Please note that the 10 day Cay Lobos cruise may begin and end on different days of the week as outlined below. The additional three days are spent on Cay Lobos diving the spectacular sites there). While each Cay Lobos 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:
After clearing Bahamian customs, the boat travels to Cat Cay, where the first diving site is in South Tuna Alley, where we dive at depths of 45 to 100 feet. Diving will also take place at Victory Reef, where depth of water reaches between 35 to 80 feet. After a night dive on Victory Reef, we’ll head down to Orange Cay. Look forward to see: Sargassum triggerfish, maybe dolphins.
Monday:
Dive and snorkel sites will be at Orange Cay on the Andros bank. The morning dive will be at Last Chance, where depths reach 60 feet. Afternoon and night dives will take place at The Playground, diving in about 20 feet. After the night dive, we’ll set our course for Cay Sal Bank. Look forward to see: Painted tunicates, loggerhead turtle.
Tuesday:
Snorkeling and diving will take place on Medio Reef, located on the western edge of the immense Great Bahama Bank. It features spectacular shallow diving including mini-walls that rise out of 50 to 60 feet to within 25 feet of the surface. The sea mount is so large that it is possible to dive on its plateau and not realize that you are on an underwater seamount. The plateau is covered in corals, and features dense fish and pelagic populations of all manners giving the illusion of diving in a tropical aquarium. The miles of edging to the seamount varies from a very distinctive sharp break into a 20 to 40 feet mini-wall with a flat base to rolling and sloping shoulder reefs all of which provides abundant terrain and habitat for the resident biomass. Look forward to see: Reef sharks, African pompano, Atlantic spade fish
Wednesday:
Most of the day will be spent diving on Cay Lobos and the spectacular rolling walls of Labanderas Reef. These sites range in depth and steepness. Expect morning dives to be on walls with depths of 60 to 70 feet, and afternoon dives to be ranging from 40 to 50 feet. Enjoy a midweek night dive in the eastern shallows of Labanderas Reef.
Thursday:
Continue exploring Cay Lobos and Labanderas and its beautiful virgin reefs on sites with names like: “First Look”, “Second Look”, “Sponge Bob”, “El Rey de Leon” (Lion King), “Two Scoops” and “Rat Race”. Diving will be at the impressive and mysterious blue hole “Lady’s Secret” of Anguilla Caye, on the southeast tip of the Cay Sal Bank. “Lady’s secret” features a giant offshoot called “Tunnel of Love.” It pierces vertically upward, and to the side of the hole, all the way to the surface. Look forward to see: manta rays, hawksbill turtles, Yellow headed jawfish, reef sharks, large school of schoolmaster and yellowtail snappers.
Friday:
The morning begins with one of two possibilities. The first option is a 50 foot, deep dive at Hawksbill or an 80 to130 foot dive at Thumbnail. You may sight a magnificent Hawksbill turtles at one of these sites.
There are afternoon and night dives at “The Strip,” alongside 200 foot-long corals at a depth of 40 feet. Expect to view sea horses and an oasis of fish. After one last dive, the Nekton vessel will head back for Florida. (Please keep your flight plans in mind with regard to the Friday night dive.)
If weather permits, an optional, afternoon excursion ashore to Bimini will be offered. American author, Ernest Hemingway was inspired to write the famous novel “Islands in the Stream.”
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.