Diving with the Humpback Whales

Humpback whales have been making their way past the island of Salt Cay since early January this year on their annual migration to the Silver Banks. Whale watchers and divers are treated to many sightings off both the East and West sides of the island and in the waters around Salt Cay and Sand Cay.

This video was taken by Leslie Rediger while snorkeling during a whale watching charter with her parents, Keith and Yvonne, last week off the island of Salt Cay. During their trip, they caught some absolutely wonderful videos of dolphins and humpback whales! Thank you Rediger Family for sharing this with everyone.

Salt Cay Underwater Safari

January was the month for lionfish hunting in the waters around Salt Cay. Dive Master Richard and the Scheller Tribe (Arnie, Sonia, Mat, Jessie and George) spent many underwater hours with their hawaiian slings, protective gloves and a specially designed bag for capturing the lion fish they found. Approximately 25-30 lion fish were taken from the reef during this Underwater Safari by the Scheller Tribe.

A Lionfish is any of several species of venomous marine fish in the genera Petrois, Parapterois, Brachypterois, Ebosia or Dendrochirus, of the family Scorpaenidae. The lionfish is also known as the Turkey Fish, Scorpion or Fire Fish. They are notable for their extremely long and separated spines, and have a generally striped appearance, red, green, navy green, brown, orange, yellow, black, maroon, or white. (from Wikipedia).

Lionfish are predators of all the reef fish and have very few natural predators themselves. They are known to increase in number and wipe out large numbers of other fish if not kept under control. With this in mind, Arnie & Sonia Scheller and their family assisted Divemaster Richard from Salt Cay Divers in lessening the lionfish population around Salt Cay.

Lionfish are not usually agressive toward humans and will keep their distance when given the opportunity. Their sting is not deadly but extremely painful. With caution Richard and the Schellers proceeded to bag these beautiful but poisionous lionfish and protect the reef fish around Salt Cay.

Extreme care was taken both in grabbing the lionfish with the hawaiian sling and then in placing the lionfish into the bag so that no one would get stung by these venomous fish.

If you are an experienced diver and interested in helping protect the reef from the voracious lionfish, contact Debbie at Salt Cay Divers.

The Schellers return the end of March and Salt Cay Divers thanks them and looks forward to their continued efforts battling the ever increasing population of lionfish off the island of Salt Cay.

What an adventure!! Mike and Heather were kayaking this am and saw some whale tail action on the north end of the island.
They kayaked north past the sailboat and then heard a whistle, turned around and Chris from the boat was pointing behind them. They sat still in the water and three adult humpbacks come right up to them within 20 ft. They sat very quietly in awe of what they were experiencing. What an adventure, Heather exclaimed as goosebumbs were all over her body.
I asked if they had their camera , but of course, NO! Ok, from now on they are bringing their camera. Come on down. They are here! Debbie

Humpback whales are here

They're back! Ollie took a group down to a near-by unihabited island, Great Sand Cay and two large whales came right under the boat. Some guests were able to snorkel in the water with them for about 5 minutes. Then as quickly as they appeared, they swam off as if they were on a mission.

They were so beautiful, my niece who just happened to be visiting and on the boat, said with tears in her eyes. "It was the most thrilling adventure I had ever had with creatures in the wild".

Several other sightings have been made by locals on the island, Mike H. and Dave , while out fishing and then the people on the sailboat just told me their boat served as a conductor for the songs and they could actually hear the whales singing through the hull this morning.

Divers have all reported hearing them singing while on the dives at the north end of the island. So they are back! Come on down and enjoy them with us.

Lion fish hunts
Thanks to the Scheller family and friends they have gotten 46 Lion fish off our reefs !Richard, our dive master plus George and the Scheller tribe have enjoyed delicious Lion fish and compare the meat to tasting like Grouper.
Rob and Faye of Boston got some excellent pictures of the Lion fish and will be posting them later this week.
Friday night Coral reef bar and grill will be cooking up the lastest catch of Lion fish and sharing them with the other divers and guests on island.

Upcoming Events
Three days after the full moon we will be offering a night snorkels which offer a close up and person experiences with the glow worms. Be sure and bring some underwater lights and extra batteries for this event.

Sunset Cruise February 14th we will have our 6th annual Valentine Crusie. Wine,cheese and crackers on board in hopes of seeing whale whales and a gorgeous sunset. Please make reservations as this event is usally sold out.

Karaoke Night
Karaoke night resumes every Saturday night right after dinner at Coral Reef Bar and Grill. Come join the fun and have your favorite songs ready to sing.

Rib Night Continues
Delicious baby back ribs are being served up at Coral Reef Bar and Grill every Sunday night.
Several of our residents are so proud of their "perfect attendance" like Mike and Marilyn and Jim and Junie. Reservations are definitly needed so remember to sign up once you are on island.

Domincan Night
Want a bit of Dominican flare? Every Friday night Coral Reef Bar and Grill will be serving low calorie version of Dominican pizza.Crisp, herb and garlic season tortillia with lots of healthy veggies cheese and sauce is now available. Lots of Dominican music and after dinner, yes,dancing. There will be a few resident dancers available to teach you some sizzeling moves!

*Our island is small and relaxing, but that never stopped us from having lots of fun and adventures. Just a few bits of information to keep you all informed of the activities here on Salt Cay.

Special Thanks
So many people have inquired about our staff from Haiti, Philiman and Enye. All of their immidiate families are safe, but lots of distant relatives have not been as fortunate.
So many previous visitors to Salt Cay from all over the world that have met people in our community from Haiti have been so supportive.
We hosted a fund raiser where the local Scrape and Rake band wanted to do something in support of their fellow residents to raise some money to help the folks locally.
With the help of our winter home owners and entire community we raised over $2,000 in one night. Thanks to our local DJ Papa Newton and the band members.
Salt Cay Divers has a drop box to gather clothes, sheets towels that will be sent to Haiti on Air Turks and Caicos. Local members of the Haitian community members formed a committee and made decisions on how to best allocate the money. Initially, people were given money for phone cards so they could call and try and locate their loved ones. This small but necessary act was essential to helping people try to locate their family. The committee will continue to meet to decide how the rest of the money will be spent.
Thank you to everyone for your ongoing support of our Salt Cay community. You were there for us during the hurricanes and now here for our community again. Debbie

Wer'e back!!

Well it's been a gorgeous summer and most of the staff took off for the month of September. Slowly they are returning along with our wonderful guests. Ollie has been sprucing up the boats, all in great working condition to begin snorkeling and diving trips
The water temperature is 82 degrees and clear visibility of 80 ft plus.
We are excited about the addtion of several new activities for the rest of the year , continuing on into Humpback whale season.
Thanks to the feedback of Mary Lou Gates and family members , they suggested we routinely offer a night snorkeling trip right outside the harbor. We have provided shallow water dives before , but never the snorkeling option.
The group went out and said it was spectacular. Had what they called "bioluminescence night snorkeling trip" Lots of slipper lobster, crabs, shrimp and the corals came alive as if on a night dive.
So just ask your dive masters for the opportunity of a guided tour and we will provide a great adventure.
There will be night dives offered for the glow worm show which occurs 3-5 days after the full moon. Non divers can also do a dusk snorkel and see them too.
We will be having routine sunset crusies for those photagraphers wanting to get shots from the water which are not possible on shore.
Lion Fish Hunt Dives will be offered to those of you wanting to help us rid our reef of Lion Fish. While they are beautiful, they eat all the baby groupers and can destroy a reef in a few years. Fortunately , we do not have too many, but must get every Lion fish we see and crete a new island dish. Their meat is very tender, similar to the taste of a grouper.
Mary Lou also suggeted offering photagraphers the opportunity to go out on the boats to take pictures of the Ospry fishing in the day time. Fanntastic angle and different than the shore shots .
Whale watching excursions will begin the day we shart seeing more than one whale arrive.
Often the Humpbacks send their scouts down earlier. We all get excited and then don't see any whales for another week or so. Once the migration begins, we will be providing whale watching adventures. 2010 is suppose to offer us a "banner year" for the sighting these magnificent creatures.
Air Travel
I am working in conjunction with Caicos Express to provide a Sat - Sat flight departure and arrival. West Jet from Canada is having some excellent specials and fly here on Sat. For you Canadians reading this or Americans close enough to cross the boarder, check into West Jet Airlines.
As soon as we finalize this, I will write it on the blog.
Coral Reef Bar and Grill is still having Sunday "Rib Night" as well as Karaoke night every Saturday.
New recipes for fantastic martinis will be offered up this season. So as not to be outdone by anyone's martini bar, why not send us your favorite recipe and if it becomes a hit, we will name the martini after you.
On Friday nights ,we will clear the tables at Coral Reef dance floor and dance the night away under the stars. Multicultural music ,great Reggae, Spanish music as well as good old Country Western.
We have added a volley ball sand court as well as horse shoes so lots of activities to keep you busy when you are not in the ocean.
For those of you that met Davie , she is expecting baby number 2 sometime in February. Congratualations to her. She swears she will be cooking till she delivers, so come on down and enjoy her Dominican specialties.
For those of you who had the pleasure of diving with Richard, he has signed on for another year and I am so happy as he has great Lion Fish capturing techniquies not to seak of his diving skills.
Enye, Philiman and Antonia will all be back too. Couldn't ask for a greater team.
As you can see, we have been busy expanding to allow you lots of options while visitiing Salt Cay.
Hope to see you down here soon. Debbie

Calm Seas at Salt Cay Divers

Splash relaxing on a sunny day by Salt Cay Divers Big Boat in the Harbor.

Salt Cay, Turks & Caicos Islands

Click on picture to view it larger

Picture by Ann Hawkins

http://www.annhawk.blogspot.com/

Diving the Endymion near Salt Cay

Well folks, the weather was gorgeous so Ollie took a group of divers and snorkelers from Salt Cay out to the Endymion wreck. They said the seas were so calm, only took them 30 min to get there.
Once there, the conditions could not have been more perfect. No currents, visibility 100+. They saw three reef sharks, turtles, large groupers (don't tell the fishermen) and spectacular colors of sea fans and both hard and soft corals. (Special thanks to Simon Bateson for the turtle picture.)

There was a huge Baracuda guarding the entrance to one of the swim throughs, but the divers just starred him down and he let them pass. They stopped at my favorite un inhabited island Great Sand Cay, on the way back to Salt Cay.

They said it was just as gorgeous as ever. Next time, it's my turn to go!


Summer is upon us so that means calm seas, Dolphins and Mantas will be here soon.

Hope to see you down here real soon. Debbie

Spring is here

Well it has been a very cool winter and our wonderful dolphins and Humpback whales gave us quite a few "spiritual moments" . The waters are starting to warm up and the tropical fish are returning.Richard noticed lots of plankton in the water and sure enough within a few days they saw a 12 ft Manta ray. I have no idea why the Manta was in these waters this early in the year. We usually don't see them till June and July.It was a wonderful treat for all the divers. For a few, it was their first time.Spring and summer months are gorgeous in Salt Cay. We would love to see you in Salt Cay. Make reservations and we will give you a 10% discount off your already discounted dive package just by mentioning you read it here.Hope to see you in Salt cay real soon. Debbie

Turtles of Salt Cay

Our friends, Wendy and Simon have just sent us these lovely pictures of turtles they spotted on one of their dives last week. You can click on the picture to view it larger.

Pictures compliments of Simon Bateson.

New Friends and Old Friends at Salt Cay Divers and Coral Reef

We want to send a warm welcome to all of our new and returning staff.

Salt Cay Divers and Coral Reef Bar and Grill has a diverse, multicultural team of employees. We have learned so much about each other's cultures - they are a great group who love to dive, dance and dine with our guests. Their goal is to provide each visitor to the island with a unique experience while in Salt Cay.

New Friends (the Divemasters):

Richard Agraba is PADI certified dive master since 2003. He was born and raised in Davao, Philippines. He attended University and studied Electrical Engineering but his passion for ocean and travel led him to a career in diving.

Richard joins Salt Cay Divers in Jan 2009 and is very excited about being in the Turks and Caicos waters. “The diving is very different than the Philippines and so much variety of corals and different creatures in Salt Cay from what I am use to seeing.” His passions, other than diving, are wind surfing Reggae and island music and he is ready for the return of Saturday night karaoke at the Coral Reef Bar & Grill.

Dave, not David (only his mother can call him that) Goring is a PADI certified dive master and Instructor. He has been training others since 1996. He was born in Bishops Cleeve England calling himself a “country boy”. He arrived in Salt Cay and has been training and diving with divers since Nov 2008. “I love this island. It is so peaceful and quiet, such friendly people, great diving and hearing the whales sing is like listening to a concert under water”.

Dave has quit a wit about himself and told me “the only job I am really qualified to do is the Village Idiot” he says that with a big smile on his face. Quite the opposite as he is extremely talented in teach. He loves to joke, but is very serious about safety and his love of our underwater world. He has travelled throughout the Caribbean and Middle East countries.
Divers have told me he is one of the best dive masters they have ever had!

Old Friends (the Staff):

Enye Guierrier is our all around everything man. Enye hails from Haiti and fixes some of the best cracked conch, peas and rice and cole slaw this side of the Mississippi! Enye has been with Salt Cay Divers for the past 4 years. He recently got married and now they are expecting a child in a few months. Enye loves to cook and enjoys talking with the guests. His passion is for music and dancing. You will see him carrying tanks and assisting guests with their gear, then taking orders for their next meal at Coral Reef Bar and Grill. He hopes to bring his wife and child to Salt cay within the next year.

Deivi De Los Santos provides delicious meals and her favorite dishes to prepare are pastas and lobster. Deivi pronounced DAVIE was born in Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic. She has a 4 year old son that she will try and bring to Salt Cay this year. Her favorite things to do are cooking, dancing, singing and being a hair dresser. She loves Salt Cay because of the people here. She makes an awesome conch stew that is a must to try!!

Antonia Morales assist in the kitchen and bar area. Her margaritas made with fresh limes are only surpassed by mine. :) She loves to dance, sing loves to clean (imagine that) and enjoys the peaceful Salt Cay. Antonia is a Grandmother of 1 and has one son still living in the Dominican Republic. She was born and raised in Santo Domingo DR and has lived in the Turks and Caicos for the past 4 years.

Philiman Vincent has been with Salt Cay Divers and Coral Reef for the past 3 years. Her specialty in the kitchen is her peas and rice (aka beans and rice) and steamed fish. People rave about the flavors she is able to get with her combination of herbs. Philiman is a mother of two and her and her husband have lived in the islands for he past 12 years. Her daughter Gurdey attends the primary school in Salt Cay. Philiman is a bit more reserved but when the mood hits her she a heck of a good dancer.

With the world-wide economic situation in mind, we have done everything possible to curtail our pricing and continue with the quality we strive to provide both in our water activities and café and bar services.

We all still need to take time and enjoy our life so come join us as soon as you possibly can.

Best regards to all,

Debbie and Ollie

Happy New Year 2009

Welcome to our two new dive masters Dave Goring of the UK and Richard Agraba of the Philippines. They have a combined 20 years of teaching scuba diving. Richard specializes in kayak instruction and Dave loves to take people on new dives - when we find a wonderful location he names the site after them!

Come on down to see the humpback whales, they are back and hear them singing on most every dive.


Lionfish are being spotted on almost every dive. While they are gorgeous to look at we need to decrease the number of Lion fish as they eat all the baby fish on the reef. We are looking at the safest way to capture the fish without anyone getting stung. We will be having specific Lion fish hunting dives geared to their capture. We have received several recipes to prepare Lion fish as they are considered a delicacy to eat.

Come join us for a fun filled winter adventure.

Salt Cay Divers thanks you!

We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for your outpouring of support, phone calls, emails and generous contributions. Salt Cay was hit with a category 4 hurricane. The fantastic news is there were no injuries or lives lost. The majority of damage was to the roofs and will need to be repaired or rebuilt and that we are expected to be without power for several months. Those who know Salt Cay, know we are a strong community and will bounce back stronger and better than ever!

For all you snorkelers, divers and whale watchers, Hurricane Ike was primarily winds clocked at 150 - 180 miles per hour. We did not experience surges and there was very little impact from the sea - the reefs and walls look in great shape and we hope to resume dive operations as early as December. I went diving today - see my comments in the sidebar of the blog.

The main task of getting the electric back has started and once it's done, we can use that compressor and dive! We have very little communication on island - no phones but I do have internet service. If you have reservations prior to December, we will help you reschedule your vacation or set you up with a partner in Providenciales (the big island) in the Turks & Caicos Islands.

Once again, thank all of you from the bottom of our hearts for all of your concern and your contributions to the rebuilding of Salt Cay!

We look forward to seeing you in the near future!

Debbie and Ollie

Farewell Hilary and welcome to Rich

It was sad day, when Hilary decided it would be best to move on and explore other parts of the world.
Hilary was with Salt Cay Divers for a year and brought a wealth of knowledge,professionalism and fun to our island.
She will be missed.
Rich has joined us and brings his own unique skills and backgroupd with him.
He is passionate about diving , loves to dive slow and discover lots of small creatures for our divers. He is vey patient and an excellent instructor, so now would be a great time to update your skills or further your dive training.
Ms Pamela and Andrew Watson are our lastest Open water scuba divers. Congratulations to both you you.
Pamela makes a mean vegitarian lasagne. So come on down to Coral Reef Bar and grill as we will be serving it as she shared her recipe!

Whales....Whales....and wonderfully more Whales!!

Ok so I warned you!! The most incredible experience that I think you can have, the Whales are here and the boys are just having the most magnificent time playing, breaching, singing, rolling around in the ocean like big kids!!

And we can hear them singing on every single dive. We see them from shore and the water. And to top that we have 3 resident Dolphins who simply love to swim past the divers at a very slow pace so that you can even see their eyes.

Life is good, come and join us.........

Thanks for a great stay.....

Thanks for your help and friendship during our visit to Salt Cay during December, We (Beth, Kin, Kathie, and I) had a great time, which through your help, was better than we could have imagined. Kin suggested I send you a few digital photos which I took while we stayed at Pat and Henry Coe's place. Hope you enjoy them and/or can use them.

Sincerely,

Bill & Kathie

Its not all about Whales though.....

See on Salt Cay not only do we have the Whales come through between January and March/April we also have Dolphins, Whale Sharks, Manta Rays and pretty much every other Caribbean species that you can think of!

Only two weeks ago I was on a dive and happened to look over my right shoulder to see a Whale Shark go gliding by! What an encounter, still rare in the Caribbean.

Manta Rays are frequent visitors here as are Eagle Rays. Such a diverse eco-system survives here that these guys are generally here all the time. Wonderful coral formations decorate our walls that go off into the Abyss below.