105 replies to this topic

[Bubbles]

I am looking for something late May or early June, and would do Dominica or St. Croix!

Sign me up for whatever you do for Labor Day, Mayaguana or T&C. I've dived with SD over Labor Day every year since I became a Member!

[Landlocked Dive Nut]

I forwarded some dive deals I got via email to WW for The Caymans, and then I logged onto Undercurrent to read up on recent trip reports for the area. Most reports say that on Grand Cayman, the north shore & east side the diving is still great, with healthy corals & critters, but the west side is showing signs of too much tourism. Reports on the two smaller islands is very much the same, with lots of raves for Bloody Bay Wall conditions. Most reports said turtles, groupers, tarpons, etc. abounded, so it sounds like they have stopped taking turtles from the wild.

If WW is able to get an all-inclusive good deal put together, is anybody interested in The Caymans for 2011? Looking around the end of May, June, July timeframe to keep costs down.

[secretsea18]

There was some discussion about what happens to turtles in Caymans, and if they are allowed to be killed, presumably for food. I googled and found this article which states there is a fine.

Harming turtles or their eggs carries a maximum fine of $500,000 and one year in prison, but in reality the fines and sentences meted out in court are considerably less than the maximum allowed under the Marine Conservation Law.

The article then goes on to state:

Anyone who sees someone harming or taking turtles or their eggs from Cayman’s beaches should call police on 911. All sea turtle species are either endangered or threatened.

The slowly growing number of turtles that nest in Cayman may be due to changes in the Marine Conservation (Turtle Protection)(Amendment) Regulations, which came into effect in December 2007. These expanded the time during which fishermen are prohibited from taking sea turtles from April to November. The previous closed season for turtle fishing lasted from May to October.

It also stipulates that during the turtling season, licensed turtlers can only catch turtles with shells less than 60cm, or nearly 2 feet, long.

This part states that there is a license required and that there is a "turtle season". Therefore, I conclude that there is turtle harvesting from the sea permitted at certain times of the year by Caymanian law.

[WreckWench]

Just got word that a number of our diving friends from the Nekton have found homes in St Croix as instructors, dive personnel etc. I will let you know if I can get a good deal set up here. The diving is great and usually pretty inexpensive.

[Landlocked Dive Nut]

I've dived with St. Croix Ultimate Bluewater Adventures, and their dive op would fit right in with SD.com! Love the wall diving there. Last time, we lucked into a coral spawning field at dusk.

[Parrotman]

In my opinion, If they allow turtle killing in Caymans I don't care what the season is. I will not spend money there. There is no excuse for killing wild turtles.

Jim

[Landlocked Dive Nut]

Shoot, if we start boycotting every dive destination that allows (or turns a blind eye to) locals who do illegal or distasteful (or over-fishing) of any type, then we'd never dive anywhere!

I'm going to start a Poll on this topic, so people can select which destinations appeal to them. We need to find destinations that we can fill trips on!

[ScubaTex]

In my opinion, If they allow turtle killing in Caymans I don't care what the season is. I will not spend money there. There is no excuse for killing wild turtles.

Jim

Shoot, if we start boycotting every dive destination that allows (or turns a blind eye to) locals who do illegal or distasteful (or over-fishing) of any type, then we'd never dive anywhere!

I'm going to start a Poll on this topic, so people can select which destinations appeal to them. We need to find destinations that we can fill trips on!

Where would we be diving, without the efforts of Jacques Cousteau, who convinced many countries to establish marine reserves, resulting in divers helping to grow their respective economies. It takes years to establish a marine reserve, first to convince local leaders, it's in their best interest, then additional years to change the habits of those, who were dependent upon the bounty of the sea in order to survive.

Two years ago, I was fortunate to travel to and dive a remote corner of Raja Ampat at a resort, which had just openned. The owner of the resort had spent over 5 years convincing the Indonesian government to set aside a marine reserve, the local 'chiefs' the right to build a resort, and then to build the resort on the site of a fishing 'camp'. The dock for the resort was built in an area which had been bomb 'fished'. The resort has also set up a local school, to educate the children and elders of the importance of their ocean resources, and a patrol operation, in order to enforce the no 'take' zone of the marine reserve. Unfortunately, not all the 'fishermen' [?] abide by the law, as evidenced by the newsletter I receive showing the harvested shark fins and the rays being sold in the local market. This year, negotiations were started to double the size of the marine reserve, to include the island of Daram [see May 2010 issue of Scuba Diving].

We should encourage and support those who want to protect our oceans, not boycott them. Personally, I've stopped buying fish labeled 'product of Indonesia'.

[scubaski]

I just voted. I'm inclined to land based resorts Atlantic-Carribean - Central American basin and within walking distance to the local food, night life, city-village -hamlet center.

[Landlocked Dive Nut]

Stan, I really hope your schedule will align with an SD trip this year! It's been too long....

[WreckWench]

For those who want to vote for several destinations PLEASE list them in a post as well. I am not sure if the poll will match your desired month of travel with your desired destination IF you voted for more than one destination.

Also keep in mind that we have the summer months open...we have Memorial Day Weekend open and we have Labor Day open (I personally want Mayaguana or T&C that weekend)

We will also do a fall trip or two...so thank you for your input! I hope to have our calendar locked in place in the next couple of weeks so we can give you more time to plan and sign up!

[uwfan]

So I voted:

Mayaguana
Turks & Caicos
St. Croix
The Caymans
Dominica
Mona Island
Costa Rica
Roatan or Utila
Florida

(Anything except Tobago)

I am looking at June, July or December... assuming I get to dive by those months...
Teacher schedule so December would be last two weeks starting with the week Christmas falls and June would be the last two weeks of June.

Hope something works for me!

[scubaski]

I'm a land based resort diver ( so far). Any of the destinations below, any time frame Apr 2011---Mar 2012

SEA OF CORTEZ !!!!!---On radar for awhile---Most interested----Alternate area by Land's End.

Turks & Caicos -I've done Provo. I hear Grand Turk is good.
St. Croix --On my radar for awhile. Never been.
Dominica ---Never been.
Costa Rica -- ?? heard diving not great- but some good adventure add on's ( not interested in adv add on's)
Roatan or Utila --I like Roatan, I'd try West End or a resort near Mary's Place dive site. I'd go to Utila within walk to Utila Town ( I stayed a week 20 min boat ride out of town and was boarded to death).
Florida --- I like Florida from WPB-FLL-KW, but I also like to move around when diving FL- not sure how this can work.
CZM and I'm warming up to the CZM-Cenotes-Holbox triple play!!!
Heading to Tobago-Speyside on solo/group trip in Nov. I'll report on the diving.
I just returned from Barbados- Good diving-Lot's of turtles- All drift dives - Mordern intrastucture- Very similar to Curacao, Aruba. I'd repeat. Video dive report to follow soon.

[Parrotman]

Shoot, if we start boycotting every dive destination that allows (or turns a blind eye to) locals who do illegal or distasteful (or over-fishing) of any type, then we'd never dive anywhere!

I'm going to start a Poll on this topic, so people can select which destinations appeal to them. We need to find destinations that we can fill trips on!

locals doing illegal or distasteful things are one issue. The killing of turtles in the Caymans is sanctioned by the government. Any island that can charge what the Caymans charge for hotel rooms, real estate, Big Macs at the local Mickey D's does not need to slaughter a protected species. The concept of the locals having the right to kill turtles is nonsense since the true "locals" became extinct a few hundred years ago.

I stand by my position and personally think that boycotting is the way to get their attention. Besides if the only dive locations are places that do this sort of thing, then I may just stop diving all together rather than turn a blind eye to it.

Jim

[Parrotman]

In my opinion, If they allow turtle killing in Caymans I don't care what the season is. I will not spend money there. There is no excuse for killing wild turtles.

Jim

Shoot, if we start boycotting every dive destination that allows (or turns a blind eye to) locals who do illegal or distasteful (or over-fishing) of any type, then we'd never dive anywhere!

I'm going to start a Poll on this topic, so people can select which destinations appeal to them. We need to find destinations that we can fill trips on!

Where would we be diving, without the efforts of Jacques Cousteau, who convinced many countries to establish marine reserves, resulting in divers helping to grow their respective economies. It takes years to establish a marine reserve, first to convince local leaders, it's in their best interest, then additional years to change the habits of those, who were dependent upon the bounty of the sea in order to survive.

Two years ago, I was fortunate to travel to and dive a remote corner of Raja Ampat at a resort, which had just openned. The owner of the resort had spent over 5 years convincing the Indonesian government to set aside a marine reserve, the local 'chiefs' the right to build a resort, and then to build the resort on the site of a fishing 'camp'. The dock for the resort was built in an area which had been bomb 'fished'. The resort has also set up a local school, to educate the children and elders of the importance of their ocean resources, and a patrol operation, in order to enforce the no 'take' zone of the marine reserve. Unfortunately, not all the 'fishermen' [?] abide by the law, as evidenced by the newsletter I receive showing the harvested shark fins and the rays being sold in the local market. This year, negotiations were started to double the size of the marine reserve, to include the island of Daram [see May 2010 issue of Scuba Diving].

We should encourage and support those who want to protect our oceans, not boycott them. Personally, I've stopped buying fish labeled 'product of Indonesia'.

I agree, we should support those that want to protect our oceans. I am not sure that I see your point in regards to the Caymans? They sanction the killing of
endangered sea turtles. This not protecting the oceans.

Jim