Dive the beautiful Caribbean water with your current dive buddies or make new ones! This trip is suited for all diving levels and non-divers too. We can complete Open Water check out dives, the PADI Advanced Open Water Diver Course and many specialties including Deep Diver, Drift Diver, Boat Diver, Surface Marker Buoy Diver to name a few! Let us know what you are interested and we can sign you up!
This package includes hotel accommodations of 8 days/7 nights at Fiesta Americana Hotel, 6 days of 2 tank boat dives with lunch and gear Concierge Service, 32% Nitrox & 1 night boat dive with Air, All-Inclusive Meal Plan (5 restaurants, dessert & ice cream bar, room service), alcohol and other drinks, Round Trip Airport Transfers, and a Sunset Cocktail Social at Villa Gigglin’ Marlin Del Mar located in Costa Del Sol in Cozumel.
DELUXE ROOM
Diver – $1861 pp based on Double occupancy – Deluxe Room
Diver – $2508 pp based on Single occupancy – Deluxe Room
Non-Diver – $987 pp based on Double occupancy – Deluxe Room
MASTER SUITE ROOM
Diver – $2202 pp based on Double occupancy – Master Suite Room
Diver – $2018 pp based on Triple occupancy – Master Suite Room
Diver – $2920 pp based on Single occupancy – Master Suite Room
Non-Diver – $1328 pp based on Double Occupancy – Master Suite Room
Other Options: Cenote Diving, Cavern Course, Whale Shark Snorkel, Dolphin Encounter, Fishing Charter, Spearfishing Charter, and Mopeds around the islands!
Not included: airfare, tips and any extra excursion you choose.
Flight Suggestions: United or Southwest are great options out of Houston, but American is good out of Dallas and Delta out of Atlanta. For us to confirm your transfers, please send your airfare to: barbie@gigglinmarlin.com
Shorter Trips are available and can be quoted accordingly.
You can fly into CUN – Cancun Airport – but it is not recommended – unless there is not a flight option for that day into Cozumel (CZM).
Please use the QR Code to book and pay for the Flower Gardens Trips.
Weekend Flower Garden Tour
7 dives
This is our most popular tour of the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary.
We depart Freeport in the evening and motor out to the West Bank, famous for sighting manta rays, so divers must remember to LOOK UP!
After lunch we stop off at an oil platform. Be prepared to be impressed. Divers often go on this dive with modest expectations,
but the deep-water oil platforms change a lot of minds. And many divers tell us the rig dive is the best we offer.
The evening is spent at the East Bank where divers will usually find turtles that hang out and aren’t shy about getting their photo
taken.
Overnight we motor to Stetson Bank for two more dives before heading back to port for a Sunday evening arrival around 5-6PM.
Departs Friday evening at 7PM
Saturday Wake-up at 7AM
Dives 1&2 at the West Bank, famous for cruising Manta Rays
Lunch, then Oil Platform Dive
Dives 4&5 at the East Bank, visit with the turtles, Dive 5 is a night dive
Sunday Wake-up at 6AM
Dives 6&7 at Stetson Bank, nowhere for the critters to hide
Return to Freeport at about 5:30-6PM
Price: $794
Dates:
February 17, 2023
February 24, 2023
March 31, 2023
April 28, 2023
May 5, 2023
May 19, 2023
June 2, 2023
June 16, 2023
June 30, 2023
July 14, 2023
July 28, 2023
August 4, 2023
August 11, 2023
August 27, 2023
September 22, 2023
September 29, 2023
October 13, 2023
October 27, 2023
November 3, 2023
November 10, 2023
3-Day Extended Flower Garden Tour
(long-weekends, holiday weekends, weekday excursions)
11 dives
Day 1 Wake-up at 7AM
Dives 1&2 at the West Bank, famous for cruising Manta Rays
Lunch, then Oil Platform Dive
Dives 4&5 at the East Bank, visit with the turtles, Dive 5 is a night dive
Day 2 Wake-up at 7AM
Dives 6&7 at the East Bank, “the wall” with the sun coming up bathing it in light
Lunch, transit to Stetson Bank
Dives 8&9 at Stetson Bank, including the famous night dive at Stetson!
Day 3 Wake-up at 6AM
Dives 10&11, Stetson Bank
Return to Freeport at about 5:30-6PM
Dates:
April 13, 2023 – $945
March 16, 2023 – $1035
May 11, 2023 – $945
May 26, 2023 – $1035
June 8, 2023 – $945
June 18, 2023 – $885
June 22, 2023 – $945
June 25, 2023 – $885
July 6, 2023 – $945
July 16, 2023 – $885
July 20, 2023 – $945
August 13, 2023 – $885
August 17, 2023 – $945
August 20, 2023 – $885
September 1, 2023 – $1035
September 10, 2023 – $885
September 14, 2023 – $945
September 24, 2023 – $885
October 5, 2023 – $945
October 19, 2023 – $945
November 17, 2023 – $1035
November 23, 2023 – $1035
Stetson-Kraken Day Trip
(30 hours)
4 dives
New for 2023, we’re going for a quick trip! As usual, you’ll SLEEP on the way out and wake up to world-class diving.
This trip features two dives at Stetson Bank and two at the Kraken artificial reef. These four dives are designed to get you out to
world-class, blue-water diving in a shorter weather window.
Stetson Bank is a salt dome that has pushed up from deep water. It’s known for the much larger and more visible variety of
animals, including big sharks!
The Kraken is a 371-ft long cargo ship that was deliberately sunk near Stetson Bank. Like most artificial reefs, it’s known for its
sport fish congregations. The ship was sunk in 2017 and has since grown all manner of marine animals and creatures.
Friday, Arrive at 7PM, Board at 7:30 and depart soon after
Saturday Wake-up at 6AM
Dives 1&2, Stetson Bank
Lunch
Dives 3&4, Kraken Reef
Arrive in port at midnight, disembark at 7AM Sunday
Price: $485
Dates:
March 3, 2023
March 24, 2023
April 7, 2023
April 21, 2023
Stetson-Kraken 2-Day
(Thursday-Friday)
7 dives
One of the highest rated dives in our inventory is the very special Night Dive at Stetson Bank. Stetson bank is most notable for
it’s LACK of coral reef cover, resulting in many of the same animals but with nowhere to hide from snooping divers. The
wildlife at Stetson is a real treat, but at night, an entirely new set of creepy animals comes out from hiding. And prowling out in
the deep water, beyond the drop-off of the bank, big sharks (a resident Sandbar for example) and other visitors are common.
The Kraken is a 371-ft long cargo ship that was deliberately sunk near Stetson Bank. Like most artificial reefs, it’s known for its
sport fish congregations. The ship was sunk in 2017 and has since grown all manner of marine animals and creatures.
Wednesday, Arrive at 7PM, Board at 7:30 and depart soon after
Thursday, Wake-up at 7AM
Dives 1&2 at Stetson #1
Lunch
Dives 3-5 at Stetson #3 (including the famous night dive!)
Friday, Wake-up and 6AM
Dives 6&7 at the Kraken reef
Arrive at the dock about 5:30PM
Price: $735
Dates:
June 28, 2023
Oil Platform Adventure 2-Day
(Thursday-Friday)
6-7 dives
Most of our excursions focus on “natural” reefs that have formed and built up over thousands of years, but the Gulf also holds
some special, man-made, “vertical reefs.” Since the 1950-1960s, oil companies have installed structures in the Gulf to facilitate
the extraction of fossil fuels from the depths. Some of these platforms are within sight of land (boring), but our Oil Platform
Adventure brings you far afield, where water depths reach 900+ ft.
The special feature on the adventure is the Cerveza Platform. Built in 1983, it has stood in 935 ft of water for decades, as a
result, one of the things divers won’t see is the platform itself. There’s too much growing on it! Mollusks and crabs and worms
and all manner of creatures, some hiding in their shells and others hiding behind the others. There’s plenty to see. And don’t
forget the big game fish.
Oil platforms “retire” when their production runs out, and some of them will be “reefed” in deep water. Some are simply cut-off
in place, but others are cut off at the mud-line and moved elsewhere. These “toppled rigs” provide an entirely different dive
experience, and these are the rigs we’ll dive on Friday before returning to port.
Wednesday, Arrive at 7PM, Board at 7:30 and depart soon after
Thursday, Wake-up at 7AM
Dives 1&2 at Cerveza Platform
Lunch
Dives 3-4 at the “Intersection Rigs” (near Stetson Bank) – Are you up for a night dive on an oil platform?
(Night Dive if conditions allow)
Friday, Wake-up and 6AM
Dives 5&6 at the Matagorda toppled rigs
Arrive at the dock about 5:30PM
Price: $735
Dates:
July 26, 2023
October 25, 2023
Gulf of Mexico Tour 4-Day
17 dives
New for 2023
For divers who want to get away for a longer trip, we’re offering a tour of all the features described on other trips. Designed to
capture the divers who will travel from further in order to see all the Gulf has to offer, this trip has it all:
o The Flower Garden Banks
o Oil Platforms (variety, including Cerveza)
o Deep-water (6000+ ft), Black Water Drift Dives
o Toppled rigs
o Stetson Bank
o The Kraken Reef
Sunday, Arrive at 7PM, board at 7:30, depart shortly after
Monday Wake-up at 7AM
Dives 1&2 at West Flower Garden Bank
Lunch
Dive 3 at Oil Platform HI376-A (or other nearby)
Dives 4&5 at East Flower Garden Bank
Tuesday Wake-up at 7AM
Dives 6&7 at Cerveza Platform
Lunch
Dives 8-10 Stetson Bank
Wednesday
Dives 11&12 at Stetson Bank
Lunch
Dive 14&15 at Oil Platform (intersection rigs)
Thursday
Dives 16&17 Matagorda toppled rigs
Return to port at about 5:30PM
Price: $1326
Dates:
July 9, 2023
August 27, 2023
September 17, 2023
Coral Spawn Experience 4-Day
(2023 is a “split spawn” year, featuring 2 coral spawn events)
16 dives
Each year, a few days after the full moon in August (and sometimes again in September) corals the world over release their gametes into the ocean currents. These magical moments happen just after dark at the Flower Garden Banks reefs, and we designed this trip to put you into the mix with all that spawning.
There’s more! All that spawn in the water attracts other bigger animals too, especially the sharks and filter feeders like Mantas.
This trip is four days and five nights of diving and is designed to place you in the action for as many corals as possible. During the day, you’ll enjoy all the reef has to offer, plus an oil platform or two.
(No itinerary. Specific dive sites determined by expected spawn locations and times.)
Price: $1326
Non-Dive Excursions
In 2023, the Fling will offer wildlife and educational excursions. We’ll offer two birding itineraries from Freeport, one east to the Louisiana border and the other south to Rockport. These trips, while not immune from the weather, are inshore and less dependent on good weather offshore.
Eastern Wildlife Adventure
Texas is blessed with some of the best birding grounds in the country. High Island is a prominence located to the north and east of Bolivar and is a world-famous birding feature. Our eastern wildlife excursion will start on Saturday morning at Texas Point, the southeastern corner of the state and the mouth of the Sabine River. We’ll travel up the river to the intracoastal waterway and turn back toward High Island, approaching through a puzzle of wildlife preserves:
o Texas Point National Wildlife Refuge (NWR)
o Candy Cain Abshier Wildlife Management Area (WMA)
o Big Hill Bayou WMA
o McFadden NWR
o Anahuac NWR (High Island area)
o Goat Island and “back lakes”
o Brazoria NWR
The Fling is well-suited to wildlife viewing. Our spacious upper deck offers clear, 360 degrees of viewing. Passengers are encouraged to bring their favorite folding chair.
Southern Wildlife Adventure
Our other wildlife excursion races down the coast to Rockport, TX where the famous Whooping Cranes nest each season, then wanders the way back inshore through healthy and productive wetlands. These birds are making a precarious come-back from the brink of extinction, and the nesting grounds in the Aransas NWR have been a critical habitat for their recovery. To make this trip even better, there’s plenty of other productive wetland habitat the entire route home, passing through several preserves.
o Aransas NWR
o Matagorda Bay
o Mad Island WMA
o Big Boggy NWR
o San Bernard NWR and Cedar Lakes (accessible only by water)
o Justin Hurst WMA and Jones Creek
Field Trip Afloat
This year, the Fling is offering a unique chance for students (and teachers too) to spend a weekend afloat, at sea and in the estuary, learning about the coastal habitats, ocean sciences, nautical science, and other lessons you won’t find anywhere else.
From the time you come aboard, we’ll start our study of safety of life at sea with a case study. That will be followed by a demonstration of an important principle, light pollution, and we’ll demonstrate it by escaping from the lights that obscure the night sky! Spend the night at anchor and wake up Saturday to begin looking closely at marine and ocean science topics. We’ll pull a bottom trawl and go through the catch to ID the fish we catch. A plankton seine will give students a chance to work with the microscope.
In the afternoon and evening, we’ll examine nautical science, and the students will have a chance to drive the Fling in and around the harbor entrance (with close supervision from the Captain, of course). This lesson will demonstrate line-of-position navigation, bridge-to-bridge communications, passing arrangements, and more.
We’re not posting a specific itinerary because these trips will vary based on weather (which we will study) and conditions. We’ll adapt to what we find in the field, but spend two full days learning about the world around us.
Each minor student must be accompanied by an adult. We recommend booking a top / bottom bunk for a parent – child pair, or a whole cabin for a parent (or two) and two or three kiddos.
Complete topic list
o Astronomy – star ID, light pollution, time zones
o Marine Science – Fish ID, Classifications, ecosystems, estuary habitat, plankton ecology
o Ocean Science – Salinity, turbidity, haloclines thermoclines, and other segmentation, currents
o Nautical Science – Basic Navigation, true motion vs relative motion, bridge operations
o Fire science – Fire prevention, Extinguisher operation, Evacuation planning and execution
o Weather – Cloud classification, convective systems, frontal zones, soundings
o Critical Reading – “Sea Stories” and other literature
This list includes more topics than we’ll have time for on our trip, because some may not be available. For example, star identification is not possible on cloud-covered weekends. Our specific itinerary for these trips will be determined by the weather conditions for each trip, but we’ll squeeze in as many activities as we’re able.
As always, passengers on these trips will enjoy all the benefits of our full galley and cozy bunk rooms.
7 nights – 6 Days of diving with up to 4 dives per day
Transfers between Hurghada (Egypt) airport and live aboard on days of embarkation and disembarkation
Food/Water/coffee/tea/soft drinks
12 Litre cylinder with air fills
Weights
Obligatory surcharges
Entry Visa
Government Reef Tax – 80.00 per person
Premium Cabin Situated on the mid deck, these king suites offer accommodation for two people in a large and comfortable bed as well as plenty of storage space.
Classic Cabin on the Lower Deck 1 twin and 1 double bed OR 2 twin beds
Extra costs
Cabin upgrades and sole occupancy
Rental equipment
Nitrox
Private dive guide
Alcohol
Tonic & soda water
On board merchandise
Crew & dive guide gratuities
March 14 – A 3.5 hour private bus ride from Hurghada to Luxor where we will embark on the Nile Cruise and tour.
Land itinerary –
Day 1: Luxor Nile Cruise
Transfer to embark Nile Cruise before lunch.
Meals: Lunch, Dinner.
Visits: Karnak Temple, Luxor Temple.
Day 2: Luxor Nile Cruise – West bank
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
Visits: Valley of the Kings, Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, Colossi of Memnon.
Day 3: Edfu and Kom Ombo Temples
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
Visits: Horus Temple, Kom Ombo Temple.
Day 4: Aswan Nile Cruise Tours / Disembarkation
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
Visits: High Dam, Unfinished Obelisk, Philae Temple.
– We will disembark from the Nile Cruise at Aswan and transfer to the Aswan airport. At the Aswan airport we will catch a mid-afternoon flight to Cairo.
Fly to US from Egypt – (Travelers arrange their own flights.) *Please see flight information for Heidi and Doug below.
If you have a strong desire to see the sites of Northern Egypt (Memphis, Alexandria, Giza) please let us know. Heidi and Doug will not be touring northern Egypt but the same people who have arranged the rest of this experience for us can and will be happy to add on a couple days in Cairo for people who want to see the Pyramids and the other sites around the area. Pricing will be dependent upon days and sites seen in Cairo.
Pricing for this trip is:
Double Occupancy Classic Cabin – $ per person
Double Occupancy Premium Cabin – per person
Single Occupancy Classic Cabin – $– We will make every effort to find you a roommate if you are traveling solo. However, if a roommate cannot be found you will be billed at the single occupancy rate.
Not included:
Airfare from the US to Hurghada
Airfare from Cairo to the US
Any nights in Cairo
Any tours in Cairo
Rental equipment
Nitrox
Private dive guide
Alcohol
Tonic & soda water
On board merchandise / Souvenirs.
Crew & dive guide gratuities
Entry Visa
Government Reef Tax – 80.00 per person
*Flight suggestions for this trip:
There are many different options for getting to and from this trip:
Turkish Airlines
United Airlines
Swiss Airlines
Air France
KLM
British Air
For Economy flights as of Turkish Airlines was the least expensive option. On the same day, Business Class options were the least expensive on United and Swiss. On that same day we found appreciable savings could be had by arriving a day early. However there will be an extra hotel room charge if you elect to arrive in Hurghada before March 6. The flight option Doug and Heidi chose is:
Vessel Departure: From Male, March 14, 2024, Airport pick-up at 3:30 pm
Vessel Return: To Male, March 24, 2024, at 8:00 am
Dives: Approximately 27 dives in total
Experience Open Water: No minimum logged dives required.
Location: The Maldives (North of the Equator)
Vessel: Maldives Aggressor II
Trip Leaders: Heidi Erickson & Cory Van Eenenaam
Price:
$4750 per person double occupancy in a Twin Stateroom
$7838 single occupancy in a Twin Stateroom
$5050 per person double occupancy in a Deluxe StateroomSOLD OUT
$5950 per person double occupancy in a Suite Stateroom SOLD OUT
Effort will be made to help find room mates for those who are traveling solo and want a roommate. However, if we are unable to find a roommate for you the single occupancy price is $7838 in a Twin Stateroom.
The Location:
This trip is the first time Heidi has revisited and Cory’s first visit to an Indio-Pacific location. The Maldives ARE that beautiful.
The Maldives Islands lie Southwest of India. Scattered across the equator in the middle of the Indian Ocean, the gem-like islands of the Maldives depict the rare vision of a tropical paradise. Palm-fringed islands with sparkling white beaches, turquoise lagoons, clear warm waters and coral reefs teeming with abundant varieties of marine flora and fauna, fascinate visitors as it has for thousands of years.
Logistics – Arrival/Hotel/Departure:
There are MANY airlines you can utilize to get to the Maldives. Everyone does not need to be on the same flight, but it often helps. Heidi and Cory will be traveling to the Maldives (Male) on Qatar Airlines through Doha with the itinerary:
Monday March 11, 2024 – QR 714 – Depart IAH 18:30 Arrive DOH March 12, 17:00
Wednesday March 13 – QR 676 – Depart DOH 0:55 Arrive MLE 07:50
Sunday March 24, 2024 – QR 673 – Depart MLE 19:45 Arrive DOH 22:50
Monday March 25, 2024 – QR 713 Depart DOH 08:00 Arrive IAH 16:30
If you too decide to take Qatar airlines and have a longish layover, the Doha airport is beautiful with great amenities including restaurants and shopping, and in their lounges, lovely showers.
There is also a Qatari tour service that runs out of the airport so you can explore the city or desert if your time permits. Follow the below hyperlink if you want to explore that option for yourself. By the way, the conversion rate of Qatari Riyal to US Dollars is one QR is about 27 cents.
For overnight and Day Pass in Male we are arranging to stay at the Hulhule Island Hotel (https://www.hih.com.mv/). You can stay somewhere else if you would like but this hotel is nice, within walking distance of the seaport, has free transfers to and from the airport, and you can make your reservation and payment through the dive shop instead of managing the hotel booking on your own.
Day Pass (6 Hours) double occupancy $245
Night Stay double occupancy with daily breakfast $475
The cruise shuttle service will take those of us staying at this hotel from the hotel to the boat and from the boat to the hotel on the days of boarding and departure.
The Vessel:
The M/V Maldives Aggressor II is a world class liveaboard yacht scheduling year round diving cruises to the stunning Maldives Atolls. She caters for 22 guests in 11 staterooms, each complete with a private in suite bathroom and shower, closet, hair dryer, individual climate control and TV/DVD. There are 4 deluxe staterooms and 1 suite with ocean views located on the main and upper decks and six standard twin cabins located on the lower deck. The large indoor lounge and dining room is fully air-conditioned and is where the onboard menu featuring a variety of American fare and local cuisine is served. Soft drinks, iced tea, beer, and wine are complimentary. Guests can also enjoy the large partially covered sundeck with chaise lounges and deck chairs, bar service and CD/stereo player. Diving amenities include a large swim platform with personal gear lockers, air/nitrox fill stations, rinse tanks, three-tier camera table with low-pressure air hoses and 2 warm freshwater showers and nitrox is available for those certified. Nitrox is $150 plus tax (22%) for the week to be paid on the boat.
For comfort of the guests, all the dives are conducted from a spacious and fully equipped 60 ft, 28 passenger dive Dhoni (skiff).
The Diving:
Water temperature varies from 80F, 27C to 86F, 30C therefore we recommend a 3mm wetsuit.
The ‘Best of the Maldives’ includes the areas of North Male, South Male, North Ari, South Ari, Vaavu and Meemu Atolls. These locations offer spectacular channel-drift dives, wrecks, pinnacles, and world-famous night dives.
Guests will embark and disembark from Male.
Guests will fly in and out of Malé, Velana International Airport (MLE).
Guests are urged to strongly consider spending the night in Male before the cruise at a hotel near the seaport (see logistics section). Hotel guests will be met at the hotel on the cruise start date between 11:00 and 17:00 and transferred by speedboat to the Maldives Aggressor II.
Guests who fly into Male the day of the cruise (remember jet lag on a boat is pretty icky) will be met at the airport by a crewmember of the Maldives Aggressor II wearing an Aggressor polo shirt and hat at 3:30 pm and then transferred by water taxi to the yacht at 4 pm.
There are three distinctly different types of scuba diving at the Maldives: inside the atolls, outside the atolls and inside the channels or passes, which is where the currents are strongest, and you’ll find the greatest congregation of fish life. Most intriguing are the cleaning stations, found around every corner and under every ledge. Mantas, Sharks, Groupers, Snappers, Surgeonfish, Eels, Parrotfish, even Giant Napoleon Wrasse park casually oblivious to all, (including cameras) while armies of wrasse, shrimp, and other assorted cleaners pick at debris in their open gills and cavernous mouths. What does diving in the Maldives look like? All dive pictures in this section were taken by Doug (excuse the poor skill) in the Maldives in 2021.
The Fine Print:
$500.00 deposit per person to hold your spot!
Payments – 50% by September 1, 2023; 100% by December 10, 2023.
Trip Cancellation Fee – $100 Until June 1, 2023. $200 Until September 1, 2023. After September 1, 2023, non-refundable.
Required Extras: Environment Tax, Fuel Surcharge (270-360 USD per trip), Gratuities, National Park Fees (290-350 USD per trip), Port Fees. These and Nitrox (150 USD plus tax) to be paid on the boat.
Optional Extras: Dive Insurance, Travel Insurance, Hotel Transfer, Local Flights, Extra Dives, Specialty Scuba Courses from Doug, Rental Gear, WiFi internet, Nitrox.
2024 – 10 day trip (plus travel time – leave April 26 or 27 depending on flight selected)- Wakatobi
Trip Leaders: Mathis & Shannon Weatherall
We have space reserved for 12 people on this trip!
Fly Houston to Bali and stay 1 night then take a charter flight to Wakatobi for 10 days / 9 nights / 8 days of diving.
Package Includes: accommodations, diving, meals and diving package at Wakatobi resort, Private Charter Flight from Bali to Wakatobi.
Not Included: Airfare, Bali Hotel night(s) (or additional nights depending on your flights from Houston), alcohol, marine park fees and tips.
Option to add: 2-3 days in Bali on either end of the trip staying at a Southern Beach Resort – Monkey Reserve, Volcano, Balinese Dance, Lu ac Coffee Tour. Let me know if you are interested.
2024 Pricing –
$ pp + $ Private Charter Flight – Ocean Bungalow Diver in Double Occupancy
$ + $ Private Charter Flight pp – Ocean Bungalow Diver in Single Occupancy
Non-Divers deduct $1000 off of rates.
Two Bedroom Villa is also available! Let Tonya know if you are interested in this room!
Join us as we head out into the Gulf of Mexico to dive on the Oil Rigs. The Oils Rigs are an artificial reef habitat to many species of underwater creatures! If trained and meet the requirements, you have the option to spearfish while on these trips.
Spearfishing season: April-October
Trip Dates:
TBD
Trip Details:
· A very experienced Dive Instructor leads the trip
· 2 or 3 Tank Rig Trip
· Going 40-65 miles out
· Spearfishing Optional (must be trained)
· Boat leaves out of Freeport
· Boat departs in morning and returns same night
· Dive Equipment Rentals (if needed), tank rentals and Nitrox mixes are in addition to the boat price. Contact the store to reserve your gear and order mixes.
Leave all the planning to us and join your fellow dive buddies on a trip lead by Gigglin’ Marlin! If group travel is not for you, we can also create and book individual trips to any destination in the world.
Due to changes in airline schedules all guests will additionally be spending an 8th night at the Courtyard by Marriott for $117 per person / double occupancy or $234 per person single occupancy.
For Guests who would rather do more boat dives you can upgrade! There is an option to upgrade from 6 to 12 boat dives for $235. However, part of the joy of diving in Bonaire is exploring the plentiful and GORGEOUS shore diving on the island. We would recommend you take advantage of the free shore diving instead of acquiring the extra boat dives. Doug will lead at least one expedition every day to some lovely shore dives on the island. Do let Doug or Tonya (or both!) know if you want to buy the boat dive upgrade package.
Extra charges you will need to pay individually include:
-Transfer from Marriott Courtyard to Airport (currently $15pp)
-Marine Park fee (currently $40) paid online 1 week prior to entry
-Food and beverages. Bonaire has a full assortment of restaurants, cafes, bars, and food trucks to choose from. For those who would prefer to use their in room kitchen there is also multiple grocery stores on the island that sell European, South American, and North American based groceries (typically in that order of variety and availability). Mix and match between the grocery store and restaurants, it’s fun!
