Guests of the Wind Dancer have been treated lately to some amazing underwater encounters. A friendly North Atlantic Manta Ray cruised back and forth approx. 100 yards between the jetty in Speyside and the stern of the Wind Dancer, while guests interacted and took photos.

We dropped onto the recently sunken wreck of the 95' Roundtable for our weekly visit, examined the growth of White Telesto and other corals and noted some fish considering making a new home there. After a few minutes we made our way over to the nearby reef and encountered several Lesser Electric Rays, giant Rainbow Parrotfish, charming Hovering Gobies and a curious turtle. Speaking of turtles, the 8 or so tiny baby leatherbacks that swam to our lighted port side just before the night dive last week were sweet enough for guests to forego dessert!

Exhilarated from the "fast and furious" ride through the famous Kamikazi Cut, as the current finally slowed at the top of Japanese Gardens, the now relaxed divers watched an eagle ray cruise gracefully over Sea Rods and Sea Plumes, Plate Corals and a variety of colorful sponges reminiscent of a Jackson Pollack painting. Upon closer examination, this same reef revealed dozens of Lettuce Sea Slugs, Flamingo Tongues, and a slithering Sharp Tail Eel.

On the Caribbean side of Tobago, while diving the group of islands called The Sisters, our divers encountered a large resident school of Glass Eye Snappers, moving in unison as their shade changed from silvery to bronze and back again. They were also delighted by the cautious but curious Goliath Grouper who kept a watchful eye and seemed to guide the divers along the reef. Three huge silvery tarpons basking in the white water created by incoming sea swells seemed to guard the entrance to the shallow trench between two of the Sisters Islands. The more adventurous divers exploring the seldom dived Brothers Rocks swam along dramatic vertical drop offs at the magical hour when mating and feeding behaviors send fish into a frenzy. They were rewarded by the sight of two scorpionfish, sitting like mirror images of one another in the shallow area at the end of the dive.

At Sail Rock, in the St. Giles group of islands, we witnessed dozens of (shall we say heavenly) Angelfish, along with a multitude of assorted Butterflyfish, feeding on one small spawning coral head. The seemingly resident Caribbean Reef Shark whipped past divers again this week in the trench at Marble Island.

The nutrient rich Orinoco current may have lessened our visibility, but it hasn't decreased the incredible diversity of Tobago's marine life. So take advantage of the Summer's calmer water and visit us on Wind Dancer soon.