New Is A Good thing!

Sandy decided to pay Salt Cay a visit with higher seas than our senior citizens had ever remembered. Ms Nettie and Ms Pat were down looking at the waves and telling wonderful stories about 'back in the days".
The seas were as high as 18 ft rolling in. The crashing seas took out about 4-5 ft of sand underneath the front section of Coral Reef Bar and Grill, located right next door to the dive shop. The cafe is still totally functional and we had Conch Festival for dinner with our guests last night.
Salt Cay Divers shop was not effected at all!
This gives us the opportunity to remodel the front section of the cafe and continue with building our new and improved dance floor next to the cafe.
A  huge thanks to the wonderful people, Shine, Bernard, Willy, Enye, Mike, Greg and Nancy,John, Uncle Lionel and Stagger Lee, who secured the cafe so no further damage was done.
The seas are calming down and all is good.
Our boats rode the storm out really well. Craig is a wonderful addition to our team. He was able to secure the boats and make sure the engines were all running good.
He took a surf board out to the Big boat with a battery charger to charge the batteries. Now that was quite the sight. I was freaking out that the battery charger was going to be dumped into the sea due to  the crashing waves. But they were masterful and got the job accomplished.
Our little community really pulls together and the guests helped in any way they could.
Diving will most likely resume tomorrow. With the seas calming down the visibility will be back to it's excellent sightings in the next couple days.
Happy Halloween and hoping all those effected by Sandy along the east coast stay safe. Hope to see you in Salt Cay real soon. Debbie

It's Official

Salt Cay Divers, in conjunction with Coral Reef Bar and Grill will host it's annual New Years Eve festivities, consisting of dinner followed by music and  dancing. We still have space available at several of our accommodations. Mention this post and receive an additional 10% off our already low rates for new bookings for the holiday season. Come join in on the fun whether on land or underwater. Hope to see you on Salt Cay to close out 2012.  Never too early to get that special someone a special holiday surprise of coming to snorkel, dive or whale watch in Salt Cay Hope to hear from you soon.  Debbie.

TAMMY AND JOHNNY

Just another two of our most recent Discover Scuba graduates!

Congratulaations to thesse two wonderful students. They were so excited about their new adventure in our underwater world.They swear they are coming back in Humpack whale season starting Jan 2013.They plan to get certified and would be a perfect time when you can hear the beautiful songs of the Humpback whales on almost every dive.

Come join them for your first dive or certification adventure.

 

Show Case

Lady Pirate

This weeks  Salt Cay showcase is Lady Pirate. She is our newest rental property in Salt Cay.
This privately owned home is in the north district , right across the street from the gorgeous sunset side of the island. One block from Salt Cay Divers and Coral Reef Bar and Grill, this house is centrally located yet off the street offering lots of privacy. Lady Pirate is a two bedroom,one bath house,with a large living room and modern kitchen. The well stocked kitchen is a dream to cook in and has a nice patio for outside dining.
The upstairs deck has gorgeous views of the ocean and is excellent for relaxing and enjoying the sunset with an ice cold drink in hand. For reservations contact Debbie at scdivers@tciway.tc or call 6492411009. For pictures go to ladypirate.hantetfort.com Hope to see you in Salt Cay real soon.

Go Away Isaac

Well Issac is giving Salt Cay some much needed rain. The donkeys were actually kicking their heals up and playing they were so excited to have water and soon, more food. Thanks for all the emails  from our friends wishing us safe harbor  from the storm. We have gusting winds at about 30MPH , no real sea action, so hope to be out diving again tomorrow. Sun is shinning and life is good. Just hope Isaac stays away from Haiti, Cuba and Fl. Be safe to all who might be in the path of Hurricane Issac.

Vote for Salt Cay Divers!

Scuba Diving Magazine Top 100

 

Hey divers and friends, this is your chance to write a few words about Salt Cay Divers and put us in the Top 100 Dive Destinations for 2013.  Click on the link above or use this one - http://www.scubadiving.com/top100.  

 

And while you're at it, send us an email to begin your reservations for 2013 for a dive vacation that can include whale watching, snorkeling, lion fish hunting and kayaking the mangroves (or email just to say hello, we'd love to hear from you.) 

 

Come join us on Salt Cay, Turks and Caicos Islands!

IN HONOR OF SHARK WEEK



Thanks so much to Jean- Paul from France who took this shot of a shark on our reef.  Jean Paul and Claudette  saved the best for last by coming to Salt Cay for their final island adventure in the Turks and Caicos. Although they didn't get a picture, they also saw our local Hammerhead again near northwest wall. Our mama Spotted Eagle ray visited and they saw her while snorkeling under the bluff.

They said Salt Cay had the most fish of all the islands they had visited and clearly the best snorkeling from the beach of anywhere in both the Caicos or Turks islands. Thanks so much for sharing your precious holiday time with us.

Team Salt Cay Divers off for a well deserved holiday.

Salt Cay Divers  staff are on their usual trek of returning home to their native lands. Richard is going off to the Phillipines, Enye to Haiti, Willy already is in Haiti, Antonia going to Dominican Republic and Philiman just called to say she WILL be coming back after her visit to the US.

Victor known to some as Beto, is still in the Dominican Republic and I hope he is having a fantastic time with his family.

Ollie is going to be here all of Sept for anyone interested in any water activities, just let him know. He considers living in Salt Cay is  already paradise so he doesn't have to go anywhere else as he is home.

 I will be off until Oct 5th and might not have access to Internet, so please know, I will get with you as soon as I get Internet access.

Thanks so very much to all the team members and guests making Salt Cay Divers such a special place . Have a great vacation, rest up, enjoy your family and hurry back as I anticipate an exciting season for our winter months with the returning Humpback whales.

BLOW OUT SPECIAL

  After the kids are all back in school, airfares usually drop, so start planning now.

October 16-Nov 15th Salt Cay Divers is having a two for one special for our dive packages.

Depending on the accommodations you select your dive package will still be only half of  our already low rates . If you want a 10 tank package, two of you can come for $450 or just $225pp

If you have our 15 tank package, both of you for $575 or $287.50pp. This special is based on double occupancy.

The accommodations participating in this special are:

Tradewinds Guest suites, Villas of Salt Cay, Vistas of Salt Cay, Genesis Beach House, Lady Pirate, Compass Rose,Charming House, Halfway House, Brown House, Lady Pirate and Pirates Hideaway. You can go to www.saltcaydivers.tc go to links and other specials, scroll down and you can click to view all the accommodations included in this special.

Lots of options for accommodations and for the best dive package you will find in the Caribbean. Contact saltcaydivers@tciway.tc requesting the two for one dive package. Hope to hear from you soon. Debbie



Congrats to our youngest diver Athena! She was like a fish and is so excited to have had this experience scuba diving on her birthday. Happy Birthday Ms. Athena. Richard you did real good too.
Fantastic gift idea for any member of your family or friends. Holidays coming up. Please keep Salt Cay Divers in mind for an adventure of a lifetime.

Yes, that's Willy. One year ago he didn't know how to swim. Now he is scuba diving! He will soon be completing his open water certification. Richard, one of our instructors from the Philippines, is teaching Willy, from Haiti, the PADI dive course in English. If there is a will there is a way. Come on down to Salt Cay and we will assist you in getting certified or experiencing some of the best diving in the world.
For those of you that dont know two of our team, the second picture is of Richard and Willy. Richard,you look cute too. Thanks for all your hard work.

Friendly Shark Seen Smiling

Yes, it is true. Our honeymoon couple Luis and Niki swear the 7 ft shark swimming past them was smiling as it went by. We only have friendly sharks in the Turks Islands They said they saw more fish than ever expected and loved Salt Cay.
Thanks to all the divers who continue to keep the Lion fish off our reefs. That's why we still have so many fish.
Come spend your honeymoon or have a romantic getaway to the gorgeous island of Salt Cay.
We also had our youngest visitor do his Discover Scuba class. Ten year old Abel and his father Metton went diving together for the first time. A family that dives together stays together. He will be back next year for his  Jr. open water certification. Great job Abel!
New Eco-adventures being offered this fall. Never too early to make your travel plans now.

SALT CAY SHOWCASE

Salt Cay is a very unique and special place. We have miles of gorgeous beaches in which the only marks in the sand might be your own footprints . We also are special in that we have NO Hotels. We have private homes for rent, private villas and small resorts, but no hotels.
For the next several weeks I will showcase different options of where to stay in Salt Cay. Salt Cay is small,and people are surprised to learn how many gorgeous alternatives we have when looking for  accommodations.Salt Cay actually has 15 different locations all offering different amenities and locations to best suite your budget and personal desires of things important to you.
Want to be  on the ocean, with a kitchen or in a Salt Raker home not on the ocean front but with lovely views and a swimming pool?  How about an early 19th century home totally renovated with wrap around porches like the old plantation homes?
Salt Cay has something for everyone unless you are looking for crowded beaches, casino, cruise ships, hotels and spas. Salt Cay would not the place for you.
 Take a look at what we have to offer and follow Salt Cay Divers specials as we will offer them with each of our featured  accommodations.
Starting out this showcase special, not in any particular order is:
The Villas of Salt Cay
This  is the largest resort we have on Salt Cay. It will accommodate up to 17 people depending on sleeping arrangements. This facility is excellent for family reunions, scuba groups or friends wanting to share the same location. There is one main house surrounded by gorgeous gardens and a coy pond.
The main house has three bedroom,en suite baths, large modern kitchen,  one bedroom, bath, and living room on ground floor.On the second floor you have another sitting room and two of the bedrooms and baths. The swimming pool and deck area are idea for relaxing, swimming, parties and barbecues.
There are three Cabanas to the south of the main house. Each cabana is situated with perfect ocean views on the sunset side of the island. There is a fantastic beach right in front of the house that is like having your own private beach. Each cabana is decorated in bright Caribbean colors,4 post beds with netting. They each have a kitchenette with under counter fridge, coffee pot, toaster,microwave top counter stove and dishes.
Each cabana has lounge chairs and deck right in front of the entrance to their rooms.
Please go to www.villasofsaltcay.tc for pictures and a closer look at one of the finest accommodations Salt Cay has to offer.
Salt Cay Divers special for the month of Oct 15-Nov 14th,2012, book 7 nights accommodations at the Villas of Salt Cay and get the 7th night FREE. Book 5 days of scuba diving  and get the 5th day free. This offer is good for both the 10 and 15 tank boat dive packages.
For non divers, book a snorekling excursion with us for two people and get one excursion Free.
Keep a watch out for next weeks Showcase accommodation.

Good luck Officer Fergie
Salt Cay's Officer Fergie has decided to go back to her home, Barbados, to go to school. Coral Reef Bar and Grill had a send off for her. There was food, dancing and rum punches with a kick! She was presented with a Salt Cay map to remember us. Fergie was only with us one year, but was always here to help if we needed her.
Now Officer Stan is alone and we hope Police Headquarters sends us another officer. On behalf of the community of Salt Cay , we wish you well.

Lion Fish Tournament has been extended through the month of August. Richard and all the divers have been doing such an excellent job at keeping the Lion fish off our reefs, that we have not had any fish caught in the month of July. So all you snorkelers and divers, we are having some excellent specials for the month of August. Come spear some Lion fish, we will teach you how to clean them and then prepare it for you. Delicious meal and great dive trying to find them!

Hammerhead spotted
An 8 ft Hammerhead shark has been seen for the last three days on our Northwest point of Salt Cay. I hope he has taken up residency there.Gorgeous sighting as the divers have seen him smiling as he passes by.
One of our fishermen, not use to Hammerheads said he" about had a heat attack" as he had never seen one that big before. His partner said he never saw his friend move that fast in his life! Hammerheads are friendly as long as you leave them alone, they will leave you alone. Just enjoy their beauty.

Specials
Be sure to check this blog and Salt Cay Divers Face book page for our upcoming fall specials.
Hope to see you in Salt Cay real soon. Debbie

July Lion Fish Tournament
Get your dive equipment and Lion fish detectors ready for our July tournament. We have the spear guns or you are permitted to bring your own Hawaiian sling to kill all the Lion fish on the reefs in Salt Cay.
Richard and the crew has done an excellent job at keeping the population down, but we need your help. We want all Lion fish on your plates, not our reefs.
The prize for the person catching the MOST Lion fish wins a three night stay at Tradewinds Guest Suites.
A pod of Pilot whales were spotted right in front of Salt Cay on Tuesday. They must have come for the Queen's jubilee.  No idea why they are here so late, but it was exciting. Never too soon to sign up for our Super Summer Specials and Humpback whale season 2013.
Hope to have you in Salt Cay real soon. Debbie

SUMMER IN SALT CAY Hello all you fellow divers and snorkelers out there. It has been awhile since I have had time to update you on all the happenings in Salt Cay.It was an exciting winter. We had the fortune of having so many wonder snorkelers, divers and whale watchers. What a great bunch of people vising our island. Thanks so much to everyone who came to Salt Cay this winter. This was the best whale watching season in all the 15 years I have been on island. We experienced more in water encounters both on snorkel and on scuba then all my previous years. Matt has been diving 15 years and exclaimed when he surfaced from his dive "This whale encounter was the best scuba dive I have had in my entire life." This kind of comment was heard so many times this year. I am so thrilled we had so many happy visitors. Just a preview for what's to come the rest of this year and next. The Humpbacks have gone for the season, but right behind them came the Whale shark, Hammerhead and then yesterday,Spotted Eagle rays. The warmer waters are starting to heat up and with the warming comes all sorts of tropical fish returning to our reefs for the summer. We are expecting Mantas in June and of course the mating of the Nurse sharks in just a few feet of water is a spectacular sight to see in June and July.

Thanks to Allen and Angie for the picture of the Hammerhead. You will be able to view all their photos on Salt Cay Divers FB later on this week. Lion Fish Hunt Tournament For the entire month of July we are having a Lion Fish Tournament. Whoever kills the most Lion fish during the month of July wins: Three night stay at Tradewinds Guest Suites. So if you have not booked your dive trip yet, we have lots of accommodations options waiting for you along with both our 10 or 15 tank boat dive packages specials. If you can get the Lion fish on snorkel ,go for it! You don't have to scuba dive to enter the contest. Just bring us the most Lion fish and you win! You can sign up at Salt Cay Divers from July 1st to the 31st 2012. Please help us keep these envasive creatures off our reefs and on our plates. Many people who have eaten Lion fish at Coral Reef Bar and Grill will tell you Lion fish is now their favorite fish. Delcious!

Thanks again for the beautiful turtel picture, Allen. Book your flights now for a trip to Salt Cay. Our staff will do everything possible to insure you have a relaxing, yet adventuresome vacation. Hope to see you soon. Debbie

WRECK, WHALES, SHARKS!

Just another day in paradise.We took our divers to our 18th century British war ship, the Endymion. Clearly one of the most beautiful shallow reef dives in the world. The unsalvaged wreck has 18 canons and 9 huge anchors. This is a dive not to be missed.
Then to top the day off, they saw 15 whales and got in the water three times with them. Now the divers are out doing a night dive. Can't get enough.
Next they will end the eveing at Coral Reef Bar and Grill eating delcious Lion fish and cracked conch, sipping on our rum punches and watching the gorgeous stars.
Still not too late to join us for an amazing adventure of a lifetime. Hope to see you with Salt Cay Divers soon. Debbie

FIRST HUMPBACK IN-WATER ENCOUNTER OF THE SEASON!

Salt Cay Divers had its' first in-water encounter for the season. We had 28 French people charter flights in from Provo to go on a whale watching excursion. They chartered their own boat, the Afri Cat, and had our boats go out and spot for whales. When Richard spotted them, there were two huge whales and the proud mama showing off her new born. Lee, our researcher/ naturalist, was on the boat and was able to gently slide into the water and guide the French snorkelers so they could get a fantastic in-water view of these whales.
Cowdung did a fantastic job and manuvering the boat so as to respect the Humpbacks space and not to disturb them.
Lee Munson, our newest staff member, is conducting a study to detemine if whale behaviors change when snorkelers are in the water with them. They sure didn't seem to mind at all. Come take part in our research and you might be lucky enough to experience encounters like we had yesterday. Season is just beginning, so come on down and join SCD for an adventure of a lifetime!PLEASE CHECK OUT THE VIDEO ON YOU TUBE OR SALT CAY DIVERS FACEBOOK PAGE.