Join us for 2007 holiday break.

Ring in the New Year in the tropics!

Key West and Dry Tortugas

“Coral Reef Expedition”

 

 

 

 

 

December 26th to January 1st

 

 

 Itinerary

Day 1: December 26, 2007 - Wednesday     

Arrive in Key West, meet late afternoon to board the exploration support vessel Tiburon and settle into your stateroom. Join the crew for orientation and a safety briefing. Refreshments and snacks served onboard.  Have dinner at one of Key West’s many fine restaurants and spend the evening in town enjoying its famous attractions. Settle into sleep aboard the Tiburon at port and awake the next day for a morning of snorkel lessons and water fun.

 

Day 2: December 27, 2007 - Thursday

Awaken at sea on one of Key West’s many sheltered and calm reefs.  We spend the morning outfitting the participants and learning our water skills which we will be using the rest of the week.  After a morning of fun in the sun and sea, we have lunch aboard and pull into the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary headquarters for a tour of the Nancy Foster Environmental Center.  We’ll anchor in Key West Harbor for the evening.  Shore leave trips to and from Old Towne, Key West can be arranged by the crew for those that want another night to see the sights.

 Day 3: December 28, 2007 - Friday

Today we get to apply our skills in the water on a Kayak adventure through narrow channels in the mangrove forests. Using the Tiburon’s skiff and kayaks, we explore and investigate the delicate mangrove and sea grass ecosystems. Horseshoe crabs, eagle rays, and osprey are just a few of the wonders that can be seen. Snorkel to patch reefs just offshore and view the many juvenile tropical fish that make this their home.  After lunch, we will explore the north passage out of Key West for sightings of bottlenose dolphins.  US law does not allow us to swim with them,  but we can get some great looks as they ride the bow of the Tiburon or our 18-foot rigid hull inflatable. For dinner we anchor in the Marquesas archipelago. Then it’s beach exploring or catch and release fishing off the back of the boat.  That night the Tiburon departs for the Dry Tortugas Islands while you sleep.

 

Day 4: December 29, 2007 - Saturday

Wake up in the Dry Tortugas National Park. Spend the morning snorkeling the historic 200-foot Dutch shipwreck "Killian", sunk in 1907 and resting in 0 to 18 feet of water and home to Goliath grouper and an amazing formation of coral gardens. The afternoon is spent ashore on the second largest island in the Tortugas chain - Loggerhead Key. Explore the ruins of the historical Carnegie research center, snorkel Little Africa, one of the Keys most outstanding shallow reefs. For the more daring, a nocturnal snorkel is available as well. 

 

Day 5: December 30, 2007  - Sunday

Awake for an early breakfast and go ashore on Garden Key in the Dry Tortugas to explore the historic Civil War era Fort Jefferson. By skiff explore the Bird Key tern rookery and Long Key frigate bird colony or enjoy some free time for swimming, snorkeling, and relaxing on the beach at Garden Key. Dinner is followed by an evening moat walk viewing the dazzling fish, coral gardens, and fascinating marine invertebrates.  This is the site of numerous research projects hosted by the Tiburon.  The crew can teach you all about coral studies, fish count projects, and show you where they still help scientists study over 250 tagged sharks. You will not believe how close you are to them everyday.

 

Day 6: December 31, 2007 - Monday

This morning finds us at anchorage with a commercial shrimp fishing vessel, seeing first hand the process of bringing shrimp from the ocean to the market. This is an opportunity to snorkel with large pelagic animals such as sea turtles, dolphins and sharks! These animals can be seen and photographed easily from the deck of the boat, or we can get in the water for a closer look. These are some of the most amazing encounters with turtles known to exist in their natural environment (all laws regarding the interaction with turtles are followed). From here we start our way to home port, arriving late afternoon to get ready to ring in the New Year.  People can stay aboard and watch the fire works or venture into town for a bit more of the crowds.  Parents can also take advantage of the Tiburon crew sitting the kids while you go to town.

 

Day 7: January 1, 2008  -Tuesday  “New Years Day”

Continental breakfast / brunch before departure from the Tiburon between 9am and 1pm. Depart Key West with new friends made and shared experiences.