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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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More
of the Sea Saba Difference: May 2008 the last few months...
Saba insect inventory continues SABA—The Saba Conservation Foundation (SCF) cleaned out five insect traps on April 1 left by entomologists of Conservation International (CI). SCF Manager Jan den Dulk said that five traps were sequestered on Saba at different elevations and in different types of habitat. CI requested that the trapped specimens be collected on April 1 and again on May 1. The CI insect team is expected to return to Saba for a second expedition in the month of May. SCF ranger James Johnson collected from three traps and Tom van’t Hof from the Ecolodge was responsible for the fifth trap. The very effective trap is constructed of simple materials. A shallow trough is hollowed out on the ground and covered with a sturdy clear plastic sheet. A gallon of special antifreeze is poured into the trench to catch and preserve the insects that fall down after being caught in sheet of netting suspended vertically above the trench. A clear plastic sheet is spread tent-like over the netting like a “roof” to prevent rainwater from diluting the antifreeze. Den Dulk said that the special green antifreeze, which the scientists brought with them from the United States, was not toxic to animals, such as any Saba goats that might be foraging in the area. The antifreeze contains propylene glycol rather than the normal ethylene glycol. At all locations the empty gallon bottle has been left behind so that animal owners can assure themselves that it is a safe product from the packaging label. Den Dulk used two recycled plastic yogurt containers to collect. One served as a scoop to collect the antifreeze and pour it through the second container, which had been fitted with a screen. The antifreeze dripped through, back into the trough, but the insects were captured against the container screen. Den Dulk also picked up any leaves, which had blown into the trough since insects might also have adhered to them. The netting was removed from the mouth of the container, folded over all the insects, and put into a plastic specimen bag along with the leaves. The specimen bag – called a “whirl-pak sample bag” will join other Paks in den Dulk’s freezer until the CI team returns to collect all of them. Saba Virtual Herbarium undergoes major improvements
SABA—The New York Botanical Garden (NYBG) website containing the Saba Virtual Herbarium (http://sweetgum.nybg.org/saba/links.html) has been significantly updated to be more user friendly. The major revisions make the site more accessible to non-scientific users. It now provides tutorials for amateur botanists to have a better understanding of the plant world. These are: “Getting to know the flowers of Saba,” “Features of leaves used in plant classification,” and ”Features of flowers used in plant classification.” “Getting to know the flowers of Saba” gives a short tutorial on how to navigate the site and even includes an example of how a flower was misidentified and corrected by an outside scientist who reviewed the site and posted the possible correction back to the NYBG. Visitors are encouraged to participate and can learn how to do this on “Guidelines for contributors.” A helpful glossary of botanical terms has also been added. Dr. Scott Mori, who collected flowering plants on Saba during three visits to the island, said that the intention was to make the site more accessible to non-scientists who are interested in identifying plants and increasing their understanding of botany. Particularly useful in this type of search is the new possibility to search on the colour of the Saba flower: red, pink, orange, blue-purple, yellow, green, brown, and white. Advanced options, such as searching for common name or even specific locality, for example, allow browsers to pinpoint what yellow flowers species were found on Mountain Road. The ”Common Name” search is a dynamic work on progress. There is only one scientific binomial name for a species, but common names present a certain difficulty since there can be a variety of common names for the same flower, such as Anotto, Annotto, or Achiote—all which are Bixa orellana. In some cases, the same name can apply to different flowers. Mori said that the section would gradually include more local Saba plant names. These enhancements will be particularly valuable to school children and their teachers, since they are available as PowerPoint Presentations and can be down loaded and used in the classroom. Some students may be intrigued to know how Mori became interested in becoming a botanist and his inspiring biography is also just a click away.
Caribbean Coral Reef Status
report
ORANJESTAD—“Even replacing a light bulb will conserve energy and effect our climate,” advised Paul Hoetjes, Senior Policy Advisor to the Netherlands Antilles Department of the Environment, during an environmental programme sponsored by the St. Eustatius National Parks (STENAPA). Last week, Hoetjes attended in Washington, D.C. a meeting of Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network and the International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI) of which the Netherlands Antilles is a member. ICRI has just published “Status of Caribbean Coral Reefs after Bleaching and Hurricanes in 2005” and launched 2008 as the International Year of the Reef. Hoetjes brought the report personally to STENAPA. Hoetjes emphasized personal responsibility as a way of reversing global warming, which is held responsible for the Caribbean’s coral bleaching phenomenon of 2005. That year was the northern hemisphere’s warmest year on record and prolonged elevated sea temperatures caused corals to loose the algae that give them their colour and their life. The greatest damage occurred in the islands of the Lesser and Greater Antilles, with the US Virgin Islands, who were the hardest hit, suffering an average decline of over 50% due to bleaching and subsequent disease. In the Netherlands Antilles, the Windward Islands were effected more than Curaçao or Bonaire. St. Eustatius was documented with 18% mortality: no figures were available for Saba or St. Maarten. The report predicts that bleaching events will continue as more frequent and intense warming in the Caribbean is expected if the current rate of greenhouse emissions is not reversed. Since most Caribbean islands are highly dependent on coral reef resources for fishing and as a tourist attraction, bleaching will directly impact local economies. The report compiles data and observations from more than 70 coral reef workers and includes recommendations for solutions to arrest coral reef decline. The report notes that reef monitoring and surveillance in Netherlands Antilles Marine Parks has increased and in 2006 St. Maarten passed conservation legislation enabling legal designation of its Marine Park. In addition to responses at this level, Hoetjes pointed out that individuals can assist by contributing what they can to lower greenhouse emissions starting with equipping their surroundings with devises – such as light bulbs – that lessen rather than add to environmental stressors. DCNA prepares management plan for Windward Islands terrestrial parks
©Photo & story courtesy
Suzanne Nielsen, St. Maarten Daily Herald SABA—Dutch environmental specialist Jan A. Blok, from the National Forest Service of the Netherlands, has spent the last week on Saba preparing part of a Management Plan for terrestrial parks of the three Windward Islands. The Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance (DCNA) is sponsoring the study. Blok said that his work on the three islands would form only a part of the plan that will be put together by consultant Duncan McRay and published in the second quarter of 2008. Blok was first on St. Eustatius and will continue on St. Maarten after he leaves Saba. Blok’s eight days on the island included checking all survey documentation and hiking three specific areas of “high natural value”: the Saba National Park, which extends from the Sulphur Mine to just below the Mount Scenery summit, the hiking trails, and the Elfin Forest on Mount Scenery. The Saba Conservation Foundation (SCF) owns the land of the National Park and wants to be involved in all aspects of further nature development plans on the island to lend its professional expertise to these issues. Blok said that the management plan has nothing to do with land ownership, but will help provide the vision so that development is possible while keeping the fragile balance between land use and sustainability. He also expressed concern about the growth of the nuisance weed Coralita on Saba. He said that there is no question that roaming goats are also a threat to nature, but is important to undertake a proper study to determine the severity of the problem. Blok was surprised to learn that Saba does not have a nature policy in place, especially since the island’s environment is the major draw to tourists and such a policy assures sustainability. Blok is a specialist in the recreational use of areas set aside as nature preserves. Blok, accompanied by SCF Manager Jan den Dulk met with Commissioner Bruce Zagers to explain what the management plan was about and to stress the importance of the implementation of the nature policy for long range planning. Blok said that Zagers recognized the issue’s importance and would work to make it a reality.
Saba Marine Park adds 6 yacht
moorings Ready to install the last yacht buoy: (from left) Marine Park Assistant Ranger Greg van Laake, Marine Park Manager Jan den Dulk, and community volunteer Harry Eyre. SABA—The Saba Marine Park has added six new yacht moorings, bringing the total to 14, just in time for high season. Saba Conservation Foundation Manager Jan den Dulk said that there are now four mooring buoys east of Fort Bay and 10 moorings in Ladder Bay/Wells Bay. Public Works made the large concrete blockis, which rest on the sea bed to hold the buoys in place. The “Admiral II” dropped the eight blocks into approximate position last weekend. The drop position was noted by GPS so that the blocks could be relocated later for the final installation. On Friday, den Dulk, Assistant Ranger Greg van Laake, and community volunteer Harry Eyre used the GPS positions to locate the blocks and attach the buoys. First they descended on SCUBA to attach three lift bags per block. With the 6,000 pound block now raised to about 20 feet off the seabed, den Dulk pulled them by the boat to reposition the blocks at 45 feet in sandy areas with no coral or other obstruction. The 6x3x3-foot blocks are perforated with two 3-foot pieces of PVC pipe, through which a heavy chain is threaded, which then attaches via a shackle to the rope leading to the bright yellow surface buoy. Den Dulk said the moorings are rated for 50-ton yachts. Den Dulk said that Saba’s Fort Bay offers great facilities to visiting yachts, who can easily tender into the pier and get a taxi to Saba’s many fine restaurants and recreational hikes. He said the procedure is for the yacht to hail the Saba Harbour Master on VHS 16 for further instructions. The charge is USD $3 per person per week for the mooring. If visitors which to dive Saba’s pristine Marine Park, they must use one of the authorized dive operations. There is a USD $4 per dive Marine Park fee, with $1 of this going to hyperbaric chamber maintenance. New Saba Bank corals now identified
Saba—Scientists on the October Saba Bank expedition have confirmed that two new species of soft corals were found during their 10-day investigation of the biodiversity of the largest underwater atoll in the Caribbean, the Saba Bank. The team gathered 40 species of soft corals (also known as gorgonians or sea fans) and 100 different species of crustaceans. Of the new soft coral species, one was found in deep water by the Remote Operated Vehicle and the other by the scientists on SCUBA gear in about 40 feet. Graduate Student Herman Wirshing from the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science’s Biology and Fisheries Division said, “We will have to do more work to carefully verify and describe all of the diagnostic characteristics of this new shallow water gorgonian, but we can already conclude that it belongs to the genus Pterogorgia, in which so far only three species are known.” The end-goal of the study that brought the international, multi-disciplinary team to Saba is to have a scientific basis to show that the Saba Bank is vulnerable enough that special maritime laws are needed to project it. The samples will provide scientists with valuable information about the health of the underwater biosystem and whether measures should be put in place to restrict traffic. The team’s research will also help scientists better understand the natural history and diversity of hard and soft coral ecosystems. While some of the scientists were on the Saba Conservation Foundation Marine Park Boat and a leased fisherman’s boat, Wirshing was often in the temporary laboratory set up in the conference room of Juliana’s Hotel in Windwardside. With a microscope borrowed from the local Med School, he was able to prepare the sample that were taken back to Florida for further identification. Project leader Paul Hoetjes from the Netherlands Antilles Department of the Environment has been on Saba many times this year, heading up this and other studies of the bank’s astounding biodiversity. The work is financed through USONA, Dutch development funding.
The Saba Bank
Project Continues
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
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. Saba
Bank study discovers new species,
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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
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We finally tracked down the only diver on the boat 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 coordinato
