SCUBA Diving and Sightseeing in Curaçao

SCUBA diving

We were back at GO West by 8am gathering our gear and loading it on the boat. We ended up with DIN tanks which is a set up we don’t dive. I found our divemaster, Miguel, who was much more helpful. He fixed the tanks, though one kept leaking so he had to replace it. I didn’t know there were two types of tanks on board, not counting air and Nitrox. Fortunately, we had the kind we needed yesterday as both of us only checked the tank we were diving first. Continue reading “SCUBA Diving and Sightseeing in Curaçao” →

boca ascension

Boca Acension in Curaçao

Traveling to Curaçao

a long day of travel, we finally arrived at Curaçao’s International Airport around 10pm. Slowly and in a sweltering heat, we eventually got our rental car from Sixt. We piled our dive gear into the back of the tiny car, jacked with the driver side door lock, turned the volume on the radio blasting jibberish down to zero since the Kenwood stereo wouldn’t turn off and headed out in the dark to Westpunt. According to the map, we only had to make one turn. According to the rental car agent, we had to go to the round-about and go straight. Continue reading “Boca Acension in Curaçao” →

Good-bye to the Humpbacks

From the Silver Bank to the Dominican Republic

Today we waved farewell to the Humpbacks, as we navigated through the coral heads and then completed the eight hour crossing during the day. It was rocky as items on the table slid from one side to other and trash cans fell over. We killed time by editing pictures, reading, and even watching movies. Rootie had Captain Phillips…I loved it! I was so entranced, I could hardly pull myself away when I knew I should be taking in the view of land again as we were pulling into port. I made it up to the top deck just in time to enjoy views of the picturesque harbor. Continue reading “Good-bye to the Humpbacks” →

Another Day in Whale Country…the Silver Bank

Generally I mention our lunches and dinners in my posts. But I have failed to mention breakfast. There is a continental style option set out on the counter every day at 6:30 a.m. which includes a variety of cereals, breads, jams, and fruits from which to choose. If that’s not enough, yogurt is always available, and Chef Dave cooks eggs and bacon to order! His scrambled eggs were excellent. Continue reading “Another Day in Whale Country…the Silver Bank” →

Unbelievable Encounters with the Humpbacks!

There is no other way to describe our day, but spectacular! I think it only took 30 minutes to latch on to a male a few hundred yards south of the boat. We spotted him while he was tail slapping and by the time we reached him in the choppy seas, he put on a show. I don’t know if it was for us or to attract other whales as they aren’t sure why they do that, but we were entertained. The only disappointment was the auto focus on my camera got knocked to manual focus while it was in my dry box, and while I knew something wasn’t right, I was shooting on a setting I wasn’t that familiar with and wasn’t sure what was wrong…not to mention our whale was so active there wasn’t time to be messing with my camera, only time to hold down the shutter! Continue reading “Unbelievable Encounters with the Humpbacks!” →

Humpback Whales Putting on a Show in the Silver Bank!

Morning Outing with the Humpbacks

The sun rose around seven every morning, at it was lovely every time! Ready to tackle the whales, we ventured out on the tenders after breakfast. Overall the whales were either difficult to spot or very feisty today. There were not too many that wanted to settle down for us to join them in the water. We tooled around for a few hours following a few groups of whales when finally we set upon a male trying to impress a female. When we approached them closely, we riled them up! Continue reading “Humpback Whales Putting on a Show in the Silver Bank!” →

Snorkeling with Humbacks at the Silver Bank!

Sailing to the Silver Bank

For the smoothest crossing of the year, it sure was a rocky and sleepless night! The captain started up the engines around midnight and we crossed to the Silver Bank, 125 miles offshore. The Silver Bank is a shallow water area in the Atlantic Ocean covering 1,680 km. The average depth is 65 feet, but some of the coral head come close to the surface, especially during low tide. The Silver Bank, located between the Navidad Bank and the Mouchoir Bank, is owned by the Dominican Republic and got its name from a ship wreck (not the one in the pictures) that lost its silver. We arrived Sunday morning around 8 a.m., and spotted humpback whales immediately, as this is a breeding and calving area for the humpbacks. We saw blows coming from a mama with its baby and an escort. The escort is male who wants to mate with the female, but generally doesn’t get that lucky with the mama who has a calf. They were a curious group and came right up to the boat before we even got into the nursery and mooring area. Continue reading “Snorkeling with Humbacks at the Silver Bank!” →

Fire Worms, Scorpion Fish and More….SCUBA Diving Sosua, Dominican Republic

Traveling to Sosua

After one heck of a day of travel, we finally reached Sosua, Dominican Republic after 11pm at night. I actually started my travels on Wednesday, made a short stop in Dallas to see my family, and left for DFW with my friend Rootie at 6 in the morning. After connecting in Tampa and Miami, we eventually landed in Santiago around 9. Santiago, unfortunately is a two hour cab ride from Sosua! We normally would have flown into Puerto Plata, but the airline connections were even worse!

The people here are extremely nice! Our cab driver found Rootie’s sweater in his car, and he brought it to her while we were checking in. Our hotel, Sosua by the Sea, is right on the beach. I look forward to exploring tomorrow afternoon. For the immediate future we had a challenge with the A/C in our room. After an hour, it hadn’t cooled and eventually we realized, while the fan was blowing, no air was coming through the vent!

We planned on melting through the night, but called to have someone fix the problem tomorrow. The staff was extremely attentive and a worker was knocking at the door in a few minutes! They ended up carrying all our unpacked items to another room! We enjoyed a cool, deep sleep night until 5 am when an alarm began beeping in the hallway. Thanks to Rootie’s and the staff’s efficiency, the beep was gone in a few minutes.

I suspect, so far, this sounds like a dumpy hotel and several complaints. Frankly it didn’t really bother me, as the staff is fantastic! And who can complain about a hotel right on the beach, with beautiful views, a great buffet breakfast, and a nice pool area! It was just a short night! Continue reading “Fire Worms, Scorpion Fish and More….SCUBA Diving Sosua, Dominican Republic” →

Top Things to Do in Puerto Rico

Where to Stay in Puerto Rico

The St. Regis Bahia Beach Resort

We arrived in the San Juan Airport Tuesday night ready to celebrate Thanksgiving in Puerto Rico at The St. Regis Bahia Beach Resort.  Staff from the resort picked us up at the airport and drove us 30 minutes east to the hotel grounds.  A Koi pond with fire pots marked the lobby entrance.

EXPLORE!