Closing Time

It's closing time once again here at Small Hope Bay, which means we have temporarily closed the hotel to take care of any maintenance needs that require attention. While the bay is quite without any visitors, we have been keeping ourselves busy to pass the time. Fedor and the maintenance crew have been working hard to refurbish the cabins and repaint the bathrooms so you will have a comfortable and cozy room next time you come to visit. Fede and Dennis have been servicing and recalibrating every tank, BCD, and regulator on the dock. It's amazing how well a regulator breaths after it has been given the time and attention that Fede and Dennis have been giving them. Our friend Patrick is visiting from Canada to renew our electrical systems. Even though we have been able to power the entire resort off a generator when the power on the island goes out, the new system will be more energy efficient and will allow us to install more solar panels in the future. While all of this is very tiering, Dania has been keeping our spirits high by making delicious meals every day, keeping our stomachs full and our smiles constant.
As always, the Weather is wonderful and Andros is beautiful, but the guests are what make Small Hope Bay Lodge special, so we can't wait to say hello to all of the returning guests and meet anybody who has not had the chance to visit us yet.

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Jackie and Qi Qi Photography

Jackie's Photo Diary at Small Hope Bay Lodge

 Reef Shark

                                                                                                   Squirrel-fish           

  

                        Reef Shark

                                        Feature Dusters

            King Kong Blue Hole Silhouette

                             Brian and Teva

   School of Grunts and Sailor Choice   

                                                                Marion Dive SIte

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The Aviation Adventures, and Small Hope, Bahamas!

We had a great group here recently. A group of private pilots from the US East Cost flew over to Andros Island and joined us here at Small Hope Bay Lodge. They organize group trips each year, and came to Small Hope for the diving and snorkeling, the fishing, and the relaxation!

Here is one of their Snorkel Trips . . . 

And they even signed our most recent copy of the AOPA magazine since it featured their group in the Bahamas from last year.

Add caption

They were a great group and we look forward to their next fly-by!

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A Blast from the Past!

Small Hope Bay Lodge first opened in 1960! That means we are now in our 54th year. 54 years of exploring our reef, of conch fritters, of hanging with our guests at the bar. Here are some of our "old school" photos from back in the day!

Early scuba lessons

Tiki boat, one of our many boats thru the years

Our old zig zag dock

Moose and Elizabeth, friends for years

Past divemasters, Alec and John

Another boat with Dick Birch at the helm

Dick Birch

Yep, we used to limbo!

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Return Guest T-shirt Contest!

We're looking to have a new design for the shirts we give to our return guests and want everybody's input! So to combat this quest, we're holding a design contest and would love to have as many participants as possible. Fun, quirky, fishy designs are always great and anything that you feel suits the experiences you've had at Small Hope Bay Lodge. Think water, fish, diving, relaxing, hammocking, family, food, or whatever else comes to mind when you think of Small Hope. Our current shirt has a Small Hope logo on the front side with a large design on the back sharing a quote from Dick Birch.

Some examples of former T-shirt designs include lists of quotes, birds, funny underwater pictures and others.

We're accepting submissions and the only thing you need to make sure is that your images are saved at a minimum resolution of 300 dpi (pixels per inch). Please email your submissions to shbmktandros@gmail.com  and let's get this contest rolling! Get creative! We love quirky and fun!

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Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Pie

In the past week I've had the pleasure to feast on the Reese's Peanut Butter Pie several times for dessert (several times in a week! wow!! I feel so spoiled). And as promised to Spencer and co., here's the recipe to make back home with your famous chocolate sauce.

Reese’s Peanut Butter Pie Makes 8-16 portions
Crust:
1 ½ cups Graham Cracker crumbs
2 tbsp Sugar ¼ cup cocoa powder
3 tbsp. Butter, melted
Filling:
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1 egg yolk
1 ½ cup Whipped topping
1 packages instant chocolate pudding 4 serving size (or any flavor)
2 cups milk

1. Combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar, cocoa powder and butter.
2. Mix well and press into pan.
3. Bake at 350F for 10 minutes.
4. Cool completely.
5. Blend peanut butter, and powdered sugar, until smooth; blend in egg yolk.
6. Fold in whipped topping.
7. Spread this mixture into crust.
8. Mix the milk with the pudding and blend until it thickens and of proper consistency.
9. Spread evenly on peanut butter mixture.
10. Refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours or until set.

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Conch Chowder!

Always a favorite around the Small Hope lunch table is Conch Chowder. This is the perfect meal to replenish your energy after a morning of diving or out on the flats fishing. Now with this recipe you can bring some of the Bahamas and Small Hope Bay Lodge to your lunch or dinner table. With all the snow this winter this is the perfect dish to warm you up after shoveling the driveway! Enjoy!

Ingredients

Vegetable oil                         2 Tbs
Onion, small dice                 1
Celery, small diced         2 pcs
Sweet Pepper small diced 1
Tomatoes, small diced         2
Garlic chopped (cloves)       4
Tomato Paste                 ½ cup
Flour                                 ¾ cup
Conch                                 2 lbs.
Fish Stock, as needed         3 q.
Carrots, medium dice         2
Potatoes, medium dice 2
Thyme                                 2 Tbs
Salt, as needed              1 Tbs
Pepper, as needed         1 Tbs
Pepper sauce                  ¼ teaspoon

Directions 

1.      Sauté onions, pepper, and tomatoes in a pot with the vegetable oil until a little brown and tender.

2.      Add tomato paste, flour, and cook until aroma rises, and brown a little.

3.      Add conch and mix until well blended with mixture in the pot.

4.      Add Water to pot increasing amount as necessary.

5.      Season with thyme, salt and pepper.

6.      Let come to a boil, and reduce down to a simmer.

7.      Add carrots, and potatoes.

8.      Cook for 45 minutes, or until carrots and potatoes are tender and soup has thickened slightly.

9.      If not proper consistency then mix 1 cup of cornstarch with 1 cup of cold water, then add to the pot.

10.  Chowder can now be served

 

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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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