Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Child Friendly Resort



Bring the kids!! The beach located in front of the cabins is a shallow beach, great for the kids! There is also a tidal pool at low tide which is fun to explore with little ones. We have 2 sandy, white beaches for sand castle making & splashing in the waves. There are sand toys and a wooden swing set on site. On the dock we have mask, snorkels fins, & life vest for all ages,  if your child is 6-9yrs, try a SASSY Dive. Our game room has toys, a climbing structure and a ping pong table.

Small Hope is like one big playground for kids-they are surrounded by nature.
Oh, did we mention COMPLIMENTARY babysitting every night from 6-8:45pm!

We look forward to meeting your family!

Check out our YouTube video of some children have some beach fun.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6WQFEkPOpEc 
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Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Shark diving at Small Hope

The “Shark Emporium” Dive 
۞ WHY WE ARE SHARK DIVING: 
We do the Shark Dive in order to allow you to observe sharks, one of the most amazing and interesting animals of the ocean rarely seen up close in our area. Sharks have remained virtually unchanged for millions of years and have proven themselves a vital part of their environment. This dive will give you the change to better understand and respect shark behavior, as well as enjoy the thrill of watching them feed.
Reef Shark

One of the many sharks you will see



Making the chum
۞   HOW THE SHARKS FEED:
We have tried not to disrupt their nature as little as possible. At Small Hope Bay we use a chum ball method. A “Chum ball” consists of fish pieces frozen in salt water. Because the fish is frozen, as it melts it creates a “slow release” of the food. Using this slow release” method, sharks do not associate humans with the food. Although we are conditioning the sharks to a small degree by feeding them we feel we are not changing their behavior.When sharks feed they have a hierarchy. The sharks will swim calmly in and wait their turn; they usually feed one at a time off the chum ball. Some sharks may not even feed at all. The shark feed can last anywhere from 5 to 30 minutes depending on how long the chum ball lasts. Near the end, when the last piece of fish comes loose from the chum ball one of the sharks will try to snatch it. This action excites the other sharks creating a “Mad Dash” for the last piece of fish. The Dive masters will knock on their tanks when this time is close.

Sharks feeding on the chum

۞ HOW WE WILL DIVE THE DIVE:

On the sand waiting for sharks

To start the dive you will sit in a sandy area in front of a large coral head in about 60 feet of water. You will relax and get comfortable as the Dive Masters bring the chum ball down. As soon as they bring the chum ball down they will give you a signal that you are free to swim around. It is asked that no one goes closer than 20 feet to, and never under the chum ball. you are welcome to swim around and on top. After the food is gone, and the sharks begin to disperse, you are free to roam the bottom and look for shark teeth. You can go back to the boat at any time you like.




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Sunday, November 14, 2010

Swiss, Polish, and Irish oh my!!

It is another beautiful day here at Small Hope Bay Lodge, and we are feeling like the United Nations! Over the past few weeks, we have hosted many guests from countries all over the world. They have been bonefishing, scuba diving, snorkeling, biking, sailing, birding, and probably most of all, enjoying the open bar! We have had:
 
Urs and Julia from Switzerland
Hamish from Australia
Derek and Dougie from Scotland
Mike from Ireland
Annalisa and Katerina from Greece
Karen Christian Delphine and Charlotte from the World of Tourism in France
Nick Bing Doug Nick and Mark from Canada
Ingrid and Reinhart from Germany
Oliver and Annie from France
Patrick and Flore from Belgium
Anders and Anette from Poland
It has been a lot of fun hosting all these different cultures and backgrounds, and it has been absolutely hilarious watching the competitive ping pong matches between each country! We hope to be fortunate enough to see many of these guests again, and we can’t wait to see all the new guests who will arrive for the Thanksgiving holiday!




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Friday, November 5, 2010

Birthday Celebrations!!


Vicki, Kristi, Lisa, Connie and the gang!

This morning, we bid farwell to some great new friends. Over a decade ago, Lisa and Kristi visited Small Hope. Brought back by the smell of Conch Fritters, they invited Connie and Vicki down to meet us for Lisa's 50th birthday. They took advantage of all Small Hope has to offer: they did their Discover Scuba courses, ventured to the inland Blue Hole, made their own fabrics at the Androsia Factory, ate plenty of Renauldo's delightful desserts, traveled up to northern Andros, painted their faces for Halloween, snorkeled the shallows by the keys, hammocked themselves to sleep, drank with great company, and more! One of their favorite activites was Charades with Dennis; they taught him how, and now he's hooked for life! They had a great time, as did the staff. From tricking Kristi into thinking that we couldn't cook her favorite dessert to acting out the "Accidental Virgin" in Charades, their fun energy will be greatly missed, and we hope to see them again soon!
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Thursday, November 4, 2010

Snorkeling at Small Hope..............

There are many places to snorkel around Small Hope; here are some descriptions of two of the more popular snorkel spots.

The Under and Around the Dock
The dock is a place of marine abundance and a great starting point for snorkelers, weather you are just learning to snorkel or are experienced. The dock is where the ruins of a previous dock is, which has been claimed as a home by an enormous variety of marine life. The dock and its surroundings are also delightful for a night snorkel. There is every chance you will see some Sergent Majors, Snappers, French Grunts, Barracudas and schools of sliver sides.



Sergent Majors


Barracuda

Silver sides
John Rock

John Rock

If the tide is high then snorkel out towards John Rock, south from the dock across the sand patch. Keep a look out for sting rays. Look into the crevices at the edge along John Rock and you could come across some needle fish, yellow goat fish and long spined urchin. Early morning and late afternoon is a good time to see southern stingray and spotted eagle rays.

Southern Sting Ray
Yellow Goat Fish
Houndfish
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