Andros Expedition, March 14-20th 2020

A jam-packed week of adventures, with some incredible memories made! Blue hole exploration, sharks, rays, turtles, more sharks, beach cleans, johny bread, more sharks, and yet… more sharks. Read all about our week in Andros, below. Enjoy!

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Day 1

Go time! As always our crew met at a semi-private airport in Fort Lauderdale to check in, and board our private, chartered plane. On arrival the team broke the ice with fun stories and excited visions of what was to come during our week in Andros! While our bags were weighed Annie handed our eco-friendly goodie bags. The bags were full of treats such as a bamboo toothbrush, reusable flask, shampoo bars and more. Annie talked through the benefits of making simple replacements, that truly make a difference.

Within an hour of arriving we started our walk to the plane. Energy levels were high, and with the mood uplifting and entertaining, we all knew the week ahead was going to be a good one! It took approximately 80 minutes from leaving the airport in Fort Lauderdale, to touching down in Andros. Time flew by as all chairs had window seats with incredible views of the ocean and habitats. We almost didn’t want to land... almost!

After clearing customs and hopping in our taxi’s, we headed south to our accommodation. The ride took around 25 minutes and before we knew it, we were home. The lodge is a local, family run operation which offers comfortable rooms, incredible food and welcoming hospitality. All guests were shown to their rooms and offered lunch while Tristan gave a safety briefing and the general house keeping rules of the lodge were explained. After tummies were satisfied the team collected their snorkeling equipment as we headed straight out on the water. While gathering around the boat a large southern stingray and subadult lemon shark were spotted. Luck appeared to be on our side. We were off!

First up was a snorkel in a very pretty reef teeming with stunning corals, and tropical fish. During the snorkel guests were able to try out their equipment and simply get comfortable in the water.

After an hours swim we climbed back on the boat and relocated to a shallow water area where we began to bait. Within minutes two lemon sharks, and a reef arrived. We observed them from the boat as they grew in confidence, then after 20 minutes or so we hopped in to snorkel with them. The sharks were bold and in total we had two lemons, two blacknose and a single Caribbean reef shark making close passes. The sharks flew around the bait slick and after a further 30 minutes of fun we jumped back on the boat to call it a day. Of course we continued to observe the sharks from the surface one last time before we said our goodbyes and headed back to the lodge.

On arrival we showered and had a fabulous homemade dinner, followed by baiting the lemon sharks from the dock of the lodge. With a great first half day in the bag it was off to bed for an early rise tomorrow.

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Day 2

We woke to a beautiful sunrise, and a full spread breakfast. With exciting activities planned for the day we set off before 9:00am in search of adventure.

First up we headed to a beautiful cay known for its healthy turtle population. We hopped in and snorkeled around observing a variety of fish and invertebrates in the shallows. Most of the fish here were beautiful, small beings darting about their business, however there were a number of large barracuda passing by every so often which kept us on our toes!

While exploring the sand, rocks and corals Annie found a piece of treasure. Not a typical gem or prize, a piece of turtle shell! This hot spot known for turtles, of course attracts tiger sharks (as they predate on turtles) so to find a piece of shell was incredibly exciting! – Please note you can NOT import/export any piece of a turtle, even if found, just like this. All turtle parts are protected by law and a scientific research permit is required to collect, receive, import or export parts. 

Next up we ventured to a nearby ocean blue hole. On arrival however Tristan spotted an incredibly large loggerhead turtle! Annie slipped in quietly to snap a few pics and to see if the turtle was willing to accept a divers presence. Unfortunately it wasn’t and moved on quickly, so we let it be.

Back to the blue hole and everyone jumped in to cool down and explore the natural wonder. Guests took it in turns diving down, into the hole, while others stayed at the surface. We never pressurize anyone to do anything they feel uncomfortable doing, however we do encourage guests to step out of their comfort zone with the safety of trip leaders present.

After a wonderful morning we headed back to the lodge for a game of ring toss, lunch and a mini rest for 30 minutes, before heading back out. During this time a beautiful moray eel was spotted. The beauty teased us with a glimpse but got spooked by an unexpected large lemon cruising by, well, we all did!

After our rest we geared up and headed out to our hammerhead location in the hopes of seeing a superstar. The conditions were far from ideal and it soon became obvious we most likely wouldn’t stay for the duration needed to attract these large sharks. Nonetheless Annie and Tristan persevered and continued to bait while the crew dug deep in the hopes of stomaching the waves. Nurse sharks, huge snapper, barracuda, and a large school of horse eye jacks were seen, however Mother Nature didn’t back down, and with an unwell crew the decision was made to abort our efforts and head in.

Although disappointed we couldn’t continue, we had a wonderful day nonetheless, and with many more days ahead, we enjoyed a delicious meal and chatted all things sharks! As we sat talking Sami had a feeling something was happening outside, so of course we explored… The ocean was filled with bioluminescence! It was incredible watching the striking, glowing objects floating down the canal, and we couldn’t believe Sami’s feeling was so accurate! We sat in awe. Finally it passed, and with the team smiling from ear to ear, it was time for bed.

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Day 3

Another day, another beautiful sunrise! Today we got up extra early as we headed out to our silky shark spot. We grabbed our equipment and watched the sun rise by boat as we headed out to the deep. 

On arrival we were greeted by silky sharks, at least six in total. Accompanying the silkies were mahi-mahi, rainbow runners, trigger fish and a potential oarfish, long story! Tristan gave a dive briefing and slowly guests entered the water, two-by-two. Silkies are naturally bold, and can feel intimidating if you’ve had little experience diving with sharks, particularly in the open ocean. It is for this reason we slowly invite guests in, and both trip leaders are in the water at all times. We take our time, and everyone is closely watched. Our silky experience can be absolutely out of this world, and we hope, that whatever level you’re at, you feel this way as you exit the dive.

After an incredible morning dive it was back to the lodge for a mini break including a siesta (if desired), social media and family updates to share news about the silky dive, lunch, and a presentation on Sharks of the Bahamas from Tristan. Our afternoon plans were jam-packed, and so an hours rest was had to ensure everyone was ready for the afternoon activities.

After lunch we’d planned to visit one of our favorite locations, a lemon shark haven! Two young Bahamian girls, daughters of the lodges’ yard keeper, seemed keen to join us and so we asked our group if it would be ok to invite them. With everyone united, we did exactly that! One of the girls had never been on a boat before! As you can imagine, the drive out felt so incredibly special, and exciting for her, and us. 

A short 15 minutes later, we arrived in paradise. White sandy beaches, warm, tropical water, and sharks everywhere… We all hopped in and Tristan began to bait. One, two, three.. fifteen lemons sharks in total, and at least two blacknose! We watched on as both the guests, and sharks confidence grew in unison. Our special guests found reassurance in our actions and too began to place their head beneath the waves to see the sharks.

With everyone on a high we opted for one last snorkel over a stunning reef. Everyone jumped in to cool down- some snorkeled, and some swam, but everyone had fun! The girls even jumped in and snorkeled from beside the boat, another first for them; we were all so proud to be with them for these early experiences.

With spirits high we ventured back to the lodge for a shower and dinner, followed by some shark baiting at night. We had five large lemon sharks in total, and with seeing them being so addictive we slowly left, one by one as we headed to bed.

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Day 4

Due to a long day yesterday we woke today for a later breakfast, at 8:00am. Each day, guests have the choice of a freshly-made breakfast eggs (scrambled, fried, or an omelet) to-order at no extra cost, cereals, toast, fresh fruit, yogurt, and more.

With another dreamy day waiting we set off to an inland blue hole. The hole is more green than blue, but nonetheless is a remote, off the beaten track, stunning setting. On arrival Sami spotted a snake on the road, Annie confirmed it was a brown racer and everyone else fussed around with excitement! Sami picked up the snake to relocate it away from the road and in doing so guests were given a close look at the harmless, but very important reptile. Within a few minutes the snake was released and the light trek to our site was on.

After making our way through light terrain, and avoiding some shaky rocks, we arrived at our destination. We immediately jumped in and started to explore. The undergrowth was covered in a green algae and small fish such as juvenile barracuda and mosquito fish darted around towards the surface. Guests searched the circumference to find a small cave, and took it in turns to dive down into the unknown. The blue hole maxes out at a depth of only 6 meters/20ft, however with only a few feet of visibility it can be rather spooky to dive in! After our fun it was time for lunch, and an afternoon activity.

We had many options, however the vote was in and the team agreed to an afternoon baiting for tiger sharks. Now, we do not have a particular tiger spot, however we have seen many tigers in a particular location and had faith on our site. Guests knew we could bait for up to, and even over four hours to see nothing, but they decided to roll the dice! Nothing is guaranteed in the wild, and true explorers push the boundaries to learn about systems, habitats and animals. The challenge was on!

We were almost three hours into baiting, and nothing. We saw a nurse shark swim past that appeared spooked (very unusual), and that was it. No reef sharks, no rays, no large fish, nothing. We decided to mark our location and drive the local area in case a large shark was attracted in, but was too shy to approach, or come close enough to be seen. During our drive we saw some large nurse sharks, barracuda, and more, but no tigers. We headed back to our spot to continue baiting and as we approached Tristan shouted ‘tiger’! There he was, a 3.3 meter/11ft tiger shark, in less than 9ft of water right in front of our boat!

Everyone lost their minds! This beautiful shark was right under our nose, and finally, we found him. We followed the shark briefly allowing all to see the famous stripes of a tiger shark, and then we left him be. On arrival back to our spot we gave one last attempt with 30 minutes additional baiting, however with light diminishing, it was time to call it a day.

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Day 5

With the departure of Emma, we wanted to lift spirits once again and so today we had a very special treat planned. A day of exploration down a renowned creek! We had never explored this creek past the first opening so today was an all-time first, for everyone.

Alarms sang as early as 6:00am as we departed at 7:00am on-the-dot. We hired two local bone fisherman as our guides for the day and they were waiting for us on waking. Before we knew it, we were off!

After an hour’s drive, we arrived at a boat ramp, and were on the water just after 8am. We slowly cruised down the main canal spotting life in the tranquil and calm conditions. We slowly passed silent properties, and an old shipwreck before we finally hit a plane and adrenaline was lifted! Annie joked to Aimee that dolphins were supposedly spotted down the canal, and then, would you believe it, there they were. No-one, except the guides (!) could believe their eyes, what were they doing this far down the canal? Two bottlenose toyed with our boat and had fun riding the bow waves as we snapped a few pictures. Grateful for the warm welcome, we continued to head deep down the creek.

Finally we made it to our destination, and Annie started to bait. Immediately two blacktips were spotted, but they had no interest in our scent. The current was challenging and so we opted to relocate. A close by location offered the same result, a handful of sharks, but none willing to come close. The decision was made to return to the location in a few hours to see if the current and tide had changed. We swapped baiting for searching for sawfish!

As the area we were exploring was mostly unknown or investigated by anyone other than fisherman, we were keen to simply observe the habitat and gain some understanding of the secrets it may be holding. After almost two hours of searching, little was seen past the occasional southern stingray, and some fish such as bonefish or snapper. We did however spot more dolphins! They were really stealing the show today and one in particular was extremely keen to play with our presence. A few of the guests couldn’t resist jumping in, and were rewarded with some truly breathtaking passes, and moments. One dolphin stopped within feet of Fajer and just hung in front of her for over a minute, simply observing her behavior. It was spectacular to witness.

With our searching efforts satisfied, we opted for another baiting session, and this time we had one very small shark quickly grow in confidence. We enjoyed the blacktip from the boat, and some guests jumped in to see the cutie beneath the waves.

Once back on the boat the search continued and we discovered a pretty little spot which was calling us for a swim. We all gave in and enjoyed some downtime in a truly beautiful and picturesque setting. It was stunning.

As time, and light, started to disappear we slowly made our way back to the boat ramp. On route back we enjoyed seeing both southern stingrays and eaglerays, and we all simply stopped to appreciate the beauty of where we were.

After our hour drive back in the truck, we finished a long day with dinner, chit-chat and a knot tidying class lead by Annie and Captain Cole. A long and exhausting day saw our team head to bed early.

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Day 6

Our last full day, and we were making it count! First up we headed to a secluded beach and mangrove setting which took some 20 minutes of trekking to reach. This hidden gem is often full of sharks, however on arrival there was minimal action, and so we changed things up and walked further out to another spot. A spot our team saw and caught a smalltooth sawfish in, less than six months before! Could we be so lucky?

As we walked out we saw something resting. As heart rates increases the subject moved, it was a stingray! No sawfish, but a beautiful large ray nonetheless. We started to bait and within ten minutes we had eight lemon sharks, one of which was incredibly feisty and forced us back into the shallows a little.

Seeing sharks in shallow, stunning locations is addictive and no one wanted to leave! So we didn’t. We stayed another 30-45 minutes and enjoyed the little predators darting around our feet!

Slowly we made our way back to the truck, and headed north to a popular lunch spot. We pride ourselves on true eco-tourism, and stay, eat and support the local residents wherever possible. Today we had a treat, we were visiting Sam’s! A quirky, fun little hot spot right on the beach that serves truly incredible food. We watched on as Sam demonstrated how to prepare a fresh conch salad, and sat and relaxed on the beach as we ate our food.

With our tummies full, we decided to walk off lunch while collecting trash for a beach clean. We grabbed as much as we could, piled it into the truck and headed to the dump to offload. Annie gave a brief talk on consumer choices and impacts, and then it was off to another activity.

Next up, and our final activity of the day, was a large, and secluded inland blue hole. On arrival the pure size of it was impressive. The hole was surrounded by pines and birds could be heard overhead.

The blue hole also boasted a dive platform and we of course took it in turns to leap from it, out into the hole! We know this blue holes has a depth of at least 100 feet so the jump of fate was a little spooky with a seemingly endless destination and poor visibility! It was safe nonetheless, and we all had a blast jumping and exploring the parameter of this stunning, natural wonder.

A happy crew made their way home for their usual showers, dinner, social media updates, equipment cleaning and photo downloading. Our last night was spent with a few drinks on the dock with our beloved lemon sharks.

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Day 7

Our final morning, but it wasn’t over yet! After breakfast we once again tried a new location, rumored to have a healthy blacktip population. Conditions were challenging, but we never give up! We started to bait and to our surprise we had six blacktips and a subadult lemon visible in under ten minutes! Andros, you never disappoint. We watched on as the sharks ate our treats and put on a show, comfortable at the surface. Finally though, our fun had come to an end, and it was time to head back to the lodge.

On arrival we quickly packed our belongings, had lunch and hopped in our taxi’s to head north, to the airport. As we charter our own plane there is minimal waiting and with a homemade coconut pie consumed (wow!), we boarded the plane for our flight home. As always the flight out of Andros is bitter sweet; a breath taking view, but a sad farewell. On arrival to Fort Lauderdale we cleared customs, and said our goodbyes, although we KNEW we’d see each other again. Until next time…

We would like to take this opportunity to thank our wonderful guests for joining us, the incredible Andros Island Bonefish Club for their hospitality, the hardworking and ever professional Cole from PFO Charters for his top class boating and captaining skills, and everyone that made this trip as awesome as it was: an entirely unforgettable March 2020.

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If you’d like to join us on an expedition, we have just two spaces on our 2020 expeditions. Please contact us and be part of something truly special.