Jet Blue just announced it will begin services to Turks and Caicos Islands, 7 days a week, direct flight from JFK and on Saturdays from Boston.The flights will begin in February. You can start making reservations early October so please start planning now.
We are hopeful that our Humpback whale season will prove to be as spectacular as last season. Once you get to PLS (airport code for Providenciales), I can arrange the short 25 min flight to Salt Cay as well as your accommodations,all water activities and assist with meal planning.
Don't forget our November anniversary special. US Air, Delta and American are all dropping prices for the fall! Staff are all on vacation at Salt Cay Divers for a few more weeks, excpet for Ollie. He was busy being interviewed. Please see the excellent article on tripulu.com.
Salt Cay ocean is gorgeous,so be spontaneous and book a last minute trip.Waters are warm, visibility gorgeous and lots of sea creatures.Hope to see you all soon. Debbie
Friday, September 10, 2010
Saturday, August 21, 2010
NEVER SAY GOODBYE
Never say goodbye only, until we meet again.
Coral Reef Bar and Grill hosted a send off party for the staff with Salt Cay Divers, Tradewinds and Coral Reef.There was music and dancing from Haiti, Dominican Republic, Reggae and yes, even some good ole country.
I feel very fortunate to have these staff members working as a part of our team. They need some relaxing time off to be with their families.
Richard is going back to the Phillipines, but yes, he is returning, so all of you that love to dive with him, he will be back!
Davie and Antonia are off to the DR, but Enye is holding down the "fort" until September 6th.Then Enye off to Haiti
Salt Cay Divers will remain open and people visiting durning this time will have the opportunity to dive/ snorkel with Ollie! Just email us us and let us know when you are coming.Yesterday, Manta Rays in the area! Not only did the divers see them on scuba, but while snorkeling too.One of the best places on island to snorkel, Bluff point,lovely beach and easy access right from the beach.
Coral Reef Bar and Grill opens back up on Oct 6th. 2010.
Be sure to check out our Fall specials. Our Anniversary celebration is in Novemeber. Would love to see all of you then! Happy Diving
Coral Reef Bar and Grill hosted a send off party for the staff with Salt Cay Divers, Tradewinds and Coral Reef.There was music and dancing from Haiti, Dominican Republic, Reggae and yes, even some good ole country.
I feel very fortunate to have these staff members working as a part of our team. They need some relaxing time off to be with their families.
Richard is going back to the Phillipines, but yes, he is returning, so all of you that love to dive with him, he will be back!
Davie and Antonia are off to the DR, but Enye is holding down the "fort" until September 6th.Then Enye off to Haiti
Salt Cay Divers will remain open and people visiting durning this time will have the opportunity to dive/ snorkel with Ollie! Just email us us and let us know when you are coming.Yesterday, Manta Rays in the area! Not only did the divers see them on scuba, but while snorkeling too.One of the best places on island to snorkel, Bluff point,lovely beach and easy access right from the beach.
Coral Reef Bar and Grill opens back up on Oct 6th. 2010.
Be sure to check out our Fall specials. Our Anniversary celebration is in Novemeber. Would love to see all of you then! Happy Diving
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Salt Cay Divers celebrates 14th Anniversary
In November 2010, Salt Cay Divers is celebrating 14 years in the Scuba/ hospitality industry.
In an effort to make your vacation and holiday plans a “breeze” we will continue to assist you in creating your dream vacation.
Providenciales (PLS) is our port of air entry in the Turks and Caicos Islands .All you need to do is get to “Provo” and we will take care of the rest.
Salt Cay Divers is able to pre-book and pre-pay your flights from Provo direct to Salt Cay. We will arrange a taxi pick up once you arrive, schedule your snorkeling, dive package, and whale watching adventures. We can take you to near- by uninhabited and habited islands to dive or snorkel or swim with the sting rays.
We have partners on island that will take you teach you Bone and Line fishing, how to collect and clean conch, kayaking and any water sports activity you might be interested in exploring.
For those guests wanting to prepare some of your own meals, our staff will stock your kitchen upon request or we can even arrange for them to prepare your meals in your “home”. If you are interested in a meal plan, we will arrange that for you as well.
Just tell us your price range, things important to you regarding accommodations and activities and we will make all your reservations. No need for hours on line and expensive phone calls, just contact us and we will handle all the details for you.
We would like to thank all of our previous visitors for their ongoing support. For the entire month of November 2010, we are offering both returning and new visitors a buy one dive/snorkel package and get the second one for half price.
Come celebrate with us on Salt Cay!!
Hope to hear from you soon,
Debbie
In an effort to make your vacation and holiday plans a “breeze” we will continue to assist you in creating your dream vacation.
Providenciales (PLS) is our port of air entry in the Turks and Caicos Islands .All you need to do is get to “Provo” and we will take care of the rest.
Salt Cay Divers is able to pre-book and pre-pay your flights from Provo direct to Salt Cay. We will arrange a taxi pick up once you arrive, schedule your snorkeling, dive package, and whale watching adventures. We can take you to near- by uninhabited and habited islands to dive or snorkel or swim with the sting rays.
We have partners on island that will take you teach you Bone and Line fishing, how to collect and clean conch, kayaking and any water sports activity you might be interested in exploring.
For those guests wanting to prepare some of your own meals, our staff will stock your kitchen upon request or we can even arrange for them to prepare your meals in your “home”. If you are interested in a meal plan, we will arrange that for you as well.
Just tell us your price range, things important to you regarding accommodations and activities and we will make all your reservations. No need for hours on line and expensive phone calls, just contact us and we will handle all the details for you.
We would like to thank all of our previous visitors for their ongoing support. For the entire month of November 2010, we are offering both returning and new visitors a buy one dive/snorkel package and get the second one for half price.
Come celebrate with us on Salt Cay!!
Hope to hear from you soon,
Debbie
Thursday, July 15, 2010
FALL SPECIAL
Salt Cay Divers in conjunction with Tradewinds Guest Suites and Coral Reef Bar and Grill have teamed up to offer you an all inclusive special. Life just got easier!
$175.00pp/ day
One night accommodation at Tradewinds Guest Suites located directly on the gorgeous sunset side of the island.
RT airport transfers
All Government taxes
Bikes for exploring the islands
2 am tank boat dives
Tanks weight and belts
Two meals per day at Coral Reef Bar and Grill
*$100/ day for non divers
**Based on double occupancy and availability
Special starts August 1st and runs through Dec 15th 2010.
Hope to see all of you real soon on Salt Cay
$175.00pp/ day
One night accommodation at Tradewinds Guest Suites located directly on the gorgeous sunset side of the island.
RT airport transfers
All Government taxes
Bikes for exploring the islands
2 am tank boat dives
Tanks weight and belts
Two meals per day at Coral Reef Bar and Grill
*$100/ day for non divers
**Based on double occupancy and availability
Special starts August 1st and runs through Dec 15th 2010.
Hope to see all of you real soon on Salt Cay
Saturday, July 3, 2010
PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT
Lion fish wanted, dead not alive.
Salt Cay Divers will be hosting a training session the 7th of July, 7am in front of Salt Cay Divers facility.
Richard will provide information and a demonstration on the safe spearing and capture of Lion fish. This is a practice session, gearing up for the big event on 17th of July.People from many islands in the Turks and Caicos will participate in spearing and capturing as many Lion fish as we can get.
Coral Reef Bar and Grill staff will prepare the Lion fish for a taste testing event for all Salt Cay particpants at 7pm on the 7th of July.
If you are not in Salt Cay yet, come on down, plenty of room and opportunity to participate in this important event. Hope to see you soon. Debbie
Salt Cay Divers will be hosting a training session the 7th of July, 7am in front of Salt Cay Divers facility.
Richard will provide information and a demonstration on the safe spearing and capture of Lion fish. This is a practice session, gearing up for the big event on 17th of July.People from many islands in the Turks and Caicos will participate in spearing and capturing as many Lion fish as we can get.
Coral Reef Bar and Grill staff will prepare the Lion fish for a taste testing event for all Salt Cay particpants at 7pm on the 7th of July.
If you are not in Salt Cay yet, come on down, plenty of room and opportunity to participate in this important event. Hope to see you soon. Debbie
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Lion Fish Wanted Dead Not Alive
July 17th 2010 the DECR is having an event to help educate people about the importance of killing the invasive Lion Fish. There is a misperception that Lion Fish can not be eaten, when in fact, they are delicious.
DECR is producing a Lion Fish recipe book to sell. Proceeds will go toward the ongoing education and awareness programs about Lion Fish in the Turks and Caicos Islands.
Salt Cay Divers is offering all divers to dive for Free on the 17th.All we ask is you participate in the spotting, killing or capture of the Lion Fish. Following will be a taste testing feast at Coral Reef Bar and Grill. Mark your calendars, make your flight reservations and come help us keep these harmful fish off our reefs.Hope to see you soon. Debbie
DECR is producing a Lion Fish recipe book to sell. Proceeds will go toward the ongoing education and awareness programs about Lion Fish in the Turks and Caicos Islands.
Salt Cay Divers is offering all divers to dive for Free on the 17th.All we ask is you participate in the spotting, killing or capture of the Lion Fish. Following will be a taste testing feast at Coral Reef Bar and Grill. Mark your calendars, make your flight reservations and come help us keep these harmful fish off our reefs.Hope to see you soon. Debbie
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
DOLPHINS EVERYWHERE
DOLPHINS! SOME SAY 9 OTHERS SAY 12, BUT A WHOLE LOT OF ACTION UNDER THE WATER AND ON TOP. THE DOLPHINS WERE PLAYING WITH OUR DIVERS UNDERWATER FOR AT LEAST 10 MINUTES.LYNN AND FRANK, TWO OF THE DIVERS, WERE GRINNING FROM EAR TO EAR WHEN TELLING OF THEIR ADVENTURE.FROM THE BEACH, DONNA AND DON WATCHED THE DOLPHINS SPINNING AND PLAYING FOR 30 MINUTES ON THE LEEWARD SIDE OF SALT CAY.
IT MUST BE SUMMER AS WE ARE SEEING DOLPHINS MOST EVERY DAY, MOSTLY BOTTLE NOSE, BUT TODAY, SPINNERS TOO.IT IS ALWAYS A THRILL TO BE IN THE WATER WITH SUCH INTELLEGENT AND GORGEOUS CREATURES.
RICHARD
IT MUST BE SUMMER AS WE ARE SEEING DOLPHINS MOST EVERY DAY, MOSTLY BOTTLE NOSE, BUT TODAY, SPINNERS TOO.IT IS ALWAYS A THRILL TO BE IN THE WATER WITH SUCH INTELLEGENT AND GORGEOUS CREATURES.
RICHARD
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
PLANE DIVE SITE/SUCCESS AT ITS' FINEST
It was a success! After hours of hard work from Richard, Beto, Tony, Don,and Ollie, we were able to move the wrecked plane that had landed in our salinas about a year ago to its new resting place.
I was able to negotiate with the owner, Paul Gardiner,if he would give us the plane to create an artificial reef, we would be responsible to move it.Thanks so much Paul.
The plane had to have its wings filpped up as the narrow streets of Salt Cay would not allow it to "fit" through the streets. Once that was done, Don brought his back hoe and trailer to the site to sit the plane on to carry it to the dock.
Don was masterful in his manuvering under the power and phone lines to get the plane through the maze.Fortunately Beto and Richard used a kayak paddle to push the telephone lines out of the way.
We parked the plane on the ramp at Deane's dock until morning when the officers from Department of Environmental and Coastal Resources from Grand Turk came over to examine the plane.
They needed to insure it was safe to sink. This meant cutting all the cables out, remove the engine, all oils and gas, nothing hazardous to contaminate the ocean or could hurt anyone once it was sunk.Officer Fernado said we did a great job and approved it to sink.
Ollie took the Salt Cay Divers Big Boat and pulled the plane off the trailer and to the new dive site located about 1/4 mile from Lucky Lady, the boat we just sank last week.
This site was selected as it is in about 45 ft of water, lots of sand and the bigger fish come around the end of the reef at that location.
Donna did an excellent job at capturing the shots of the plane moving through the streets and then through the water until till it reached its new resting place.
We were fortunate enough to have three guests on board who were extremely helpful in the actual sinking of the boat. Geoffrey, Jilian and Pierre scuba dived or free dived the plane while it was sinking.
Geoffrey and Jilian also "had" to free dive down to sit in the one seat we left there, just so they could say they did! Thanks so much to all for their contrubutions to this new artificial reef in Salt Cay.
Now we just need you divers to come experience the plane. In keeping with Salt Cay tradition,another naming contest. Please submit your name of the new dive site to scdivers@tciway.tc. When you arrive you will receive a free dive on the site you named.
Also a very happy happy birthday to Ollie. We wanted to sink this plane on his birthday to make it a memorable occasion. See you all soon. Debbie
I was able to negotiate with the owner, Paul Gardiner,if he would give us the plane to create an artificial reef, we would be responsible to move it.Thanks so much Paul.
The plane had to have its wings filpped up as the narrow streets of Salt Cay would not allow it to "fit" through the streets. Once that was done, Don brought his back hoe and trailer to the site to sit the plane on to carry it to the dock.
Don was masterful in his manuvering under the power and phone lines to get the plane through the maze.Fortunately Beto and Richard used a kayak paddle to push the telephone lines out of the way.
We parked the plane on the ramp at Deane's dock until morning when the officers from Department of Environmental and Coastal Resources from Grand Turk came over to examine the plane.
They needed to insure it was safe to sink. This meant cutting all the cables out, remove the engine, all oils and gas, nothing hazardous to contaminate the ocean or could hurt anyone once it was sunk.Officer Fernado said we did a great job and approved it to sink.
Ollie took the Salt Cay Divers Big Boat and pulled the plane off the trailer and to the new dive site located about 1/4 mile from Lucky Lady, the boat we just sank last week.
This site was selected as it is in about 45 ft of water, lots of sand and the bigger fish come around the end of the reef at that location.
Donna did an excellent job at capturing the shots of the plane moving through the streets and then through the water until till it reached its new resting place.
We were fortunate enough to have three guests on board who were extremely helpful in the actual sinking of the boat. Geoffrey, Jilian and Pierre scuba dived or free dived the plane while it was sinking.
Geoffrey and Jilian also "had" to free dive down to sit in the one seat we left there, just so they could say they did! Thanks so much to all for their contrubutions to this new artificial reef in Salt Cay.
Now we just need you divers to come experience the plane. In keeping with Salt Cay tradition,another naming contest. Please submit your name of the new dive site to scdivers@tciway.tc. When you arrive you will receive a free dive on the site you named.
Also a very happy happy birthday to Ollie. We wanted to sink this plane on his birthday to make it a memorable occasion. See you all soon. Debbie
Monday, June 7, 2010
It's Official
Thank you all who entered the contest for naming our most recent dive site. We recently raised and then sunk the Lucky Lady again into her final resting place.
The new artificial reef is named "drum roll... Lucky Lady.
We are told that changing a boats name is bad luck and felt that the Lucky Lady really is lucky as she is providing lots of divers and snorkelers a new place to come and enjoy the underwater activities of sea life at its finest.
Congratulations to Jeffrey for helping the judges realize the name should not be changed. So give the wreck a few months and it will be an excellent dive site. The fish are already finding the wreck to be a really nice, upscale home.
Dolphins everywhere today...Must be June.Debbie
The new artificial reef is named "drum roll... Lucky Lady.
We are told that changing a boats name is bad luck and felt that the Lucky Lady really is lucky as she is providing lots of divers and snorkelers a new place to come and enjoy the underwater activities of sea life at its finest.
Congratulations to Jeffrey for helping the judges realize the name should not be changed. So give the wreck a few months and it will be an excellent dive site. The fish are already finding the wreck to be a really nice, upscale home.
Dolphins everywhere today...Must be June.Debbie
Monday, May 31, 2010
Happy Mother's Day
Yesterday was Mother's day for mothers from the Dominican Republic and Haiti.
Having staff from both these countries, we celebrated with a huge feast and lots of dancing. The fiesta went on till the wee hours of the morning. We even had a dance contest, but oops, no one explained the rules to me that you were not allow to stop dancing, even for a second, or you would be asked to leave the competition.
Antonia and Beto won the contest. A very fun time was had by all. Debbie
Having staff from both these countries, we celebrated with a huge feast and lots of dancing. The fiesta went on till the wee hours of the morning. We even had a dance contest, but oops, no one explained the rules to me that you were not allow to stop dancing, even for a second, or you would be asked to leave the competition.
Antonia and Beto won the contest. A very fun time was had by all. Debbie
WHALE SHARK
Paul , Kelly Jason and Yurgo were just returning from a dive when they spotted what looked to be a thousand birds. Richard slowed the boat down as he saw something "huge" in the water. All divers slowly, well kind of slowly, got in the water and discovered a Whale shark sitting right beneath the boat.
The Whale shark stayed with them for what seemed to be a lifetime and then gracefully swam off.
Paul got some amazing video and one still shot, which is being loaded onto our blogspot and you should be able to view it soon.
This was the first time any of the divers saw a Whale shark in all of their years of diving. The great news is it happened right here on little old Salt Cay walls!
In earlier years, Whale sharks have been spotted here in or around November. This sighting is very early for a Whale shark to be in these waters, but we are excited regardless of what time of year they come.
Hopefully the shark will stay around the area for a few days so we can have more exciting adventures diving with them.
Last night we enjoyed another batch of Lion fish deliciously prepared by Davie at Coral Reef cafe. Jason was quite good at spearing the fish and Paul great at spotting them.Together they removed another 8 Lion fish off our reef.
Paul found the smallest Lion fish I have ever seen. It was about the size of a pin head.
Thanks to the Kelly group for joining us in Salt Cay. Debbie
The Whale shark stayed with them for what seemed to be a lifetime and then gracefully swam off.
Paul got some amazing video and one still shot, which is being loaded onto our blogspot and you should be able to view it soon.
This was the first time any of the divers saw a Whale shark in all of their years of diving. The great news is it happened right here on little old Salt Cay walls!
In earlier years, Whale sharks have been spotted here in or around November. This sighting is very early for a Whale shark to be in these waters, but we are excited regardless of what time of year they come.
Hopefully the shark will stay around the area for a few days so we can have more exciting adventures diving with them.
Last night we enjoyed another batch of Lion fish deliciously prepared by Davie at Coral Reef cafe. Jason was quite good at spearing the fish and Paul great at spotting them.Together they removed another 8 Lion fish off our reef.
Paul found the smallest Lion fish I have ever seen. It was about the size of a pin head.
Thanks to the Kelly group for joining us in Salt Cay. Debbie
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
There She Goes
Salt Cay has a brand new wreck to snorkel or dive . The Lucky lady, who was not so lucky, had sunk in our harbor about two years ago. Private funds were raised and donated to pay a salvage operator by the name of Louis, to float the boat so we could sink her again as an artificial reef and dive site.
We have excellent snorkeling right from our shores, so the idea was to sink her in a place shallow enough for snorkelers to be able snorkel ,yet deep enough for a shallow dive site.
Many people come here whose mate might not dive, but they do snorkel. Now they can both come and snorkel and/or watch their mate dive the same site.
Special thanks to "Shine" who donated the boat to sink, Mike and Bob, who started the salvage exploration, Tony, Beto,Enye, Boo, Jimmy,Enrique,Don and a special thanks to Richard our dive instructor,who did the preparation and the diving to secure the boat and make sure it floated to get it out of the harbor. The Environmental and Costal Resources department had a small skiff and staff along side to insure no corals or reef were being damaged in the process.
Ollie did an excellent job driving the boat out of the harbor to then allow her to slowly sink to her new resting place.
Thanks to our District Commissioner, Carolyn, for her support of this project, Vershina and Sharon who took pictures and recorded it for historical purposes .This was the first boat that was intentionally sunk in Salt Cay for a dive site. Staff at Salt Cay Divers are very excited about this new site and look forward to taking people to dive or snorkel our local wreck.
CONTEST
The wreck site has not been named so of course ...there has to be a contest.
There will be a team of three local people to judge the entires and the winner will either get a free dinner for two at Coral Reef Bar and Grill OR when you arrive, or if you are already here, a free dive/ snorkel on the newly named dive site.Submit your entires to scdivers@tciway.tc Once the winner has been decided, I will post the new sites name.
Lion Fish hunting dives are still ongoing to keep our reefs free of these fish. They are delicous and we are coming up with some fantastic recipes for the next batch of Lion fish.
Summer time is almost here and the colder waters of the winter season are moving out and the waters warming up.Dolphines and mantas soon will be here.
I was able to get permission from the owner of a small twin engine plane that landed in Salt Cay, but opps, due to mechanical problems missed the runway. There were no injuries but it did leave us a plane to make another artificial reef .
Anyone with any salvage,dive experience wanting to join in on the salvage operation of helping us sink the plane is welcome to assist us.
Please check our website for our summer specials. Thanks for your onging support. Debbie
We have excellent snorkeling right from our shores, so the idea was to sink her in a place shallow enough for snorkelers to be able snorkel ,yet deep enough for a shallow dive site.
Many people come here whose mate might not dive, but they do snorkel. Now they can both come and snorkel and/or watch their mate dive the same site.
Special thanks to "Shine" who donated the boat to sink, Mike and Bob, who started the salvage exploration, Tony, Beto,Enye, Boo, Jimmy,Enrique,Don and a special thanks to Richard our dive instructor,who did the preparation and the diving to secure the boat and make sure it floated to get it out of the harbor. The Environmental and Costal Resources department had a small skiff and staff along side to insure no corals or reef were being damaged in the process.
Ollie did an excellent job driving the boat out of the harbor to then allow her to slowly sink to her new resting place.
Thanks to our District Commissioner, Carolyn, for her support of this project, Vershina and Sharon who took pictures and recorded it for historical purposes .This was the first boat that was intentionally sunk in Salt Cay for a dive site. Staff at Salt Cay Divers are very excited about this new site and look forward to taking people to dive or snorkel our local wreck.
CONTEST
The wreck site has not been named so of course ...there has to be a contest.
There will be a team of three local people to judge the entires and the winner will either get a free dinner for two at Coral Reef Bar and Grill OR when you arrive, or if you are already here, a free dive/ snorkel on the newly named dive site.Submit your entires to scdivers@tciway.tc Once the winner has been decided, I will post the new sites name.
Lion Fish hunting dives are still ongoing to keep our reefs free of these fish. They are delicous and we are coming up with some fantastic recipes for the next batch of Lion fish.
Summer time is almost here and the colder waters of the winter season are moving out and the waters warming up.Dolphines and mantas soon will be here.
I was able to get permission from the owner of a small twin engine plane that landed in Salt Cay, but opps, due to mechanical problems missed the runway. There were no injuries but it did leave us a plane to make another artificial reef .
Anyone with any salvage,dive experience wanting to join in on the salvage operation of helping us sink the plane is welcome to assist us.
Please check our website for our summer specials. Thanks for your onging support. Debbie
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Springtime in Salt Cay
Thank you to all the people who visited us this past winter. I am sure you will agree we had a spectacular Humpback whale season. We had more in-water encounters than the previous two years and Michael described it a "spiritual adventure" snorkeling with the whales.
Now springtime is here and we have had two weeks of flat seas and calm waters. With the warmer waters bring the colorful ,tropical fish, eels, sharks (friendly ones) and yes, the Manta Rays.
Acivities
With this gorgeous weather a group of us headed off to great Sand Cay, a near-by unihabited island know for it's gorgeous beaches. It is a Bird Sanctuary and is home to thousands of birds. In May you can see the birds making nests and hatching their eggs. May also brings the mating season of hudreds of Nurse sharks occuring in just three feet of wate. Both events are spectacular. We had a fun day shelling, fishing and snorkeling.
Saturday was a wonderful engagement party hosted by Tim and melinda Patterson. The enitre community turned out and we danced till the wee hours.
Forutunatly ,Richard and the divers didn't party too long and went off diving the next day early in the morning. The purpose was Lion fish hunting. The good news is they couldn't find any. This is good as we are doing our best to stay on top of the Lion flish population.
The best receipe for this is Richard,*(divemaster), teaches you how to hunt the fish, you spear them, Richard cleans them, Antonia cooks them and you eat them. Now that is truly a success for keeping your stomachs full and the reef clean of the Lion fish.
Raise the boat/Sink the boat
For those of you who have been here, you would have seen the Lucky Lady , who wasn't that lucky ,sunk in our harbor.Several of the winter residents attempted to raise the boat, but were not successful.
Now Louis is here who swears his 20 years of expereince will allow him to float the boat. I sure hope so since I now have permission form our Environmental and coastal resource Department to sink the boat for an artificial reef.
I would love to hear from you. Should the boat be sunk in shallow water 35 ft, to allow both snorkelers and divers to explore or should we sink the boat deep for a deep wreck dive and if so, how deep?
Please email me with your comments scdivers@tciway.tc . I will announce the outcome once the location has been determined.
Spring/summer special
Only $799 per person...Starts today!
8 days 7 night lodging at Tradewinds Guest Suites
10 tank boat dive
Unlimited shore diving
Tanks weights and belts
All Government taxes
RT airport transfers
bikes for exploring the island
Welcome drink at Coral Reef Bar and Grill.
**Mention you saw the special on this blog and get 10% off your first meal at Coral Reef.
Now that the Humpbacks are gone for the season, I hope you come experience what special adventures our island has to offer in the summer months. See you soon. Debbie
Now springtime is here and we have had two weeks of flat seas and calm waters. With the warmer waters bring the colorful ,tropical fish, eels, sharks (friendly ones) and yes, the Manta Rays.
Acivities
With this gorgeous weather a group of us headed off to great Sand Cay, a near-by unihabited island know for it's gorgeous beaches. It is a Bird Sanctuary and is home to thousands of birds. In May you can see the birds making nests and hatching their eggs. May also brings the mating season of hudreds of Nurse sharks occuring in just three feet of wate. Both events are spectacular. We had a fun day shelling, fishing and snorkeling.
Saturday was a wonderful engagement party hosted by Tim and melinda Patterson. The enitre community turned out and we danced till the wee hours.
Forutunatly ,Richard and the divers didn't party too long and went off diving the next day early in the morning. The purpose was Lion fish hunting. The good news is they couldn't find any. This is good as we are doing our best to stay on top of the Lion flish population.
The best receipe for this is Richard,*(divemaster), teaches you how to hunt the fish, you spear them, Richard cleans them, Antonia cooks them and you eat them. Now that is truly a success for keeping your stomachs full and the reef clean of the Lion fish.
Raise the boat/Sink the boat
For those of you who have been here, you would have seen the Lucky Lady , who wasn't that lucky ,sunk in our harbor.Several of the winter residents attempted to raise the boat, but were not successful.
Now Louis is here who swears his 20 years of expereince will allow him to float the boat. I sure hope so since I now have permission form our Environmental and coastal resource Department to sink the boat for an artificial reef.
I would love to hear from you. Should the boat be sunk in shallow water 35 ft, to allow both snorkelers and divers to explore or should we sink the boat deep for a deep wreck dive and if so, how deep?
Please email me with your comments scdivers@tciway.tc . I will announce the outcome once the location has been determined.
Spring/summer special
Only $799 per person...Starts today!
8 days 7 night lodging at Tradewinds Guest Suites
10 tank boat dive
Unlimited shore diving
Tanks weights and belts
All Government taxes
RT airport transfers
bikes for exploring the island
Welcome drink at Coral Reef Bar and Grill.
**Mention you saw the special on this blog and get 10% off your first meal at Coral Reef.
Now that the Humpbacks are gone for the season, I hope you come experience what special adventures our island has to offer in the summer months. See you soon. Debbie
Thursday, March 11, 2010
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.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
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.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
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
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
Thursday, January 21, 2010
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
Friday, October 2, 2009
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
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
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
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
Sunday, April 19, 2009
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
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
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