance to catch up with turtles, Caribbean Reef Sharks and Nurse Sharks.
At French Cay some of the favourite dive sites include Double D, a popular wall dive which is overgrown with hard coral and sponges There are two huge coral mounds teeming with fish. Look out for the resident Spotted Scorpion Fish which often poses for photographers and keep an eye open for the Spotted Eagle Rays which often ‘fly’ through this area. G-Spot is another section of well-preserved wall with many huge deep water gorgonians and orange Elephant Ear Sponges growing at the wall’s edge. A shallower dive often taken in the afternoon is Rock and Roll. The top of the wall here is around 12 metres and there are good populations of barrel sponges, and elkhorn and pillar corals. Juvenile barracuda and lobsters can be spotted during the day. This shallow site is often a great choice for a night dive. Around 7 kms south-east of French Cay is West Sand Spit, where the wall starts at 12 metres and is covered with huge coral formations – pillar corals, barrel sponges and deep water gorgonians. Look out for Nurse sharks, French Angelfish, Ocean Triggerfish and some large stingrays.
The northwest point of Providenciales is where you will find Black Coral Forest, a superb wall which starts at around 15 metres and drops away to a stunning 100 metres! Search under an overhang in which at least 5 species of black coral are growing. Shark Hotel is named for the Caribbean Reef Sharks that can regularly seen cruising the wall. The wall levels off at 30 metres at a plateau covered with plate corals. At around 25 metres you will find a chimney that cuts through the reef with an exit at around 20 metres on the deep wall. The top of the wall has many pillar corals.
Off the coast of West Caicos one can find one of the most diverse dive sites at Driveway. The boat is moored in 10 metres of water, offering the options of swimming to the wall over the Driveway, a large sand chute, or cruising on top of the wall in shallower water where there are many interesting isolated coral heads. There are anemones here growing in only a metre of water. At Rock Garden Interlude the wall is divided into sections with large and beautiful sponge formations. Here you can encounter turtles and spotted scorpion fish. The sand flat on top of the wall has several interesting coral heads and also garden eels. Vertical walls are found off the coast of many islands and it is here that unusual and magnificent corals and sponges thrive. A huge 3-metre diameter Orange Elephant Ear Sponge growing on the reef wall gives its name to Elephant Ear Canyon. Three species of the rare and highly prized black coral can be found overhanging the hollow cut in the reef wall at Amphitheatre. A school of Horse-eye Trevallys cruises through the corals searching for food. A 5-metre column of coral grows vertically from the ocean bed dwarfing the usual 2-metre formations at Driveway. Fascinating growths of corals and sponges occur here and there is always a healthy population of Yellowtail Snappers, Yellow Goatfish, Queen Angelfish and surgeonfish.
Many lucky divers will experience the joys of encountering Bottle-nosed Dolphins or Spotted Dolphins, either above or below the water. These playful characters sometimes stay with the boat for a long time and there can be few more gloriously spontaneous delights than leaping into the water with them and allowing the dolphins to show off like children in a playground, leaping above the waves or diving suddenly into the deeps, or merely besporting themselves to show their sleek undersides and graceful movements in the water. Beautiful Spotted Eagle Rays ‘fly’ in these waters and there are frequent meetings with eerie large Great Barracudas that lurk in cuts in the reef or in the shadow of the boat, while Southern Stingrays shuffle over the sand flats. Large, friendly, dark-banded Nassau Groupers often come to greet the divers and hang around watching these unusual visitors to their watery world. Hawksbill Turtles flap serenely by at many of the dive sites and have even been known to follow divers on occasion. During the late summer months Nurse Sharks gather to mate in the shallows of French Cay. If the weather is right there may be the opportunity to snorkel here and witness this wonder of nature.
TURKS & CAICOS EXPLORER II
The 106-foot MV Turks & Caicos Explorer II underwent a refit and renovation in 2005 and can now accommodate up to 20 passengers in ten cabins. Eight crew work hard all week to look after guests and make sure that their diving holiday is a trip of a lifetime. All staterooms have portholes or windows, individually-controlled air conditioning and private en suite bathrooms. The two VIP Staterooms are situated amidships on the upper, Boat Deck. Each room has a queen-sized bed, a TV, a desk, a chair and a dresser, ample space to hang and store clothing and a private bathroom. These staterooms are for couples only. The five Main Deck Staterooms are similar but have one large bed or two single beds (and lack a TV). The Three Lower Deck Staterooms have two single beds one above the other, portholes, a hanging closet and private bathroom.
The crew of Turks & Caicos Explorer II really take the effort out of diving. Once you have set up your gear on the first day they will look after it for the rest of the week, leaving divers free to enjoy what they have come for – diving! There is an awning-covered flybridge which is accessed via a staircase from the Boat Deck and features sofa seating for 12-15. Here there is a barbecue, wet bar and the helm station. From the flybridge’s open area, passengers can marvel at the beautiful scenery, or, when the diving is over for the day, select a drink from the well-stocked bar and watch the warm sun disappear into the Caribbean Sea. The Boat Deck features a large area for relaxing in the sun, has comfortable lounge chairs and provides an outside walkway to the two VIP Staterooms. The Main Deck (with the diving deck aft) features a comfortable air-conditioned salon which is used for serving breakfast and dinner, watching slide shows and DVDs or simply relaxing after a good day’s diving. The five Main Deck Staterooms are situated forward of the main salon. The dive deck is fully equipped with individual lockers, a camera table, recharging station, air and Nitrox filling station, wetsuit hanging area, freshwater showers and a bathroom. A large stairway leads down to the diving platform where 2 in-water ladders hang to make for easy access to and from the water. The Lower Deck is where the compressor is situated along with the dive gear storeroom, a camera room, communications room and crew cabins. The three Lower Deck Staterooms are situated at the front of the boat and accessed via a staircase from the main salon.
Diving takes place directly from the boat by giant stride into the water; at the end of the dive you simply climb aboard by one of the ladders. Underwater photographers have special facilities on board Turks & Caicos Explorer II. The dive deck has a large multi-level photography table for storage and servicing and there is a special stabilized charging station. Two separate rinse tanks are designated as camera-exclusive. Thorough briefings with site descriptions are given at each new dive site and, although divers are given a great deal of freedom, the buddy system is maintained at all times (unless you are authorized to dive solo: see below). Computer diving is encouraged to get the maximum profile from each dive. Turks & Caicos Explorer II anchors at specific sites in the morning or the afternoon for divers to enter the water when they wish (rather than have to dive with the whole group). Divers can expect up to 5 dives each day, including night dives. Solo diving is available for those who have completed a Solo Diver Course. The course is available on the boat for those who have PADI Advanced Open Water, are over 21 years of age, have over 100 logged dives, and can complete a 200 metre swim in full scuba gear, without stopping.
Meals on the Turks & Caicos Explorer II are freshly prepared every day. There is a choice of eggs, cereal, toast, tea and coffee for breakfast each day. Lunch and dinner are served buffet-style, with the occasional barbecue on the top deck. A selection of beverages is always available.
Turks & Caicos Explorer II operates from Turtle Cove Marina in Providenciales for 7 nights cruises, departing every Saturday throughout the year.
Price: from £1053. Includes: 7 nights cruise on Turks & Caicos Explorer II on a twin/share basis with full board (except dinner on Friday evening), including soft drinks and alcoholic drinks; 5 full days of diving (up to 4 or 5 dives daily, including night dives) plus one or two dives on the last day. Reductions for non-divers and extra weeks. A port charge of US$85 and a fuel surcharge of $95 (subject to change) are not included in the package price and will be collected on board. Dinner on the last night is not included, but guests will go as a group to one of the local restaurants. Airport transfers are not included; taxis are freely available.
Single Occupancy Supplement: 50% of the cruise cost (but you can avoid paying the supplement if you are willing to share a cabin).
TURKS & CAICOS AGGRESSOR II
Turks & Caicos Aggressor II is a very comfortable liveaboard that carries a maximum of 16 passengers in 8 staterooms. Five Deluxe Staterooms each have a lower double and a single upper bed and private head and shower, while two Twin Staterooms each have two single beds and share a head and shower between them. The Master Stateroom has a double bed and private head and shower. Each stateroom has TV/VCR units and individually controlled air-conditioning. Six crew provide superb service throughout the cruise and make sure your diving holiday runs smoothly. Between dives guests can relax on the sundeck (either in or out of the shade) or try the amazing hot tub!. The salon has an excellent collection of books, videos and music to enjoy. A personal computer station provides e-mail facilities (for a small charge) along with a colour printer.
The dive deck covers the aft third of the main deck. Large gear lockers double as seats and line the rails and centre. Two tanks are mounted at the back of each locker, so it is easy to don your equipment at your seat or ask for the tank to be taken to the dive platform. Dive information is displayed on a large board which shows depth and marine life information. A large three-tiered camera table has plenty of space for camera assembly or preparation and separate rinse tanks are kept for cameras and videos. The photography department provides rental cameras and accessories as well as the services of the photo pro if you require a model or expert advice. A range of PADI and NAUI speciality courses are offered on Turks & Caicos Aggressor including Nitrox training and facilities. A full range of diving equipment is available for rental by pre-arrangement.
For after the dive there is a freshwater shower and clean towels awaiting, as well as the chef’s freshly prepared snacks to appease the after-dive hunger pangs! Delicious barbecues, American-style and local dishes are served; breads, biscuits and baked snacks come strait from the oven. Most meals are served buffet-style.
Turks & Caicos Aggressor operates out of the harbour at Turtle Cove Marina, Providenciales for 7 nights cruises in the northern and western Caicos Islands, departing every Saturday between April and January.
Price: from about £1550. Includes: airport transfers; 7 nights cruise on Turks & Caicos Aggressor on a twin/share basis with full board, including soft drinks, wine, beer and spirits; 5 full days of diving (up to 4 or 5 dives per day, including night dives) plus one or two dives on the last day. Reductions for divers 65 or over, non-divers and extra weeks. A local bed tax of US$45 (subject to change) is not included in the package price and will be collected on board. Dinner on the last night is not included, but guests will be provided with guidance about good local restaurants.
Single Occupancy Supplement: 50% of the cruise cost (but you can avoid paying the supplement if you are willing to share a cabin).
FLIGHTS: Prices from about £759 to Providenciales. There are daily flight connections to Providenciales.
COMBINATIONS: If you are travelling to Turks & Caicos via Miami, you can combine a visit to the islands with any other Caribbean destination. Talk to us about the possibilities.
Schoolmasters and diver
