Dolphins playing with the boat . . .

It's been a great month for divers at Small Hope!

First they got a rare glimpse of a whale while diving one of our caver sites. Then, just a few days ago, a pod of dolphins played with the dive boat on it's way out for the first dive of the day. Great video of the pod. The dolphins look like they're having a blast . . .

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The Kids are Doing Great and Learning to Dive!!!!!

Just a progress report on the local Andros kids who are working together with the community and Small Hope to become certified scuba divers:

The group has now grown to 23 kids! There are moving right along and are about halfway through their book work, and have also completed some of the confined water skills and their first Open Water dive!!!!

We are so proud!

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Working with the Community, and Teaching Kids to Dive!!!!

Small Hope has a long and proud history of working to help the lives and livelihoods of the Andros people. Starting way back when Dick Birch started the resort in 1960 and continuing to this day.

So when the local law enforcement came to Jeff Birch and asked if Small Hope would help in teaching a group of local kids to scuba dive, he said YES! This group of kids got to learn how to fish last year and this year it's swimming, snorkeling, and diving!

The group contains 21 kids, ages 15-18. The goal is to get all of the as PADI certified Open Water divers. Jeff feels this is an important task so that the kids will start to understand the delicate ecosystem they live in, as well as gain a true appreciation and value for this beautiful island they call home.

The group started off very auspiciously! On the first day they got in the water a group of dolphins came by the dock to see what was happening! They are learning the water skills now, as well as watching our slide shows about the reef and aquatic life of Andros.

We wish them all luck and look forward to watching them progress in to great scuba divers!

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Coral Nursery and Algae Removal Project

At Small Hope, we have been diving the Andros Barrier Reef for over 55 years. We have been enjoying this beautiful ecosystem and sharing it with all of our sub-aquatic enthusiasts. However, due various man-made and natural changes in this environment, our reefs are suffering.

Algae, in healthy quantities, is beneficial for the marine life. However, if it is not kept in check, it can suffocate a reef and its corals. In the 1970s there was a plague that affected the long-spined sea urchins, killing off a huge portion of them. The sea urchin eat the algae off the coral and help to maintain a healthy balance. With the loss of so many urchins the algae population was not kept in check and continued to grow, covering and suffocating many corals.

Here at Small Hope, we have escaped many of the ill effects that other Caribbean islands have suffered. We still enjoy a beautiful and healthy coral reef, with lots of variety of hard and soft corals, sponges and other sea life. But that doesn't mean we can't help make it even better!

We have recently been collaboration with the Bahamas National Trust and the Nature Conservancy in an effort to grow our corals and help remove some of the excess algae. Our dive staff has assisted in the creation of a coral nursery, growing one of the hard corals native to the area, Staghorn Coral. They have been learning how to care for these juvenile corals, transplant them to other parts of the reef, and learning how to help remove algae from areas where it is overgrown.

And now we are developing a program where our guests can join us in this effort as well. Stay tuned for details of how you can help assist our beautiful reef system when you come to dive with us! Pin It Now!

The Most Geological Diversity in Diving . . . and all within a 20 minute boat ride!

People always ask me where my favorite diving locations are. That's a tough question because there are so many factors involved - water visibility, water temperature, fish and sea life, the quality of the dive operation and dive staff, and the location itself (the local people, landscape, and food).

But to me Small Hope Bay Lodge has it all. There are 3 main reasons why I think this is my favorite diving location in the world:

1.  The most Geological Diversity within a 20 minute boat ride. This means we have the opportunity to dive sheer walls that start at about 70 ft and drop down 6000 ft in to the Tongue of the Ocean. We have wrecks, two of which (a barge, and a small airplane) were sunk specifically for Small Hope as dive sites. We have many coral gardens, at shallow, mid-level, and deeper sites. We have great caverns with little pocket rooms and swim throughs. And we have blue holes (both ocean and inland) for some of the coolest dives you will ever do in your life! And all of these sites (totaling somewhere between 60 and 100!!!) are within 20 minutes from our dock.
2. We are the only people diving this reef! This is the third largest barrier reef in the world. And there is no one else around. It is a rare day indeed when you spot another boat on the water and even more unusual to see other divers. This means we have the reef and dive sites all to ourselves. I have been on many dives in other locations when in the middle of a beautiful dive a swarm of 20+ divers descends on the reef, starts kicking up sand, etc. I have been on night dives in other countries where we had to wear a certain color glow stick on our tank to differentiate our group from the many others that were there too. Not here! Just our divers and no one else!
3. The best dive staff EVER. They are safe. They are professional. They are FUN! There is no minimum number of divers for us to go diving. If we only have one person who wants to dive - we're going diving. We also have the highest ratio of staff to guests in the water that I have ever seen. As a dive professional myself, this is key. 

 In addition to the above reasons, Small Hope also has gorgeous weather year-round. 21 cabins right on the beach. The kitchen staff prepares incredible food. The staff and Andros locals are some of the friendliest in the world. The water temperature and visibility are awesome! All these things make it a no brainer. I wanna dive at Small Hope Bay Lodge!

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DEMA, Harry Potter and coming home . . .

A couple weeks ago I attended DEMA in Orlando, Florida. I went as a representative from Small Hope Bay Lodge to meet some dive groups and take two courses. Overall it was a good show. The courses I took, while long, were very informative and now I am ready to be a ScubaPro service tech for our regulators at the dock, and to do visual inspections on our scuba tanks! Mission accomplished!

I also ran into some old friends, like Jonathan Bird and Camerman Todd, from JonathanBird's Blue World. The show turned out being very fun. At the Bahamas booth we had a tiki bar and happy hour complete with games, prizes, and of course . . . Rum Punch!

Hogwarts!

 

Since I don't get to Orlando very often and happen to be a huge Harry Potter fan, I decided to check out the Wizarding World of Harry Potter inside Universal Studios. It was SO MUCH FUN!!!!!!!!!! I had the best time (geeked out completely!). I went on the rides (one of them 3 times since it was so fun), had a beer at the Hog's Head Pub, lunch at the Three Broomsticks, and even bought a wand at Olivander's. 

For those non-Potter fans or readers, these things probably mean very little. But for me, it was a hoot. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys the books or movies, fun for all ages!

But by this time I had been in the big city (compared to Andros, Bahamas) for almost a whole week. That means traffic, cars everywhere, cable TV, air conditioned rooms, etc. I was really getting anxious to come home - Small Hope, Andros Island, Bahamas. 

I was ready for the only sounds outside my window to be swaying palms and lapping waves of the ocean; a place where I can see tons and tons of stars; and where everyone I talk to is a friend, even if I just met them. 

Landing in Andros

 Flying into Andros Town airport I thought how happy I am to be home! Pin It Now!

Rescue Training at Small Hope Bay

Diver Diver Are You Okay?

Instructor Fede giving the briefing

Rescue divers Petter, Sam, Rodney and Laura

The interns of Small Hope Bay Lodge have been very busy completing skills for their rescue diver certification! 

Rescue diver Sam responding to an unconscious diver at the surface

The rescue diver course can be best described as 'challenging' and 'rewarding'. It is the course where divers will typically learn the most and enhance their diving skills the most. 

Our Small Hope interns will be comfortable handling emergency situations on the dock, the boat or in the water. They will be able to recognize potential hazards and prevent emergencies before they occur. 

When you come to Small Hope Bay Lodge you can feel at ease knowing that our rescue divers are here for you and are always looking out for the safety of all our divers!

  

Laura, Fede and Sam responding to unconscious diver at the surface

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Special offer throughout February for all our loyal fans!

Midwinter and those blues have well and truly set in. Here at Small Hope (in the glorious Bahamian sunshine!!) we really feel for you, and have decided to do something to brighten up even the coldest of winters........

......by giving you even more incentive to come see us here on Andros! Throughout the whole of this month, we are giving away FREE PADI Scuba Diver or Adventure Diver certifications when you book a four night stay with us. Just mention this ad and where you saw it (Facebook, Twitter, Blog etc.) when you're booking. Simple! 

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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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