Diving with sharks, on Andros, Bahamas

One of our favorite and most popular divers here at Small Hope is our shark dive. At a depth of 50 feet divers can watch Caribbean reef sharks swimming around, feeding on a slow-release "chumsicle". It is a great way for new and experienced divers to overcome any irrational fears they may have about these beautiful and graceful animals.

Check out this video of one of our shark dives!

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Small Hope Bay Lodge's Positive Impact on Young Diver

Gabriella is a young girl who came to Small Hope Bay Lodge last summer with her parents. Both mom and dad were divers and being that she was 10 years old she decided it was time she became a Junior Open water Diver. Ella worked hard during her stay and within a short time she was certified! She was able to go on many dives with her parents including two dives to Shark Emporium.  This dive was particularly fun for her. It was her first time seeing sharks and diving with them was something she was curious about and something that had a big impact on her life. 

When Ella returned home she took part in an educational program done by the organization PeaceFirst. While the fundamental lessons of the activities she took part in would be very beneficial to children of her age, Ella was quite dismayed by the misrepresentation the activity made about sharks, which she had come to love so much. The activity painted sharks as vicious and likely to harm/kill people. Below is her response to these activities. Ella took it upon herself to voice her opinions to the organization and in turn they have decided to change their curriculum. 

Ella is aware, as many of us are, that shark populations are facing more trouble than ever before. As well she can appreciate that as apex predators they are extremely beneficial to our ocean's ecosystems. Many factors are contributing to their declining numbers, however humans are at the top of that list. The motivation behind Ella's mission to change the curriculum at PeaceFirst is simply that we need more people to care and stand-up for sharks. If everyone knew the truth about sharks, that they are not blood-thirsty, man eating machines, but instead beautiful, curious and impressive creatures, ones that are vital to the survival of our seas, they might, like Ella take a stand and protect them. 

We are very proud of the work Ella has done. Being courageous enough to stand up for what you believe in at such a young age is quite impressive. May we all learn from Ella's experience and do our best to advocate for those who can not advocate for themselves. 

Please read Ella's letter to PeaceFirst below and well as the response she received from them.

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Dive with Sharks in the Bahamas

Small Hope Bay Lodge Shark Observation Dive

Divers and snorkelers can enjoy a thrill of a lifetime while learning about some of the most misunderstood creatures in the ocean. Our shark observation dive allow divers and snorkelers to view sharks up close, in their own habitat and witness the beauty and majesty of these incredible fish. 

At Small Hope Bay Lodge the objective of the shark encounter is to raise awareness, evoke a sense of responsibility and to have fun! Our shark encounter provides the sharks with a small amount of supplemental food on an irregular basis, not making the sharks dependent on us as a food source, yet still allows us to experience the thrill of being up close and personal with one of the ocean's top predators. 

As the boat approaches the site, we can see the sharks begin to gather. An average of a dozen Caribbean reef shark at a time show up for a frozen chum ball feed. The chum ball, composed of frozen fish parts, hangs suspended on a fixed line 40 feet below the surface. Divers kneel off to the side on the sandy bottom at a depth of 60 feet. Other than providing them a free meal, to which they help themselves, we do not interfere with the sharks or molest them in any way. 

Join us for an experience of a lifetime! 

Check out the the Small Hope Sharks Experience Here

Learn more about these incredible creatures below...

 



          cSharks have roamed our oceans since before the time of dinosaurs, but their long reign at the top of the ocean food chain may be ending. The onset of industrial fishing over the past 60 years has drastically depleted their populations. Of the shark and ray species assessed by scientists for the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), 30 percent are threatened or near-threatened with extinction. There are many threats facing sharks today that include by-catch, where sharks are killed when other seafood is being targeted, recreational fishing, sharks being used for ingredients in cosmetics or health supplements, destruction of habitat and more. Shark fins  are now among the most expensive sea food product in the world. In general sharks are slow growing, late to mature and over long lifetimes will produce few offspring.This leaves them quite vulnerable to over exploitation and slow to recover from depletion. Being that sharks are a top predator within the ocean their depletion presents risks for the entire ocean ecosystem. A decline in the population of Tiger Sharks in a certain area will directly effect the population of sea grass beds. With nothing there to prey on the sea turtle population they will flourish and in turn deplete the vital sea grass beds, which would be an important and devastating loss of habitat.

 How can you help

Visit these sites to see how you can get involved and help preserve the world's shark populations. Keep fun and educational programs such as the Small Hope shark observation dive going by helping to conserve our ocean's sharks!

PADI Shark Conservation

Shark Conservation Society 

The Shark Alliance

Shark Angels, 10 Ways to Save Sharks

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Diving at Dawn

At Small Hope Bay Lodge we have many different dives sites. Walls, caverns, wrecks, blue holes, shallow reefs, there are so many to choose from. One particular site is called 'Over The Wall' and SHBL has been running this dive since the early 60's. 




The wall begins where the ocean floor ends - a vertical drop-off where the continental shelf plummets to the Tongue of the Ocean 6,000 feet below. The Andros Wall begins around 70 to 90 feet, and that's where we set anchor. At this site divers take the plunge and experience one of life's most exhilarating feelings, plummeting down to an ice age shore line at a depth of 185 feet



This week at Small Hope Bay, Fred Calhoun and Peter Donahue are back for yet another visit. These two have been coming to Small Hope for many years and have put their own spin on our signature wall dive. Fred and Peter prefer to do the dive at dawn. 

As they make their way out to the site the sun is just beginning to rise, the ocean is perfectly still and a more beautiful view out on the water would be difficult to find. 

The divers gear up, jump in, descend and have a spectacular dive gazing down at the depths of the Tongue of the Ocean. A shark cruises past to say good morning while their sitting on the ledge at 185ft. As the divers make their ascent over the top of the wall the sun is rising and lighting up the reef before them. Already it has been an amazing day and it is not even 8am yet. 


Back on the boat the Fred and Peter, and the rest of the group enjoy some juice while deciding what to have for breakfast once back at the lodge. 

Watch the video below of our Over the Wall dive at dawn and see for yourself what a truly amazing experience it is!

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The Discovery of a New Dive Site

Al's Cooler

A New Dive Site for Small Hope Bay

A new dive site has been officially added to the Small Hope Bay Lodge site roster. A multilevel dive, this site takes divers South along a beautiful section of the wall then comes up to a large sand patch and some lovely plate coral. Both sharks and turtles have been spotted out over the wall but the real attraction at this site is the old 'fish pot' that is now and will forever be known as Al's Cooler. Here is a little history about the discovery and naming of our new site.... 

Al and Alison Scheflow have been coming to Small Hope Bay Lodge for many years. Ever since their first visit in the summer of 2003 they were hooked. Avid divers, they have been diving everywhere from the Florida Keys to Bonaire, but when they were looking for some more diversity and the opportunity to experience some different dives they decided to try the Bahamas. Andros Island, home to the third longest barrier reef and just minutes from the tongue of the ocean was the perfect choice. So they packed their bags and took the short flight over to the beautiful and secluded Small Hope Bay Lodge. 

The diving at SHBL is unlike the diving found in other places. Whether it is a cavern, a wreck, a wall or a blue hole you are never disappointed and as Al and Alison discovered there is always something new to see. This was particularly true on their latest visit to the lodge as they were given the opportunity to explore some never before seen areas of the reef with a few of the Small Hope divemasters.  

It was on one of these exploratory dives that they happened upon the new site. The plan was to anchor and travel along the wall until they found an interesting spot. It was clear however that where they anchored was just perfect. They cruised along marveling at the beauty of the wall and at the magnificence that is the tongue of the ocean. Few things are as spectacular as a 6000 foot drop to the bottom of the deep blue. As the divers came up over the top Al and Alison made the discovery of an old fish pot that had long since been forgotten. Everyone knew that they had found a wonderful site.

But what to call it? Many different names were tossed about, however after some consideration the name that seemed most fitting was Al's Cooler. 

To understand how the site got its name "Al's Cooler" it is important to know a little more about the Scheflow's and their time at SHBL. As members of the Small Hope family Al and Alison have implemented their own Small Hope traditions whenever they come. Al, a serious advocate for drinking only seriously cold beer not only created the Small Hope Beer Koozie but also the tradition of serving beer out of a cooler of ice at the bar.

 "Straight from the cooler to the koozie and the beer stays colder longer".

So when Al discovered the old fish pot on the mystery dive he said it was like finding himself an underwater cooler. Divemaster Dennis joked that he could have cold beer...even on a dive! Believe it or not that is just what he did. To christen the new sight Al and Alison brought down a few beer bottles to put in the "cooler" and even cracked one open and took a sip before tossing it in. Everyone had a great time finding, naming and making the new site official. 

Small Hope would like to send out a BIG thank you to divemasters Dennis, Sam and Laura and especially Al and Alison Scheflow for all the their help with the new site. Last week the first official group tried out the site and all the divers agree it is a beautiful place! 

Check out The Christening of Al's Cooler here and watch how Al and Alison pay tribute to the new site! 

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The Week of the Hammerhead!

The Week of the Hammerhead!

The start of the new year came, hopefully (!), with a taste of things to come......three separate hammerhead sightings in one week! The first of these was at King Kong's Ocean Blue hole - a great dive in its own right but throw the silhouette of a 10ft hammerhead cruising 20 feet above you into the mix and you've got something really spectacular! A real treat for our divers, Josh, Brent, Derek, Chris and Veronique! When it comes to capturing this elusive shark on camera, Small Hope has, in the past, found themselves a little jinxed (forgotten lens cap, low battery, simple shock and awe resulting in forgetting to raise camera - not mentioning any names), but this time Dennis rose to the challenge (check out the YouTube video).

The second sighting of the week, came from one of our interns, Max. While following up behind the other divers, dive master Max glimpsed the unmistakable hammerhead shape disappear back into the blue. No video evidence for this one, but we're not one to doubt our trusty interns!!

The final sighting came yet again from Dennis. While half the group were starting to ascend after a wonderful dive at Whip Wire Wall, Dennis and his buddy, Allen, had an up close encounter with another 10ft hammerhead! After yelling as loud as they could to get the rest of the group's attention (a difficult task through your reg underwater), they followed the animal a little ways out from the wall........a brief cruise along the top of the wall and the magnificent beast vanished into the blue!

All in all, a fantastic week for diving here at Small Hope, and a great reminder to hang around Dennis ('Lucky Friend of the Hammerhead') on as many wall dives as possible!!!

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A Brothers Bond

Alex, Bryant and Nick

Our first diving experience was at Small Hope Bay Lodge in 2003 on a family vacation. We did the Discover SCUBA course and were immediately taken with diving.

Soon after that trip my brothers and I received our Open Water SCUBA certification and have since taken trips to the Florida Keys and Mexico; however we have yet to find an experience that could compete with the one we had at Small Hope.

When we were putting together a diving trip for the youngest brother Nick’s graduation in 2010 we knew that we wanted to be back at SHBL. In the six years since our last visit, not much has changed, but everything we loved when we were kids is still here, the cabins tucked right next to the beach, the extreme variety of diving (wall, reef, Blue Holes, wreck dives), great conversations with the other guests at the communal dinner every night and an attitude among the enthusiastic staff of making sure every guest feels at home.

As you fall asleep at night listening to the waves on the beach you can’t help but feel like you aren’t at a resort but rather a good friends place in the Bahamas, and of course you always wish you could stay for one more night.

Alex, Bryant & Nick Boucher
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Shark diving at Small Hope

The “Shark Emporium” Dive 

۞ WHY WE ARE SHARK DIVING: 

We do the Shark Dive in order to allow you to observe sharks, one of the most amazing and interesting animals of the ocean rarely seen up close in our area. Sharks have remained virtually unchanged for millions of years and have proven themselves a vital part of their environment. This dive will give you the change to better understand and respect shark behavior, as well as enjoy the thrill of watching them feed.

Reef Shark

One of the many sharks you will see

Making the chum

۞   HOW THE SHARKS FEED:

We have tried not to disrupt their nature as little as possible. At Small Hope Bay we use a chum ball method. A “Chum ball” consists of fish pieces frozen in salt water. Because the fish is frozen, as it melts it creates a “slow release” of the food. Using this slow release” method, sharks do not associate humans with the food. Although we are conditioning the sharks to a small degree by feeding them we feel we are not changing their behavior.When sharks feed they have a hierarchy. The sharks will swim calmly in and wait their turn; they usually feed one at a time off the chum ball. Some sharks may not even feed at all. The shark feed can last anywhere from 5 to 30 minutes depending on how long the chum ball lasts. Near the end, when the last piece of fish comes loose from the chum ball one of the sharks will try to snatch it. This action excites the other sharks creating a “Mad Dash” for the last piece of fish. The Dive masters will knock on their tanks when this time is close.



Sharks feeding on the chum

۞ HOW WE WILL DIVE THE DIVE:


On the sand waiting for sharks



To start the dive you will sit in a sandy area in front of a large coral head in about 60 feet of water. You will relax and get comfortable as the Dive Masters bring the chum ball down. As soon as they bring the chum ball down they will give you a signal that you are free to swim around. It is asked that no one goes closer than 20 feet to, and never under the chum ball. you are welcome to swim around and on top. After the food is gone, and the sharks begin to disperse, you are free to roam the bottom and look for shark teeth. You can go back to the boat at any time you like.

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Back years later...

Andy used to visit Small Hope back when young Jeffery roamed the resort that his father, Dick Birch, had started. Back then, he used to play with Jeff, Scotty, and Tuffer. Now, years later, he returned and brought his wife Patsy. They both enjoyed the wonderful Bohemian cuisine (even though Patsy is a vegetarian, she was able to find plenty of options) and great diving like the Shark Emporium. Today, he says:

"The resort still has the same charm and wonderfulness that it had way back when."

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Shark Souvenirs

Vince and Becky Hoffman were excited to go on SHBL's Shark Observation Dive for two reasons: SHARKS and Becky wanted to find a shark's tooth to add to her necklace, where she carries reminders of her dive trip. They found not one, but two teeth to take home as souvenirs for their Bahamas diving vacation.

And they saw sharks! Pin It Now!

Check Us Out On Youtube!

Come and see what is happening and how the diving is going on the Small Hope Bay Lodge Youtube channel! Subscribe to us to be updated automatically when a new video is uploaded and leave comments to let the world know what you think! Pin It Now!

Shark Diving at Small Hope Bay

Our divers this week enjoyed our Shark Observation Dive over at the Shark Emporium. Small Hope Bay Lodge's use of the "chumsicle" method of feeding the sharks allows the sharks to maintain their natural behaviour of feeding. They bump and compete around the chum ball and establish the pecking order of who feeds first. It is a very interesting and educational experience!

Thanks to our daring divemaster, Loren, we get a close up look at the nictitating membrane, which is the sharks' third eyelid that they pull over their eyes to protect them during the attack. Look very closely at the picture and you will see the gray shading over the eyeballs of a couple of the sharks! Pin It Now!