Eat, Sleep, Dive, Repeat

Liveaboard Experiences : Southern Exumas Bahamas

by Keeley Collins on September 20

In our 2nd article we will share our experiences aboard the Sea Dragon liveaboard in the southern Exumas Bahamas, and hopefully inspire sweet dreams of your own future trip.

8am. Awaken to the sound of water gently lapping, roll out of bed & follow the smell of fresh coffee & pancakes. Eat while motoring to the first site. Dive twice before lunch. Relax & snooze while motoring to the next site.  Dive again before dinner. Eat & grab torches for a night dive. Dry off. Sleep. Repeat.  No dishes. No cooking. No slogging your wet gear around.  Sound good?  This is liveaboard life. 

Diving is available in the Bahamas nearly year round and features stunning turquoise waters with uninhabited beaches of soft white sand. There’s something for everyone - wrecks, deep walls, shallow reefs, large pelagics (sharks! dolphins!)  and macro life.  The southern Exumas are sleepy little islands with a few small air strips, only fairly recently on the tourist scene. They’re the home of the famous swimming pigs!

We dove mostly around uninhabited Conception Island, a national park since 1964 & marine park ~2016.  A fun shore excursion was boating up the estuary with miles of mangroves - and hundreds of baby sea turtles (I kid you not).  We floated out as the tide changed and witnessed a mass spawning congregation of 65+ puffers.  The flat seas & little wind just after Hurricane Isaias afforded us a rare opportunity to dive the north walls & wrecks.  (More in next article)

M/V Sea Dragon is a custom designed 65 ft. fiberglass liveaboard (built 1980)  based in Ft. Lauderdale and run 7-14+ day trips of either north Exumas (from Nassau - fall/spring) or south Exumas (George Town - summer).  Accommodations for 8 guests in 4 bunk-bed style cabins, sharing 1 full bathroom & 1 toilet. Two outrigger stabilizers gave us a smooth ride.   With this small  size, they’re free to customize itineraries.  See their Facebook page SEADRAGONBAHAMAS.  

The crew has 30+ years experience in the Bahamas and that showed.  The boat is not fancy, but if you're a serious diver you'll happily trade creature comforts for unforgettable experiences.  Dive deck was well equipped with cubbies for each diver, the safety briefings comprehensive. 

While the accommodations are basic, the food & the experience is not….the folks aboard Sea Dragon made us feel like family visiting on vacation, a welcome change during COVID.  The food was PLENTIFUL & delicious home-style cookin' (turkey with fixings, roast beef, lasagna, burger night, grilled salmon, waffles, french toast, soup+sandwiches).

They have 3 friendly dogs (Australian Shepards) which have a very special relationship with a local dolphin named Calypso - amazing to watch them swim & play together!  Calypso followed us from site to site, quickly checking on us, and then swimming on to find her friends to play with.  I could write a whole article just on this special friendship…

Sunsets are spectacular to view from the top deck, featuring conch-shell corals and drenched yellows with a green flash.  Just writing this makes me wish I could go back!

I always meet new life-long friends on liveaboards (work & play).  You will too - we hope you start planning today!

General Liveaboard Considerations:

1. Health & Safety: Smoke detectors, 24 hr watchman,  satellite phone, O2/Defibrillator,  Cleaning & Sanitization procedures, where’s the nearest chamber?

2. Stability & Seasickness - check the weather, ask your doctor for non-drowsy seasickness medications just in case, ask the boat what type of stabilization they use

3. Destination - how to get there, best time of year. What animals  will you see? Small plane?  What’s your weight limit?

4. Gear: Rentals available? Nitrox?

5. Pack Reef safe products (hair, sunscreen, soap)

6. Training/Courses available - dive guides available?  Are conditions right for your  level  of training? 

7. Size of cabins/bathrooms - bunks  vs. flat beds - Roommate vs. Single.

8. Costs:  Perks, added fees, and tips. Expect to tip 10-15% on top of trip costs. (average)

   

9. Pricing Tip: Break down cost per full diving day  (not including travel &  partial days aka embarkation &  disembarkation). Compare full costs apples to apples if possible.

Keeley Collins is an avid traveller & award winning marine photographer based in NC.  A DAN Ambassador, she dedicates her time to supporting non-profits that promote reef conservation, diver education and the NC scuba community.  See her work at KelpandCoral.zenfolio.com .