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as seen in...
New Dive Site Named
It's official! After a month-long contest one name was picked from 24 submissions attempting to describe a new dives site but live up to the other intriguing names of Saba's Marine Park, The new dive site mooring that was put in to place as part of the Saba Marine Park's declaration to install new moorings (and put in place all existing moorings) has finally been named. Rays 'n' Anchors is the winning proposal by none other than Katherine "Kat" DeStefano, Sea Saba 3-year instructor and boat captain extraordinaire. The shallow site is moored in 42' but has as interesting a shallow area (where you can find one of the two anchors) as it does to a depth of about 60'. Located just south of Hot Springs, the site is an ideal training location due to the depth and the sandy areas and patch reefs. Venture out to the perimeter reef area and you're almost guaranteed to see grazing turtles in the grassy sea beds and of course, Southern Stingrays as well. New Saba Orchid Publication
Author Stewart Chipka and his new publication next to a real Saba Ladies’ Lash orchid planted on a wooden pillar at the Swinging Doors bar SABA--Orchid specialist Stewart Chipka has published the first volume of his work on Saba’s orchids just in time for this year’s Sea & Learn event. Chipka’s initial volume is spiral-bound, with a soft cover designed to fit into a hip pocket or backpack for trail use. It was printed and bound by Island Communication Services in Windwardside. The book details species found below the Cloud Forest: the second volume, scheduled for next year, will deal with orchids found in the Cloud Forest. Chipka said that eventually he would combine the two volumes into a one-volume hardback for libraries. The 70-page volume is divided into sections, beginning with an engaging, personalized author’s introduction on what brought Chipka to Saba initially, and what intrigued him enough that he is now resident here. In the meantime, Chipka has founded the Saba Biological Research Foundation and published on some of the 27 species that he has located on the island since his first Saba trip in 2002. The book gives the layperson a straightforward introduction into the complexities of the orchid family. By choosing the abundant “Ladies’ Lash orchid” as his model, Chipka makes orchid structure, pollination, and dispersal easy to follow. A more in-depth treatment of the origins of the island and how plants got here provides necessary background. In the field guide section, Chipka profiles 17 species he has found in different island quadrants. Pictures of the species in flower make identification simple, but Chipka has taken care not to give exact locations, since he had bad experience with specimens disappearing from his scientific studies when they were labelled along the trails. However, interested readers will undoubtedly be nature lovers who know to leave living plants where they grow, and should readily identify the species with the help of the excellent photography. The book is currently only available on Saba. The author is donating part of his book sales to help sponsor the free month-long Sea&Learn nature series. Autographed copies of the book are available throughout October for $20 at the Sea&Learn tent at Lambee’s Place. Chipka will be on hand for personalized dedications of his book at this Saturday’s Sea&Learn lecture at 5:30pm, Tropics Café.
7 years and running strong!
This year’s month-long nature series, Sea & Learn, got off to a rousing start Thursday evening with a most popular subject: Great White sharks! Lt. Governor Jonathan Johnson welcomed the packed crowd and said that Sea & Learn is an important economical and educational addition to the island in the month of October, “It’s value cannot be measured,” he added. The educational value showed up at that moment as the sharks actually came dancing onto the Scout’s Place stage. These were the youngest members of the Sparkie Theatre Group with wonderful full head masks disguising the six youngsters as white sharks, hammerheads, and so forth. The exuberant moment was a great opening act, but presenter shark expert Mark Marks had no problem keeping up the momentum. Marks, who has spent years in isolated spots doing field research on shark behaviour, told a rapt audience that he dives with the sharks, rather than observe them from a cage. He confirmed via his extraordinary pictures – up close and very personal – that this method has brought sensational results. The audience enjoy photos of sharks on a full-body breach, eight to ten feet out of the water and well as in agressive attack on Sea Lions, Elephant seals, and other prey. Marks has studied Great Whites in South Africa, and off the west coast of North America stretching from Oregon to California to Guadalupe Island, Mexico. He said sharks have very distinctive markings and he can identify hundreds of individuals from these alone. He also showed a video of the implantation of a transistor in the shark, and these data have added greatly to the knowledge of shark movements. In one case, Marks was able to track a Great White for a full 24 hours for the first time ever. On Friday, Marks talked to Saba Comprehensive School students about his scientific work, and will give another Great White shark lecture next Monday at 5:30pm at the Brigadoon Restaurant in Windwardside. All public lectures are free. The lecture series schedule is constantly updated on line at www.seaandlearn.org.
SABA—The Saba Conservation Foundation (SCF) is taking the lead in bringing “green” transportation to the island with its new utility vehicle, which is electric and fitted with solar panels. The vehicle looks suspiciously like a golf cart, but is immensely more powerful. It is in fact a demonstration model from a Florida golf cart supplier that was shown at a trade show. The body is hard plastic, and will therefore not rust. The metal frame is powder coated. Van Laake said that the vehicle specifications indicate that it should do well on any of Saba’s steep roads and that would include the famous S-curve descending to Fort Bay. The vehicle has a range of about 30 miles and can achieve a top speed of 14 mph. The cargo box capacity is 13.3 cu. feet (4x3 feet), which means that it is a perfect size to get equipment, including dive tanks, from the Marine Park Office to the pier. It can carry up to 1,200 lbs. and has room for two passengers. The utility wagon was purchased with USONA funding, and replaces the SCF truck that became inoperable last year. The Marine Park is very happy with the operation of the novel vehicle and noted that other Fort Bay businesses are watching closely to see the performance of the SCF vehicle, and have shows a lot of interest in its performance ratings. Unfortunately, Sea Saba regularly moves 40+ tanks at a time so although we salute this environmentally correct vehicle, it's simply far from adequate for our needs.
Saba has an endemic lizard known commonly as an Anole but is officially Anolis sabanus,. There are estimated to be more than 7 million on Saba. That's more than 4,600 Anolies per person living on Saba! Susan Perkins recently returned to Saba. Susan was an invited Sea & Learn guest lecturer in 2005 and also studied Saba's lizards as a PhD student. Her recent work is part of a Caribbean wide research study to look at two different parasite species that cause malaria in the anole. No one is exposed to malaria since this is not the human variety and therefore cannot be transferred to humans. For the full story, go to
Saban resident William "Bill" Froelich hands over a check to Evette Peterson, head of SFPCA (Saba Foundation To Prevent Cruelty to Animals). Froelich matched the funds at the February 2009 Feral Cat Program Auction. The program raised over $3,000 in one evening. Funds will be used to construct a more comfortable area for animals taken from owners not properly caring for them until appropriate fostering and adoption can be arranged. The control of feral cat and dog populations on Saba is especially important to protect endemic species that may be preyed upon by wild cats and dogs needing food. The William Froelich Foundation is also a significant sponsor of Sea & Learn on Saba. Scientific team on Saba look for bromeliad insects
SABA—Scientist Dr. Barbara Richardson is spending one month on Saba collecting insect specimens from bromeliads. Richardson is accompanied by her husband Mike, a retired plant pathologist. Richardson first came to Saba last October, when she participated in the Sea and Learn nature program. Richardson, who retired from teaching ecology and animal behaviour at Napier University, Edinburgh, Scotland, has spent the last 10 years working in the field. Her current work is funded by the United States National Science Foundation through the Luquillo Long Term Ecological Research program. She is a Principal Investigator, collaborating with staff at the University of Puerto Rico and the International Institute of Tropical Forestry. Her work on Saba is part of a large project to investigate what kinds of insects inhabit bromeliads throughout the Caribbean. She commented that it is also important to document a very small island like Saba. She has already done field trips to Puerto Rico and Dominica. Bromeliads characteristically have an upturned bract, which, like a cup, retains water, and attracts insects. The bromeliads are removed from their position, drained of their water (which is captured for later investigation), and them put in a large plastic bag for further inspection back at Richardson cottage. The scientific work is very precise and after collecting five specimens of bromeliads Tuesday morning, she and her husband needed the next day and a half to process the plants, remove the insects, work on identification, and tend to their field notes. Every location of a sampled bromeliad is noted by its GPS coordinates, the plant is measured in circumference, the temperature of the water in one of its bracts is taken, and it is noted if it is growing in the ground, on a rock, or in a tree. Richardson uses this datat to assess the biodiversity and functioning of these small ecosystems. 1,000 Places To Visit
For years, visitors tell us that they came to Saba because it's listed in the book "1,000 Places to Visit Before You Die." A friend of ours is busy as a contributing editor for the update and asked us about a special place we just visited for the second time. Before the annual "Christmas rush" of divers coming to Saba, John and Lynn took the opportunity to run off to Madagascar to explore "The Red Island". Why leave the island paradise of Saba? "We're big believers that vacations are healthy for everyone on several fronts. But Madagascar is like no where else on earth." A few reasons: There are a number of places worth visiting before you die. But Madagascar is a must see for nature lovers before IT dies. Madagascar in its diversity holds so many accolades for nature lovers...more than 600 endemic species of trees, nearly 1,000 species of endemic orchids; most of the world's chameleons and outrageous reptiles and amphibians still being identified. The world's 4th largest island is the only place on earth where you can not only see lemurs, but 50+ species of lemurs.
Where to go in Madagascar? It would be nice to pinpoint where in Madagascar to specifically go to "see it all" but part of the struggle of Madagascar as a nation and for a tourist is that there are pockets of outrageous nature. With just 10% of the forest remaining, the protected areas are far from one another with a shattered infrastructure as just another obstacle in the way of seeing as well as saving the national parks. Coming soon...John's photographic website where you can escape to many corners of the planet from the comfort of your desktop...stay tuned!
Holy Bat Research!
Using information from local naturalist, James Johnson, they started at the trail head for Bottom Mountain Hill Trail, close to Queen's Gardens Resort. More than 5 years ago, Johnson accompanied other bat researchers to this location where they found bats feasting on almonds. Before coming to Saba for the Sea & Learn program, Muchhala and Murray obtained a proper permit from Saba Conservation Foundation and the Saba Government to allow them to mist net and thereby capture and release bat species for proper study.
The Sea & Learn program coordinated the experts to work with Saba's Sea Scout program as well as the public. Gia Robinson and 10 Sea Scouts traveled to the trail headon Thursday, October 2. They were first briefed on the importance of bats to eco systems and the various roles bats play from pollination to seed dispersal and insect control. The Scouts then learned knot techniques in order to set up mist nets which Muchhala and Murray would monitor that evening. A field project open to local adults and chaperoned children as well as tourists was scheduled for Saturday evening. The response was so overwhelming (35+ participants) that two sessions were organized for 5:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. The field project was held on the trail to Mt. Scenery, about 12 minutes from the Mountain Road in Saba's Cloud Forest. Two species of bats, different than those captured at Bottom Mountain Hill trail, were caught in the mist nets. A fruit eater was found both the previous evening and the night of the field project. But to the delight of Nathan Muchhala, who specializes in nectar-feeding bats, a longer nosed bat was also found at this location. Mist nets are placed in specific areas based on the forest canopy and surrounding plant life. The nets are monitored hourly. When bats get caught in a mist net, they are carefully untangled and subsequently weighed and measured. If the researchers are lucky, the bat will defecate sometime during this process so that a slide can be preserved for later analysis with a microscope to determine what the bat is eating or pollinating. Bats are fed before their release back to the area of capture.
Muchhala and Murray continue their work for the next few days looking at locations near the sea and along Saba's Sandy Cruz trail. A follow-up presentation on Saba's bats is scheduled for Monday, October 6, 2008 @ The Brigadoon restaurant.
Saba’s Fort Bay is enjoying a special visitor, this seldom seen Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus) and its offspring. The shy marsh bird, with a distinctive red bill and forehead, was seen limping after it almost met its fate while crossing the road in front of the Power Plant. The increase in truck traffic speeding to the landfill has lead Fort Bay workers to ask whether it is not high time to install speed bumps so that man, beast, and bird are not endangered.
Marine Park New Drill
SABA—A USONA grant helped the Saba Conservation Foundation (SCF) to purchase equipment that will allow better maintenance operations on moorings in the Marine Park and will improve search and rescue missions. Maintenance equipment includes a new hydraulic underwater drill that will be used to improve the securing of the moorings. In addition, the project included eyebolts, epoxy for gluing the eyebolts, and a 400-pound generator to work the drill was included in the package. Den Dulk said that four missing moorings would be replaced: Mt. Michelle, Cove Bay, Green Island, and Torrens Point. In addition, work would move on to 10 other moorings which are marginal. When this crucial work is completed, Marine Park rangers will replace 14 other moorings which are ending their life span. The new equipment will allow two pins, rather than just one. The intention is that the second pin will hold in the event the first fails to ensure that the moorings are never down.
Bug Count Begins
SABA—Three inspect specialists – entomologists – are spending the week on Saba looking for ants, spiders, and beetles. This latest study to be sponsored by Conservation International (CI) will be the first comprehensive listing of these insect species on Saba. The work is being conducted by Derek Sikes, Curator of the University of Alaska Museum, Gary D. Alpert from the Harvard Museum of Comparative Zoology, and Joey Slowik, research associate from the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. CI has recognized the Caribbean as a “hot spot” because of its tremendous biodiversity, which is under documented and at risk. Nearly three-quarters of the world’s most threatened birds, amphibians, and mammals and over half of all the world’s plants live in just a tiny fraction of the Earth's surface – the biodiversity hotspots. CI previously sponsored a biodiversity study of the Saba Bank, an inventory of Saba’s flora, and now the current insect study. With the support of the Saba Conservation Foundation, the three scientists are collecting their specimens from various spots on the island. During the day, Sikes and Slowik collect species by holding a “beating sheet” under a tree and then beat the branches to dislodge insects into the sheet. The sheet is a piece of white cloth stretched on a square frame. After discarding the larger pieces of debris, they can separate out the sometimes minuscule insects, which are put into a small glass vial with alcohol. Alpert pointed to a tiny ant small enough to go through the eye of a sewing needle. They will also be collecting at night. Beetle expert Sikes said that beetles are actually the biggest family of life on earth, with 60,000 species making one out of every four animals is a beetle. Over 2,000 new species are found every year and there are over two million beetles yet to be described yet. Sikes is anxious to see whether he will discover a new beetle species during the Saba expedition. Anchors
Away!
SABA—An impressive video of anchor damage to the delicate underwater seabed of the Saba Bank provoked animated discussion at Wednesday evening’s 2007 Sea and Learn lecture. check out the video on U-Tube! The situation of the huge underwater atoll, which is considered a biodiversity hotspot, concerned attendees who made suggestions about what could be done to prohibit tankers from anchoring on the Bank. Tanker anchors and anchor chains cause extensive damage to coral reefs that can take from decades to hundreds of years to recover. Saba Bank study scientists Wes Toller and Shelley Lundvall described the ongoing Saba Bank Study to a packed house at the Brigadoon Restaurant. They illustrated their presentation with still shots and video footage taken by a remote controlled vehicle, which can go to a depth of over 200 meters. Toller said that the study will be completed at the end of this year when funding by the government of the Netherlands Antilles and by USONA comes to an end. The study will have two major outputs. The first is a management plan that will address long-tem fisheries monitoring, the Red Hind spawning area, redfish management, enforcement of specific legislation, and the possibility of creating a Queen Conch reserve. The second output would use the information from the Management Plan to seek the creation of protected status for specific areas of the Bank or even the entire Bank. The Saba Bank study focuses on learning more about the actual habitats on the Bank to create base line information that will allow scientists to begin to monitor changes in the various underwater environments and gain information about their health. The researchers are also conducting port surveys to determine the heath and amount of fish and lobster that local fishermen bring in. The Saba Bank is a major contributor to the Saba economy and is considered of extreme value as a nursery for fish which are carried on currents to populate the entire Caribbean. New trash bins for Saba’s trails SABA—Six new trash bins purchased by the Saba Conservation Foundation (SCF) were put into position Monday, announced SCF Manager Jan den Dulk. The trash bins were paid for from community business donations collected during International “Earth Day” earlier this year. SCF Trail Manager James Johnson and new employee Junior Ranger Ray Simmons spent the morning traveling between six trailheads to put the new bins in place. Gloria Johnson put the SCF logo on each bin, and Head of Sanitation Reid Barnes is cooperating in getting the sanitation truck to where the new bins have been placed. The six bins are located at the trailheads at either end of Sandy Cruz, the Sulphur Mine trailhead, Mt. Scenery at Rendez-Vous, Crispeen Track, and the Trail Shop in Windwardside. Den Dulk said that the bins should encourage hikers to keep Saba’s popular trails free of litter. He said, “We encourage hikers to bring out even more than they pack in.” He proposed that everyone pick up trash wherever they see it so that Saba lives up to its name, “The unspoiled queen.” The money for the six trash bins was donated from the proceeds from seven participating island restaurants on Sunday April 22, which had been declared Earth Day by the United Nations. Tourists and Sabans dining out that day were made aware of their contribution to keeping Saba’s environment clean. The donor restaurants volunteered what they could towards the specific project of supplying the trash bins. Den Dulk said that SCF would undoubtedly celebrate Earth Day next year in a similar fashion, which money being collected for a specific need. August 2007
"Dean", the 4th named Atlantic storm of the 2007 season, gave Saba a miss. At its closest point, Dean, then a Category 1 Hurricane, was more than 400 miles south of Saba. However, with the uncertainty of a forecast when it's 3-4 days out, Saban boat owners took precautions with all boats either taken out of the water either on Saba or in St. Maarten, or taken to a safe harbor on St. Maarten. As Saba has no safe anchorage, depending on the size of a vessel, it either comes out of the water on Saba with a trailer and pick up truck or must head to St. Maarten for safety. As Sea Saba's comfortable boats are too large to come out of the water on Saba or travel underneath the St. Maarten drawbridge, we were forced to depart Saba at day break Thursday for a storm forecasted to be at its worst late Friday or early Saturday. Our divers missed one day of diving due to our boat departure, two days due to poor sea conditions. The weather for the next 2 weeks was unbelievably calm and clear. Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds supports Sea and Learn
SABA—Lt. Governor Syndey Sorton presented a check for over NAf. 12,000 from the Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds Netherland Antilles and Aruba (PBCNAA) to Lynn Costenaro, President of the Sea and Learn Foundation. Sorton, who represents the PBCNAA on Saba, said that he had had the privilege to visit the Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds in the Netherlands when her majesty Queen Beatrix was giving out awards to individuals. He said the Fonds’ objective is to promote culture, art, literature, history, nature, music, and science. Sea and Learn invites international natural scientists to Saba during the month of October to participate in public lectures and work with island school children in the classroom and on field trips. Many of these scientists are from internationally renowned museums, zoos, and scientific institutions and use their time on Saba to conduct research projects, which are then published. Sea and Learn has been sponsored by PBCNAA and other organizations since its beginning as a Foundation. Sorton asked that the Foundation do its utmost to inform the public of the various activities so that the community at large can take advantage of the opportunity to participate in the events.
Sea & Learn More
In October of 2006, Dr. David Bass of the University of Oklahoma returned to Saba as a Sea & Learn guest lecturer. For this special trip, his wife Donna and his 16-year old daughter, Courtney, accompanied him. Courntey has exhibited a keen sense for science and nature since her early years when The Bass family lived on the island of Barbados where David finished his fellowship on fresh water invertebrates. Courtney took advantage of the time on Saba to put together a research project of her own to augment a high school biology project. While hiking Saba's trails, Courtney collected samples from a total of 52 different Heliconia inflorescences from various areas of Saba. Each sample requires about 20 hours to process so the work is still ongoing. In the winter months, she completed 15 samples collected along the Mount Scenery Trail. Her preliminary findings indicate an average of almost 450 individuals and as many as nine species may occur in a single Heliconia inflorescence. Altogether, she has found 14 species in the Heliconia samples. Courtney reported these results at the Oklahoma Junior Academy of Science Meeting. She gave an excellet presentation and received several awards for her work including: Best Natural History Paper, Best Field Study and Second Place in the Zoology Division. Her paper was also selected to be published on the Academy's web site later this year. She has also been selected to present her research at the Annual Meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science next year in Boston, the largest scientific meeting in the world. Her research was directly lined with her participation in the Sea & Learn program in 2006. Join the fun and Sea & Learn what this program is doing for Saba's youth and the environmental awareness of many. Saba Herbarium Now On LineAfter months of hiking, cataloguing and documenting, the Virtual Saba Herbarium is launched. Link here to read the full story on the Latest News page of this site.Spider Detective
investigates
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of the Sea Saba Difference: February 2010 the last few months...
The coral colonies form thick flattened branches resembling the horns of moose or elk. The surface is covered with small, protruding, tubular corallites. The “branches” are usually brown to yellow-brown and the terminal corallites are white (not bleached!) which gives the edges of the outer branches a white outline. The branches of the coral will orient themselves parallel to the direction of the surge. The basic form of the coral can vary quite a bit depending on the conditions (wave action, current) where it lives. Sometimes it has large plates, sometimes more dainty branches. The coral strand is full of fry and juvenile fish, who seek protection in the density. The predicament for the Elkhorn coral is that while it protects the shoreline and hinders beach erosion by absorbing wave action, it is vulnerable when this action is too strong – such as hurricane surges. The branches break off or the holdfast disengages and all is swept away. Only a rubble field remains. Why has the Elkhorn coral population declined?--in some places by as much as 95%, according to expert Forrester. Climate change with more storms break it off and heightened water temperatures bring bleaching actions from which the coral does not recover. Marine biologists have been working on a solution for some time, including protective activities, such as marine zoning, channel markings, restoration efforts , and predator and disease control. Forrester mentioned that there was a recent four-year epidemic of coral white-band disease across the Caribbean, which has left only isolated Elkhorn colonies. The
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| Oct '06 |
Shark Guy and More @ 4th Annual Sea & Learn on Saba |
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| Sep '06 |
Turtle Nest Found & Coastal Cleanup |
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| Feb '06 |
Nature Police
Appointed; |
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| New species
of gorgonian coral are just the latest discoveries @ the Saba Bank ©photos used with permission of the Saba Bank Project
The grand finale evening of the 5th annual
Sea & Learn on Saba program was highlighted with an update from
the team of scientists working on the Saba Bank Project. As the project
heads in to its final two months, what could be more invigorating than
to find new species? Read about this exciting discovery and what
it means to the region on the
News page of the Sea
& Learn website. Sea Saba is a founding sponsor of this
award-winning program and is actively involved in the activities.
Mark your calendar to be part of next October's events.
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The “Saba Bank” is not a financial institution but actually the third largest atoll in the world. The bank is located just 6 miles from the Caribbean island of Saba and covers an area of more than 850 square miles or 2,200 square kilometers.
For centuries, islanders have depended on this prolific fishing area for its high production of regionally important commercial species such as snapper, lobster and conch. Equally as important, The Saba Bank is a source of fish and coral larvae, supporting the coral reefs of islands in the region. Conservation International (“CI”) recognizes the Saba Bank as an environmental hot spot. Last year’s preliminary research found new species of seaweed and even a new species of goby.
As the atoll is as shallow as 50’ (16 meters), it has unfortunately also served as an anchorage area for fuel tankers that offload on a nearby island. From July-December of 2007, CI, in cooperation with the Saba Conservation Foundation, is back on Saba doing a full 6-month study. One goal of CI’s work is to protect this delicate area under international maritime law. The Saba Bank Project is just one of the topics that will be covered at the annual Sea & Learn on Saba program throughout the month of October. Sea Saba Dive Center is a founding sponsor and supporter of conservation work on the island. For more information, monitor the Nature News page of www.seasaba.com and www.seaandlearn.org
Saba Cares
International Coastal Cleanup Day has Large Turnout
©Photo & story courtesy
Suzanne Nielsen, St. Maarten Daily Herald
SABA—The local Leos club of Lions International and the Saba Conservation Foundation Sea Scouts organized a day of coastal clean up in celebration of International Coastal Cleanup Day.
On
Saturday September 16, 2006, more than 20 teens under the
supervision of The Leos Club (Lions Club) cleaned the road
from the Cable Office in The Bottom to Fort Bay. Saba Sea
Scouts group with
assistance from friends and divers in the community cleaned
up the area around the harbor from the crusher to Tent Point as
well as underwater along the same area.
Scout Master Sue Hurrell organized a bus to pick up participants from the Big Rock in Windwardside at 8am and by My Store in The Bottom at 8:15am. All volunteers were welcome. Local dive shops supplied tanks and weights for certified scuba divers wishing to participate. Both groups were served refreshments at the Fort Bay at the end of the task.
International Coastal Cleanup, scheduled around the world on September 16th, has taken place yearly since 1986. All debris that is collected will be inventoried and the information forwarded to the International organization. The statistics gathered from the almost 90 participating countries help the organization understand the impact of debris on coastal areas and track improvements. Last year, for example, enough cigarette filters were picked to reach the moon and back two times over if placed end to end.
©Photo & story courtesy
Suzanne Nielsen,
St. Maarten Daily Herald
SABA—Conservation International has announced that two new species of fish and 12 species of seaweed were discovered during its recent Marine Rapid Assessment program on the Saba Bank. (See Daily Herald Weekender, February 11, 2006). Additional species may be identified during in-depth assessments of the specimens that have just arrived at the Smithsonian Institute.
“We
discovered a new species literally every day we were there,”
said Michael Smith, director of Conservation International’s
Caribbean Biodiversity Initiative and one of the expedition
leaders. This
points to the incredible diversity of the Bank and the need to
preserve it. During the study, samples of fish, algae, corals,
and sponges were collected and underwater photographs and video
transects were realized.
Smithsonian
fish expert Dr. Jeff Williams immediately identified two Gobies
as new to science--a seven-spined Goby and a Goby with unique
red spots. In addition, a rare Roosevelt’s Goby, which has
only been seen previously in three places, was found at four
dive sites.
Dr.
Mark Littler, marine botanist at the Smithsonian Institution,
said the Saba Bank is the richest area for seaweeds in the
Caribbean basin, far outranking the previously known centers of
richness in Martinique and Belize. A dozen new seaweeds were
found. The expedition sponge expert was also amazed to see an
unusual amount of sponges--over 50 species--during nine dives.
Lt. Governor Antoine Solagnier, who attended the public presentation the group made to the Saba audience, said, “This study was at the highest level of scientific investigation and will provide a baseline that will serve us well to protect this invaluable resource called the Saba Bank. The island was honored to serve as a base camp for Conservation International. The government of Saba, the local fishing industry, and the general population are keenly interested that this resource be protected and sustained for future generations.”
Concern over damage caused by oil supertankers that anchor over the atoll, one of the Caribbean’s largest and least-studied seamounts, prompted the expedition of scientists from the Netherlands Antilles government, Conservation International (CI), Smithsonian Institution, and the Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance (DCNA).
Funding
for the expedition came from the Netherlands Ministry of
Transport, Public Works and Water Management, Royal Caribbean's
Ocean Fund, Conservation International and the department of
Environment of the Netherlands Antilles. The Saba Island
community including the Saba Conservation Foundation’s staff
and a group of fishermen provided logistical support.
Making
the Most of Your Saba Experience
Monday Night Presentation Revamped
A few quieter months allow us to refocus and look at what has changed during the year and what we can do better for our clients. For more than 4 years, Sea Saba has offered a weekly presentation to the public, specifically geared toward new arriving divers. The 45-minute Powerpoint slide show provides information about Saba's history, how and why the marine park works and what you can expect to see and do on the island. In line with Sea Saba's reestablishment as a dive center offering the best nature guides as well as our renowned service, the revamped version of this slide show includes more information about the community monitoring and research programs we take part in as well as more photos of Saba's underwater world. Join us on Monday nights @ The Brigadoon resataurant at 5:30 p.m. in a happy hour setting followed by dinner specials.
Paul Humann's Identification books are available for view or purchase on Sea Saba's boats and at our office. We use these books as our source for identifications, descriptions and distribution ratings (rare, common, etc.) on this website.
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| ©John Magor, Sea Saba Dive Center | |
Wrong ocean?
After 14 years on Saba, we also did a double take. The above three frogfish (4 photos, 3 different fish) were all found on the same 'dive site' on the same day. Ok, that's cool but so unique? Well, yes...as once again, it's Sea Saba's boat moorings, not a dive site in the Saba Marine Park where these illusive creatures were found. Our concrete blocks and chain system seem to be an oasis for the frogfish.
Although long-lured frogfish are hard to find, many have been seen in Saba's waters. But the photos above represent two frogfish we have not seen before on Saba. On the top row is two photos of the same oscillated frogfish, considered rare by Paul Humann. We wanted you to see just how camouflaged this fish can be. Bottom left is what we're calling a smooth frogfish as that is what a similar looking fish found in South Australia is labeled--but we see no frogfish resembling this one in Caribbean guide books. The red frogfish (bottom right) is a long-lured, perhaps considered prettier by many...but muck geeks prize their finds on the harder to locate, the uglier and more disguised = the better!
Worried about what you'll do on Saba? Expand your diving knowledge and enjoyment with a Nitrox or Underwater Naturalist specialty. Email Lynn for add-on rates or book ahead with your travel agent.
Dr. Callum Roberts and Julie
Hawkins
What
the Experts Say
about Saba's Marine Environment
Take a Hike!
Seneca now available for guiding...
courtesy Chef
Micahel--"The Brigadoon"
No diver ever forgets his first manta encounter. Imagine a gigantic, yet harmless animal that glides and somersaults through the water! Mantas are oceanic creatures, so they're generally uncommon around dive sites. But, over the past several years, they have become regular visitors in Saban waters.
Along with the more common southern stingray, giant mantas are part of the ray or rajiformes order. They can reach up to 20 feet (6m) from wing tip to wing tip and can weight up to two tons. The head is specially adapted to filter plankton. They are at their most acrobatic when they are feeding.
Interaction with these wonderful creatures is possible by respecting their presence. Follow normal Saba Marine Park rules: no harrassing or chasing of the animals. Curious mantas will often inspect divers and invite them to play!
courtesy Chef Michael, The
Brigadoon
Summer can mean many things in many parts of the world. But on Saba, the change of season is just another reason to go diving. The above frogfish has been spotted many times at Babylon. The absolute Master of Disguise is known to change its color depending upon its environment. For months we have delighted many of our divers with this rare find...but in early July, we witnessed something really special. Mating frogfish! Questions spring to mind: which is the male and which is the female? Is it an egg sack or a spawning method. We hope our lucky diver with a camera has images to update you with soon...
Show
You Care...
Show You've Been There
Pick up your tag from a Sea Saba crew member or at the office. Where it on your BC and your gear is easily identified...on Saba and on your next dive trip. A little boring looking? Hey, this is the back side...see the front side of the tag on our Latest News page.
best airfares, start with
Recent Underwater Sightings
by Sea Saba Crew
Feb 1 '10--We started off the month with a pod of dolphins in Ladder Bay!
Jan 28 '10--Marcus takes our divers to the not-so-often dived site of Tent Reef Deep where he finds a Short-Nose Bat Fish, several Razor fish, the less common Maculated Flounder, sail fin blennies and a Spotted Soap Fish--so named for the nocturnal soapy film they create on their body so they can relax without threat of predation.
Jan 24 '10--Oil calm seas in January?
Actually yes. We started Lancaster Scuba's group with a dive at Core
Gut enjoying great viz on our Windwdardside.
Jan 20 '10--No north swells forecasted
for the week so we'll be back at the dive site 50/50 to check up on the
yellow and smaller black seahorses.
Jan 16 '10--Not just another Tent Reef dive with "lots of fish"...but Ellie reports her favorite animals were all in place: starting with (Mary) the Spotted Lobster--once part of the trio but Peter and Paul are no longer--followed by the hefty (Georgina) Green Moray and a next sighting for the pink (Francesca) Long-lured Frogfish who was at the top of the ledge peering down into the shallower amphitheater where (Ruby) the red Longsnout Seahorse was not far from (Mikey J) the black and white Longsnout Seahorse. Meanwhile, (Harriet) the regular Hawksbill Turlte was cruising the top of the ledge.
Jan 13 '10--Ellie points out a rare pelagic that Marcus confirms as an Ocean Trigger Fish on Twilight Zone.
Jan 10 '10--Thinking outside the box...when limited viz gave us few options for diving, Marcus entertained our guests with a muck dive...with a uncommon Red-lipped Batfish as a highlight.
photo courtesy Sea Saba
diver Nick Fowles
Jan 6 '10--After weeks of north swells preventing us from diving Ladder Bay, we're happy to sneak a dive in today @ Babylon and report that the 'mucky green' colored frogfish is still in place
Jan 2 '10--Another frogfish found--this one on Tent Reef.
Dec 25 '09--Not the traditional "Christmas Winds" but strange seas had us diving pinnacles with great viz..but many clients would have happily traded places with us:
photo courtesy Sea Saba
diver Michael Cohen
Dec 22 '09--The cold fronts and snowstorms in the USA translates to unseasonably warm weather and calm seas.
David Frank was on Saba in October--about time we post some of his images..read his review of the trip:
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©Photos courtesy Sea Saba David Frank |
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Dec 15 '09--Lynn's out of the office having fun @ Shark Shoals with 3 Caribbean Reef Sharks that just would not go away!
Nov 28 '09--While John is off 'shooting' rare Urolplatus in Madagascar, Lynn got to dive The Eye of the Needle while being followed by two curious black Jacks.
Nov 16 '09--A less common Orange-Backed
Bass was in the coral gardens at Tent Reef.
Nov 12 '09--Ellie calls him "Mikey"...a black and white Longsnout Seahorse
is not far from the frogfish at Tent Reef.
Nov 7 '09--Level 5 Fish Geek Marcus sees a group of Yellowcheek Basslets
among the myriad of colors and textures along Tent Wall.
Oct 31 '09--Unfortunately it was after
the Sea & Learn Spotted Eagle Ray expert was here...but a nice sighting at
Hot Springs.
Oct 24 '09--The Sea Saba crew is having a great time each afternoon as
they assist Dr. Roger Hanlon finding and monitoring the camouflaging of
octopus, flounder and more.
Oct 20 '09--Tent Reef was the destination where Dr. Paul Sikkel set up
parasite "traps". His work with fish parasites (one of only two
researchers in the world) during Sea & Learn opened up all of our eyes to
these reef freeloaders.
Oct 18 '09--Sea & Learn's movie night
brought award winning The Cove to a large Saba audience. Stay
tuned for their feedback.
Oct 14 '09--"Fish of the Dive" @ Ladder Labyrinth today was Kelly's Yellowface Pikeblenny, this one assumed to be a female with a not so high foredorsal fin.
Oct 10 '09--SUSOM student Billy Wagner was happy he rescheduled his study plan as he found a yellow Long-lured Frogfish @ Babylon--photo tomorrow!
Oct 9 '09: A new seahorse @ 50/50 (aka Ladder Bay Red
mooring), or did he just move?
©Photo
courtesy Alan Baldwin
Oct 8 '09--Amongst the regular Sailfin blennies regularly found at Hot Springs, REEF Fish ID expert (and visiting Sea & Learn contributor) Lisa Mitchell pointed out the rare Rusty Goby--it's the one you do a double take at in the Paul Humann Reef Fish ID book as it appears the published the photo upside down, but that's the way the fish hangs out.
Check out last week's Sea & Learn highlights and what is coming up this week!
Oct 6 '09--Oh, how everyone's eyes have opened wider after working with Sea & Learn's Lisa Mitchell..a few highlights of unusual things sighted today: a Yellow-Faced pike blenny @ Man O' War; a nice quantity of hovering Dart Fish @ Greer Gut and an entertaining decorator crab on Sea Saba's overnight mooring, our famed muck dive.
This barracuda was also watching the Dart Fish @ Greer Gut
©Photo
courtesy Alan Baldwin
Oct 5 '09--After learning more about the correlation of our urchin population and its need to keep up with algae, we're happy to report numerous Diademan urchins on Sea Saba's overnight moornings as well as the strange looking Head Shield Slug that Kelly found.
Oct 4 '09--Sea & Learn on Saba started with quite a week--Opening Night was Great White Shark guy Dr. Mark Marks with his incredible imagery caught only because he dives "with" great whites--read: not in a cage! Last night Dr. Linda Walters shared her passion for algae with an interested crowd at Queen's Gardens Resort. Her presentation explained the overgrowth of algae on many Caribbean reefs and how we can hope the return of the Diadema (long-spined urchin) will increase coral domination again. Tomorrow (Mon Night) at the Brigadoon is the follow-up presentation by Marks on "Why White Sharks Do What They Do". Wednesday Lisa Mitchell and the Threat of Lionfish in the Caribbean; Friday is Jeff George with the history of Turtles and modern day rehabilitation techniques. Schedules are all over the island on bulletin boards or check the Calendar of Events on www.seaandlearn.org
Sep 23 '09--another seahorse spotting at Hot Springs--tones of browns and yellows but larger than our last one.
Sep 18 '09--Few divers and great weather...typical September!
Sep 13 '09--What a day for Emilie and
Jeff who had
"never been on a boat or in the ocean before"...her 8th dive (our second
dive of the day) was to David's Dropoff...Troy took the day off to play
with his camera...The encounter: almost 5 minutes; the animal: .8-9ft
across; the depth: 50 feet; the lens: 60mm macro (hence, a different
result).
©Photo
courtesy Troy Hooper, Innerworld Images
Sep 11 '09--Now this is why we love September diving...just 4 divers and very little wind out of the southwest allowed Kat and Troy to venture where "John and Lynn used to go" ...a drift dive on Saba's north side from the airport toward Green Island. Troy conducted the special dive briefing and dive while Kat manned the helm. "a progressive ledge with the textbook balance of hard and soft corals interspersed with sponges and a nice balanced variety of fish." The clear waters also produced 6 turtles, 5 hawksbill and 1 green but really skittish--not used to seeing dives on this side of the island. A lovely day!
Sep 7 '09--Unfortunately brown and no cameras in the water, but the seahorse spotted today by Troy at Hole in the Corner is much larger than what we normally see in Ladder Bay--estimated at 7 inches in length.
Sep 3 '09--A baby Common Octopus at Tent Reef was a nice highlight to this always prolific site.
Aug 27 '09--A week of fabulous, flat calm weather wrapped up with this final day...we started at Core Gut for the first dramatic wall dive then headed around the north side of the island (via the airport direction) to dive the infamous but weather dependent therefore seldom dove Green Island. Although the SMP mooring awaits re-drilling, captain Kat was shown by John a few weeks back how to safely do this dive with a 'live boat'. But it was the 3rd dive that really had the divers chatting--our shallowest spot, Torens Point yielded a 90-minute dive with a Common Octopus, Whit-nose Pipefish, 4 turtles, a Chain Moray, a juvenile Trunk fish and a baby spotted drum.
A Turtle Hurdle Overcome!
a quick story and
the video of a
successful prosthesis for turtles!
Aug 22 '09--Sea Saba's boats are moored in a sandy area just outside Saba's Fort Bay harbor. In order to be certain our boats are always secure, the moorings are dove and inspected regularly. Kelly and Mark were moving some chain today when they disturbed a large Flame Box Crab. She buried herself at the sight of the masked intruders, emerged and then buried herself again...but suddenly they saw a little baby emerge from the sand and venture out in the rubble...mom quickly scurried across the open area, picked up the little one and tucked it under her claw and then re-buried the family--oh, for a video camera!
Aug 18 '09--"Safety First" is always a good motto and our theme today as we hold off on diving until we're sure the NHC forecasters tracking of Hurricane Bill is correct. Our boats are in St. Maarten to ensure their safety and we hope to dive Thursday afternoon.
Aug 12 '09--To have a 20+ minute encounter with an octopus is always cool but this was so much more remarkable as it was at Third Encounter, approximately 90' (28m) depth--a bit deeper than normal to observe octopus behavior.
Aug 9 '09--Keen-Eyed Kelly lives up to her name with regular Sea Goddess spottings throughout Ladder Bay including Gold Crowned, Gold Lined and Purple Crowned--mostly juveniles.
Aug 6 '09--Never a dull dive at our shallowest locale, the focus at Torens Point today were the Bumblebee Shrimp spotted by Mark on a sea cucumber.
Aug 3 '09--Surrounded by loads of Bar Jacks, were they Warty Comb Jellyfish or Sea Walnut Jellyfish?? That was the question Ellie posed to divers after a lovely dive at Core Gut.
Jul 31 '09--Emeral Planet Images is live! Special thanks to ChizziLaLa Productions for making this an extraordinary website.
Jul 25 '09--John gave a photographic presentation at the prestious Field Museum of Chicago--story and pics on the Latest News page of this site.
Jul 19 '09--Ellie's Open Water student got to see this rarer Spotted Snake Eel at Torens Point on his 4th dive.
Jul 14 '09--Not the same seahorse, but perhaps its made--the yellow Longsnout Seahorse is a bit smaller than the one previously seen at 50/50.
Jul 10 '09--Once Ron Schmetzer got back to Florida, he sent us a mini portfolio of his pics taken in mid-June with his point-and-shoot camera while diving with us. Our favorite is the Decorator Crab in the Barrel Sponge--wait there's two crabs--actually Troy said there were more underneath the lower crab!
©Photo
courtesy Ron Schmetzer
Click on the image to view in a larger size:
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©Photos courtesy Ron Schmetzer |
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June 30 '09--While doing maintenance on Sea Dragon's mooring, Kelly and Troy found time to find two Common Octopus.
June 25 '09--Hooray! The summer's first Longsnout Seahorse is at 50/50 (the red mooring between Ladder Labyrinth and Hot Springs)--gold and right out in the open on a bit of broken coral.
©Photo
courtesy Rob, Peter Deliccci Group
June 21 '09--While running the boat today, John counts 14 turtles on the surface at the 3 dive sites we visited.
June 18 '09--Great Night Dive @ Ladder Labyrinth--some usual suspects including a pesky Nurse Shark, large Basket Star and Common Octopus but the highlight was watching the Spotted Moray being attacked by a School Master--the eel escaped and tucked back in to its crevice.
©Photo
courtesy Ron Schmetzer--see more of his photos above
Jun 14 '09--Seahorse Diving Center in St. Martin brought a group of divers to Saba for the weekend. Not only was John and Brian happy to practice their French, Troy was busy watching a Spotted Snake Eel in the sand instead.
June 13 '09--First day back on the job after vacation, while looking for the Long-lured Frogfish rumored at Man O' War Shoals, he instead found a Long-Horn Nudibranch.
June 10 '09--Not a 'ho hum' dive but a happening day at Babylon that got Fred's attention with a huge menacing barracuda as well as 3 large Yellow-Mouth Grouper and a Reef Shark.
June 5 '09--First time visitors to Saba Walter Shoup and Theressia (aka "T") Hein captured a Spotted Scorpionfish being cleaned by a Pedersen Cleaner Shrimp...and some other nice pics:
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©Photo courtesy Walter Shoup and Theressia "T" Hein |
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June 3 '09--It was a happening day on Tent Wall starting with a Common Octopus sighting followed by Kelly's find of a juvenile Harlequin Pipefish. Pipefish are in the same family, Syngnathidae, as seahorses. Cross your fingers for the summer debut of their cousins!
©Photos courtesy
Jim Sparkman, Dive World Scuba
May 23 '09--And as a final treat for Dive World Scuba, they were able to dive our Windwardside and spot the summer's first Long Lured Frogfish--a yellow one on David's Dropoff.
©Photos courtesy
Paul O'Keefe
May 18 '09--While on board M/V Giant Stride Dive World Scuba was thrilled for a calm day to dive Core Gut and Green Island w. But our divers on Sea Dragon had quite the shark day...first Fred was leading the divers when a Bull shark and her pup at Outer Limits came within 20'...only to be topped by Scott's dive with a 12-foot girthy Hammerhead shark at Tent Reef.
Sea Dragon's divers on 'shark day'...
May 11 '09: A visit from Carin of Global Dive Expeditions was highlighted with a large Flying Gurnard at Hot Springs.
Late April-early May--like all other islands in the Caribbean region, we were experiencing the natural phenomenon of the Orinoco Flow. The Orinoco is the third largest river in the world. The last time we experienced this algal bloom resulting in such reduced visibility was about 15 years ago. We were lucky as most of the time we could simply drop below the algal bloom area for visibility in the 40-60' range.
April 19 '09--The eagle eye of Kelly finds the strange and obscure Warty Side Gill Slug @ Tent Reef today.
April 16 '09--Tim and Robin Kirkpatrick have been diving with John and Lynn since they worked at Saba Deep in 1989! On this (14th?) trip to Saba, a particularly night dive was today at Outer Limits when they saw a large bull shark along with oceanic Spadefish and a nice big turtle.
April 13 '09--And the following day...John and Kat were at Shark Shoals with soooo much action: Wahoo, Abaco jacks, huge mackerel that were chasing mackerel scads...oh, and two sharks!
April 12 '09--Happy Easter! Getting to Green Island any day is a treat but with no mooring there (Saba Marine Park needs to re-drill) all the more rare...but John was running the boat today so Kat and our lucky divers were thrilled to see the large Elkhorn corals, spawning Yellowtail Parrotfish, 3 nurse sharks and 3 turtles.
April 7 '09--Ok, this is rare and unfortunately no photo but confirmed by 3 divers...drum roll...a white Marlin at Twilight Zone! Unfortunately the only images we found on Google images were either of the wall mounted version or slaughtered and hanging at a fishing tournament...prizes can be up to $1.4 million for the fish that can grow to more than 8 feet long and weight nearly 100 lbs. :-( Imagine how beautiful this is to see alive and cruising past you underwater instead.
April 2 '09--Our crew and divers have been hearing humpbacks for a few days--not just hearing but the incredible sound reverberating in your chest..and finally today our divers were rewarded. While boarding the boat after the first dive at Tedran Wall, Troy was the first to spot the Humpack whale breach. Priceless.
Mar 30 '09--Holy Bait Ball! Nice day at Tent Reef.
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©Photo courtesy Vivi Pimentel
Mar 20 '09--How's this for pic of the week? Many time return client Tom Greenway snapped this after Scott found it on Ladder Labyrinth. Not certain if it's a juvenile Common Octopus? Certainly pretty!
©Photo courtesy
Tom Greenway
Mar 16 '09--Return clients Jeff and Shelly Joliet found a Batwing Coral Crab (3-4 inches wide) at Ladder Labyrinth--stand by for photo and video.
Mar 13 '09--Mar 20 '09--Kat finally snagged a pic of this solitary, uncommon on Saba Cherubfish Centropyge argi, the smallest of our Angel fish. Learn more about this fish in Kat's Creature Feature this month.
©Photo courtesy
Kat DeStefano
Mar 10 '09--Those territorial tarpons in Ladder Bay can be the same ones divers and snorkelers have seen for 50-years...but we're pretty sure they didn't get that big by gobbling up snorkelers!
©Photo courtesy
Nancy Kamuda
Feb 12 '09--After noticing 6 Coneys gathered around a hole at Tent Reef, Troy recognized this as a telltale sign...soon an octopus emerged to show his colors but seemed unruffled by the audience mix of Coneys and divers. The octopus assumed its leisurely reef swim as the Coneys looked for opportunistic morsel leftovers and the divers had a great behavior experience.
Feb 8 '09--Talk about mating behavior--as Valentine's Day approaches, Kat and Paula witness actual octopi copulation at Tent Reef--read the full explanation on the Jan 09 SUSOM Newsletter.
Feb 1 '09--Cool mating behavior...Sharp Nose Puffers are flashing iridescent colors and doing some promiscuous dances on Babylon.
Jan 26 '09--Brad and Tammy Snyder, new owners of Float 'n' Flag Dive Shop out of Burlington, Ontario (Canada) brought their first dive group to Saba and were greeted by a Spotted Eagle Ray at Ladder Labyrinth on the first day of diving.
Jan 20 '09--Living up to its name, Shark Shoals was loaded today with 6 black tips, including a girthy female at 10-12'--but also a school of Wahoo and the less common Yellowfin Grouper.
Jan 15 '09--The deeper grassy, sand
areas of Ladder Bay are where shellfish can be fed upon by passing Spotted
Eagle Rays and today was one of those days with a medium sized one (5-7'
wing span?) at Babylon.
Jan 9 '09--Sanford University's
Scientific Methods students did their first pinnacle on 3rd Encouter today
when an 18' manta joined them for the last 10 minutes of the dive!
©Photo courtesy
Kat DeStefano
Jan 6 '09--It's normal for Sea Saba to have a night dive on Tuesday nights but this week Troy was happy to find a rarely seen Broadbanded Moray at Tent Reef.
Jan 4 '09--Fred to the rescue! A juvenile turtle was struggling in shallow water at Babylon--his front flippers tangled in a plastic bag :-( when Fred showed up just in time to free him. Saba grocery stores already provide bio bags and reusable boxes for grocery transport but cannot control debris problems elsewhere.
Jan 2 '09--While diving our overnight boat moorings each week, we often encounter great muck inhaitants like the Red-lipped Batfish.
©Photo courtesy
Kat DeStefano
Dec 31 '08--Never officially sighted on Saba before and according to Paul Humann, not to be seen in these waters, a Diamond Blenny was id'd by Troy at Big Rock Market. As the official REEF representatives for Saba, we reported this with the response "well, the fish don't read the book".
Dec 28 '08--The discerning fish id eyes of cat Kat had our divers watching spawning behavior of Sharp-nose Puffers--the larger males "go irridescent" as they chase around the females trying to impress her...
Dec 26 & 27--Nice Christmas presents--Spotted Eagle Rays two days in a row as the seas calmed and we were able to dive our Windwardside sites.
Dec 20 '08--Sea Saba offers you the chance to 'muck dive' on our moorings...today, the rare Red-lipped bat fish was the highlight.
Dec 12 '08--Don't forget to look in the sand--the somewhater rare Spotted Snake Eel was seen at Diamond Rock today.
Dec 5 '08--3x return clients he Finder's and Walter's were entertained by 30 dolphins on the surface at Tent Wall.
Nov 24 '08--They're back! A northerly swell has us diving our Windwardside...Kelly finds a purple Long-lured Frogfish at Hole in the Corner!
Nov 16 '08--Explorers' Club and recent Sea & Learn expert, Vince Capone shares his Babylon video with us...link from Black Laser Learning.
Nov 14 '08--First time user of our U/W rental digital camera, Kerry Thompson, shares his nice results:
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First time user of Sea Saba's rental u/w digital camera, Kerry Thompson, shares his images with us. |
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Nov 10 '08--Torens Point, Saba's 'nursery' is where Troy id'd a Gold Crown Sea Goddess.
Nov 5 '08--8-year return client, Cheryl
Scott, not only did 37 dives on this trip but...some highlights:
--a barracuda being cleaned at the top of 'The
Needle', off of 3rd Encounter
--2 bat fish at Tent Reef
--twice witnessing 'nuclear hunting', exactly as described by Paul Humann
in his Behavior edition between a Golden tailed Eeel and a Coney--pics
soon!
Oct 27 '08--Sea Saba's divers added a 3rd dive today to join Dr. Graham Forrester for an Elkhorn Coral experimental transplanting project. "I had so much fun!" "I not only learned something, I felt like I was giving back to the reef I love" This field project was one of many of this year's annual Sea &Learn on Saba program.
Oct 23 '08--Snorkeling or diving with turtle rehab guy, Jeff George, was a great treat for our guests this afternoon. Jeff was one of 14 invited guest lecturers for the 2008 Sea & Learn on Saba program. His organization in South Padre Island, Texas, rehabilitates turtles that are rescued with one or more fins missing :-(
Oct 18 '08--We're back out diving! Loads of jelly fish and some current are the result of Omar but it's flat calm and sunny!
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18 October 2008: Scott welcomes Rose Krial-Victor aboard Giant Stride. 6 divers head out for a day of diving just 50 hours after Omar's passing. |
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Oct 15 '08--Hurricane Omar speeds past us in just 5 hours but makes a mess at the Fort Bay harbor. The Latest News page of our website tells more.
Oct 13 '08--Arrow Blennies and Pink Blennies are seen at Outer Limits and Ladder Labyrinth, respectively.
Oct 11 '08--A giant Hawksbill Turtle is seen at Outer Limits today after seeing it at Third Encounter two days ago.
Oct 8 '08--Tom and his student watch a Green Turtle at Ladder Labyrinth as she settles down to rest...just as a hammerhead shark comes in for a closer look!
Oct 6 '08--Oh, c'mon!! Now another frogfish on Tent Reef...this one is a brown version!
October 5 '08--a 'standing room only' crowd was present at The Brigadoon for the follow-up presentations of 'bat guys' Nathan Muchhala and Kevin Murray. Saba's 5 confirmed species of bats in just 5-square mles are the only indigenous mammals on the island.
Oct 3 '08--Another and another frogfish find...Tent Reef, Tent Wall, Torens Point--all are green and black. These were photographed by Kat:
©Photo courtesy
Kat DeStefano
Sep 24 '08--Fin Addicts are back on Saba and what a great week they had..the final day started at David's Dropoff with a circling blacktip shark watching as groupers and a coney stormed an octopus from opposite directions. The hungry coney prevailed..and the last dive on Tent Wall had a Spotted Eagle Ray cruise by for a farewell topped off with Tom finding a green and black frogfish.
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A great critter week! |
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Sep 1-25--Peak storm weeks historically but we only experienced primarily flat calm days. We missed diving Sep 21 due to the thunderstorm that later became Kyle. Hurricanes Hanna and Ike also started as thunderstorms in our area...giving us the rain we needed.
Aug 29 '08--On a flat calm day at Greer
Gut, Kat had 8 dolphins bow riding off of Sea Dragon--nice!
Aug 22 '08--An uncommon sighting for
Saba, Kelly finds a Leech Head Shield Slug in the sand in addition to pike
blennies, a turtle and a nurse shark family complete with a curious
youngster.
Aug 19 '08--Taking a first time diver to Saba's shallowest dive site, Torrens Point, is the norm; seeing a juvenile Eagle Ray sure made for great memories.
Aug 15 '08--From big to small, it was a great day at Ladder Labyrinth where Kelly was thrilled to find 2 Purple Crowned Sea Goddesses as well as a leopard flat worm...and what could be better? An Eagle Ray then cruised passed toward the end of the dive.
Aug 12 '08--While doing the Naturalist dive of an Advance Course, Kat and her student discovered a Long Lured Frogfish (green with black dots) at the top of Tent Wall. Never having seen a frogfish before, needless to say, Kat was thrilled. The 3rd dive of the day was at Tent Reef where a second frogfish, a bright red one was also found by Kat!
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| Two frogfish today @ Tent Reef and
Tent Wall ©Photo courtesy Kat DeStefano |
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Aug 10 '08--Wondering if the squid are still hanging out, Kat and our divers went to Ladder Labyrinth and were spectators to an octopus being tortured by a sergeant major, and a huge school of Sennet being chased by a barracuda and a Golden Crown Sea Godddess. THEN, while putting Giant Stride to its mooring for the day, a pod of Bottlenose Dolphins frolicked in front of the boat.
Gold-Crowned Sea Goddess, Hypselodoris acriba
Photographer:
Chris Pacitto
The above photo found by searching on
DeepSeaImages.com, a great
resource for identifying images.
Aug 7 '08--Laddder Labyrinth has been the place for weeks with 2 dozen Caribbean Reef Squid seen regularly.
Aug 3 '08--Wrapping up the annual Carnival weekend, 10 or more Hawksbill Turtles were doing their own parade as Kelly and John covered Tent Bar on a drift dive.
Jul 30 '08--Who would have thunk...you would see your first hammerhead sighting in the Caribbean? Well that was the case for Fred and the lucky divers who joined him today @ Shark Shoals. The lone big guy (girl?) cruised within 5 meters of the divers while the other black tips and larger fish scattered!
Jul 29 '08--Scott escorted 6 first time night divers @ Hot Springs who were thrilled to experience several nurse sharks in feeding mode.
Jul 26 '08--Kat finds a new black seahorse at 65' @ Tent Reef.
Jul 23 '08--While leading this summer's final Sail Caribbean teen divers on Tent Reef, Fred found it easy to keep their attention as they witnessed an octopus and grouper fighting over a crab.
Jul 12-20 '08--Big Greeniw the Traveling Turtle? The same Green Turtle has been seen from Lou's Ladder to Tent Reef to sites on our Windwardside--said to be the size of a small car, it's a skittish male with a long tail about 5 feet long!
Jul 4 '08--On the last diving day for the American Flag waving Dallas Dive Group, a new seahorse (large and yellow) is found by Kelly @ Tent Reef.
Jul 1 '08--While on a night dive at Tent Reef, a Measled Cowrie is just one of the unusual sightings.
Jun 27 '08--Ladder Labyrinth was the place today where Troy and Dallas Dive Club leader Larry Brasfield appeared on the scene just as a Common Octopus finished devouring a conch. The octopus then proudly carried the shell around. (gulp)
Jun 22 '08--Taking 6 divers on their first dive of the week after a year out of the water, Scott brought them within 10 meters of a Hammerhead Shark @ Babylon!
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| Tom and David Greenway have been diving Saba since David and brother Alex were in grade school. This trip marked David's (age 18) progress to using a digital SLR. Not bad, David! | |
Jun 20 '08--Sea Saba dives our moorings every week as a matter of safety to the vessels...but it's also a great muck dive with Fred's most recent sighting, a juvenile harlequin pipefish.
Jun 17 '08--Kelly sees the protruding torso of a Resh Pikeblenny @ Hot Springs.
Jun 15 '08--Once again a Spotted Eagle Ray is at Torrens Point showing off to new students--unusual to see them in this shallow dive area.
Jun 13--A great muck dive can be had on our moorings... An area of chain is now hosting a juvenile pipefish.
Jun 11--Customs House reef has lots of hide out spots for the small guys. Today 3 arrow blennies were found by Kat.
Jun 10--5 Black Tip Reef Sharks @ Twilight Zone...we don't normally list one or two sharks on a pinnacle.
Jun 9--Spring brings so many diving pleasures. Calm weather allowed us to get to Core Gut with a group from Scuba Board. From spawning sponges on the Windwardside to a bait ball with yellow mouth and black grouper as well as a school of horse-eye jacks feeding on it--what a day!
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Spawning sponges are just another sign of spring/summer diving in
Saba. Both Branching Tube Sponges and Balls Shape Sponges emit
their spawn through their excurrent openingw or oscula. Click to enlarge and appreciate this biological event. ©Photos courtesy Tom Greenway |
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Jun 5 '08--Not one but triplets--three juvenile trunk fish were found at Man O' War Shoals and a Spotted Eagle Ray at Torrens Point.
Jun 2 '08--Although we have turtle sightings regularly, they are primarily Hawksbill and Green turtles. So the encounter with an elderly (check out those barnacles!) Loggerhead Turtle @ Diamond Rock was all the more special:
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| The
curious Loggerhead came to the relaxed divers..at one point too
close for a photo and then the turtle just relaxed on Mike's fin photos courtesy Mike Moose and Gary Arb |
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May 23& 24 '08--Spring births? Nice weather? Whatever the reason, we have two new seahorses! A brownish one on Tent Reef (found by Troy on the 23rd) and a golden one on Ladder Labyrinth (found by Scott on the 24th)
©Photo courtesy
Kat DeStefano
May 21 '08--A new seahorse! his guy/gal was discovered for the first time by Troy this afternoon at Tent Reef.
May 20 '08--In addition to the turtle and two nurse sharks, a nice family of 4 squid graced the safety stop for Vivi @ Hot Springs.
May 18 '08--Mauricio Handler's Photo group was certain to include a muck dive at our moorings: pipe fish and a spotted moray for the macro enthusiasts while a Spotted Eagle Ray passed by overhead to remind you why you should have two cameras with you...just in case!
May 15 '08--Leave it to Kat and her discerning eye...thsi time a Leopard Flat worm @ Tent Reef.
May 12&13 '08--Two days in a row we are thrilled to see a large 'bait ball' with tuna off of Hot Springs and Tent Reef.
May 10 '08--Ladder Bay is not normally a likely place for pelagics yet a school of African Pompano were the delight today @ Hot Springs.
May 7 '08--More Windwardside diving yields 2 Spotted Eagle Rays putting on a 10-minute show with Tom and divers @ David's Dropoff.
May 4 '08--On a day off from the office, Nick got to dive Hole in the Corner where he spotted a Short Fin Pipefish.
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We finally tracked down the only diver w/a camera the day of the whale shark! |
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From Dec '07:Dean Ings came from St. Maarten for the day on The Edge. After the 'dive of the year', we were running late for him to catch his ferry so we had only the promise that he would forward the photos...
Apr 26 '08--On break from the med school, the Whelan Family had a whale of a day...a humback spouted right near our boat while at Ladder Labyrinth.
Apr 22 '08--As the creative talent of our monthly newsletter to the Saba Med Students, Kat attempts to determine whether the seahorse @ Hot Springs is a pregnant male or a Heineken consumer.
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| Getting a bigger belly? Photos of same seahorse 3 months apart... | |
Mar 28 '08--The keen eye of Kat notices the less common Yellow mouth grouper from the red mooring @ Tent Reef.
Mar 25 '08--New guy Troy shows our divers a male Jawfish doing his duty of carrying the eggs in his mouth at Big Rock Deep.
Mar 20 '08--We have only seas like this one other time in 20 years...a cold front clashing with a low pressure system...unfortunately the forecasters were spot on when predicting 16-20' seas for a few days.
Mar 17 '08--Always a great dive, but Man O' War Shoals was so exceptional with the a fly-by of a Spotted eagle ray.
Mar 11 '08--Harry Morris, an amateur marine biologist with a keen eye spots a rough file clam on Ladder Labyrinth.
Mar 7 '08--Preferring our shallower dives, John Bobel and friends were delighted to have 3 Spotted eagle rays join them at Lou's Ladder.
Mar 5 '08--Dick and Kelly show Kevin Sweeney's Scuba Adventures (Naples Florida) divers the less common Purplemouth moray @ Ladder Labyrinth.
Mar 2 '08: Well, it's all down hill from here..Kat, Vivi and EJ were out for two easier dives with new students this afternoon when two Humpback whales spouted just off Tent Reef. Precious.
Feb 27 '08--Macro enthusiasts were happy to find a female blue-throated pikeblenny @ Hot Springs--strange as Humann's i.d book states it's rare to find them deeper than 10' (3m) in sandt areas. This one found at 40'.
Feb 20 '08--Paula and a lucky few witness a battle between an octopus and a large channel crab @ Babylon.
Feb 14 '08--4 Wahoo's and a reef shark were crusing with Tom at Shark Shoals.
Feb 8 '08--Unprecedented: Seeing one shark is an every day occurrence. This photo was taken from a video clip made by Chizzilala Productions (see the actual video clip the day it was shot with our divers) while filming for the Saba Tourism promotional DVD. Divers said 12 or 13 sharks were at Third Encounter dive site. For more than 15 minutes, 8 divers and Sea Saba instructor Vivi Pimentel were mesmerized as the sharks banged in to the coral, obviously attracted to some prey. Of course, our divers did not get too close but the sharks were not bothered by the audience.
Feb 6 '08--Shark Shoals was the place for an 'all dive swim' with a manta ray--but no one had a camera!
Feb 1 '08--Ok, it's all about Shark Shoals again...this time, 5 black tip sharks with Fred & Kelly in the water.
Jan 31 '08--Everyone was happy today as both boats saw Eagle rays at Big Rock Deep and Hole in the Corner.
Jan 28 '08--Throughout the world, grouper are threatened due to overfishing. On Saba. seeing groupers is still common but Kat saw a rarer sighting today: a Yellowmouth grouper @ Tent Reef.
Jan 23 '08--A Humpback whale was sighted between Green Island and the airport by Saba's airport workers. We have been hearing them since the new year, but await that annual encounter in the water...
Jan 17 '08--Another whale shark! This one @ Shark Shoals...an no one with a camera!
Jan 13 '08--The annual Alyson Adventure trip starts to the tune of humpback whales--so far only hearing them...
Jan 9 '08--After the cold snap in the north that transcended to a strong north swell for a few days, we are pleased to see the pair of seahorses @ Hot Springs hung on.
Jan 5 '08--Alex (not always in the office) discovers another seahorse--this one at Torens Point, Saba's shallowest site.
Jan 02 '08--Happy New Year! Rougher seas had us diving Giles Quarter--but the Spotted eagle ray didn't seem to mind.
Dec 30 '07--The D'Angelo's and Fred witness stalking and predation when 2 coneys chomping on a dead crab are then attacked by a large green moray at the site known as 50/50--the red mooring between Ladder Labyrinth and Hot Springs.
Dec 28 '07--The Just Add Water group returned to Saba over the holidays. Two Common octopus at Tent Reef (daytime) were just one of the highlights.
Dec 15 '08--Where does Women's Hall of Fame Diver and owner of Dive Experience in St. Croix go diving on here day off--with us of course! Her keen eye spied a medium sized red frogfish on a purplish colored sponge @ Tent Reef.
Dec 9 '07--Nature photographer Alan Corbett was surprised to see the uncommon Slender sunfish--a smaller version of a Mola Mola off of Tent Reef.
Dec 6 '07--Talk about a "Welcome Back"...it was Vivi's 2nd day back on the boat when an18' whale shark @ Man O' War Shoals came within 6' of our divers!! Await the photo from one day Edge diver Mr. Ings...
Nov 27 '07--Did we say sharks? Bruno and Juliska made a cameo appearance today...Shark Shoals was where a black tip stayed with the divers for the entire dive while 3 more showed up at Tent Reef.
Nov 24 '07--Sand dollars, conch and huge lobstes were the highlights on Greer Gut today--different creatures than we see on our leeward side.
Nov 22 '07--Galina was thankful this Spotted eagle ray didn't run right in to her on Turkey Day--talk about an under-bite!
©photo
courtesy of Lea Fulmer
Oct 27 '07--The Grand Finale evening of Sea & Learn 2007 is highlighed with an update from Peter Etnoyer, gorgonian expert, on the new species found this week at the Saba Bank.
Oct 25 '07--Seahorse expert Sian Morgan is delighted to join our divers and evaluate the pair of seahorses at Hot Springs, including a very pregnant male as well as a large Longsnout seahorse @ Man O' War Shoals.
Sian Morgan explaining "what to look for" with our
divers prior to the Hot Springs dive.
©Sea Saba
Oct 14 '07--Tom escorted Sea & Learn Expert Dr. Dimitri Deheyn to the dijion-mustard colored patches at both Hot Springs & Lou's Ladder. Sediment and water samples were taken and will be analyzed at the Scripps...Sea & Learn why these two dives laid the ground work for important future research...
©photo
courtesy of Debbie Woods & Sea Saba
Oct 10 '07--Alex celebrated his one year anniversary of learning to dive with a night dive @ Tent Reef. He and regulare med school clients of ours were shocked to be surrounded by a 5.5' nurse shark and 4 curious reef sharks.
Oct 7 '07--The Sea Saba crew and visiting diver Tore ran a transect line and did the first conch survey as part of the 2007 sea & Learn program. This dive was conducted under the supervision of Wes Toller and Shelley Lundvall, the coordinators of the Saba Bank research Project. Follow their work with the story on this page and regular news updates on the Sea & Learn website.
Oct 4 '07--Another flat calm day allowed us to dive Mt. Michel (with a temporary mooring) and David's Dropoff. Debbie spied a new seahorse @ DD: this one yellow with white spots!
Oct 3 '07--Orchid expert Stewart Chipka is busy researching why/how this Venezuelan moth, Urania leilus, ended up on Saba:
©photo
courtesy of Adam Watkins
Oct 2 '07--Sea & Learn's Opening Night Guest Lecturer Lise van Susteren from Al Gore's Climate Project did her own version of Sea & Learn by completing her first open water dive @ Hot Springs--and got close up with a turtle!
Sep 28 '07--Beto from Brazil joins the Sea Saba team and finds the less common Spotted Snake Eel @ Torens Point.
Sep 15 '07--Fin Addicts divers regularly did 90-minute dives during their trip this summer. But, finding a 7-8" mantis shrimp @ Torens Points, has its glory.
Sep 2 '07--Return customers Yvette and Doug are pleased to not only rendezvous with Ken (they met in Cayman) but to be two of only 3 divers at Diamond Rock when the regular school of Big Eyes went by but also this lovely nudibranch:
©photo
courtesy of Lea Fulmer
also see her
Creature Feature on this
critter
Sep 20 '07--Spanish Lobster and an octopus were just a few of the highlights of the night dive done by Fin Addicts friends.
Sep 16 '07--Debbie finds loads of Petersen Shrimp while enjoying another flat calm day at Hole in the Corner.
Sep 10 '07--Alex not only had a day out of the office but a pod of dolphins frolicking just off Diamond Rock.
Sep 7 '07--Karin points out the uncommon Conical Sea Cucumber at Babylon.
Sep 3 '07--Mrs. Lea finds a rare blue-throated pike blenny @ Customs House Reef.
Aug 28 '07--Ken shares the numerous lettuce leaf nudibranchs with first time divers @ David's Dropoff.
Aug 24 '07--With John running the boat, Debbie and Ken lead a drift dive starting with a large barracuda at Poriotes Point turtles and nurse sharks along Babylon and Ladder Labyrinth ending with a shy seahorse at Hot Springs.
Aug 20 '07--Who's afraid of diving in hurricane season? Not this Long-lured frogfish or plenty of happy divers.
©photo
courtesy of Lea Fulmer
Aug 18 '07--Hurricane Dean turns out to be only a fire drill, followed by two weeks of outrageously wonderful weather.
Aug 13 '07--Travis and those who followed enjoyed watching the shy brown seahorse at Tent Reef.
Aug 10 '07--Ryan and many time Dutch diving enthusiast Berthold have a fabulous dive on Greer Gut: 3 black tips first checked them out, then an eagle ray cruised by while a barracuda was hunting, a turtle doing its own thing in the sea grass while a stingray and conch made their way across the sand. Not bad!
Aug 6 '07--the less common Ragged Sea Hare was spotted by Debbie at Hot springs along side 3 pike blennies.
Aug 2 '07--Typical of any day on Saba but especially in the summer months...a Hawksbill Turtle was witness to Don's 100th dive; Gina's 200th dive and the engagement of Peter and Christine. Nice day!
Jul 31 '07--12 dolphins teased the divers as they frolicked around the boat at Tent Reef today
Jul 22 '07--Debbie's blue eyes spot a sea hare @ Man O War Shoals.
Jul 14 '07--Summer diving on Saba has 4 seahorses in place and a few frogfish in addition to the normal great critters. Here's a few pics taken by Justin...
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July 4 '07--Choo Choo Dive Center and Midwest Aquatics are back on Saba for their 8th group trip, 4 of which have been with Midwest Aquatics. Check their sites to see the many trips these active dive shops plan.
Jun 29 '07--Every week is Shark Week on Saba but today was really something...the dive plan: first dive at Outer LImits with 1 shark seen. But the next dive to David's Dropoff found an eagle ray and 6 reef sharks. Finally, the day finished off just right with one final shark at Hot Springs. Wow!
Jun 20 '07--Tonight's night dive entertained our divers and dive guide with 4 trumpet fish hunting in addition to the more normal sightings of an octopus, lobster and nurse shark.
Jun 10 '07--Nice weather brings Travis to our Windwardside @ Greer Gut to find a 6-foot reef shark.
Jun 1 '07--It's Ryan again...this time finding a frog fish at Tent Reef--photo promised soon.
May 24 '07--Ryan and PG have a fabulous time with an eagle ray at Lou's Ladder.
May 19 '07--a large turtle at Shark Shoals was feasting upon the early summer jelly fish seemingly unaware of divers.
May 17 '07--In just 10' (3m) of water, two spotted eagle rays hung out with divers and snorkelers for more than 5 minutes at the often underestimated shallow site of Torrens Point.
May 11 '07--The seahorse at Hot Springs is back...sometimes seen out "walking" in the sand.
May 7 '07--A light "baby blue" colored frog fish is found on Man O' War Shoals. Photos soon!
May 1 '07--Two new seahorses are at Man O' War Shoals! One is white; one dark brown.
late April to early May
'07--John and Lynn are in Madagascar photographing frogs, chameleons and
lemurs...check out the
Saba Images and
Beyond page for their Saba nature photography, interesting side bars
and stories and photos of related travel.
Apr 16 '07--Juliska is treated to the year's best humpback sighting while
headed to Green Island!
Apr 4 '07--A bit deeper at
Babylon, the divers who followed Travis got to witness a spotted eagle ray
chomping down on a hermit crab.
Mar 30 '07--The annual
Lipscomb University student snorkeling trip was even more special this
year when humpback whales could be heard at Ladder Labyrinth.
Mar 24 '07--Travis and Dick and lucky divers saw a pod of 30 dolphins at the Tent Reef Deep mooring
Mar 22 '07--Bruno and the Shoop Sisters and crew had the incredible experience of being with 3 hammerheads @ Shark Shoals.
Mar 20 '07--Tent Reef is one of the most popular dive sites on Saba. Divers often think we go there because of its quick ride from the harbor...but the truth is, it's just a great dive site. Today was superb with a hunting team of an octopus and golden tail eel; the normal pair of queen angels, the standard turtle but Travis swears a giant southern stingray was the largest he'd ever seen.
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©This nice series of the turtle at Tent Reef were provided by Dave Muskovitz--not bad, Dave! |
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Mar 14 '07--As our captains must stay on board for night dives, Travis was pleased to do a night dive with Ryan, allowing him to dive. A Spanish lobster viewing was topped by an octopus who took on the color of black and the texture of coal.
Mar 12 '07--The perfect diving day! Wonderfully calm seas allowed our divers to enjoy the surface show put on by a 35' humpback whale. Next stop, an around-the-island tour past Green Island and diving Core Gut.
Mar 3 '07--We've got another frogfish! This one sort of blue/black at Hot Springs--thanks, Bruno!
Feb 28 '07--The day of huge and tiny beauties: Ryan's keen eye spots a Leopard Flatworm @ Hot Springs while PG plays with a Manta @ Shark Shoals.
Feb 22 '07--The month for interesting cephalopod sightings...this time Travis finds the eight arms of a common octopus at Ladder Labyrinth devouring the largest crab we see in Saba waters: a Channel Clinging Crab
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©Photos courtesy
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Underwater Tourist |
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Feb 14 '07--Our divers weren't the only ones celebrating Valentine's Day. Two octopus were caught "in the act" at Lou's Ladder--see photos above and link to Paul's website: Underwater Tourist to see the video also captured. Book with Paul for his next Saba trips in August '07 and Jan '08.
Feb 2 '07--Even experienced divers refer to Paul Humann's fish id book...4-time return client "Popeye" had to check to be sure it was possible for the nurse shark at Babylon to be 12 feet in length. Experienced diver? Popeye logged that dive as 12,476!
Jan 30 '07--Our World Underwater Scholar, Anya Watson, returned to Saba as part of hr field studies. Having never seen a seahorse (poor thing at the old age of 22), we took Anya to Man O' War Shoals. Even after considerable northerly swells, the larger orange and smaller white seahorses were in place. Recent new discoveries put new light on the reproductive habits and the role of the male seahorse as well as the fragility of this telltale fish.
Jan 20 '07--Susan and Vic Dvorak were on Saba 4 years ago just as Cottage In the Sky completed construction. Their return to Saba prompted Vic's impressive photo slide show of his "most relaxing vacation ever".
Jan 13 '07--Dick and Paula are back for their annual winter sabbatical from the cold. Congratulate Dick for another Ironman impressive finish and enjoy his slow steady pace under water.
Jan 12 '07--We said we're full service but "no, Sea Saba does not offer a 'Reptile Removal Service'". This was our response (in between laughs) to dive buddies Tim and Paul who returned from a day of diving to the lovely Iris House. They thought a toy iguana was reading magazines on the bed...but upon further examination, it was a real iguana!
©courtesy Tim and Paul; thanks to Iris
House owner Jeff for his humor as well
You came to Saba because you loved nature, right?! It was real; easily escorted back to its natural habitat. Iris House is the most popular rental house on Saba. Email us well in advance of your plans to assure availability. See our Local News page to read about the recent upgrades.
Jan 8 '07--Underseas Dive Center of Villa Park, Illinois visited Saba over the holidays. One of the highlights was the white seahorse is seen again at Man O'War Shoals along with its orange cousin.
Jan 5 '07--Dirk-Jan Mattaar and wife Sandy of the Netherlands obviously had quite a holiday week on Saba!
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©Photos courtesy of
Dirk-Jan Mattaar
shot w/Canon S-60 w/Ikelite DS-50 strobe
Jan 3 '07--Galice and family from Guadeloupe were presently surprised to find this Caribbean destination has no shark shortage: 22 out of 23 dives done since Christmas time had at least one shark sighted during the dive--that's 95.7%!
Dec 31 '06--Shark Day and Night @ Hot Springs! 5 reef sharks seen by day and 3 feeding by night!
Dec 25 '06--Merry Christmas to all those who joined us during this busy holiday season--including the numerous nurse sharks seen today at Man O' War Shoals by new guy Pierluigi.
Dec 15 '06--Tim Knight, owner of Nautical Adventures in Oklahoma, returned to Saba to enjoy a week of diving including a spotted eagle ray at Giles Quarter.
Dec 10 '06--Juliska trades the office garb for a wetsuit and delights in explaining the interesting behavior of an arrow crab to her first-time diving sister. See her Creature Feature to learn more...
Nov 23 '06--With plenty to be thankful this year, Bruno tops off Thanksgiving Day with a Common Octopus performance at Tent Reef.
Nov 15 '06--Smooth and
steady Ryan enjoys a night dive at Hot Springs spotting the less common
Spanish Lobster.
Nov 5 '06--Not too late in
the summer season to spy a white seahorse at Torens Point! Photo in
a day or so...
Nov 2 '06--Gersh and his students were privvy to 3 flying gurnards in a mating display @ Hot Springs...learn more about these colorful fish on our Creature Feature page of this site.
Gersh is known to sometimes be 'off the wall'
Oct 30 '06--Shark expert Dean Fessler was on board as part of the Sea & Learn 2006 program to witness not only a black tip @ Shark Shoals but the largest and girthiest (3 meters+!) nurse shark we've ever seen at Babylon
Oct 25 '06--It could only be called "Ray Day"...after a fantastic presentation on Caribbean rays by Southern Stingray expert Matt Potensky at Sea & Learn 2006, Sea Dragon had a great encounter with a spotted Eagle Ray @ the 50/50 dive site while Giant Stride had a fabulous manta episode @ Man O' War Shoals. Thanks Matt!
Oct 18 '06--4x return client Cheryl Scott will be heading back to Tent Reef to photograph what she thought was a pipefish but looks like a juvenile Blue spotted Cornet fish.
Oct 16 '06--4x return client Cheryl Scott noticed brown feather worms while diving Ladder Labyrinth. A stickler for identifying all new sightings, the brown feather worm has circuclar crown of radioles whereas most of Saba's feather worms have radioles arranged in an oval pattern with a longitudal split.
Oct 9 '06--Was that Gio
spotted as a guest lecturer for Sea
& Learn?! You bet! A standing room only crowd gathered
at The Brigadoon to hear Sea Saba's instructor Giovanna Bernardini explain
more about corals and why Saba's should recover swiftly from the 2005
Caribbean bleaching event.
Oct 4 '06--While leading
the group at Hot Springs Gersh came upon a pair of flying gurnards.
The subservient female shyly loomed close behind the male as he carved a
path through the on-looking divers. Check out Vivi's
Creature Feature on Flying Gurnards...
Oct 1 '06--Back to
work! 22 divers from Under Pressure Divers in San Jose California
were enjoying their first surface interval of their trip when along came a
manta...
September 2006--will be remembered as some of the nicest weather ever--but
so few divers took advantage of it. Wat The latest news page of this
site for a special for 2007's "off season--bring a buddy for half
price. Read below for some of the highlights
Sep 18 '06--Big green moray out and about @ Core Gut while a scorpion fish Mrs. Lea on a yellow sponge--teased as she didn't have her camera today...
Sep 14 '06--Once again Man
O' War Shoals is hot! Less than perfect vis caused by passing
tropical waves didn't bother the fish. Vivi reports 2 nurse sharks,
2 reef sharks, 3 stingrays, 4 lobster, 3 morays, and on and on.
Summer diving at its best.
Sep 3 '06--Saba homeowners
Drs. Duncan and Brenda Kirkby (now professors on the island of Statia)
spent a week on Saba--and what a week it was!--encountering and documenting some nice
creatures.
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A fantastic week of diving
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Aug 20 '06--Mrs. Lea had a macro lens on her camera when this baby showed up...See her Creature Feature on Squid.
©photo by Mrs. Lea Fulmer, Tent Reef
Aug 27 '06--New guy Ryan spots a rare find for the Caribbean--a horseshoe crab on the ledge of Tent Reef on a night dive.
Aug 15, 16, 17--Talk about happy divers--a lovely manta graced Tent Bar area for 3 straight days!
Aug 14 '06--After a stunning dive on Shark Shoals in ideal conditions Green Island was the obvious next choice. Recognizing telltale signs, John took the already happy divers offshore a bit to frolic with a pod of 35 dolphins!
Aug 11 '06--Mr. Lee is with 3 ocean sunfish @ Outer Limits while Gio is witness to yet another manta!
Aug 4 '06--A school of Atlantic spadefish join Travis at Man O' War Shoals.
Jul 31 '06--Vivi swims with a manta at 3rd Encounter
Jul 22 '06--What a day! Vivi starts the day off with a manta at 3rd Encounter while a school of spadefish follow Travis around Man O'War Shoals.
Jul 17 '06--After 2.5 years of daily diving, Alex spies his first chain moray @ Babylon.
Jul 15 '06--Lee and Lea spot 5 lettuce leaf sea slugs @ Ladder Labyrinth.
Jul 8 '06--Bruno finds yet another seahorse of the summer--a white one @ Man O' War Shoals.
Jul 1 '06--Carolyn's day on the boat sounds more like a seafood feast with highlights ranging from squid and a spotted snake eel @ Man O'War Shoals and a strange witnessing of spotted morays feasting on lobster...
more updates after July 8 when John and Lynn return from photographing Puffins off the Maine coast. Read more about their travels on the Saba Images and Beyond area of this website.
Jun 16 '06--Third Encounter hosted 5 sharks today while Diamond Rock had a huge female southern stingray.
Jun 10 '06--Not just some divers but two boats worth were entertained by 3 dolphins at Twilight Zone.
Jun 7 '06--While training new gal Gio, Gersh shows the divers of SJ Scuba a quartet of posing Caribbean Reef Squid.
This photo taken @ 25' at
Greer Gut
by 2nd day digital camera rentor
Diana Adams of SJ Scuba Group
Jun 3 '06--Alex reports there is now officially 7, yes seven!, seahorses at Hot Springs!
May 31 '06--Two excellent night dives in a row...the first with a colorful Antilles Sponge Crab among other crustaceans.
May 30 '06--Carolyn pulls a break from office duty to lead divers at Shark Shoals where she witnessed very strange vertical undulations of a Furry Sea Cucumber
May 23 '06--Tonight's night dive at Tent Reef sounded more like a buffet: numerous lobsters, colorful octopus and some masquerading decorator crabs.
May 15 '06--The count is now officially 5...that is 5 different seahorses at Hot Springs. Have they converged for a convention in the hot sand areas? Mating? We're watching and hope to know more soon.
May 10 '06--While doing weekly moorings check to assure Sea Saba's over night moorings are safe, Alex found a white globby frog fish--not exactly the correct scientific name but a good description until further verified.
May 1 '06--While looking for the seahorse at Hot Springs Alex finds that one AND three more! Photos of these seahorses coming soon--have a look at seahorses of the past in the meantime and learn more about these telltale exotic fish.
April 20 '06--Travis finds a Longsnout Seahorse in the shallows of Hot Springs.
April 10 '06--Vivi notes the Spotted Snake Eel @ Ladder Labyrinth. See a pic of this eel and Saba's other eel's in the revamped Saba Images & Beyond.
April 1--Not an April Fool's joke, but the season's best humpback whale encounter. On this flat calm day, Alex, Vivi and our lucky divers had two humpbacks frolicking on the surface not far from the harbor on our way to Saba's Windwardside sights. Fabulous! And where were the photographers?
March 21--Did we say close-up and friendly? There's only so many ways we can tell you we have great turtle encounters...(including 5 green turtles on our muck dive in mid-March) but how 'bout a picture vs. words?
©photo courtesy Craig
& Jean O'Connor
March 18--It started out as a great day with 5 sharks on Twilight Zone...but Alex and Mel came up all smiles after their 4-dive day when the 2nd, 3rd and 4th dives of the day all had whale sightings--breaching, slapping and flukes!
Mar 14 '06--Robert Becker of Pro Travel International is in awe as he checks out Saba for the first time and gets the photos below:
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| Not bad pics for a diver with about 12 dives before coming to Saba. Click on the thumbnail to enlarge. | |||
March 8 '06--Many time return client John Bobel is thrilled to do his first muck dive w/buddy Andrei: the usual suspects spotted and photographed--stay tuned for John's flying gurnard photo.
And for your safety stop entertainment, there's always Bruno to watch:
©photo by Travis Barth, fellow crew member
since Feb '06
Feb 28 '06--Cool winter
water temps (ok 77F and 25C) seem to keep the black jacks @ Outer Limits
curious.
Feb 20 '06--No new comer to
shark encounters, Vivi enjoys her first black tip sighting at Outer
Limits.
Feb 14 '06--Saba gets world coverage about new species found @ Saba Banks!
Feb 8 '06--Upon the descent at Shark Shoals, Martin thought the reef was moving...no, a huge manta. Not only did the manta allow divers to get close, it stayed with them for more than 20 minutes, encouraging light strokes and enjoying the bubbles!
Feb 1 '06--A Spotted eagle ray was seen twice today hovering around Ladder Labyrinth in the reef area (not the normal sandy area sighting) in 30-60' of water.
Jan 28 '06--Further reports of humpbacks singing but still no sightings within the park.
Jan 24 '06--High winds created rough seas for a number of days but once you were beneath the surface, great diving still to be enjoyed.
Jan 16 '06--Alyson Adventure's first group of the season enjoys a Spotted Eagle Ray off Tent Reef.
Jan '10 '06--It's the time of year for
humpback whales. Today Saba fishermen spied 3 breaching on the Saba
Banks (about 8 miles from Saba), including a calf.
Jan 4 '06--What a way to start the new
year--divers had a special show with two dancing and frolicking spotted
eagle rays @ Hot Springs during the afternoon, 3rd dive of the day.
Jan 3 '06--Our guests had an excuse to rinse their wetsuits. Many laughed so hard they, well you know,,,,watching a remora trying to attach itself to any willing diver.
Christmas Week 2005 brought all sorts of special gifts including a manta sighting @ Outer Limits.
Merry Christmas to those lucky enough
to be on this dive!
Photo courtesy Jose Otero, 2nd day after photo
course with Charlotte and Sea
Saba's rental digital camera
Link to more "Recent Sightings" from 2005 and previously
Regional
Marine Biologists Explain
The Importance of Saba's Red Hind
Survey
©photo courtesy Suzanne Nielsen, St.
Maarten Daily Herald
SABA—The Saba National Marine Park will work with a team from the University of the Virgin Islands (UVI), St. Thomas USVI, to investigate Red Hind Grouper spawning aggregations on the Saba Bank.
The UVI Scientists are interested in comparing the Saba Bank to other red hind aggregation sites they have been studying off of St. Thomas and St. Croix. The Saba Bank aggregation area will serve as a contrast to these other sites because it is an area that is currently under no fishing regulation.
The study will involve tagging the fish. To track their movements, the study will offer $20 for each tag that is brought to them with the coordinates of where it was found. Marine Park Manager David Kooistra said that the study will start on December 11, when the researchers will give a workshop/lecture for fishermen who will be involved in the study and interested parties. The timing is important because the aggregations occur at the full moon. The team will go to the Saba bank to catch, tag, and release the fish. They will return again at the full moon in January and in February.
Kooistra said that many species of groupers form spawning aggregations, a dramatic event where thousands of fish gather at specific location s for reproduction. The Saba Bank areas are well known.
In addition, the researchers hope to characterize the coral reef used by the red hind and to determine the total area and the number of fish using the aggregation site. They will measure the fish and determine sex in order to define the average size of the hind spawning on the bank, the sex ratio, and the migration of the fish once leave the area. This baseline data will then be available to the Saba National Marine Park, Netherlands Antilles fisheries managers and the fishermen of Saba to help them determine if and when management protection is needed for red hind spawning aggregations on the Saba Bank.
Sea
Saba Attains Status as
PADI National Geographic Dive Center
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Why did you want to learn to scuba dive? Although the answers are varied, most of us can think back to looking at images, like the ones found in National Geographic, and the intrigue those images conjured. Becoming a scuba diver gives you the tools to explore innerspace; to enter a realm at once not thought possible; to become one with the ocean.
| Are you ready to be a National Geographic Diver? Commit to changing from an underwater tourist to an underwater explorer. | ||
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©Sea Saba Dive Center. Photos taken with Sea Saba Minolta Ximage digital cameras. Photos used by permission of Charlotte Lord and Alex van der Kroft--taken during Sea Saba's first National Geographic course.
In 2003, PADI, Proffessional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) and National Geographic joined forces to bring adventure and environmental awareness to the armchair traveler. The slogan of the program is to go from being an underwater tourist, to an underwater explorer.
The PADI National Geographic program is designed as a more involved open water course or a portal for those already certified. As a National Geographic diver we will first assess your buoyancy control and navigation skills--two tools necessary before considering exploration. Your PADI National Geographic instructor will work with you to understand your interests. The next step is to choose an underwater exploration project: mapping project, Reef Check survey or marine environment identification project. The use of a digital camera is included during one of the 3 dives necessary to complete the course. A certified National Geographic Diver will possess the tools and confidence to be considered an underwater explorer, to continue to work with the knowledge obtained in the class and evolve to a diver who is truly interested in the reef, its inhabitants and knows has the knowledge to explore unobtrusively.
The National Geographic program parallels many aspects of the Sea & Learn program as well as Sea Saba's diving philosophy. Although Sea Saba has been teaching diving and 'entertaining' divers for more than 20 years, we haven't lost our passion for the sport or the satisfaction we receive when seeing the look on a new diver's face after their first dive. The Team of Sea Saba recognizes that keeping diving interesting is part of our job and responsibility.
And finally, we understand you're on vacation and not everyone wants to 'take a class' that might interrupt your diving plans or dinner plans. Sea Saba offers a number of continuing education classes which we try to keep as easy and unencumbering as possible while offering a top notch, quality program. See the Training & Courses page of this website for more details and options.
You'll
never look at cactus the same again...
Night Blooming Beauties
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©photo courtesy Dr. Ralf Bauer |
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The
above photos are considered by most as 'night blooming cactus flowers'.
But last year, Sea & Learn guest lecturer Dr. Ralf Bauer explained the
differences of cactus and succulent and showed us that there are several
different species growing here on Saba. The
top photo is Ralf's, the Selenicereus grandiflorus, or more commonly the
"Night Blooming Cereus" or "Queen of the Night".
The lower photo John shot in the early morning hours of August 20, 2005,
after watching the bud for more than 2 weeks (several 3 a.m. outings to be
sure not to miss the event!). If you look at the green cactus part
of the plant, you'll see they are fairly different in their stems. They
belong to different genera of night blooming cacti. According to Ralf,
John's photo probably shows Hylocereus costaricensis, which is not native
to Saba. However, here on Saba also grows a very similar species with
thinner stems and longer spines, that is native. John's photo here is a
quick digital version, the higher quality one to follow soon... Dr. Bauer is actually a dentist but with a passion for scuba diving and cactus. He has been published in scientific journals for his cactus work and his beautiful photography |
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Sightings and stories from 2005 back to 2003... Dec 12 '05--David and Pat Buccello returned to Saba for the second time. This trip they enhanced their diving skills with an introductory underwater digital photography course with Charlotte.
Nov 27 '05--Alex has had his eye on a particular Sandtile fish @ Man O'War Shoals. Check out his special Creature Feature on this industrious and tireless fish. Nov 12 '05--Mel Harris was back on his third trip to Saba but his first time trying an underwater camera. This high res shot of a Longsnout seahorse was taken at Greer Gut (still there as of Jan 2 '06)
Nov 1 '05--Sea Saba's crew reports a month's worth of cooler weather has Saba's hard corals looking "back to normal" after the extremely warm weather months of September and October 2005. Oct 19 '05--Sea & Learn Stingray expert Matt Potensky also studies sharks at the Guy Harvey Institute. He pointed out a curious juvenile Silky sharks while on the safety stop of Mt. Michel--his photo below:
Oct 17 '05--Visiting PADI instructor Frederick Coop finds a red seahorse at Greer Gut--await the photo, Fred! Oct 16 '05--Sea Saba's MSDT Alex van der Kroft points out a male stingray to Southern stingray expert Matt Potensky during a Sea & Learn fieldtrip--photo below by Matt Potensky:
Oct 10 '05--Saba Science Adventure Camp leader Jeff Bozanic shows what a camera's perspective can do to the size of a barracuda when compared to Sea Saba's instructor Charlotte Lord:
Oct 3-8 '05--John and Lynn attend the DEMA show in Las Vegas... Sep 27 '05--4x return client Jim Beale brought his local dive shop owner to Saba: Dori Carmichael of Splash Dive Center in Washington, DC. A highlight was the final dive: Sea Saba's muck dive where they saw a flying gurnard, octopus, batfish, several bat fish and the Rosy Red Razorfish and two green turtles.
Sep 20 '05--Another summer diving highlight...Gersh brought afternoon divers around the lava flows of Ladder Labyrinth to be surprised by two bull sharks--girthy guys, unusual to see at shallower depths in the warmest summer waters. Sep 13 '05--Normally considered as pelagic
game fish, 5 Atlantic Spade Fish are pointed out at Man O'War
Shoals. This dive often compared to a giant aquarium for not only
the abundance of fish but the grand variety. Aug 31 '05--Gersh and fellow night divers witness a serious bout between a lobster and a spotted moray at Tent Reef. Aug 24 '05--Melissa takes divers on a mellow night dive and finds a sleeping hawksbill turtle. Aug 19 '05--It's the time of year for Moon jellyfish and all sorts of other bizarre looking jellies. Many of these creatures are harmless to everyone except the super extremely sensitive--and great photo ops too!
Aug 12 '05--Remember Kurt? He found a fantastic pipehorse on St. Maarten. Just proves that there's great stuff everywhere if you just keep looking. Aug 4 '05--While out of her normal office digs, Sue is witness to a Rock Hind eating an octopus at Ladder Labyrinth. Why? It appeared to be a weakened octopus perhaps on its 'last leg' and nature took its course....learn more about octopus with Roger Hanlon in late October '05. July 31 '05--Alex spies a gray frog fish on a soft coral at Tent Reef. July 25 '05--Not our normal yellowhead jawfish but the larger banded jawfish was identified by Guy and Charlotte while on Sea Saba's now famous muck dive. July 24, '05--Ask for a frogfish, Alex delivers two today! A smaller grey one at Tent Reef and a mottled yellow frogfish at Hole in the Corner. July 21 '05--Giraffe Garden Eels known to be in Brazil and extreme southeastern Caribbean continue to thrive at Man O' War Shoals. July 5-20 '05--pardon our lack of news in this time frame as John and Lynn were off island snorkeling with belugas in the icy waters of Hudson Bay in Manitoba, Canada. June 30--Choo Choo Dive Center returned for
its 4th trip to Saba. Divers participated in a Reef Check survey
conducted by Carolyn. May 28 '05--In addition to normal good stuff, a stunning week of unusual sightings in Ladder Bay for the Orca Scuba group: the rare fingerprint cowry shell (Spotted Cyphoma), multiple sightings of 5-6' tarpons, and a strange grouping of 6 nurse sharks seemingly in some sort of conference @ Hot Springs. May 16-31--John and Lynn were in Peru photographing poisonous dart frogs among other things...
May 10--Guy finds a large grey smaller
yellow frogfish @ Hole in the Corner while guests enjoy a manta looming
overhead. Apr 24 '05--New arrival Gersh points out a sharptail eel on Tent Reef to Diver's Mast group out of Michigan. Apr 16 '05--While servicing one of Saba's visiting 'mega yachts, VIP guests request the muck--Carolyn and Guy delivered--bat fish, octopus and a passing eagle ray.
Apr 10 '05--enjoying unseasonably calm
weather, Alex spots an endangered Leatherback Turtle while on the mooring
at Cove Bay. Mar 15 '05--A long-lured frogfish is confirmed by Guy at Hot Springs Mar 6 '05--Little Ricky's dive group enjoyed more flat calm seas and diving Saba's windwardside. Their first day included two dolphins playing at the bow of Giant Stride. Mar 4 '05--Dick & Paula are always the lucky charms during whale migration time. Saba's first humpback sighting this year was thrilling for many islanders. 7-10 humpbacks were first spotted right outside the Fort Bay Harbor. They thrilled many as they continued to breach and spy hop down the coastline all the way to the airport. It happened in late afternoon so instead of divers, many land residents simply looked out to the flat calm sea for the show. All had a whale of a time! Feb 24 '05--Mating flying gurnards were the highlight this week at Big Rock Market. Feb 18 '05--One of Dick's favorite dive sites for a reason...Greer Gut's white sandy area is home to shellfish so spotted eagle rays are not uncommon. Feb 11 '05--Leda, Alex and our lucky diveguides had the rare delight of swimming with 7 Bottlenose dolphins! Sea & Learn why rare natural encounters like these are at risk due to the exploitation of dolphinariums in the Caribbean and elsewhere.
Feb 4 '05--Continued north swells but low winds even allowed us to dive the wall at Cove Bay where our newest crew member Debby spied a number of porcupine pufferfish. Feb 1 '05--Some typical winter cold fronts from the nort have made our normal leeward sight less than optimal. BUT, the lack of wind has made for weeks of diving are less dove Windwardside sights. Guy and Bruno both came upon a whitenose pipefish (relative to a seahorse) @ Giles Quarter Jan 23 '05--Just four of the group from "Octopus's Garden" extended their annual dive trip. While doing their safety stop @ Shark Shoals, they were rewarded with 4 hammerheads for about a 10-minute encore! Jan 16 '05--Saba's own 'shark week' starts off with white shark expert Mark Marks spotting a smooth hammerhead at Customs House Reef. January 8, '05--It's not September yet unusually calm seas following large swells once again brought in sargassum weed and with it, the rare sargassum frogfish. Dec 27 '04--Cooler winter waters translate to even more shark activity. 3 reef sharks at Saba's pinnacles today and two nurse shark in Ladder Bay...Join Dr. Mark Marks on our boats Jan 15-22 '05 to learn more about his shark research. Dec 19 '04--a lone hammerhead swims with divers off Tent Reef. Dec 10 '04--Leda leads our California divers from Amigos Del Mar Dive Club on a final dive in the muck: mating flying gurnards, an 8" orange seahorse, a frogfish and a red-lipped batfish were seen on this dive just before a spotted eagle ray passed by to make the dive complete!
Nov 23 '04--Pan Aqua Dive Center of New York City makes its annual Thanksgiving Weekend Trip to Saba. Spotted Eagle Rays are reported more than once on Saba's windwardside sights: Hole in the Corner & Big Rock Market. Nov 6 '04--Rainy
weather but still great diving below. Steve spots an octopus den at
Tent Reef in anticipation of Octopus Monitoring
Project. Oct 23 '04--Second survey dive for Project Seahorse spots just one seahorse but an octopus den so that we're ready for Dr. Hanlon's arrival in December. Oct 19 '04--First survey dive for Project Seahorse yields excellent video and photographic documentation of 4 seahorses--one a pregnant male! Oct 16 '04--Divers join
John Ware on survey dive of coral reef effects of green house gases. Sep 30 '04--Saba Marine Park assistant Stan Peterson discovers his first seahorses--3 of them! And just in time for the arrival of Sea & Learn's Project Seahorse expert Alex Cliffe. Sep 25 '04--Our divers that dared to travel in September are enjoying fantastic diving conditions. Storms passing hundreds of miles away create low pressure systems which equates to flat calm seas and the ability to dive all around the island. Sargassum weed abounds so we're looking for the super rare creatures like the rare Sargassum fish John photographed years back. Sep 18 '04--Carolyn delights to a diving day out of the office and reports the numerous juvenile trunk fish @ Man O' War Shoals are nearing puberty. Sep 10 '04--With a number of passing storms, none targeting Saba, we have been experiencing some odd sea conditions. Perhaps one effect, Leda counts 37 Caribbean Reef Squid at Tent Reef. Sep 4 '04--Sue is back! During her sabbatical, Sue spent plenty of time on the ocean assisting her husband's fishing business and working with Saba's Marine Park. Sue and husband Rob's boat is just east of Tent Reef. From the surface they have seen 6-7 large, lighter colored sharks that appear to be Lemon sharks--stay tuned! Aug 30 '04--Warm summer seas are always the time when we see plentiful jellyfish. A few minor stings are worth the extra amounts of marine life, especially turtles that feed on the jellys. This summer we are seeing regular sightings of Green turtles, rarer than our commonly seen Hawksbill turtles. Aug 21 '04--Lee and Lea sponsor the "Victory Dives" with Saba's youth. Lee and Lea certified 6 more Saba teenagers this summer. 10 divers and many of their parents joined an afternoon of fun in Ladder Bay. Aug 17 '04--Fabulous summer weather has allowed us to visit the seldom dove sight of Green Island..where black coral and schooling big eyes are guaranteed. Aug 9 '04--They're out there! It's just a matter of chance and good eyes--like Guy's who spotted an orange Longsnout seahorse @ Tent Reef. Aug 1 '04--The rare blue many toothed conger eel was not only spotted by Leda and the lucky divers with her...they swam with it for 10 minutes witnessing its foraging skills and its eventual devouring of a blue tang. A school of squid and two octopus were also highlights of this night dive at Ladder Labyrinth. Jul 27 '04--Diamond Rock is hot! This time 4 sharks are again doing a circling act while two huge southern stingrays (6' wingspans) monitor the sand. Jul 20 '04--Taking a break from teaching, summer instructors Lee and Lea experience circling sharks @ 3rd Encounter; just two but a great behavior study. Jul 12 '04--Once again, the weekly inspection of Sea Saba's overnight moorings yields a frogfish; this one a small dark and shy guy, first spotted by Guy. Jun 25 '04--Sailfin blennies abound...but for a guarantee, it's just a sand dive at our overnight moorings. Jun 12 '04--Marcel and a few lucky divers look on as a 12' hammerhead cruises by @ Tent Reef. Jun 3 '04--And now the summer's first frogfish? Teachers Heather and Colin, regular weekend Sea Saba divers, spy a juvenile white, long-lured frogfish @ Hot Springs. May 29 '04--Never underestimate those safety stops. Guy spots the summer's first seahorse just before ascending at Lou's Ladder. Read more about these special creatures.. May 26 '04--Return customers Bob and Sue Paterson identify 8 different parrot fish in Ladder Bay with their new diving skills attained by the Naturalist Course instructed by Bruno. May 22 '04--Lambda Divers start their week off right with a spotted eagle ray at Tent Reef only to be outdone two days later with a hammerhead @ Shark Shoals! May 17 '04--"New Guy" Alex keeps our videographers smiling by spying a pike blenny in the shallow area of Tent Reef. On the next dive, divers first mistakenly identified the rare red-tipped Sea Goddess but Alxe later confirmed it to be the more common leopard flat worm. Paul Humann Reef Creature books are found at Sea Saba's office as well as on both our vessels. May 12 '04--"Never under estimate the sand" is Guy's new motto after locating a spotted snake eel at Tent Reef. May 4 '04--Holy Shark week!
5 sharks at Shark Shoals; 7 nurse sharks on Babylon. April 5 '04--Marcel eyes a pair of flying gurnards just outside the Saba Harbor March 27 '04--David Shirley of Scuba Center in Minneapolis hoped for a humpback but only hears them this year. March 15 '04--A group from Scuba Emporioum of Orland Park, Illinois spot 6 sharks on Third Encounter. March 2 '04--Dick takes the afternoon divers to Big Rock Market and has a close encounter with 2 spotted eagle rays; one with no tail but 4 feet across. Feb '04--sorry for the lack of updates for this month...John and Lynn in Indonesia muck diving ☻ Jan 31 '04--Richard Croft and friends (BSAC #109) finish out the week with a hammerhead at Shark Shoals! Jan 26 '04--BSAC divers from Lincoln, England encounter the year's first manta at Outer Limits. Dec 27 '03--Former Sea Saba office assistant Barb McDonough returns for the holidays and frolics with 18 dolphins on the way to Hole in the Corner. Dec 15 '03--Leda joins the night diving club witnessing the blue many toothed conger eel--this time at Tent Reef. Dec 10 '03--Dai delights at not one but three frogfish at our muck moorings--including the rare oscillated frogfish. Dec 4 '03--Guy reports promiscuous activity at Hot Springs--4 Nurse Sharks sleeping together...and... Nov 27 '03--Just one more thing to be thankful for...Leda discovers an Atlantic Tripletail from the surface. Nov 20 '03--While checking Sea Saba's moorings, muck divers' delight, Eamonn unearthed the rare Smiling Armina nudibranch. Nov 12 '03--ok, we'll be honest...a very rainy week throughout the entire Caribbean---but Saba's pinnacles still very diveable! Oct 21 '03--A family of green turtles arrives at Torens Point to greet Jumby Bay Turtle Researchers Ian McIntosh and Keri Goodman who were just two of the many Sea & Learn experts in the month of October. Oct 8 '03--The Tube Thing...A bit of research was needed to determine what SUSM Student Patrick Leonard found while snorkeling at Cove Bay--the uncommon Egg Case for Diamond Back Squid...though we find no photos of Diamond Back Squids. The egg case was about 6' (2m) long. Sea & Learn fish expert Steve Simpson hypothesizes the egg case holds millions of eggs.
Oct 1 '03--Ok, now this is when you do a 'double take'...only the third sighting we know of--Dai witnesses the elusive Many Toothed Blue Conger Eel at night @ Hot Springs. Sep 25 '03--Many time return client Nelson Campbell spots the rarer Spiny Flounder at Ladder Labyrinth. Sep 20 '03--Another daytime sighting of an octopus; this time at Diamond Rock, Common Octopus. Also other photos from Chef Michael while out in the sand.
Sep 13 '03--While checking Sea Saba's boat moorings Dai spies yet another great 'muck find'--the rare Atlantic Pygmy octopus. Sep 8 '03--Just certified Managers of Queen's Gardens Resort, Alieke and Sebastian were thrilled with a spotted eagle ray--10' across! Sep 2 '03--Owner of Garden Cottage, Tom Franzson, spies this lovely octopus at Man O' War with his new digital setup.
Aug 29 '03--Here's one for Paul Humann...the "rare to uncommon or absent in the Caribbean" Bluethroat Pikeblenny was not just seen but photographed on Tedran Wall--arrow blennies have also been seen... ©photo courtesy of David DaCosta Aug 25 '03--Once again, it's Man O'War for something special--this muck diving find a lovely Sailfin Blenny.
Aug 21 '03--While looking for the rumored frogfish on the Atlantic side of Diamond Rock, two flying gurnards were the distraction instead. Aug 17 '03--Seems late in the year, but nonetheless a yellow headed jaw fish @ Ladder Labyrinth w/eggs! Aug 11 '03--Flat calm conditions at Hole in the Corner allowed Dai to spot a new frogfish.
Aug 9 '03--Atlantic spadefish just one of the opportunists attacking sergeant major eggs at Man O War. Aug 1 '03--It's official...Lynn enjoyed a wonderful summer day of diving and spied the rumored Giraffe Garden Eels at Man O' War Shoals--why is this special? They're considered common off northeastern Brazil or the extreme southeastern Caribbean.
July 20 '03--Vicky finds a smaller frogfish next to the one regularly seen at Babylon. A baby or a mate? July 13 '03--The Edge day trippers share the fun of Vicky's first ever manta encounter @ Tent Reef. July 9 '03--Barb and T spy two mantas in one day! One at Lou's Ladder (3 meters across) and another at Torens Point (2m)
Jul 2 '03--hmmm...normally only seen on the Windwardside, grey angel fish seen regularly all the way to Customs House. Jun 15 '03--Never discount Torens Point as just a shallow dive for snorkelers and beginners! This week 4 squid and a white nose pipe fish were found at the site we deem "Saba's Nursery". Jun 6 '03--Spotted Snake Eel (like the photo above) recently seen at Man O'War Shoals. May 29 '03--You need a keen eye (like Barb has) to catch the elusive mantis shrimp before they scurry back in to their hole--many being seen in Ladder Bay. May 19 '03--New arrival Vicky was sooo excited to find yet another frogfish,,,this one of a brownish, yellowish sort at Hole in the Corner. May 13 '03--So obvious...once it's pointed out to you--a purple long-lured frog fish @ Babylon! May 5 '03--Three flying gurnards at Hot Springs spotted by visiting instructor Jim Mendenhall, creator of Saba's first DVD. April 26 '03--Turtles so close at Ladder Labyrinth that photographers were complaining!
April 15 '03--wonderfully calm weather has Sea Saba's boats on the Windwardside...swarms of blue tangs after those sergeant major eggs. April 2 '03--an afternoon dive at Hot Springs unleashes 100+ baby squid and a large Green Turtle.
Mar 28 '03--divers enjoying flat calm seas and an eagle ray at Green Island Mar 16 '03--Sunday morning divers are delayed en route to the pinnacles...a pod of 40 dolphins putting on a show! Mar 11 '03--Our first Danish customers from Adventure Diving enjoy an awesome night dive at Hot Springs:spotted eagle ray, tarpon, turtle, 3 slipper lobsters, 5 nurse sharks and a scorpion fish! Mar 6 '03--We're hearing humpbacks loud 'n' clear and hoping for our first real sighting of the season... Feb 25 '03--A 12' manta ray at Shark Shoals--not just a glimpse but 25+ minutes until our divers ran out of film!
Feb '03--John and Lynn spent 2 weeks in South Australia photographing the rare tassled frog fish. Ask to see John's Muck Diving Presentation while on Saba if strange and rare critters intrigue you. Jan 26 '03--Not the best weather day, but the eagle ray @ Hole in the Corner didn't mind... Jan 20 '03--This manta played around the harbor for 4 hours--lots of smiling divers.
Unusual Loggerhead Turtle Spotted
SABA—Local fisherman Julian “Bogan” Hassell discovered a loggerhead turtle Monday while working about six miles south of Saba. Hassell captured the animal and brought it into Fort Bay since he thought it was injured. The turtle, about 50 cm and weighing 20 kg, appeared to be in distress given its strange behaviors. Hassell noted that it dove for only a few minutes and then resurfaced to swim around in circles. Marine Park Director David Kooistra said that it is unusual to find the species in Saban waters. When the Loggerhead was examined at Fort Bay harbor, Kooistra noted that it had a shortened front left flipper, possibly lost to a shark bite. The wound was old and completely healed. “I could not discover what was wrong with it, so we released it close to the reefs; it went straight down and stayed on the bottom”, Kooistra said. He also noted that the Netherlands and the Netherlands Antilles are signatories to the Inter-American Convention for the Protection and Conservation of Sea Turtles. Saba is also participating in a turtle education program currently being conducted in the Windward Islands.
2002
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Another
reason to visit Saba in the summer...
We'll be the first to make sure you know that Saba is not a beach island. So don't come to Saba expecting to sizzle on a white sand beach...but, if you're planning a trip to Saba for our fabulous nature above and below the water, you may consider spending an afternoon or sunset at the Well's Bay beach--"IF the beach is in". So how do you know if the beach will be in? You don't. That's part of the intrigue. This summer the beach has been in place since early May until the taking of the above photos in late August. What does that mean? What causes this phenomenon? Ask an expert...Dr. Jennifer Rahn will be back on Saba in mid October for the annual Sea & Learn on Saba program. She'll answer these questions and more. What's the real
explanation for
April 22 '05--After months of dry weather, many residents of Saba stared up at the clear blue sky and scratched their heads. A celestial phenomenon was seen for hours in this region of the Caribbean. Some of the old timers said it meant we were going to have a drought, others turned to the Internet to reveal that wisdom keepers of the Americas and Tibet have complementary spiritual understandings about this dramatic omen around the Sun which is known as the Whirling Rainbow or the Sunbow. Those wisdom keepers think the Sunbow is considered a sign from the Creator, marking a time of great change or transition on the Earth. This full-circle rainbow can be understood as a sign to people of the necessity to live a life in respect and harmony with all the creations that make life possible: plants, animals, waters, minerals, fires, winds and other human beings. Meteorologists explain a Sunbow is simply caused by the sun shining through an icy layer of clouds 30,000 feet above the Earth. Scientists said a halo around the sun often means rain is on the way. A few days later, it was obvious how right they were! It rained for almost two days straight, re-hydrating the island and making it beautiful once again!
Sea &
Learn
“Sea and Learn will help you dig a little deeper, explore a little more, and appreciate and enjoy much more profoundly,” said Lt. Governor Antoine Solagnier as he opened the first Sea and Learn event, a public lecture by Dutch Marine Biologist Jan Post. And so we did! Last year's first Sea & Learn on Saba event was considered a great success. But with a year under our belt, and some much appreciated funding from AMFO and KNAP (both Dutch organizations), this non-profit, grass roots foundation has gained some real momentum. The enthusiasm of the event is contagious! The first week kicked off with the intriguing presentation of Jan Post which was only topped by his field project. Divers went on Sea Saba's Giant Stride for a shallow afternoon dive at Babylon. But this dive offered the opportunity to dive with a marine biologist who specifically studied cleaning stations. Divers watched as the briefed script came to life...wrasse lined up and suddenly as Post predicted, one changed color and sure enough, out came the cleaners! Mark Hagan, a New York artist, brought several Aquasketches to Saba--a high tech sort of Etch-A-Sketch you use underwater and eventually paint from your original drawing. Interested local children, adults, tourists and dive guides took a few hours on a Saturday morning to learn how to use it and then went diving the next day. Their art was exhibited at The Peanut Gallery along with Hagan's sketches.
University of Puerto Rico Biologist Pedro Rivera made delighted Sea & Learn attendees with his second visit to Saba as an expert. Rivera now focuses on rainforest management but spent the first 12 years of his career monitoring Sea turtles. So when local resident Vincent Hassell spotted strange craters and drag marks on the Cove Bay beach (not a common thing on Saba's tiny seasonal beaches), it was all the more rewarding that Rivera was on island to examine the nest sights. This is just a brief summary of first week events. For more information, photos and updates, monitor the Sea & Learn website or contact a Sea & Learn board member. Or better yet, come to Saba and enjoy it first hand! . Widecast Turtle Tracking Shows
October 28 '04--Satellite signals confirm 'Tom', the male hawksbill being monitored by Bonaire Turtles foundation, continues in the direction of Saba. Yesterday, 'Tom' covered around 40 km and is approximately 600 km off Bonaire. Yesterday morning, during the routine monitoring of No Name Beach in Bonaire, a new hawksbill's nest was found. It seems the turtle hoped to fit with a satellite transmitter the previous night came ashore sometime after the monitoring team had left the beach. The best guess is that she is the last nesting hawksbill in the area. There is a chance she will remain here a while longer and attempt to nest again in approximately 2 weeks. Bonaire Turtles has also had inquiries about 'Extra' the female loggerhead tracked earlier in the season. The foundation is still getting signals from her transmitter daily. 'Extra' is still in the same location previously reported, about 150 km off the coast of Honduras. For more information, monitor their website: www.bonaireturtles.org. Saba Conservation Foundation
SABA—Saba Conservation Foundation Trail Manager James Johnson and Austrian volunteer Barbara Wibmer from the Working Abroad program have mounted an informative trail sign about the Saba National Park at the Sandy Cruz trailhead in Upper Hell’s Gate. The Saba Conservation Foundation will have mounted 10 similar signs around the island by the time the project is completed. The signs include four maps of the island and six with explanations about historical sites around the island, such as Ladder Bay, the sulfur mine, sea birds, etc. Johnson said that the Sandy Cruz graphic panel was relative easy to mount in the special high-strength aluminum display frame and mounting posts. The information panel is on a fiber glass material, which will protect it from chemicals, corrosion, vandalism, and weathering. The digital process to produce the panels was used by Pannier Corporation of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The sign for the sulfur mine, which will be located outside the mine entrance and the sea bird sign which will be located near the surfer mine oven, will be more difficult to position since cement and tools will need to be hiked into the location along the steep trails, but Johnson was confident this would happen in the next few weeks.
Sea & Learn 2005
Sea & Learn 2005 promises to be the best ever! Join whale, dolphin, shark, stingray and bat experts...just to name a few new ones. Help Kenny Buchan survey Tent Reef, join Roger Hanlon in his on-going octopus research. Go to the Experts page of www.seaandlearn.org for full info and details. Sea & Learn on Saba is a month long event that takes place only on Saba. Nature experts form all over the world come to Saba to share their expertise with the local community, tourists and local school children. Enjoy nightly multi-media presentations and participate in 'hands on' research, surveys, field projects. It's all part of a unique program with the premise of enhancing environmental awareness. So don't just go on a great dive vacation, join the fun and we guarantee you'll learn something and have a good time doing it. Monitor the website: www.seaandlearn.org for regular updates and schedules. Sea
Scouts Instrumental in
SABA—A blind juvenile red-billed
tropicbird rescued recently was successfully returned to the wild Thursday
at Fort Bay. Marine Park Assistant Stan Peterson
and Saba Comprehensive School students Courtney Hassell, Jonathan Granger,
and Peter Johnson were out on a Career Day excursion in the Saba Marine
Park boat three weeks ago to check boat moorings, when they spotted the
bird. “Normally it would fly off immediately, but thus one stayed
put,” Peterson explained. The group immediately saw that the bird could
not see. The bird was rescued from the water
and taken to Peterson’s mother Evette, known on the island for her
skills in caring for animals. Evette has been involved in research
projects on the Fort Bay tropicbird
colony, which is the largest in the Caribbean. Evette said that the bird was totally encrusted around the eyes, and she applied the anti biotic Terramycin once a day. She said the bird was lethargic and seemed underweight. After a week, the bird responded, and now has a good appetite. She said the brown crust has diminished and she knows sight has returned, since the bird blinks when she approaches. She added that the bird now responds to the sound of her voice. Last week, the Saba Sea Scouts
attempted to return the bird to the wild, but it just floated on a wave
close to shore
Saba Conservation Foundation
Saba--Peter Schnabel, Sea & Learn guest lecturer, has compiled a digital database listing more than 400 plants with 700 images representing the most comprehensive data of Saba's flora. Read more about the purchase and how it can positively impact future studies on Saba.
We are Today's Tomorrow!
Amherst, NH--Habitat.Net program director Dan Bisaccio, a Sea & Learn guest lecturer, submitted "Youth Accord on Biodiversity" in time for Earth Day to the United Nations General Assembly. The document is a collaboration of the work performed in January 2005 at El Eden Ecological Reserve in Quintana Roo, Mexico. Four Saba youths and their chaperone (Sea Saba's Susan Hurrell) were among the international team with representatives from United States, Mexico, Netherlands Antilles, Indonesia, India, Italy, France, Germany and Belgium. The team overcame language and cultural differences to collaboratively produce and now submit "The Youth Accord on Biodiversity Conservation". Link to the full report and read more about the Habitat.Net program and Saba's involvement on the Sea & Learn website. And more good Earth Day news... Sea Saba to
Conduct Watch this spot for the results of our first test dives with Reef Check and Ocean Care. To find out the plan, go to the Latest News page of this site. If you can't be here for the fun, set two hours aside on Friday, April 22 and do your own Earth Day celebration--take a nature walk, visit an aquarium or just sit on the couch and appreciate that coffee table book full of great photography. Celebrate the earth and all it has to offer!
Mark Marks
SABA—International shark expert and research biologist Dr. Mark Marks lectured Monday evening to a crowd of about 75 at the Brigadoon restaurant in Windwardside. Marks’ talk was accompanied by close ups of his personal encounters with White sharks, all taken in open water without the protection of a cage. Many of the photos were taken off Dyer Island, South Africa, where Marks conducted his studies in the behavioral ecology of the White Shark over an eight-year period. Although the white shark is relatively rare, it is wide ranging in all seas in both hemispheres. Marks reminded his audience that there are more than 500 species of shark or rays, basically unchanged over seven million years. He compared the intelligence of the shark with that of a domesticated household pet. “These are the world’s largest carnivores at more than 21 meters and are highly self aware,” Marks said. Since these sharks are warm blooded, they can move very quickly and unpredictably, which allows them to track and capture other intelligent species, such as dolphins. While undertaking shark research off Guadalupe Island in Mexico, Marks noted 66 different shark behaviors and was able to observe the shark’s social interactions and possible cooperative hunting. He noted that the shark would sometimes attack, but not necessarily kill its prey, or again kill it, but not completely devour it. “The simple answer to this is that they have had their fill, and it’s easy for them to come by the next meal,” Marks explained. Marks will meet with the children’s Scout group on Wednesday afternoon, and will give another public lecture on Friday evening. During the week, he will be available to resident and tourist divers as this week’s Sea and Learn nature expert in residence. Watch for his Discovery Channel airing soon. Summer
Diving and We hope you will agree that our website is not just a promotional tool but also provides helpful information that fairly represents the island, the diving and our operation. We often get the questions "when is the best time to dive Saba. Our sarcastic reply is "when it's bright and sunny, flat calm, crystal clear vis and fish jumping everywhere." Can we predict when the stars line up just right for this scenario? No. More experienced divers know this scenario is rare or perhaps better described as unrealistic. Experienced divers recognize that often times less than perfect visibility equates to more fish life which can create wonderful scenarios to witness various interaction and behavioral sightings. In the summer months, we often have decreased visibility due to "more stuff" in the water--plankton, jellyfish and all sorts of natural things. Check out the Summer Sightings below and see what we mean. Less than a month
to go... The most recent expert to join the event...Birder Tadas Biruts, pictured here in full mosquito protection whilst crossing a stream on a trip to the Amazon.
This year's 2nd Annual Sea & Learn event promises to be bigger and better last years. Look for new presentations and new discoveries from our resident experts, a few returning faces and some exciting new ones. Go to www.seaandlearn.org for all the details and a calendar that details which expert will be at which venue each day. In an effort to share this great event with our neighbors, school children from St. Maarten will also participate. In addition, Winair and The Edge Ferry are offering special discounted fares and complete packages for Sea & Learn participants. Sea & Learn on Saba--it's fun; it's free; and it's for everyone! Sea & Learn Experts
Orchid expert Stewart Chipka and entomologist Mary Roduner were two of many Sea & Learn experts in October 2003. Since the event, they have been working together on a field project in Saba's Upper Hell's Gate to determine which moth pollinates the rare Lady Lash orchid found on Saba. Read all about Mary, Stewart, their field work, respective backgrounds and more on the Sea & Learn page of this site.
2004 SABA--Dr. Mark Vermeij of NOAA Fisheries, Southeast Science Center in Miami Florida has just made his annual announcement to predict this year's coral spawning. For each species the times
are given for the expected spawning time on Curacao and Bonaire (data
1997-2003). However, based on observations from last year throughout the
Caribbean, differences among localities were often small. I added, when
available, comments on deviating spawning times for specific localities. I
want to stress that these are estimates and no guarantee exists
that things will go as expected. Last year several species behaved
"weird", so they only way to be really sure is by filling a few more tanks
and dive as much as you can....
Acropora palmata : A Milestone
courtesy Suzanne Nielsen &SXM Daily Herald SABA—A new ordinance for registering and tagging livestock and pets on the island was unanimously approved in a lengthy Island Council meeting Friday morning. All council members and about 12 citizens were present. Although the ordinance exempts only poultry and rabbits from tagging/registration, clearly Saba’s wild goat population is at the heart of the ordinance, created by the ExCo with support from the Saba Conservation Foundation (SCF). Money to implement the program from donor organization DOEN has already been approved. All council members recognized the increasing problem of goat damage to private property, the stripping of hillside vegetation leading to erosion, and the traffic hazards roaming animals create. By October first, all animals must be tagged and registered at the Agriculture Station. During the same period, the government will start a “buy back” program to be administered by the SCF, during which killed goats will be inspected and purchased by the government if the animal meets certain criteria. A buyer for the goat meat has already been lined up. During the initial grace period, July 1 to September 30, animals may be registered for free. As of October 1, tagged/registered livestock must be kept on fenced lands, belonging either to the owner or leased/loaned for grazing purposes, and poultry and rabbits must be penned. Cats and dogs must also be tagged/registered. After October 1, untagged animals or free roaming animals will be impounded or shot if capture is impossible. Council members will be working on the supporting measures, tariffs, and eventual fines in order to start implementation of the program on July 1. The first step will be a meeting next week with goat owners to explain the program and get their feedback.
Toronto's Bruce Trail Club written by Ross McLean It all began almost 10 years ago with an innocent call from John Anderson, a Torontonian who had a cottage in Saba. In conversation with the local Conservation Foundation, he had suggested that a group of trail volunteers from Ontario's Bruce Trail Club might be interested in helping restore the trails on the magical island of Saba. Nine years ago, the first team went to the island for a week work stint. Since then, the project has grown each year. In 2004, there were three teams, each for two weeks, spreak over the first two months of the year. The total number of volunteers was approximately twenty. Recently, the volunteers have made more improvements on Mt. Scenery. Two loop trails at the top and three lookout points now present a panorama of the entire shoreline more than 3,000 feet below. The most dramatic passes through a cave before reaching the summit and just before the cave will be placed a bench in memory of Ron Gotts, a trail crew leader who died tragically last year before making his annual trip to Saba. In 2004, local guide James Johnson and the crew opened up the vegetation in front of this bench site and the view down to Torens Point and Diamond Rock is spectacular! In addition, revegetation efforts were made in the elfin forest at the top of Mt. Scenery. Elephant grass was brought to the island decades ago for cattle feed. This invasive plant threatened the area so the club removed much of it and replaced it with mountain fuscia, an endemic shrub that attracts hummingbirds in to the canopy. Four days were spent working the trail to Paris Hill, aka "The Whales Tail". It will need more work but it is now open and James is planning a fund-raising hike for this trail on Easter weekend. In the 1700's, a settlement existed at the top of the saddle and when working, we recovered old steps that had not seen foot traffic for centuries! James has ambitious plans to continue the trail from the top in both directions so that one can hike to Tent Bay or around to the area of The Ladder. These ideas should keep the club busy for years! It's also on Paris Hill where the cave will be explored. So the efforts for this trail will benefit both the hiking and climbing sectors of our nature tourism. Saba's Eco-Image With a nickname like "The Unspoiled Queen", Saba has much to live up to. In October 2003, Saba will "notch up" once more with an island-wide campaign to become the first Caribbean island with 100% green hotels.
Inspired by their own efforts in creating and refurbishing cottages that are eco-friendly, El Momo Cottages proprietor Angelika Hartleib (pictured above with husband Ollie and children), took the initiative to make all hotels on Saba green. Not painting the hotels, but obtaining the training and technical expertise to ensure social responsibility as well as environmental care for the benefit of the Saba community and its visitors. Now that the paper work and bureaucratic channels have been cleared, Mrs. Hartleib will be the moderator of the program. In cooperation with the Caribbean Hotel Association's division known as CAST (Caribbean Alliance for Sustainable Tourism), the Saba Hotel Association and individual hotel managers will meet and work with consultants and technical advisors to obtain these goals. Many hotels and households on Saba already practice green ideas with recycling and management of precious rainwater and simple but effective sewage systems. Watch for more news updates as the program progresses. See The Latest News for the December/January updates on this project.
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Santa Visits @ The Pinnacles Looks more like Santa's Helper...you just never know what creature you may find on Saba's deep-water pinnacles...read below for recent sightings or link to more specific site descriptions. The Odd Couple
This hawksbill turtle and barracuda are regularly seen at Diamond Rock and Man O'War Shoals cruising together. Divers regularly debate who's trying to snag whose leftovers. As you can tell, like many creatures around Saba, they are not very bothered by divers, allowing nice photographic opportunities! This photo was taken by Barb on her day off playing with her new digital camera.
2002 Unique Underwater Sightings Dec 9 '02--Not just another manta but this one 15' across! Divers were speechless @ David's Dropoff! Dec 2 '02--Lots of Lettuce Leaf nudibranchs found while poking around at Tent Reef but up above, our first traveler's from St. Barth's on the new schedule are shadowed by a spotted eagle ray as well! Nov 28 '02--Thanksgiving Day brought a 3 meter bull shark in prowling (or looking to feast?) @ Twilight Zone Nov 17 '02--On Barb's day off...she's having fun w/her new digital camera..4 ocean going triggerfish captured on disk @ Twilight Zone.
Oct 31 '02--Even our critters were celebrating Halloween--a decorator crab was sporting a full costume @ David's Dropoff. Oct 20 '02--A great buddy team! This hawksbill turtle is regularly seen with his pal, a great barracuda--today @ Diamond Rock but often times also at Man O' War Shoals. Oct 9 '02 Barb happens upon a spotted snake eel @ Torens Point--daytime resters and nighttime foragers, spotted snake eels blend well with the sand but are very obvious once you spot them. Sep 20 '02 3 Caribbean reef sharks welcome Dai Harris @ Outer Limits. Sep 6 '02 Only storms of fish as perfect weather is giving access to dive sites all around the island. Aug 24 '02 Barb reports BAD visibility by day (just too many fish at the pinnacles!) and by night (TONS of swarming worms in the water for the filter feeders) also seen...mating arrow crabs and a lovely cowry. The signs of summer. Realistically, vis is still 60-90' daily. Aug 14 '02 Andrea is witness to two frolicking green turtles at Ladder Labyrinth. A baby green turtle is regularly seen at Torens Point. Aug 3 '02 Norwegian photojournalist Espen Redkal discovers a tiny juvenile frogfish at Babylon, unfortunately being consumed by a Spanish lobster...
July 28 '02 Jaw fish with eggs in their mouths found in Ladder Bay by Stuart. July 15 '02 While conducting the deep dive for an Advanced Open Water student, a single hammerhead cruises by on Tent Wall. June 8 '02 Only two weeks in the warm Caribbean waters and new instructor Barb Makohin spots a manta ray at Saba's shallowest dive site, Torens Point. June 1 '02 Contributing photographer David DaCosta's gimlet eye happens upon a sailfin blenny in territorial display at Ladder Labyrinth. May 21 '02 Shortfin Pipefish sighted by the keen eye of Andrea at her favorite dive site Tent Reef. May 10, '02 Signs of spring with a spawning purple tube sponge at Hot Springs witnessed by many a diver. April 26, '02 Is this news? Chef Michael and visiting marine biologist Helen Sykes swim with ANOTHER manta; this one @ David's Dropoff. April 16, '02 not just rumors, a confirmed sighting of a Yellow Frogfish @ Diamond Rock--this photo taken in 1990 also @ Diamond Rock--notice the pedicure. April 4, '02, Edge Divers spot 6'(2m) friendly manta ray that swims with our divers for 25 minutes @ Man O'War Shoals. AND, a lovely diamond ring spotted at Tent Reef...Tim asks Melissa to marry him---Yes!
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| Fall/Winter 2002 | ||
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SABA—Tourists venturing out on Saba’s famous trail
system will soon benefit from new signs erected by the
Saba Conservation Foundation.
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Our
website helps rescue Tropicbird
31 Oct 2002--SABA—The successful rescue
of a red-billed Tropicbird and its safe arrival on Saba turned into
tragedy Thursday morning when the bird was found dead in its cage at the
house of island bird expert, Mandy McGehee.
Gilligan arrived at the Saba airport after a 10-day lay over in Miami to
obtain all the necessary veterinarian documentation. The bird, accompanied
by McGehee, flew courtesy Winair back to Saba. McGehee remarked on the
incredible international network of concerned animal lovers that had
assisted in the airlift operation.
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| Summer 2002 |
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When will Corals Spawn in 2002? 8 Aug 2002--It seems the experts can't agree... SMP Director Koistra is in contact with regional scientists and NOAA's Dr. Mark Vermeij with coral spawning dates ranging from late August all the way to October. The only sure bet is to book a two month dive trip with many night dives :-) Link to more about coral spawning...or click here for a spreadsheet of specific corals and their respective estimated spawning dates.
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Not Just Another Night Dive...
Need an excuse to book a dive trip late this summer? Come to Saba in late August and witness one of the underwater world's phenomena--coral spawning. Each year, mass coral spawning occurs approximately eight days after a full moon of August. Of course, the corals have full authority to "do it" whenever they wish. Spawning by any corals was rarely seen before the 1990 discovery in the Flower Garden Banks (off of Texas, USA). In addition to learning about the characteristics of the coral, scientists collect coral larvae and take them back to the laboratory to study the ability of coral to be grown before being grafted back during reef restorations. For recreational divers, you can get involved by recording data and sending it off to researchers , or just hang out and watch--warm water and extra "stuff" in the water are the makings of an exceptional night dive. Read more on the NOAA and Coral Reef Research Group websites and check out great photos on Richard Fitzpatricks's website. |
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You ask for it, we deliver! When divers from Down Under Dive Shop asked about a PADI Naturalist course, it was just the inspiration we needed. One of those "things we've been meaning to get to" projects, their request was well-timed. Helen Sykes, a visiting marine biologist invited the guests to Brigadoon restaurant for an entertaining but enlightening "happy hour" where they were taught the basics of marine identification. Those interested in pursuing a proper rating in Underwater Naturalist will join Helen on Sea Saba boats on Tuesday to complete their project. Helen Sykes is no newbie to Saba. She regularly visited Saba in the early years of her instructor career, 1990. After leaving St. Maarten to travel the world, she continued to pursue her passion for the scientific side of diving. When she's not logging data for her MSc (Masters) completion, she's either guest biologist on the famous Nai'a liveaboard or working with Fiji Ecotourism Association where she holds a board seat. Helen has now set up Sea Saba's instructors with the presentation for future use. |
| March 31, '02 | 8 pilot whales as Giant Stride cruises around the island on a calm Easter Sunday. | March 29, '02 | Laura & Zissi swim with a Hammerhead @ Shark Shoals |
| March 27, '02 | Just outside the harbor--4 humpbacks (link is from '98)! | March 26, 02 | Babylon,,,make that a pair of seahorses! |
| March 25, '02 | Diamond Rock...6, yes 6 sharks on the same dive. Stuart and the guests were swarmed by black tips and Caribbean reef sharks and NO! we don't do shark feeds on Saba. | March 23, '02 | Babylon...Does this mean it's spring? Laura spots the first seahorse seen in a few months! |
| March 11, '02 | Thrid Encounter...Desert Divers group out of Tucson starts off right with the first dive--Bruno points out a 6' manta cruising over the Eye of the Needle. | February 14, 2002 | Mt. Michel... Just after famed photographer David Doubilet was here doing an article for Skin Diver Magazine, Stuart finds the perfect poser, a white frogfish on a purple sponge. |
| February 10, 2002 | Sea Saba's overnight moorings...Weekly mooring checks often yield strange sightings in the sand. In search of the rare red-lipped bat fish, Laura instead stumbled upon two spotted eagle rays. |
Tropicbird Research Breakthrough!
Feb/March 2002--Paula Litzel, Evette Peterson and local bird expert Mandy McGehee were all smiles when they returned from a morning of birding in late February. They discovered the first Red-billed Tropicbird chick return since their work began 5 years ago. After many a dawn start, hair raising cliff walking, bird bites and twisted ankles, the team feels rewarded for their efforts with what may be scientific proof of McGehee's original hypotheses. Go to our Birding page for more details and photos of the project.
Since 1996 The Bruce Trail Club based in Toronto Canada has traveled to Saba to work with Crocodile James and the Saba Conservation Foundation to expand and restore the hiking trails around the island.
This year, three different groups of 6-7 enthusiastic Canadians came to Saba during January and February 2002. Their accomplishments include the widening of All Too Far Trail and the clearing of the Sulphur Mine entrance but perhaps most exciting is the expansion of the Mt. Scenery Trail (Saba's highest peak at 3,000'). The trail's new route takes you 600' (200m) further to the north overlooking the village of Hell's Gate with a breathtaking vantage point to Saba's airport, the smallest international runway in the world.
Ecolodge Rendez-vous, located along the Crispeen Trail, provided 2 cottages for the trail workers. The Ecolodge is in its third year of construction with 12 cottages to be completed in time for the rumored opening date of August 2002. Saba restaurants provided a few complimentary meals during the workers 2-week stint but for the most part, the volunteers donate not just their hard work but the expenses of coming to Saba including their airfare and meals. Workers begin their day at 7:30 a.m. and finish in the early afternoon, taking advantage of cooler mornings. Sea Saba provided a complimentary snorkel trip and around-the-island tour as a small token of our appreciation for the hard work done by the Bruce Trail Club.
Sea
Saba Instructors Work with SCF
to Launch Saba Rock Climbing and Bouldering
Now you can climb the rock as well as dive it!
Ever wonder
what dive instructors ‘in paradise’ do on their day off?
With years of experience climbing other areas of the world, Sea Saba
diving instructors Stuart Gow and Laura
Shepherd found the mecca of outcroppings on the Caribbean island of Saba
just too tempting. They shipped
down their rock shoes and chalk bags and are now instrumental in expanding this
5-square mile island’s tourism product to include Bouldering and Rock
Climbing.
It was summer of 1999 when divemaster Kurt Trennert’s keen eye spotted the first seahorse in many years in Ladder Bay. Since then, Saba has been host to a veritable seahorse bloom in many of her shallow reefs.
In the summer of 2000, Dr. Heather Hall, a well-known seahorse expert, spent two days diving with Sea Saba. Her book Seahorses, An Identification guide to the world’s species and their conservation* is our main source of information about this unique creature.
The shy seahorse has been a source of intrigue for centuries. Although it is actually a fish belonging the genus hippocampus, even its name betrays man’s ancient fascination with the seahorse. Greek poets wrote of sea gods riding this mythical creature, half horse and half fish.
Seahorses are considered an incredible “find” by divers around the globe. They reside in temperate oceans from the southern tip of New Zealand to the northern waters of Nova Scotia. Their preferred habitat is in coastal areas where sea or eelgrass or soft bottom areas provide an abundant source of small crustaceans, their favorite food.
The
creature’s ornate body style is not without purpose.
The independently moving eyes help locate elusive shrimp and crabs.
Lacking teeth and a stomach, the seahorse consumes vast amounts of
live food to compensate for its rapid and inefficient digestive system.
The long tubular snout provides suction for ingesting the
crustaceans. The trademark
prehensile tail is used as an anchor and for grasping the partner during
mating. The seahorse is capable of making "clicking" sounds by moving two parts of
its skull. Although intense "clicking" is noted during courtship, scientists believe color changing is the primary means of communication
among seahorses.The ear-like fins below the gills are used for steering and
stability with only the dorsal fin used for propulsion.
Thus, the seahorse is a relatively slow mover and must depend on
its mastery of disguise to avoid becoming prey.
Divers and predators alike find it difficult to find this fish that
has the ability to change color to mimic its surroundings.
It can grow skin filaments to imitate algal fronds.
As if that wasn’t enough, encrusting organisms settle on its skin
providing yet more camouflage.
(© click on "thumbnails" for excellent seahorse photos shot in our waters)
This
talent for costume changing has fooled the scientific community with over
120 named species of seahorses “on the books”.
Preliminary research by Dr. Hall and her colleagues suggests that
the actual number is actually closer to only 32.
In our Caribbean waters, only two
species are found: the
Longsnout Seahorse Hippocampus reidi and Lined Seahorse, Hippocaumpus
erectus.
Pairs
of seahorses have been consistently found at Ladder Labyrinth and Torens
Point. Research indicates
seahorses mature at six to twelve months. Seahorses are monogamous with evidence that a pair will mate
repeatedly and exclusively eschewing opportunities to interact with
non-partners. The daily
greeting rituals between long-term faithful pairs consist of dancing and
promenading for a period of five to ten minutes with the pair separating
for the remainder of the day. Seasonal
mating periods can last for 9 hours while the female transfers eggs to the
male. It is the male who
carries the eggs until the pregnancy is completed.
Unfortunately, seahorse existence is threatened by coastal development and destruction of habitat. In some areas of the world, they are harvested as curios and for Traditional Chinese Medicine. But in Saba, shelter is assured.
The Saba
Marine Park has protected its waters since 1987.
Fishing is prohibited. Permanent
moorings have been established in coral reef zones.
Designated anchoring zones are located in a few sandy areas with
current park rules requiring boats to anchor seaward to the established
moorings. This rule protects
the sea grass beds in shallow areas that are home to seahorses.
Of course, the same area provides food for other residents
including turtles, stingrays and many others.
So why is the diving community excited about five to seven resident seahorses? Not only are they a great tourist attraction to find and photograph, seahorses are the flagship species for endangered habitats signaling the healthiness of the ecosystem: the coral reef, mangroves and supporting seabed. Finding seahorses—and in this case, many seahorses--is a sign of reef prosperity.
So why are there suddenly more seahorse sightings in Saba? We can hypothesize that the coastal areas have recovered since a local company ceased mining, processing and exporting sand. This operation caused heavy silting and increased erosion. But over the same period, Saba experienced more hurricanes that affected the same coastal area. This question and others will be addressed by Dr. Hall’s visit to Saba in spring 2001.
For
now, check out the McGill
University website
(Project
Seahorse) to learn more about seahorses and the project’s progress in
protecting this unique fish.
*Seahorses, an identification guide to the world’s species and their conservation was co-written by Sara A. Lourie, Amanda CJ Vincent and Heather J. Hall. The comprehensive guide covers the biology of the animal but also the conservation concerns, an identification guide and of course, plenty of great photos: ISBN 0-9534693-0-1. Dr. Heather Hall is slated for a late May 2001 visit to Saba when she will begin her research on Saba seahorses, conduct nighttime presentations and be available to our guests for questions both on the dive boat and at the meetings.
special thanks to Michael of the
Brigadoon for sharing his photos ©
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