Shipwreck and Shore Exploration
Location: Statia
At the earliest hour of the day (6 am), we split into two groups. Group 1 dove in the morning, hopping into a strong current that pushed us as we descended along the mooring line to the bottom. Down there, we got a close pass from a sea turtle, and our professional guide pointed out a nurse shark sleeping among the coral. As we wrapped the dive, a massive stingray, nearly six feet across, lay resting on the sea floor. The second dive delivered a huge lobster, a lionfish, and a whole spread of other colorful species.
After diving, we swapped with Group 2, and some of us headed ashore for lunch at BarrelHouse, a local spot by the beach where the ribs and the fresh local fish were both excellent. From there, groups branched off to explore, with the beach being a main draw. Group 2 had taken the town earlier in the day, turning up large shells and a massive iguana, and on their dives, they crossed paths with the same sleeping nurse shark we’d seen.
Back aboard, we reunited and soaked up the sun, cooling off with swims after a full day of exploration. As the sun was setting, we spotted flying fish skimming the water in the distance. Once dinner was wrapped up and cleanup was done, we had several hours of free time to close out the day!