Dive Review of Nekton Cruises/Nekton Rorqual in
Cayman Islands/three islands

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Nekton Cruises/Nekton Rorqual, Jan, 2007, by Bill Dausses, Oklahoma, USA . Report 3432.
No photos available at this time
Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Accommodations		Food
Service and Attitude		Environmental Sensitivity	N/A
Dive Operation		Shore Diving
Snorkeling	N/A
Overall Rating
Value for $$	N/A
Beginners
Advanced
Comments	Our group wanted to compare the three Cayman Islands for the quality of diving and we weren't disappointed. This was a fun cruise and the crew was great. Nelson, the captain, went out of his way to find the better sites on each island and provided much flexibility in site selection. This cruise was an over-New Year's week and we wanted something different to celebrate. We were anchored on the northwest side of Grand Cayman New Year's Eve. Nelson accommodated everyone by opening the dive deck at 11:30 pm, and everyone gathered at the u-bolt on the reef at midnight for welcoming in the New Year. After returning to the boat and completing the safety stop, Nelson met me on the ladder when I surfaced with a glass of champagne on a silver platter. We were also treated to a great fireworks show by the islanders on Grand Cayman after the dive. Now that's the way to do New Years! On Grand Cayman we did the west wall, the north wall and sites in-between. It is pretty obvious the west beach sites are stressed from the tropical storms and heavy diver traffic. Still, there was a good variety of tropicals, grouper, stingrays,lobsters and other critters. The north wall is much more colorful and looks good with corals in good condition and much more populous. Little Cayman was a dive paradise by comparison. All of the diving was done in Bloody Bay and Jackson Bay sites. Many sites were in excellent condition, contained abundant fish life including several varieties of grouper, sharks, stingrays, spotted eagle rays, turtles, lobsters, eels and other small critters. Cleaning stations were everywhere and the highlight of the trip was diving with a friendly Nassau grouper named Jerry. He followed us on several adjacent buoys and was just like a puppy dog. Little Cayman is not immune to coral problems, however, the site known as Jackson's Reef was in bad shape, probably because of its position in an elbow of the main reef, high summer water temps, and lack of circulation. Still, we did watch a spotted eagle ray cruise through along with a pod of dolphins. Cayman Brac was almost as good as Little Cayman. Tarpon joined the list along with several more eels, turtles, rays, and a goliath grouper. And of course, the Russian Destroyer, the Keith Tibbetts, was as photogenic as ever, and getting better with age. The wreck has been prepared especially for divers and penetrations are allowed since there is little silting, lack of sharp protruding debris, and wide passageways with good light for exits. The Nekton Rorqual has aged some but it is in good condition and well-maintained by the crew. The food was always plentiful and good tasting. Rooms were nice and cool and the showers hot. Most of all, the crew was fun, very attentive, and great to accommodate anyone's needs. Perhaps best of all, the boat uses steel 95 tanks. This allows for really long dives and less lead on your belt, and on nitrox, several of mine broke 75 minutes. In fact, out of 26 dives, only four were less than an hour.
Reporter and Travel
Dive Experience	501-1000 dives
Where else diving	Cozumel, Belize, Puerto Rico, Gulf of Mexico, Mona Island, Cayman Brac, Grand Turk
Closest Airport		Getting There
Dive Conditions
Weather	sunny	Seas	choppy, noCurrents
Water Temp	79-80°F / 26-27°C	Wetsuit Thickness	3
Water Visibility	70-110 Ft/ 21-34 M
Dive Policy
Dive own profile	yes
Enforced diving restrictions	Buddy dive, safety stop, and return with 500 psi
Liveaboard?	yes	Nitrox Available?	N/A
What I Saw
Sharks	1 or 2	Mantas	None
Dolphins	None	Whale Sharks	None
Turtles	> 2	Whales	None
Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):
Corals		Tropical Fish
Small Critters		Large Fish
Large Pelagics
Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Subject Matter		Boat Facilities
Overall rating for UWP's		Shore Facilities	N/A
UW Photo Comments	Rinse tanks on dive deck to hold equipment. Equipment is handed to you once you are in the water and ready. It is hand picked up on your return to the boat. Above the dive deck is a spacious table for storing and working on equipment.

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Dive Review of Nekton Cruises/Nekton Rorqual in Cayman Islands/three islands

Nekton Cruises/Nekton Rorqual, Jan, 2007,

Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Overall Rating

Reporter and Travel

Dive Conditions

Dive Policy

What I Saw

Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):

Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Dive Review of Nekton Cruises/Nekton Rorqual in
Cayman Islands/three islands