While each Northwestern Bahamas cruise may vary due to weather and sea conditions, the outline below will give you a good feel for the adventure you could experience!
Saturday:
Our welcoming staff meets you at the airport upon your arrival and escorts you to Las Olas Riverfront for the remainder of the afternoon where you can sightsee, shop and enjoy dinner along the New River before boarding.
Transportation to the Nekton vessel will arrive at Las Olas Riverfront at 7pm. For your comfort, a few stops will be made at convenience stores along the way for snacks and beverages. The vessel will begin embarking at 7:30pm and the captain’s briefing is schedule for 8pm. After the captain’s briefing we will set sail to our destinations in the Bahamas.Note: Port Everglades’ tight security restrictions require that our guests be accompanied to the boat by our designated ground agents.
Sunday:
Clear Customs in Grand Bahama. Morning, afternoon and night dives at Indian Cay Reef offer beautiful high profile reef diving in about 60 feet of water. Be on the lookout for purple vase sponges and colorful tropicals like the fairy basslet and yellowtail damsel fish.
Monday:
Experience the thrill of snorkeling with wild spotted dolphins on the White Sand Ridge in the morning. These Atlantic Spotted Dolphins are loving sea mammals that are intelligent, friendly, and playful. Wild spotted dolphins of the White Sand Ridge enjoy swimming eye to eye with humans and imitating your movements. These wild dolphins come to play with us of their own free will.
We never feed, coax or attempt to train them. It is a natural encounter with wild dolphins that are in complete control of the interaction. They can appear or disappear at anytime. Dolphin snorkeling encounters can last from a few minutes to several hours each. Typically, active snorkeling and free diving keeps the dolphins interested and entertained. (While not guaranteed, as these dolphins are wild, we have very good luck interacting with these amazing animals.)
In the afternoon, enjoy dives at spectacular Mount Olympus or Scotos Reef followed by the shallow Sugar Wreck which is home to myriads of fish and critters.
Tuesday:
Morning dives at Theo’s Wreck - a 228 ft. steel freighter in 80-110 feet of water. This intact wreck is home to friendly fish and green moray eels.
Afternoon reef diving at Shark Junction where Caribbean reef sharks are very common sightings. Optional shore excursions into Port Lucaya by tender weather permitting
Wednesday:
Morning dives at the Gingerbread Grounds. This is a most unique area with huge coral mounds. If you are a photographer, be sure to shoot macro as small subjects abound like tunicates, nudibranchs, orange cup coral, white telesto coral, flamingo tongues, file clams and more.
Afternoon cruise to the Wreck of the Hesperus for afternoon and night dives highlighted by thick schools of fish, rays, nurse sharks and loggerhead turtles.
Thursday:
The morning begins with deep dives on the Bimini wall or the Thumbnail. Shallow afternoon and night dives near Bimini. Optional shore excursion into Alice Town by tender weather permitting.
Friday:
Enjoy reef diving off Cat Cay on sites such as Tuna Alley and Victory Reef. After a night dive, we’ll start heading back to Florida. (Please keep in mind your flight plans with regards to the Friday night dive.)
Saturday:
The Nekton vessel will arrive in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., at 8 in the morning. After clearing customs, transportation will be provided to the Ft. Lauderdale airport, local hotel or Park’N Fly.
Please schedule flights for after 12:00 noon and REMEMBER DAN’s recommended waiting period between repetitive diving and flying.