New Snorkel Sights From Shore

In an effort to strengthen his leg after a car accident in Hawaii,. Jeff and his son Brian have been snorkeling from the beach every day before sunset. In doing so, they have found areas of developing coral, and previously developed nurseries that have not been discovered until recently. Next time you come down, ask us where a good spot to snorkel from the shore is, and we'll be happy to show you an area you probably haven't seen yet! Check out this video that Pique made just yesterday!

Pin It Now!

Island Hopping Package

Island Hopping Package!!!!

With over 700 islands and cays the Bahamas has so much to over, travelers seeking to have experience more than one destination is one destination. Small Hope Bay Lodge and Staniel Cay Yacht Club has teamed up to offer you an experience of a lifetime. One vacation two destinations, one country. 

Fly to Andros, and experience the wonderful world, of diving or a nice relaxing day fishing the flats, or just relaxing on a Hammock at Small hope Bay. Then skip on over to Exuma to see the swimming pigs and enjoy the turquoise blue waters of the Exuma Cays.  

The Island Hopping Package includes: 

• Round-trip airfare between Fort Lauderdale, Andros and Staniel Cay
• Beachfront accommodations and all-inclusive amenities at Small Hope Bay Lodge
• Waterfront accommodations, private skiff and more at Staniel Cay Yacht Club.

Check out our Island Hopping Package on our website. 

Pin It Now!

Andros Island Is The Place For Celebrations!

When a special time, a special place and the special people in our lives come together, it's a celebration. Recently Small Hope Bay Lodge was honored to share in the celebration of Julia DeNamur and Sean Bishop's wedding ceremony. 

The bride and groom, wanting no muss or fuss decided that a beachside wedding would be the perfect way to say "I do", and Small Hope Bay Lodge with it's relaxed and carefree atmosphere  was exactly what they were looking for. 


Sean and Julia arrived at the lodge a few days before the ceremony to relax and enjoy their island paradise. They 
went biking, diving, beach combing and even enjoyed a relaxing massage by the beach. The folks arrived a few days later and before they knew it the big day was upon them. 

A simple and intimate celebration was what they were looking for and it is exactly what they got.  The ceremony was beautiful and even had Sean tearing up after they said "I do". A lovely reception followed with the parents and their new found friends from Small Hope. To top off a perfect day the bride and groom gave a wishing lantern to every couple in the resort to release off the dock. Everyone made their wish and watched as their lantern was taken up and away, a truly beautiful sight. 

 Small Hope Bay Lodge was very honored to be able to share this special day with Sean and Julia. From all of us here we would like to wish them all the best for the future and the happiest of lives together. As a return trip has already been scheduled we are very excited to see everyone back again next year for Thanksgiving! 

Pin It Now!

A Season At Small Hope Bay

Another Season Come and Gone...

This year was filled with many great memories. We made new friends and reunited with old ones. We shared many laughs, many beers and many conch fritters! 

Some highlights from our 2011-2012 season

Jeffrey Birch being goofy over Christmas

Crab Fest 2012! 

We adopted another potcake named Izzy!

We created an artificial reef by sinking a plane! 

Ben finished the list...success!

This season at SHBL we were treated to not only one but two of John Rice's famous margarita parties. We enjoyed countless Black Monkey nights at the bar and even got to witness Ben aka 'Evil' become the first to complete every drink on the extensive Small Hope drink menu, not to mention the extras that were thrown in there just for fun! 




We went diving with sting rays and hammerheads, reef sharks and turtles. A pod of dolphins joined us at the Blue Hole and under the dock. We successfully sunk a plane and christened our second new dive site of the season. We watched our crazy divemasters play it up for the cameras on the day dives and dance in the beautiful bio luminescence on our nights dives. We bid farewell to two dear friends and fulfilled their wish of a burial at sea. Patrick Laing and Jim Spencer are missed and will forever be in our hearts. 

Petter, Sam and Laura with instructor Fede 

We went fishing, biking and kayaking. We swam in the blue holes and relaxed in the hammocks. We laughed at our crazy interns, who taught us how to "Bruk it Down" and what NOT to do when driving a golf cart on the dock! In turn they were taught how to rescue an unresponsive diver at the service during their Rescue Diver course, or how to conduct a correct dive briefing during their Divemaster course. 

Wedding party dancing the night away

Our spontaneous dance party was a highlight of the Spring and during the Summer we had one heck of a wedding reception! We battened down the hatches and rode out Tropical Storm Isaac, playing Backgammon and Jenga in the lounge as the rain poured down outside. When the storm cleared we finished out the summer with beautiful weather, spending days snorkeling or beach combing.




It was a great season finished in true Small Hope fashion with a wonderful and hilarious staff party. It was a year of friends, family, and fun and like every year at Small Hope Bay Lodge it gave us memories to last a lifetime. 

Watch this video and re-live some of our more memorable moments from the last year

Pin It Now!

Sinking a Wreck at Small Hope Bay Lodge

Another Awesome Dive Site

Small Hope Bay Lodge takes pride in the diversity of our dive sites and we are constantly on the lookout for new ones.

A friend of Jeff Birch, Anthony Fowler had a mishap with one of his rental planes earlier this summer. The plane was headed for the junk yard when it was suggested that it be used by Small Hope.

Early start, going to pick up the plane

Jeff loved the idea of creating an artificial reef and a sunken plane would make for a very interesting dive site. Jeff sent a crew out on the boat to retrive the plane and bring it back to Small Hope. Once at the dock, small repairs and adjustments were made to the plane to ensure that she would be safe and secure once at the bottom of the blue. 

From left; Tony, Abba, Fede, Austin, Lonnie, Eddie, Byron

Early last week the Small Hope crew took the plane out on Big Boat to the carefully selected site and made the drop. It was not an easy task by any means however with a little ingenuity they were able to land the plane in exactly the rght spot. 

The new site, which features a number of small sand patches surrounded by beautiful coral gardens is in approximately 30-40 feet of water. Baraccuda and quite a few angel fish have been spotted hanging around the wreck.


The site will be used as one of the shallow dives, as well as for the dsd and open water dive students.

Our plane on it's way to the new dive site!

everyone is very excited about the site, officially named "The Landing Strip" and can't wait to start diving it next season. 

Click here to see the plane's journey from junk yard to dive site!

Pin It Now!

Friends and Family

Small Hope Bay Honors Two Very Dear Friends

 Small Hope has been around since 1960. It was built by Dick Birch and the Birch family still owns and operates the resort. Family has always been a fundamental part of life at Small Hope. The Birch family has grown and grown since Dick first arrived on Andros. And it continues to grow to this day. This is because once you come to stay with us you are part of the family here. We are lucky to be a part of so many people’s lives. Like all families we have our share of good times and bad, but we go through these times together.

Small Hope Bay Lodge recently helped to remember and celebrate two very dear friends. 



The Laing’s have been coming to Small Hope for decades. Patrick Laing was a diver, a father and a good friend. His daughter Elizabeth has come to fulfill his final wish of being laid to rest with Small Hope in The Tongue of the Ocean. His ashes and plaque will be placed near Whip Wire Wall and we hope his spirit will roam the ocean forever. Watch Patrick's final dive here and see as he is laid to rest in the Tongue of the Ocean Memorial Dive

Jim Spencer was another good friend of ours. He and his wife Lynndale made us a part of their lives and shared many happy moments here at Small Hope throughout the years. His ashes and plaque will be laid to rest in the ocean Blue Hole, one of his favorite places in the world. His wife, children and grandchildren all came to Small Hope to celebrate his life and say goodbye.

All of us at Small Hope feel so proud and privileged to have been a part of such special moments. That these men loved Small Hope and our beautiful ocean so much that they have chosen to spend eternity with us says it all. We are moved and so thankful to have touched the lives of these families.

Pin It Now!

Dolphin Dive

Amazing dive at Small Hope! Just days after having four dolphins play with the boat on its way out for our morning dives our guests were treated to a rare sight. Four dolphins came to greet them as they started their descent at the ocean Blue Hole. What a morning!

Pin It Now!

Easter at Small Hope Bay Lodge!

We celebrated another great Easter weekend here at Small Hope. There was a full house with friends and families of all ages. The kids played on the beach, made sand castles and of course - hunted for Easter eggs. The grown-ups went diving, fishing or just relaxed on the beach or in a hammock. And, like all holidays at Small Hope Bay Lodge, we celebrated with a HUGE feast. Renauldo outdid himself yet again with a spread of roast turkey, ham, tempura lobster, shrimp and more. After dinner guests had their choice of 26 desserts! It was a great day and we look forward to many more to come . . . 

Pin It Now!

Turtle Time here at Small Hope!

Turtle Time here at Small Hope!

Fisherman's Wall is always a favourite among the dive staff here, but it is quickly becoming more and more so with the frequent turtle sightings there. This week our divers got treated to a fantastic dive where we saw not one, but two Hawksbill Turtles, a shy Puffer Fish, a Caribbean Reef Shark, our friendly Snapper Frank, and a Honeycomb Cowfish! 


All in all a fantastic morning diving here at Small Hope! Divemaster Kate managed to capture it all on video too......check out the edited footage below. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTo5s9T370E&list=UUJ1upPhTodTZRDQcZr6Hlbg&index=1&feature=plcp Pin It Now!

Small Hope has launched our very first Photo Contest!

For a little bit of fun this February, we have decided to run our first, but by no means last, photo competition. All you guys have to do is sort through some of your favourite underwater photos and send them to the address above. We'll then put them all in an album together on our Facebook page and get fans to vote for the best ones. There will be prizes for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place so get sorting!!

Pin It Now!

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! 

Pin It Now!

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!!!

Pin It Now!

Renauldo's Stuffing Recipe................

This is the basic stuffing recipe that I do, because some people have allergies, or a vegetarians or similar.  Therefore you can add to this recipe, any type of meat that you liked, whether it is a type of seafood like lobster or shrimp, or meat, or combination.

It’s all base on your preference.

1 tbsp. Vegetable oil

3-8 oz blocks Butter

2 cloves Garlic, minced

1 Onion, diced small

2 pieces Celery, diced small

1 Carrot, diced small

1 Sweet pepper

Red and Yellow Pepper, (for color primarily)

1 ½ cup Chicken or Vegetable Stock, or broth

15 cups medium size cubed French bread or bread of choice

1 tbsp. Oregano

1 tsp. salt

½ tsp. crushed Red Pepper flakes

1 tsp. paprika (if you have it)

2 tbsp. Garlic powder

2 tsp. Basil

½ tsp. Black pepper

1. Heat pan on medium high heat.  When hot, add vegetable oil, and melt butter in it.
2. Add Onions, celery, carrots, peppers, and garlic.  Cook until nice and soft, about 3-5 minutes.
3. Add stock and let come to a rolling boil.  Add seasonings and let mix together.
4. Add bread and mix until bread absorbs all of the liquid.
5. Adjust as necessary with more bread, or liquid as necessary to desired consistency.

If you use water instead of broth, then adjust salt 1 tbsp.

Several things to note:

• If you’re using bacon, or pork fat, chop up fine and then fry down in the butter with the vegetables.
• If you’re using meat, or seafood add at the stage that you’re cooking you’re vegetables also.

Just in time for Christmas!! If you cook this recipe let us know how went for you please. Leave a message on our facebook fan page

If you are not fan yet then please "like" us!!

Pin It Now!

Summer is well under way.......

The summer is half over now and that means closing time for Small Hope, and that means it is time to spruce the place up ready for another season!!

Dive intern Kate has finished her Rescue Diver Course, so a big CONGRATULATIONS to her!!

It is unfortunate that dive master Antonio is leaving us at the beginning of August, we wish him all the best in the future.

With Antonio leaving us we were in need of some new dive staff, so let us introduce you to Erin from Chico, California and Federico from Buenos Aires Argentina they have joined the Small Hope team.

Scuba and Sassy are growing bigger everyday and a big thank you to Kelly and Mason Weaver for the puppies care package!


A big thank you to all our Summer Interns, Petter, Simen, Ben, Rodney, Luke and Davis, it has been fun working with you all!

It was a great treat the other day for dive master Joe, while diving out near the old compressor frame at the dock two dolphins swam by!!

Pin It Now!

Jeff's Ladder

How did the site get its name? 

Well, that's an amusing tale… Jeff Birch took an early era dive boat to the site, and when the divers returned to the boat after the dive, they had a hard time getting back on board. Somebody had forgotten to put down the ladder!

This site consists of two large circular sand patches surrounded by corals, situated near a false wall. Jeff’s Ladder is a great site for divers completing their certification, as it has a nice sandy bottom for skill work. Navigation is particularly easy for divers, as both sand patches cover a large area, so it's pretty difficult to get lost here. Nurse sharks tend to hang out under the coral ledges, flamingo tongues live on the soft corals and blue tangs spot the reef in their quick moving shoals. 

 Watch a dive video from this site to see whats there............

Pin It Now!

Irene’s pancakes

 

Ingredients
4 c. flour
1 T. baking powder
3 eggs
1 c. sugar
½ c. cream

Water as needed

Method

Combine wet ingredients and beat in flour till just smooth. Add a
Little cold water if needed.
Best if rested cold an hour before using

What a way to start the day............

Pin It Now!

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
Colorado Pin It Now!

50th Anniversary speech by Jeff & Margo

50^th Anniversary speech by Jeff & Margo

This Christmas was an extra special time to celebrate as it was Small Hope’s 50^th Christmas & Anniversary!  

Here is what Jeff and his sister Margo had to say about this very special occasion!

A snap shot of Small Hope

Click on the link below to watch the video........

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2HudQguuWuY

Pin It Now!

Guided Tour of North Andros Island

We left Small Hope Bay Lodge and headed North towards Conch Sound (pictured above).

Along the way we were given information about the surrounding area and how the best part of Andros Island was for growing crops, where the citrus farm was, and where some

inland caves and blue holes were situated.

When we arrived at Conch Sound, which was about a 30 minute drive, we were told about the Blue Hole which is around 25-30 feet from shore and a very nice beach and picnic area.

Next stop was the highest point of Andros Island which is around 70 - 80 feet from sea level.

(Pictured below left). There was a little bit of a walk up a hill but nothing too strenuous, the view was well worth it.

We were off again and the next stop was to Captain Henry Morgan's pirates cave's where

legend has it he hid his treasure back in the 1600's to 1700's. Captain Morgan was, in his time, the

most feared man throughout the Caribbean and his treasure is still to be found.

The town Morgans Bluff, where the caves are located, was named after Captain Morgan. (Picture right)

On our way to the next stop we were told about the guardian of the forest, a Chickcharnie, which is half barn owl and half man the size of a leprechaun. If you laugh at the Chickcharnie, he will turn your head 180 degree's for life. If you befriend him, he will give you luck and a share of his gold which is in a nest between two strong pines.

Last stop of the tour was at an inland blue hole called Uncle Charley's Blue Hole. Blue Holes get there names from their perfectly round entrances and because there doesn't appear to be any bottom. A unique feature of the inland blue hole is the layer of fresh water that literally sits on top of the salt below. A very nice spot for a picnic and a jump in the blue hole. (Blue Hole pictured below)

Pin It Now!

Graduation Day!

After all the explorers went exploring, birdwatchers went birdwatching, divers went diving, and fishermen went fishing, Small Hope hosted the graduation of Andros’ Christian Academy right outside on the patio. Many came to watch as the kids sang, spoke, and reminisced about their experiences.


We were fortunate enough to watch Moose’s son, Ethan, along with Jeff’s youngest son, Christian, get their diplomas as they were graduating from Preschool. Congratulations boys!

Pin It Now!