Just back from Bahamas

[CaribbeanDiver]

Hi All,

We just got back from a week long liveaboard in the Bahamas. The reefs seemed healthier this time and I saw different fish this trip. Not nearly as many turtles, rays or nurse sharks but lots of unique stuff. Saw my first File Fish, several of them in fact. I must admit File Fish seem to be the most colorful fish I have ever seen. Saw some juvenile spotted drums, puffers, trunk fish, and other stuff I have never seen in the Bahamas before. Of course, the parrot fish, angels, jacks, and misc blennys, groupers, snappers, and squirrel fish were everywhere.
Saw an octopus crawling around inside a conch shell, eating the conch and spitting out parts he didnt want -- that was really wild.
And, saw some sharks outside of the shark dive. Kind of cool but kind of freaky when 3 of em started to circle us and kept getting closer and closer. I later found out that the dive site (Shark Junction) was a feeding site for Unexco. I sure wish I knew that before I hopped in.
Great time, great diving, and the only bad part is you get that bad feeling when it is time to end the trip.
I sure wish I could vacation for a living.

[namabiru]

Nice! I'm glad you enjoyed your trip, and I was pleased to hear that you saw a lot of different fish. I'm going on Blackbeard's next weekend with ST.

How was the weather during your trip?

[gtjason2000]

Sounds like you had fun. That would be awesome to see an octopus feeding. I have been wanting to see just an octopus out of its hiding spot. I did the shark dive with unexsco. Then we did a normal dive which was my wife's open water dsd and I think it was in shark junction, we got to see sharks without having to pay the extra $45 or so. To bad the sharks seemed to scare you a bit. I was somewhat nervous doing the shark dive but the second I saw the shark I was not worried at all, it looked so peaceful and I can't think of anything else besides puppydog-like. The sharks were really lazy and would only eat dead fish jammed in their mouth by the dm in chainmail.

[RECDiver]

Which liveaboard were you on?

[comet24]

I am heading down there in October on a liveaboard. COunting down the days. Which one where you on.

[cgvmer]

Dove there last year, and almost all the dives we had reef sharks cirlcing below the boat. It was exhilarating.

[namabiru]

Originally Posted by comet24

I am heading down there in October on a liveaboard. COunting down the days. Which one where you on.

You're really starting early. And here I am wondering how 3 more days are going to pass before my departure.

(You can read between the lines--I'm just covering up the fact that counting past 10 is difficult by saying that... )

[CaribbeanDiver]

I stayed on the Pirate's Lady last year and the Morning Star this time. Not much difference in the two.
Blackbeard does not charge extra for their shark dive and it is the best shark dive I have seen - have done about 3 others with various other dive ops.
My personal feeling about the hand feeding from the guy in chainmail (like unexsco and stuart's cove do) is that it is not a good thing. It trains the sharks to bite the hand of the human. I think it might be better to let the sharks eat from a frozen chum cycle and leave the human hands arms out of sight.
dont worry about weather, unless it is a huge storm, the boats move to sites where it is sunny and the water is calm.
ASK the Boat Captian to go to the wreck of the Sabona, I promise it will be one of the best if not THE absolute best dive on your trip.

[Charlotte Smith]

Which places do you like better? Coz or the bahamas?

[Capt Hook]

Great area to dive isn't it?