Turks & Caicos aboard the Wind Dancer
Text and photos by R. and D. Kaiser

We had a very enjoyable trip May 9-14, 1999, on the Peter Hughes Wind Dancer. We dove Grand Turk, South Caicos and Salt Cay. I've never seen so many large Nassau and tiger groupers on one dive trip and like Bloody Bay Wall in Little Cayman, the Grand Turk Wall is impressive - thousands of feet down a vertical wall. They briefed you on each dive site and you were free to do your own thing, so you are not in a group. Usually, you dove each site for two dives then the boat moved. We'd started out diving along the wall in one direction then turned around and came back along the top edge of the wall in the shallow area. For the second dive we'd go in the opposite direction.

At the "Eagles Nest" in South Caicos we saw 5 spotted eagle rays and at the "Plane Wreck" site we saw several large groups for a total of about 20-25 spotted eagle rays cruising along the edge and top of the wall. It was very impressive - they are so graceful and such fast swimmers (you can't begin to go after them and take pictures, just wait for them to come to you). I'd never seen so many eagle rays in one group and on one dive, not even in the Maldives. We also saw a pair of lizardfish (sand divers) mating (circling, flaring gills, together and then alternately).

At Grand Turk site "McDonald's" we saw 2 sleeping nurse sharks with their heads butting a small piece of coral so they were out in the open. Ron and I circled them and I took a number of pictures from all angles and they didn't even budge (sound asleep). Usually when we see them they are sleeping way under ledges so this was a treat for us. Also at Grand Turk site "The Library" there are two very large and very friendly nassau groupers near the top of the wall which allow you to pet them. Those who did the night dive at that site said the groupers also took advantage of the divers lights and snatched fish right in front of them (no wonder they like divers).

At Salt Cay we did the "1790" wreck of the H.M.S. Endymion. This had been a wood ship so only the huge anchors, anchor chains, and canons were left. There were also anchors and a metal wheel house covered with sponges and corals from another wreck at this same site. This was a beautiful dive site with sand chutes and swim-throughs but there was strong surge which made it a difficult swim back to the boat.

On this trip we also saw turtles, barracuda, stingrays, porcupine puffers, and almost every kind of fish life there is to be seen in the Caribbean.

The boat itself was very nice. The only other liveaboard we'd been on was in the Maldives. This was much more modern - rooms were larger with closet and drawers, air conditioned with private sink, toilet and shower in the room. Meals were cooked by a chef and served in the dining room. We did 4 dives a day plus a night dive if you wanted - we only did one night dive (usually relaxed in the evenings). There were hot showers, soap, shampoo, and mask defogger on the dive deck and large dry towels after every dive. There is a large camera table and camera rinse tank. You kept the same tank all week and they refilled it after every dive. It was very easy diving.