Bahamas
November 4-11, 2023
The Bahamas (just east of Florida in the United States) comprises of a large area of protected waters and is known to have some of the best visibility on earth with an abundance of sharks and dolphins. Besides sharks, keep an eye out for several species of dolphins and whales as well as the endangered Nassau grouper, considered the national fish of the Bahamas, which can reach over a meter in length.
Dates:
November 4-11, 2023
Embark: Saturday Nov 4, 2023
Disembark: Saturday Nov 11, 2023
Duration:
7 nights/8 days: Dolphin and Shark (Tiger/Hammerhead) Expedition. Departs from West Palm Beach, Florida (USA) aboard the Dolphin Dream liveaboard.
Package Cost:
$3800 USD per person twin/share (2 people per room)
Note: All costs are in USD (American Dollars) for this trip.
Spotted wild dolphins ready to greet snorkelers in the Bahamas.
Price Includes:
4 dives a day for those that are certified (tanks, weights/belts included)
All meals – breakfast, lunch and dinner whilst on the vessel all prepared fresh.Opportunities for snorkeling with marine life.
Snacks including fruit, nuts and sweets are always available. Refreshments such as water, juices, coffee and hot and cold tea and lemonade.
Presentations on marine wildlife – dolphins and/or sharks
Travel and explore with a marine biologist and educational expert
Photography and editing advice provided.
Friendly atmosphere
Dive guides and shark handlers.
Vessel for our group only
Park fees
Exclusions:
$150 US BCD and Regulator. Please advise on gear required.
Alcohol or beverages (excluding beer)
Airfare to/from West Palm Beach, Florida (PBI airport code) Other close by airports are Fort Lauderdale (FLL) and Miami (MIA). Transportation from FLL and MIA will be more expensive.
Transportation from airport to the boat
Travel Insurance / DAN dive Insurance
Crew and Guide gratuities
How to Secure Your Spot:
We will be in touch via e-mail to provide individual invoices and payment details. We would recommend purchasing your flights into West Palm Beach, FL as soon as possible to secure reasonably priced flights.
$1000 USD Deposit to secure your spot
Remaining Balance due Sept 23, 2023
To book and check for available spaces email: info@designedforscuba.com
Note: divers must have advanced certification or have completed at least 30 dives for the shark dives.
Itinerary Summary
Day One:
Arrive at airport and be transferred to the vessel which will be your home for the next 7 nights. The M/V Dolphin Dream, (your home for the week) is located at the Riviera City Beach Marina. You must be on board the ship between 3-6pm on Nov 4, 2023.
Day Two to Seven:
Breakfast provided before we hit the water each day. Arrive in the Bahamas, clear customs around 9am. Arrive at first dive site around 1pm. First dive is a check-out dive and second dive is with the sharks.
We will be searching out at sea for the dolphins and sharks. This 7 night liveaboard adventure allows between 20-24 dives including several night dives (depending on conditions). In some areas, the diving is comparatively shallow and ‘open platform’ diving may be offered after the scheduled shark dives to allow guests to dive at their leisure up until sunset.
The diving day aboard the Dolphin Dream vessel has a typical schedule as follows:
Full breakfast followed by dives 1 and 2
Lunch, relaxation period followed by dive 3
Snack, relaxation period, briefing and potential dive 4 (determined based on conditions/site, etc)
Dinner
Day seven we depart the Bahamas at 5pm to head back to the West Palm Beach.
Day Eight:
An early morning breakfast before disembarking the boat.
We arrive back in Florida, around 6am. We have a US customs appointment at 8am. After we clear customs, we will return to our marina at 9:30AM. If you are flying out of West Palm Beach International (PBI), you can make your return flights after 12 noon. If flying out of Miami or Fort Lauderdale, please make your return flights after 3pm.
Vessel-The Dolphin Dream
The “Dolphin Dream” has twin engines, twin generators, twin air compressors, fully air condition, safety chase boat, and all the other equipment to make your life on board comfortable and safe.
There are five spacious cabins with full length single upper and lower bunk beds and one large cabin with a double bed, for a maximum of 12 guests. The interior salon is located on the main deck making comfortable and safe from bad weather. The cabins are located aft of center line and down low, the most comfortable place in a boat. The salon has four benches and four chairs surrounding two tables for dining. The galley and salon are separated by a serving counter.
There is a drink bar with a refrigerator, ice maker, coffee pots and a sink. There is room for cameras on shelves with electric and below the benches. There is a 27” TV, DVD, stereo, book and video library. Two spacious heads with showers, an outside shower and plenty of freshwater.
The back deck has tables for cameras, fresh water rinse bin, and the stairs to the upper deck. The large built in platform has the scuba tanks and benches. The water is just a short distance for entrance and a ladder to climb out on. There are big flood lights that shine into the water for night swims or dives.
The upper deck has the dingy (for rescues), gear storage boxes, a sundeck for sunbathing, and a covered deck to stay out of the sun with plenty of space for dolphin watching. The large bow fore deck has plenty of space for dolphin watching.
Diving with Sharks at Tiger Beach
The small, shallow sand flat, an hour by boat from the West End of Grand Bahama Island, is the most reliable, consistent and, arguably, photographically pleasing spot to photograph these striped beauties on Earth.
Many of the tiger sharks at Tiger Beach have achieved a certain level of fame among divers. There is Hook with her tragic, yet photogenic, bent lower jaw, Emma with her old, wrinkly skin and sheer size, Princess with her generally gentle demeanour and many others.
There is really no reason to be “nervous” when diving at tiger beach. The sharks are not there to eat people, but we should have a healthy dose of respect for them – after all they are big predators – much bigger than us. There are a few rules to follow while on these dives: don’t touch them, don’t turn your back to an approaching shark and if a shark is coming up behind a fellow diver let them know, stay still and try not to stir up the sand, heavily overweight yourself and be steady on the sandy bottom (currents have been known to rage). The sharks are being fed pieces of fish that are usually white or silver in color so wear a dark wetsuit and gloves and keep your hands to yourself. Unless you really know what you are doing it’s a good idea to have something solid in your hand like a camera or PVC pipe to gently redirect a close, curious shark.
The Dolphin Dream Vessel layout.
Getting There
The boat boards at the Riviera City Marina in West Palm Beach, FL. The nearest airport is Palm Beach International (PBI), about 20 minutes from the boat. The next closest airport if Fort Lauderdale, FL (FLL) which is about an hour from the marina. The biggest airport is Miami (MIA), about 2 hours from the marina. Boarding time is 3pm to 7pm on the departure day, and the boat departs for the Bahamas at 10pm. On our return, disembarkation is around 10:30am.
Tiger Beach
Tiger Beach is known as one of the best locations to dive with the tiger and lemon sharks which are encountered off the West End Grand Bahama Islands. With a white sand bottom and shallow depths (12-14m) this makes for a favourite spot for photographers and videographers. Sightings of great hammerhead and nurse sharks are common, with the occasional bull shark making an appearance.
Bimini for Dolphins and Hammerheads
This area is renowned for pods of wild Atlantic spotted and bottlenose dolphins, with the opportunity to swim or snorkel with these amazing creatures. Snorkeling with the dolphins is possible if they decide to stay around, it is a beautiful experience that you won’t forget.
About the Bahamas
The Bahamas are located in the North American continent, east/southeast of Florida in the United States. There are about 700 islands that make up the Bahamas, 30 of them are inhabited.
Nassau is the capital of the Bahamas with about 280,000 residents.
Currency is the US dollar
Outlets on the boat: standard US outlets 120v, types A & B (contact us if you have questions).
The last month of the autumn, November, is another warm month in Nassau, The Bahamas, with temperature in the range of an average low of 20.5°C (68.9°F) and an average high of 28°C (82.4°F).
Visbility is excellent, up to 400 ft (120m)
Diving depth range: 9-98ft (3-30m), although much of the diving is around 20ft (6m).
Diving Difficulty: Suitable for all levels, including snorkelers
Group Organizers
Kim Randall and Amanda Delaforce. Both with a wealth of travel and underwater experience. Kim is located in the US and Amanda is located in Australia. They met on a trip in the Maldives and have been passionate about diving, marine encounters and photography ever since. This is a new trip and they look forward to sharing this unforgettable experience with you.
Terms and Conditions
Designed for Scuba highly recommends you purchase travel and dive insurance as soon as possible after confirming your travel plans. Some locations require it for entry into the country.
Evidence of adequate travel and dive insurance must be provided prior to departure.
Bookings made more than 100 days out from the start of a trip require a deposit of $1000.00 US per passenger to secure your booking.
All deposit/s and payments are non-refundable.
Bookings made less than 100 days out from tour commencement require payment in full to secure your booking.
If you cancel your spot more than 100 days before the start of a trip, and we are able to resell/fill the spot, a trip credit for your remaining balance (minus the initial deposit) will be issued for use on another Designed for Scuba, LLC trip within 2 years of the cancellation.
If you cancel your spot less than 99 days prior to the start of a trip, no refund or credit will be issued for deposits that have been paid.
If our In-Country Providers cancel or if aForce Majeure Event occurs, meaning any act of God, war, terrorism, fire, flood or any other extreme weather conditions, loss of power, epidemics or pandemics, industrial disputes, slow-downs or other strike activities, riots or civil disturbances, acts of government, semi government or other authorities, inability to obtain any necessary license or consent and delays caused by sub-contractors, suppliers or other third parties (including telecommunications carriers), material shortages or other disruption to the trip beyond our control, Designed for Scuba, LLC and Amanda Delaforce Travel shall not be held responsible for matters outside of our control or any failure to deliver the Tour.
Please ensure you understand our cancellation policy prior to making payments and agreeing to the booking and trip.