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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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!

Diving Couple Joan and James..........

Here at Small Hope we are always meeting new and exciting people. Here are a few words from some diving guest about there stay here with us..........

Our Preferred dive vacation

Destinations include:

·        Off the beaten track

·        Varied & healthy dive sites

·        Knowledgeable, but non-intrusive dive staff

·        Well established & reputable operation

·        Friendly, social able & laid back staff

·        Good food and drink

Small Hope Bay Lodge has exceeded our expectations. They’ve made us feel more like family than customers. We can’t wait to come back!

James and Joan Penn

Gaffney SC

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Henri and Florence visit Small Hope Bay

Recently we were lucky enough to have a  visit from French couple Henri and Florence, they stayed with us for a week and enjoyed some diving and some relaxation time, here are a few words they had to say......

(Florence diver master Moose and Henri)

Would that be what paradise looks like?

We just spent one of the most unforgettable weeks of our life’s....... and it breaks our hearts that we have to leave now. 

Small Hope is one of those places where you know you can find peace. The beauty of the nature is absolutely overwhelming. We are completely fulfilled with the marine life, diving with gracious eagle rays, majesties sharks and uncountable other magical species. 

The corals are so healthy and rich that you feel like you are evolving through beauty itself.

The cocooning in the lodge is all the more pleasant as is the staff who are kind and attentive.

We just wish the time could stop now.......

If this is not realizable, then be sure we’ll be back, still reaching a little more peace of our own

Henri and Florence

We were also lucky enough to have there few words translated for us so here is the French version as well

Est-ce cela le paradis?

On vient de passer une semaine inoubliable et ça nous brise le coeur de devoir partir maintenant.

Small Hope est un de ces endroits où l’on sait que l’on peux trouver de la paix, du calme. La beauté de la nature est complètement bouleversante. La vie marine nous a parfaitement satisfaits en plongeant avec des raies aigles, des requins majestueux et beaucoup d’autres espèces marines..

Les coraux sont tellement riches et sains que l’on se sent évoluer à travers la beauté elle-même. L’ambiance de l’hôtel est extrêmement agréable, tout comme le personnel, qui est charmant et attentif. On n’a qu’une envie c’est que le temps s’arrête a cet instant. Si vous n’avez pas réaliser, on est sur de rentrer un peu plus serin. 

Florence & Henri

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Easter at Small Hope Bay Lodge

Easter morning dawned beautiful and clear on April 12th. It was so gorgeous that all the divemasters at the Lodge wanted to go diving Over The Wall. Jeff decided to dive, then Mike wandered out to the dock and decided to hop on the boat, and even though we only had three divers, Divemasters Loren, Amanda and Ash talked their way onto the boat instead of doing dock duty. It was our unofficial office Easter party!


It's a good thing we worked up our appetites because Renauldo and guest chef Scott had THIRTY desserts waiting for us at the annual Easter feast. From Baked Alaska to chocolate dipped strawberries, Gran Marnier chocolate cake and Renauldo's famous Guava Dough, everyone had their fill and went to bed stuffed!

Earlier in the day, the children hunted for Easter candy that the adults had hidden. We think the adults had more hiding than the kids did seeking!

We hope everyone had a blessed and safe holiday weekend! Pin It Now!