Passenger's Scrapbook

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Dinner Time on the Pirate's Lady Date: October 14, 2007 MegaSub passengers from Argentina enjoy a hot meal after a great day of diving! Karina Bang of Buenos Aires, Argentina

Adopted Crew Date: October 13, 2007 We all speak the international language of LOVE to DIVE! As official translator on the Pirate's Lady, Alfredo earned his own crew shirt! Karina Bang of Buenos Aires, Argentina

The Crew of The Sea Explorer Date: September 14, 2007 We were on the Sept 14th, 2007 trip. We got so many great pictures both in and out of the water, words just can not describe… I have been diving for about 18 months and this was my first diving experience in the ocean, first boat, and first night dive. I had a list in my head of things I really wanted to see and had it checked off by the second day. This trip was everything I had hoped for and more. The ocean, the sky and the people were an always changing kaleidoscope of color and emotion. It was amazing to me that in starting the week as strangers, people could become so connected thru shared experiences. I will never forget the crew and passengers on our trip. To, Captain Red, 1st mate Jeff, Engineer Drew, Dive Master Ramone, Deck Hand Anita, and Cook Adam, a sincere thanks for a job well done. Shawna Wilson of Ozark Dive Club, MO

Shark! Date: September 14, 2007 Silhouette of a shark Shawna Wilson of Ozark Dive Club, MO

Record Setting Free Dive Catch! Date: September 05, 2007 Captain Grayson Miller is mastering his freediving and his underwater hunting skills in the Bahamas! Captain Grayson dons his wailtail fins and dives deep in search of prey. This 53 pound Pompano beats the record by 2 pounds! Dinner for everyone on island that night was served by the crew and enjoyed by all! Cindy Whitaker of Pinellas Park, FL

Morning Star Aft View from the Surface Date: September 03, 2007 Flat calm seas and the brightest blue sky and sea- a perfect day in the Bahamas! Cindy Whitaker of Pinellas Park, FL

Love at First Dive Date: August 20, 2007 Jessica Nichols and Will Sobecki first met on an Ole Miss trip aboard the Morning Star over Spring Break 2006. They recently got engaged and will tie the knot summer 2008! Just as exciting-they both are newly certified Dive Instructors! Jessica Nichols of Tupelo, MS

The Illustrious Crew of the Pirate's Lady Date: May 12, 2007 The crew of the Pirate's Lady poses for a group shot taken by Jill and Tim Tynan. Jill and Tim Tynan of Ballymena, Ireland

Shark overhead Date: April 28, 2007 Andy Warkman took this picture while coming up- the lighting from above makes this picture really interesting! Andy Warkman of Tuscon, AZ

Hog Heaven Date: April 25, 2007 Captain Paul Whipple and passenger give this wild piggy some TLC while on an excursion to Staniel Cay. Scientists onboard this cruise gathered data and studied coral reef health throughout the Exumas down to Conception Island. Nicola of UK

Beneath the Sea Dive Show 2007 Date: April 03, 2007 Jen Purdy, Lindsey Fundine and Peggy Purdy enjoy meeting and greeting divers from the Northeast at the Beneath the Sea Dive show each year. It's great to see old diving buddies and meet new divers too. Check out the local dive shows in your area for great ideas and updated info on the sport of SCUBA! Dee Gersten of New Jersey

Trumpetfish Date: March 25, 2007 This beautiful Trumpetfish was spotted and captured by Terry Moore while diving "The Nodules" off of Bimini. These long bodied creatures can grow to be 15-30 inches long. They are even known swim vertically to blend in with their surroundings such as pipe sponges, sea pens, and vertical coral. Terry Moore of Houston, TX

Puppy Pirates Date: March 22, 2007 Even the resident pups, Daisy, Taino, and Ali are pooped after hearing all the fun stories from the previous week! Helen Condon of Amersterdam

DM Steph and her new friend Date: March 03, 2007 Dive Instructor Stephanie Tester watches a Caribbean Reef Shark closely! Who is more interested in who?! Terence Degan of El Dorado Hills, CA

South Cat Cay Date: March 03, 2007 The changing water colors of the Bahamas include all hues of blue imaginable and some you can only see in the remote out islands while cruising with us! Terence Degan of El Dorado Hills, CA

Yellow Phase Coney Date: March 03, 2007 This coney is in it's yellow phase. This is a small grouper that only gets to be around 12 inches long. This fish is in direct competition with the invasive lionfish for food on the reef. Yellow phase coney are hard to find. The magnificent colors of the reef fish are not just beautiful, they have significant meaning in their race for survival out there! Learn more on board by participating in our REEF ID courses. Terence Degan of El Dorado Hills, CA

Jolthead Porgy Date: March 03, 2007 A frowning Jolthead Porgy. Terence Degan of El Dorado Hills, CA

Freeport pirate Date: February 25, 2007 Chris's wife met this local pirate during their port night at Port Lucaya in Freeport, Bahamas. Chris Parthemore of Nashville, TN

Rum inspired sailing Date: November 17, 2006 What a kayak, a bedsheet, and a little engineering can get you! Seth sails his and Capt Red's own vessel, Lucayan Lady, across the canal in Freeport. Someday you'll have a REAL one, Seth. Helen Condon of Amsterdam

Sushi for Dinner Tonight! Date: November 16, 2006 Passengers love to fish on the way to and from port! This Mahi Mahi made it to the dinner table that day! The carcass was used on the shark dive! Corey Wilson of Hamilton, Ontario Canada

She Said I Do! Date: November 12, 2006 Bull Run just after the shark feeding Corey popped the question to Marnie! Corey would like to give special thanks go to the only 3 other people that knew about this, and helped him carry out his plan flawlessly. 1. Mother; She held the ring for the entire trip down there and for the first 3 days on the boat. I know she was so worried about losing it. She helped keep it discreet by having eye out for people on the boat while I had to prepare the ring and camera in the sleeping bunks. Hey Mom, I'm glad you had a great time hanging out on the boat with our 22 friends. 2. Brother for helping out on all the diversions and the constant requests in my girlfriends (at the time) presence to use my underwater camera so the fake picture routine and switching over to movie mode would work. My brother also filmed the entire 5 minute video looking through the view finder so he would make sure he got every detail. I couldn't have asked for a better film. 3. The ships captain "Red" for keeping me abreast of the weather and letting me know when the best conditions of the wind and sea would be as the days pass. It just happened to work out, the shark dive was the best time to do it. We required more air time in our tank, so we couldn't do it on a deeper dive and the latter part of the week was looking bad. Great timing Red, thanks. (Corey and Marnie are getting married in June of 2008! Congratulations! ) Mitch Wilson of Hamilton, Ontario Canada

Lionfish off Freeport Date: November 04, 2006 Jeff shot this liofish near the wreck Sea Star off Freeport, Bahamas. Jeff Cooper of Ft Collins, CO

Silly thoughts before boarding the Pirate's Lady Date: October 21, 2006 You never know what goes thru a diver's head before boarding one of our vessels! Seen here at our new docks in Freeport, Grand Bahama left to right: Dana Romary, Gordon Lansford, Dan Welch, Tom Gorrell Dana Romary of Topeka, KS

It's a Family Affair Date: May 20, 2006 Captain Paul of the Pirate's Lady enjoyed a week with his parents on board! Laird and Dianne join Paul every now and then to keep him company and catch up. Of course, they get a little sun and fun in too ;-) Greg Hadcock of Omaha, NE

Pedicures On board Date: March 16, 2006 Who says pedicures aren't for guys? Passengers on Sea Explorer show off their freshy painted dive flag toenails! Jeff Cooper of

Sunrise in Bimini, Bahamas Date: February 25, 2006 Getting up early paid off for Chris with this sunrise shot across the Bimini bay. Chris Parthemore of Nashville, TN

Captain Grayson swims with Sharks Date: February 18, 2006 Pat and David Ivie of Texas sent this picture of Grayson swimming with the sharks in to us. The photo was taken by new dive friend Wanda Rodriguez of Georgia! Make new friends on Blackbeard's Cruises...it's not just a dive trip, it is a great adventure! Wanda Rodrigues of Peach Tree City, GA

Drew's New Suit Date: January 14, 2006 I think it is time Drew gets a new dive suit! This one has seen better days but he is too attached and sentimental to let it go... Mich Wilson of Hamilton Ontario Canada

Gators On Board Date: January 14, 2006 I'm Tellin'...Ole Miss alumn Drew Johnston is wearing a Gator Head...must be to scare the sharks away! Mitch Wilson of Hamilton Ontario Canada

Diego Lopez Tapia ready for a dive Date: November 27, 2004 Diego with crewmembers Danielle & Chris before a dive. Diego Lopez Tapia of Somerville,MA

Larry Fernandez reef shot Date: November 27, 2004 While diving aboard the Morning Star, Larry captured this beautiful picture of a reef!!!! Larry Fernandez of Lexington,SC

Janet's 100 dive Date: August 28, 2004 Scott took this picture of Janet's 100th dive. Congratulations Janet!! Scott Blom of Worland,WY

Up close and personal with a shark Date: June 12, 2004 While diving, you never know what you might get to meet up close and personal. Terry Stephens of Overland,KS

Boy Scout Troop 282 Date: June 12, 2004 Boy Scout Troop 282 stopped to take a picture while diving aboard the Morning Star. Terry Stephens of Overland,KS

Queen Angelfish Date: May 08, 2004 Karen caught this picture of this queen angelfish. Karen Caldwell of Spring TX

Bonfire and Beach Party Date: March 06, 2004 Passengers huddle around a bonfire at a Blackbeard's beach party on Ocean Cay. James Schnaak of Ft. Lauderdale, FL

Conch Cleaning Date: March 06, 2004 Captain Jay teaches passengers how to clean their conch and prep it for some delicious cracked conch, conch salad or conch fritters! James Schnaak of Ft. Lauderdale, FL

Drew Johnston on Dinghy Date: March 06, 2004 Here is Drew having too much fun,even when he is by himself!! Drew Johnston of Oxford, MS

Incredible Visibility Date: March 06, 2004 Crystal blue Waters, colorful coral, and incredibile visibility are all characteristics of the Bahamian reefs! James Schnaak of Ft. Lauderdale, FL

Octopus Sighting at Crotch Rocks Date: January 31, 2004 An octopus out on the prowl is always an exciting shot! Kim Langille of Riverview, NB, Canada

The First Bimini Cup Race Date: January 19, 2004 The first Bimini Cup race between Sea Explorer (M J Beach) and Morning Star (Nate Riley). SE wins by 3.5 miles!! Mike Beach of South Beach, FL

Raising the Sails at Sunset Date: December 13, 2003 Perfect Sunset for a Perfect Sail Miroslav Ivanicky of Slovakia

Bright Buildings in Bimini Date: November 29, 2003 The locals paint their homes and businesses with bright caribbean colors. Larry Fernandez of Lexington, SC

Newest Underwater Token Placed at Redneck Reef Date: November 29, 2003 Divers from all over the world continue the tradition of decorating the outer skirts of Stevie's Wonder in the Bahamas. The passengers of the Nine Day trip aboard the Pirate's Lady rigged a keg of beer to suspend it above the bottom. Passengers and crew autographed the keg. It took hours of mathematical calculations to figure out how much beer to leave in the keg to maintain neutral buoyancy! Larry Fernandez of Lexington, SC

Octopus Date: November 29, 2003 This octopus played with divers and showed off its colors on a recent night dive aboard the Pirate's Lady. The nine day trip offers an extended area of exploration among the reefs of the western Bahamas! Larry Fernandez of Lexington, SC

turtle time Date: November 29, 2003 The dramatic difference of black and white is evident in this shot of a turtle as it swims by the photographer. Larry Fernandez of Lexington, SC

Leathery Barrel Sponge Date: November 29, 2003 This shot shows off the magnificent colors of sponges that the naked eye misses at depth. Infusion of light reintroduces the vibrant blues and oranges you see on this leathery barrel sponge. Larry Fernandez of Lexington, SC

Beach Bums Date: November 22, 2003 The guys took some time out to explore one of the many uninhabited islands during a surface interval on the trip. One of the nicest aspects of cruising with Blackbeards is meeting people from all over the world! Jonathon Davies of Edinburgh, Scotland

Pirate Pranks Date: November 22, 2003 The crew and passengers of the Sea Explorer have fun flying their colors! Jonathon Davies of Edinburgh, Scotland

Briefing Board Date: November 01, 2003 Sean Hartry getting ready for the next briefing at Hawks Bill. The Hawksbill briefing promised not only sea turtles but a wide variety of creatures according to Sean. Luckily, diver Charlene had the presence of mind to ask if we would actually see all these exotic animals, which brought the groups attention to the briefing! (If you carefully read the listing on the whiteboard, you'll see what we mean!) Of course, all the divers tried their best to find the whale sharks, great whites, penguins, mastadon fish and the grizzly bears! Maybe on our next visit to Hawksbill... Christina Helmke of San Diego, CA

Captain Nate at the Helm Date: November 01, 2003 Captain Nate at the helm. Hats to keep the head warm and entertain the passengers...he claims it has special navigational sensors built into each point... Christina Helmke of San Diego, CA

Rigging Date: October 11, 2003 The geometry of the rigging makes for a neat shot. Robert Huddleston of Moseley, Va

Hashers in the Compleat Angler Date: September 20, 2003 Hashers obviously NOT having any fun in the Compleat Angler. They have this problem where ever they go! Chris Kay of Alexandria, VA

Buddies on Board Date: September 14, 2003 Passengers Heather and Raluka along with crew Ernie and Jackson enjoy a flat calm day in the Bahamas. Heather Sulzen of Philly, PA

Debating the Road to Atlantis Date: August 26, 2003 Dr. John Gifford speaking to the pax and crew of the MS while in Bimini with the BBC discussing the Bimini Road to Atlantis. He was there to debate the road with the author of a new book, “1421”. The book discusses the Chinese cartographic mission of 1421 and their lost fleet. Unfortunately, the evidence in the book concerning the Bimini road is rather parsimonious and consequently not very convincing! Captain Mike Beach of Miami

Lobster For Dinner Date: August 08, 2003 These lobster will be served for dinner! Mike and crew caught a few just at the opening of lobster season which begins August 1st of each year. This is a challenge because Bahamian Law restricts you to no tanks and no triggers. Mike Beach of Miami, FL

Hawksbill Turtle Date: August 02, 2003 This hawksbill gave Brad the once over before he took off. Brad Housour of Npaerville, IL

Lobster Looking Out Date: August 02, 2003 This lobster knows it is lobster season but we can't touch him on air! Brad took a great photo instead of taking the lobster! Brad Housour of Naperville, IL

Up close and personal with a Banded Butterflyfish Date: July 19, 2003 William captured this stunning photo while diving with Blackbeard's this summer. William Lamm of Cumberland MD

Sunset Among The Islands Date: July 05, 2003 The sunset is always fascinating when the clouds reflect so nicely. Mike Kaechele of San Diego, CA

Weech's Dock Date: June 20, 2003 While in port of Bimini, Blackbeard's docks at Hank Weech's. Hank and his family have run the dock for many years. They let us BBQ at the dock and shower in their bathrooms! Yeah! Paul Glenn of The Woodlands, TX

Rope Swinging Date: June 19, 2003 Alan came out with us this year and sent us these great shots...just can't figure out which Alan- any help would be appreciated! Surface Interval Fun! Alan Name Invalid of unknown

The Sapona Date: June 18, 2003 The Sapona has lots of history and is a favorite for most photographers aboard Blackbeard's. Her hulking skeleton of this ferro cement wreck highlighted by the setting sun is truly a sight to see... Alan of unknown

Sponges in Great Color Date: May 03, 2003 This shot of a barrel sponge is a wonderful example of the bold underwater colors! Pam Hall of Muskegon, MI

Grunts Galore Date: May 03, 2003 Grunts hover around a coral head...safety in numbers! Pam Hall of Muskegon, MI

Famous Phone Call Date: April 04, 2003 Watch the last scene in Silence of the Lambs and you'll recognize this as the place where Dr. Lector is making his last call to Clarice from...when he's "having an old friend for lunch". Bob Martin of Stoughton, WI

Sea Turtle on the Road to Atlantis Date: April 04, 2003 This sea turtle is in search of the lost city, Atlantis. This sandstone mystery is a famous dive site in the Bimini Chain. Bob Martin of Stoughton, WI

Black Grouper Date: January 30, 2003 Capt Jay gives the ok sign from behind a black grouper at the dive site Bull Run. The Pirate's Lady had a great time with the guys. Superbowl Sunday at the Compleat Angler was a hoot! GREGORY SCHWEITZER of SOUTHOLD, NY

Danny Rodriguez with the Crew Date: January 05, 2003 The crew and passengers of the Sea Explorer enjoyed the serenading of Danny Rodriguez, famous singer. Danny is well known for his renditions of American anthems after 9-11. We wish Danny the best in his quest for operatic stardom! In the meantime, he enjoys the camaraderie and diving aboard Blackbeard's. Mike Beach of Miami, FL

UNDERSIDE OF AN EAGLE RAY Date: December 15, 2002 A graceful creature, the eagle ray, glides overhead. ROB LOGAN of INDIANAPOLIS, IN

Wild and Zany Crowd Date: August 17, 2002 The passengers aboard the Sea Explorer got all dressed up for the special occasion! A wedding was planned for the evening and since there were no black ties to be found.... Clayton Zwicker of Richmond, BC

Stubby at the Stern Date: May 04, 2002 Bob Stubbs, of Stubb's Scuba, enjoys a perfect flat calm day aboard the Sea Explorer. Dave Combs of Indianapolis, IN