New 10 Night Carib Dancer “Off The Beaten Path” Itineraries

The Carib Dancer will be offering two extended 10-night itineraries in 2014 and 2015 where guests will be able to enjoy more of what the Bahamas has to offer by adding more islands to their Liveaboard experience with some unique stops.

The dates of the two 10-night itineraries are September 24 – October 4, 2014 and September 23 – October 3, 2015.

Beginning in Nassau, these trips will cruise the Bahamas Out Islands and journey far into the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park. This protected area is the first of its kind in the world and is famous for its pristine beauty, outstanding anchorages and breathtaking marine environment. The many islands, forming a chain stretching 100 miles southeast of Nassau, are flanked by the Exuma Sound to the east providing deep-water reefs, and the shallow banks to the west providing sea gardens, anchorages, shallow reefs and passages between the islands.

Excellent diving, snorkeling, and even a few shore excursions await passengers as the Carib Dancer visits some weekly favorites such as the Exuma Islands and Eleuthera, along with some Out Islands rarely visited. Though the actual route of the charter will be flexible due to the nature of the weather, planned stops are at the Exuma Islands, Eleuthera Cay, Little San Salvador, Conception Islands, Staniel Cay, Halls Pond Cay, Warderick Wells Cay and Highborne Cay before returning to port.

Guests aboard the Carib Dancer will journey to Eleuthera for some outstanding diving opportunities, as this land mass sits between the ocean-swept reefs of the Atlantic and the shallow, underwater gardens of the great Bahama Bank. Next, a planned stop at Little San Salvador, more commonly known as Half Moon Cay, is open for exploration as the island is also a significant nesting area for waterfowl and to date only 2% of the island has been developed.

The Carib Dancer will cruise next to Conception Island, which may be the loveliest island in the Bahamas as this uninhabited island has miles of pink sand beaches, gorgeous sandstone cliffs, and an extraordinary abundance of wildlife on the land and in the sea. There are numerous locations for spectacular scuba diving and snorkeling and the coral reefs and grass flats in the surrounding sea are unusually healthy and are home to an abundance of sea life.

In all, there are 365 islands in the Exuma chain (one for each day of the year), with Staniel Cay in the center. This small island is known for its hospitality and Thunderball Grotto, one of the most outstanding snorkeling attractions in all of the Bahamas. While this hollowed out rock has been the location for the James Bond movies ‘Thunderball’ and ‘Never Say Never Again’, as well as the blockbuster movie ‘Splash’, it lures snorkelers to enjoy a natural fishbowl of colorful fish, corals, sponges and other sea life. Not far away is Big Major Cay, home of the famous swimming pigs. Yes, that’s right, swimming pigs – and guests will have a chance to share these warm, inviting waters with these friendly mammals.

Guests will then cruise to Halls Pond Cay, which is privately owned and visits ashore are ‘by invitation only’, but spectacular diving is found just offshore at a site called Jeep Reef. Out of the sand and turtle grass beds, small pieces of coral begin to appear, gradually developing into massive boulders standing up to 28 feet. There is the wreck of a jeep on the southwest side of this “J” shaped reef and typical of many sites in the Bahamas Out Islands, it is best to dive this reef at slack water only because of the strong current that maintains the pristine nature of these reefs.

Next planned is a visit to Warderick Wells, which is home to the Exuma Land & Sea Park headquarters.  Unique on this cay is Boo Boo Hill, a 70-foot high hill where for many years boaters have been placing memorabilia of their vessels. From the top of Boo Boo Hill the views of the island are incredible! There are also some pretty cool blowholes nearby that shoot a tall stream of water up through the rocks when the conditions are right. From the blowholes you can take a side trip down to Careen Beach where astounding views of the Caribbean waters await or take a small detour down to Powerful Beach where you can see the skeleton of a 53’ sperm whale that washed up on shore.

Guests will continue to dive the waters of these Out Islands as the Carib Dancer continues north of the Exuma chain and back to port in Nassau.

Carib Dancer signature amenities are included in these charters: deluxe accommodations, chef-prepared meals and snacks, soft beverages, local beer and wine, tanks, weights and air fills.

As the longest operating and largest organization of liveaboard adventure cruises in the world, the combined knowledge, resources, experience, and technical expertise of Aggressor Fleet and Dancer Fleet are all focused on delivering a safe adventure you will remember for a lifetime on each and every cruise.

For more information  or to make a booking for this itinerary email info@liveaboardfleet.com or call +1-800-348-2628 or 1-706-993-2531. Visit www.aggressor.com and www.dancerfleet.com for specific yacht and destination information.