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Dive Review of Explorer Ventures in
Saba

Explorer Ventures, Sep, 2003,

by James Bolton, GA, USA . Report 1417.

No photos available at this time

Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Accommodations 4 stars Food 2 stars
Service and Attitude 2 stars Environmental Sensitivity N/A
Dive Operation 3 stars Shore Diving 1 stars
Snorkeling N/A
Value for $$ N/A
Beginners 4 stars
Advanced 3 stars
Comments Carribean Explorer II is in good condition. The cabins are comfortable but the boat's diesel is relatively noisy, even in the most forward cabins. I think light sleepers may have some difficulty. Thankfully there were only 11 divers on board. The boats' capacity is 18 but the cabins would feel extremely small for two persons and there is not seating for 18 at meals. Compared to places such as Lighthouse Reef in Belize and West Cacios, the condition of the coral is not that good. Diving on the pinacles off Saba feels more adventurous but not one in eleven wanted to do more diving there when offered. I think this is because at the depth, the dives are short, currents somewhat stronger and much less in the way of reef life.

Overall, there is a great variety of crabs, lobsters, eels, worms, shrimp and sea slugs; things you may not see often at other locations. Perhaps due to the recent storms, much of the shallower areas were covered in a layer of silt giving much of the reef a brown tinge. Visibility ranged from good to murky, despite the very calm conditions on the surface and little current at depth at most of the other dive sites.

The Carribean Explorer crew does not pamper the way that Peter Hughes boats are known to do. Captain Jim was personable enough as well as John the cook. The crew is turning over almost completely except for the captain. John the cook is moving down to the dive deck and should be a welcome replacement. Dominique is now aboard as cook and hopefully that will be a welcome change as well.

Reporter and Travel

Dive Experience 101-250 dives
Where else diving Varied Carribean sites
Closest Airport Getting There

Dive Conditions

Weather sunny, dry Seas calm, noCurrents
Water Temp 82-84°F / 28-29°C Wetsuit Thickness 0
Water Visibility 40-100 Ft/ 12-30 M

Dive Policy

Dive own profile yes
Enforced diving restrictions At Statia, all dives on reef were required to be supervised by park rangers from Statia. Otherwise, normal recreational limits were enforced. Dives had a maximum time limit of 75 minutes.
Liveaboard? yes Nitrox Available? N/A

What I Saw

Sharks 1 or 2 Mantas None
Dolphins None Whale Sharks None
Turtles > 2 Whales None
Corals 3 stars Tropical Fish 4 stars
Small Critters 4 stars Large Fish 2 stars
Large Pelagics 2 stars

Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Subject Matter 4 stars Boat Facilities 4 stars
Overall rating for UWP's 4 stars Shore Facilities N/A
UW Photo Comments Seperate rinse tank provided. Charging area provided. Large workspace available for cameras only. Crew was prepared and able to help with camera handling.
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Note: The information here was reported by the author above, but has NOT been reviewed nor edited by Undercurrent prior to posting on our website. Please report any major problems by writing to us and referencing the report number above.

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