Sea Hunter: "School was definitely in session!", Aug, 2016,by Eric Eckes, CA, US (![]() |
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Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best): |
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Accommodations | ![]() |
Food | ![]() |
Service and Attitude | ![]() |
Environmental Sensitivity | ![]() |
Dive Operation | ![]() |
Shore Diving | N/A |
Snorkeling | N/A | ||
Overall Rating |
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Value for $$ | ![]() |
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Beginners | ![]() |
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Advanced | ![]() |
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Comments |
We booked a ten night, seven days of diving charter on the Sea Hunter. Transit time to/from Cocos Island to the mainland was approximately 36 hours each way. We encountered calm seas to/from Cocos which made the transit enjoyable. The Sea Hunter is a large and stable ship. My wife and I had a room on the top deck and noticed little roll from the waves. The Sea Hunter has a nice sized salon for divers to gather and talk and share photos. The dive deck is very large offering plenty of elbow room for each diver. The Sea Hunter carried two hard skiffs that transported divers to each dive site. Divers were broken up into two groups, Gold and Blue. Each group had a qualified dive guide assigned. We came to Cocos for Hammerhead Sharks and were not disappointed. On some dives our guide estimated we saw in excess of 100 sharks. Aside from the Hammerhead Sharks we saw several Tiger Sharks. Manuelita inside and outside was rocking. On our one visit to Bajo Alcyone we were fortunate enough to see a Whale Shark. During our seven days of diving we encountered numerous Marble Rays, Octopus and even a bright orange Frogfish. The water temperature varied significantly due a wicked thermocline. I would wore a 5mm wetsuit with a hooded vest to cover the temperature variations. A side benefit from our trip was the fact that we had two marine scientists onboard. They were swapping out sensors at many dive sites that monitored the activity of previously tagged sharks. Each night they would share lectures of their activities which were very interesting. The galley was nice sized with five tables, each seating four persons. We were served three meals daily and there was plenty of food. The food was delicious. Each night at dinner one of the dive guides would read us stories of pirates and hidden treasure on Cocos Island. We had one opportunity to visit Cocos Island itself. We found a freshwater river to swim. We crossed over a bridge made entirely of confiscated illegal fishing gear. The weather went back and forth between sun and rain. In fact, Cocos is one of the wettest spots on earth. Although we dived open circuit the Sea Hunter is rebreather friendly. We are contemplating a repeat visit with out rebreathers to get even closer to the amazing marine life. The Sea Hunter has a great reputation which lived up to its billing on our trip. |
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Websites | Sea Hunter | ||
Reporter and Travel |
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Dive Experience | Over 1000 dives | ||
Where else diving | Indonesia, Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Malaysia, Philippines, Truk Lagoon, Palau, Yap, Mexico, Galapagos, Cayman Islands, Bahamas, Red Sea, Cocos Island, Cuba, So Cal Local | ||
Closest Airport | San Jose | Getting There | LAX to San Jose, Costa Rica. Bus ride to the port. |
Dive Conditions |
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Weather | sunny, rainy | Seas | choppy, currents |
Water Temp | 69-82°F / 21-28°C | Wetsuit Thickness | 5 |
Water Visibility | 40-50 Ft/ 12-15 M | ||
Dive Policy |
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Dive own profile | no | ||
Enforced diving restrictions | Due to unpredictable currents we pretty much stayed together as a group. | ||
Liveaboard? | yes | Nitrox Available? | yes |
What I Saw |
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Sharks | Lots | Mantas | 1 or 2 |
Dolphins | Schools | Whale Sharks | 1 or 2 |
Turtles | 1 or 2 | Whales | None |
Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best): |
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Corals | ![]() |
Tropical Fish | ![]() |
Small Critters | ![]() |
Large Fish | ![]() |
Large Pelagics | ![]() |
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Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best): |
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Subject Matter | ![]() |
Boat Facilities | ![]() |
Overall rating for UWP's | ![]() |
Shore Facilities | N/A |
UW Photo Comments | The Sea Hunter has plenty of room for cameras on its dive deck. Each diver had their own cubicle to house their gear. There were two large camera rinse tanks and the water was changed daily. Compressed air was also available. |
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