SMALL
HOPE BAY LODGE
Small Hope Bay welcomed their
first guests in 1960, and while they have been
diving the Andros Barrier Reef ever since,
they claim "we still don't know all of the
caves and ledges, shallows and deeps of our
142-mile front yard." Yet they keep searching,
for the spirit of adventure that motivated
Dick Birch to open his dive resort in the Bahamas
four decades ago remains alive in son Jeff
Birch and the Small Hope Bay Lodge dive staff
even today.
Small Hope Bay Lodge - The resort features
21 cottages located along the beach, overlooking
the sea and situated amid coconut palms and casuarina
trees. Each unit is hand-built of coral rock
and native pine, with a ceiling fan and private
bathroom in each. Four of the units are 2-bedroom
cottages especially for families.
Each of the cottages is finished with locally made furniture and the bright
batik fabrics made on-island. Dining is family-style, with lots of vegetables,
fresh fish, Bahamian specialties such as fresh conch and lobster. They
also offer what they refer to as "landfood" for palates inclined to more
traditional fare. Conspicuously absent are telephone, television, and clocks.
Instead there are good reading lights and plenty of fresh towels to dry
off after enjoying any of numerous inviting ocean activities, or even a
relaxing dip in the hot tub for that matter. Small Hope Bay has made casual
ambiance and friendly service their trademark. While they are an "all-inclusive" resort,
they could not be farther from the formula espoused by Club Med and Sandals.
To them, all-inclusive means you don't have to carry a wallet or wear a
wristband. For that matter, you don't carry room keys either, and for the
most part shoes are optional as well. This is a place where relaxation
has been elevated to an art form.
Even if you come from a high-stress fast-paced life in the "real world",
things slow down once you hit Small Hope Bay Lodge. By design. Since scuba
and snorkel are such integral parts of the Small Hope Bay lifestyle, they
have remained current with new technologies and diving theory. They offer
Nitrox, and allow considerable freedom in personal dive planning. Even
though they aren't a "tech" dive center, they do feature a chance to dive
deep to those who wish. Dives to 185 feet are not uncommon, and for those
in search of the ultimate rapture of the way deep, there is even a wall
dive to 225 feet! Not for everyone admittedly, but its nice to know the
latitude to be safely adventurous is allowed, even encouraged.
Small Hope Bay has set the standard for the ultimate in Andros dive/lodging
services since 1960. "Since 1960?!" Let's think about that for a moment.
Tail fins had only gone outof vogue three years before. Elvis Presley ruled
the pop charts and what would become the British invasion wave caused by
the Beatles and their clones was then only a ripple from across the Atlantic.
The Nikonos camera was still known as the Calypso-Phot, and even trend-setting
divers like Lloyd Bridges in his Mike Nelson of Sea Hunt persona were still
diving twin-hose regulators.
To become a destination dive resort in those days was pretty
adventurous, and in fact risky. But that's exactly what Dick
Birch set out to do, a legacy that remains strong and vibrant
today. Sadly Dick is no longer alive, but Small Hope Bay remains
a family run business, from reservations in the United States
to operations on-island. Here are the words of the Birch family
as they reminisce about how it all began:
"Diving and snorkeling are how we got started, and we're
still taking the plunge. In 1956, Canadian Dick Birch took
a scuba course during a tropical vacation and was certain everyone
would take up this extraordinary sport within five years. He
saw it as an opportunity to trade in the corporate life for
one with outdoor recreation and time with his wife and children.
By building a small scuba resort, he believed he could support
his family while introducing people to the wonders of the sea.
"He investigated islands in the Caribbean and Bahamas before finding
a pristine stretch of white sand and coconut palms at the edge of Small
Hope Bay (reportedly named by pirate Henry Morgan, who swore there
was 'Esmall hope' that anyone would find his treasure buried in the
bay). Dick put on a mask, stuck his head underwater, saw the reef,
and built Small Hope Bay Lodge."
The Diving - Essentially there are 2 types of dive adventure
at Small Hope Bay. With the standard recreational program there
are 3 dives per day, with the 185 foot "over the wall" no-deco
dive as the deepest. There is also a specialty diving program
which includes deeper wall dives, blue hole dives, and custom
dives according to interest. There are only one or two divers
per dive in these specialties and they offer a dedicated divemaster.
The diversity of the entire Andros reef is their frontyard: sheer
drop-offs, false walls, swim-through caverns, oceanic blue holes,
reef and wreck dives, all within a 20 minute boat ride. Here's
what you might expect:
• Walls The Andros wall begins around 70 to 90
feet and may have a gentle slope to a narrow sand plateau before
plunging 6,000 feet into the deep oceanic abyss known as the Tongue
of the Ocean. Visibility of less than 100 feet is considered a
bad day here. Giant purple tube sponge and broad elephant ear sponge
decorate the wall face. While dozens of excellent wall dives are
within a 15-20 minute boat ride from the resort, the broad expanse
of the Andros Barrier Reef offers immense variety along the deep
dropoff. At a site like Over the Wall you can drop down the vertical
face from 70 feet all the way to 185 feet before you settle to
the sand of a prehistoric beach.
• Cavern dives With enchanting names like Diana's Dungeons, Catacombs,
and Coral Caverns, much of the medium depth reef is punctuated with tunnels and
cavern formations. You can enter a wide tunnel at 50 feet and follow a meandering
pathway of crevices, ledges, and overhangs exiting along the edge of the wall
at 90 feet. The seasonal concentrations of glass minnows and the huge congregates
of grouper and jack they attract is a moving and inspirational sight to behold.
• Shallow Reef There is plenty of shallow coral reef in 25 feet
and less to entice both scuba divers and snorkelers. At Trumpet Reef, in just
5 to 15 feet of water, grand stands of elkhorn coral provide refuge for a fascinating
collection of colorful reef tropicals. At Peter's Place both staghorn and elkhorn
compete with rare pillar coral for prominence.
• Wreck dives There are two rather interesting wreck dives in
the vicinity, both in 60-70 feet of water. The Marion was a work barge, complete
with crane that was sunk 20 years ago as a dive attraction. She flipped over
on the way down and now rests upside-down in 70 feet of water, home to grouper,
small reef fish, and a patina of sponge and gorgonia. The Barge, as she is affectionately
known, is an aircraft-landing barge and has been on the bottom for over 30 years.
• Blue Holes The underwater caves systems known as Blue Holes
are a Small Hope Bay Lodge specialty. Actually the island is riddled with both
terrestrial and underwater blue holes, but Big Blue Hole, Bob's Blue Hole, Stargate,
Guardian Blue Hole, and Little Frenchman's Blue Hole are among those you might
be likely to visit on a Small Hope Bay dive holiday. Massive stalactites decorate
these submerged cave systems, typically bathed by seawater of stunning clarity.
• Shark dive A new and very exciting dive has recently evolved
at Small Hope Bay Lodge "The Shark Emporium". In just 50 feet of water divemasters
have conditioned Caribbean reef sharks (Carcharhinus perezi) to congregate
at the sound of their outboards. Amid high profile coral heads the staff will
position a frozen chumsickle made of fish heads and guts, tethering it about
25 feet off the bottom. After a few tentative nibbles from the bravest sharks,
soon there are at least a dozen sharks swarming the baitball and providing a
high-voltage glimpse of this graceful and efficient predator. The dive normally
lasts 20 to 30 minutes, depending on how aggressive the sharks are on the particular
day. Usually divers tend to scour the bottom before ascending to find souvenir
shark's teeth.
How to get there Small Hope Bay Lodge offers a flight
service from Ft. Lauderdale direct to Andros and can be arranged for
a minimum of 2 travelers, any day, with at least 15 days advance notice.
Space may also be booked for single travelers at any time, so call to
check availability. Flying time is just one hour. It is also possible
to fly to Andros from Nassau on Bahamasair, with a flight time of only
15 minutes.
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