Fishing
Stella Maris Deep Sea & Reef Fishing
Long Island offers hundreds of sites and all depths on the ocean and lee sides for a variety of boats for small or larger groups. Fishermen enjoy Stella Maris fishing year round due to the presence of a major current stream, the North Equatorial Current, which originates in the Canary Islands and washes the shores of Long Island, transporting huge schools of Blue Marlin, White Marlin, Sailfish, Rainbow Runners, Yellow Fin Tuna, Black Fin Tuna, Dolphin and Wahoo.
Best Months:
These fish are caught year round with strong months as noted below:
Yellow Fin Tuna: 50-150 lbs., April - May
Dolphin: 10-90 lbs., March - June
Wahoo: 10-90 lbs., September - November
Rainbow Runners: 10-30 lbs., March - May
Black Fin Tuna: 10-30 lbs., July - December
Reef Fishing Boats:
27' glass bottom (slow)/sun roof/ 6 persons max.
20' center console, 200 Yamaha, 4 persons max
+ other similar types
Reef fishing from $400.00. Includes full day to 4-6 people with a guide in boat sizes ranging from 16 to 27'. Deep Sea Fishing Boats 38' 8 persons max 31' 6 persons max + other similar types
Deep Sea Fishing from $800. Includes full day (8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.) for 4-8 people, guide, boat ranging in size from 19' to 38'. Overtime for boat, crew, fuel is charged at $100 per hour. Distance cruising surcharge quoted upon request.
Stella Maris Bone Fishing
The waters around Stella Maris are a fly fisherman's paradise, with average bonefish catches of 15-20, 2-12 pounds. Fish with our guides or explore on your own in our nearby bay!
Bone Fishing Boats:
16' 2001 Hewes, 90 Yamaha, poling platform.
17' 2006 Maverick, 90 Yamaha, poling platform.
$400 - Bone Fishing for full day for 1-2 fishing with a guide. Transfer to/from dock by taxi @ $20,-- round trip for 2 persons, or own rental car. Basic tackle is available to rent, but own gear is recommended. Fly rod= $20, spin rod=$10 per day.Shrimp for spin fishing is available at $7.50 per pack. ***
Long Island
Divided by the Tropic of Cancer, weather conditions are most enjoyable year-round. Surrounded by the turquoise blue of the Exuma Sound on the lee side and the deep rich blue of the Atlantic on the east, Long Island boasts high cliffs and rolling headlands, peaceful coves and secluded beaches. Offshore on the Atlantic side and on the Caribbean side, look for a wide variety of hard corals, soft corals and abundant fish life in crystal clear water!
Snorkeling Sites
- Poseidon's Point: easy entry over rock or from beach, from 2-10' to about 30’ out at the edge, an exciting array of large brain coral and elkhorn formations. One of the few places you can see big tarpon swim through the reef. A good spot for night snorkeling. A very safe area, perfect for beginners, too!
- Coral Gardens: 1/2 mile from Stella Maris, right at the shoreline, lies this lovely reef in depths of up to 30' with top breaking surface everywhere. Valleys, caves and overhangs, all display a breathtaking array of all types of coral, dominated by elkhorn and staghorn coral fields. Angelfish, trumpets and small barracuda are plentiful, crawfish, big individual Nassau grouper, and hawksbill sea turtles appear in fair numbers. Although dived from a boat, too, this is usually a from-shore dive.
- Beginner's Snorkeling in the Rock Pools: and it's for experienced, too -- try it!
- Flamingo Tongue Reef: accessible by boat only, is an excellent spot for hard corals, gorgonians, and flamingo tongue shells. Explore the garden eel colony. Barracuda and reef school fish, squirrel, grunts, yellow tails are abundant. Excellent crab life, especially at night. A protected area in typically prevailing breezes, set against the beautiful scenery of the Cape Santa Maria Beach.
- Rainbow Reef: 3 easy entries from the beach or over rocks, or from the next small beach bay. Completely protected in most weather situations. Good coral formations, sponges and small schools of grunts, snappers. An excellent chance of seeing passing eagle rays!
- Columbus Harbour: the spot off which Columbus anchored and came ashore by long boat October 16th, 1492. Walk 300 yards to shallow, protected 1-mile beach bay. Depths from 3-25'. See blue giant parrot fish, Spanish lobster and all types of hard coral.
- Columbus Monument and The Caves: just north of Columbus Harbour, on cliffs from 100' high, sits the monument commemorating Columbus' Landing and his brief trading with the natives of "Yuma", Long Island. Below, a few steps from the road, a small beach, completely protected. Ride the tidal 'drifts' or snorkel from the mouth of the narrow bay. See fish similar to those at Columbus Harbour, plus The Caves, about a dozen or so, permitting easy snorkel, exploring, and perhaps, finding a hidden pirate's treasure!
- Long Bar: boat only - located on the northwest lee side. Absolutely superb! View a wonderful variety of coral and fish. Snorkel among hard corals, a beautiful stand of pillar coral, big basket sponges, and large seafans.
Diving in Stella Maris
Stella Maris Diving's strong suit is its variety! There is something for almost every dive expectation and experience level.
Here are a few highlights. Or visit our site at www.stellamarisdiving.com for even more information.
Stella Maris Shark Reef
Stella Maris Shark Reef, often copied, never matched, affords guaranteed, unfailingly dramatic viewing, photo and filming opportunities.
Under the easiest and safest of conditions, suitable even for the not-so-seasoned diver, in just 30' of calm lee side water divers can
witness first-hand the beauty and power of the apex predator of the Bahamian and Caribbean reef: Carcharhinus perezi.
Some 1 to 2 dozen compete for prepared food in an underwater amphitheater setting. This not-to-be missed dive experience has been presented
up to 2-3 time weekly since the mid-seventies with a 100% safety record!
Dean's Blue Hole
Dean’s Blue Hole, the world's known deepest! At 660', therefore presumably two ice ages old! From a gorgeous beach,
with two flips of your fins you are ready to descend. Protected from the open Atlantic by high cliffs, the inside shallows equally
delight accompanying swimmers and snorkelers. Located within a one hour’s drive by road this trip usually includes a
pleasant Island Tour.
Conception Island Wall
Conception Island Wall, this uninhabited Bahamas Nature Park, on land and underwater, provides pristine dive stuff that legends are made
of! Vertical walls fringed with huge coral heads begin as shallow as 45' and step down to indefinite ink-blue depths.
Visibility usually ranges from 150 to 200'. All underwater life is at its best! And close by the infamous 9-mile South Hampton Reef,
sporting continuous depth changes from 10 to 100', reportedly snagged some 150 wrecks, historic and modern.
There is close by beach relaxation on Conception Island, the island’s creeks provide shelter for various turtle species, and bird
watching is great, too. “Conception” can stand up to any Bahamas and Caribbean dive hot spot competition!
Rum Cay
Rum Cay, named “Conception Island” by Columbus originally, is within reach of the Stella Maris Dive vessels. It is
known for its quaint scenery, very nice diving, and for its historic wreck of the "Conqueror". And on land,
there is a ‘must see'; the Hartford Cave, boasting hundreds of Indian originating wall stone carvings.
Wrecks
The "Comberbach", a 110' steel freighter, sits upright on a 100' deep coral reef/shelf with lots of coral,
sponge and fish life. The wreck can be safely dived throughout! Right next to the "Comberbach" is a 40' sailing vessel,
the "Sunseeker". Man-made wrecks are occasionally added to this "Ships' Graveyard", located just 1/2 mile from beautiful
Cape Santa Maria Beach, on the lee side of Long Island.
A large steel freighter, its name unknown, sits at 25' on Conception Island's South Hampton Reef. Its 'flattened',
but still interconnected hull presents great marine wreck photo opportunities. Residential fish life is good, and coral heads provide
added background.
The "Conqueror", the first ever steam engine equipped sailing war vessel of the British Navy, hit a coral head close to
Rum Cay's south shore in 1848 and without the loss of a single life sank there. A Skindiver Magazine/Stella Maris dive team
discovered it in 1969. In some 25’ of depth, one can inspect canons, canon balls, a huge shaft, a tiny engine,
and all sorts of marine hardware, including petrified ships planking! Note: No collecting of anything here!
A large steel freighter, its name unknown, sits in some 20' of depth immediately east of
Long Island’s "Guana Cay". Its hull is partially torn apart and flattened; lots of marine hardware and its petrified
freight remnants are strewn throughout the area. Typically visited by road (35 minutes), involving a 5 minute inner bay snorkel
crossing; can be dived or snorkeled over. Plus: feed the tame Curly Tail Iguanas at Guana Cay’s beach!
Learn to Dive in The Bahamas
Learning to dive is a great way to spend a Stella Maris Vacation. In addition to the courses below, Stella Maris offers daily diving
at $100 and a Resort Course at $135. Daily rate divers may be charged a surcharge for certain dives (i.e.: Shark Reef, Conception Wall).
The resort course provides instruction and a first dive.
Minimum age is 10 for resort course and 12 for certification.
We teach PADI and SSI, RESORT, OPEN WATER, and OPEN WATER ADVANCED COURSES, any time! Pre-trained student divers regularly perform
final 'wet' tests here by referral!
Why dive at Stella Maris ?
Location: Southern Bahamas, the best of subtropical climate zones, avoiding early-year cold fronts and enjoying surprisingly moderate
summer/fall temperatures
The Ocean: Crystal-clear and rich with underwater life. No pollution, no land runoffs! Two shorelines ( Atlantic and Exuma Bank)
across just 1 mile of average land width! Studded with reefs, ringed with beaches.
Temperatures: Average Winter air mid-seventies to eighties, water mid-seventies to low eighties. Summer/Fall air eighties to nineties,
water mid-eighties.
The Island : Unspoiled, friendly, quaint, unhurried, historically interesting, very attractive and perfectly safe. Some 80 miles of pretty
town settings and gorgeous sea vistas.
Stella Maris Resort Club: Very nice, not too large, yet complete. Fairly priced, with excellent services. Dedicated to Sun & Sea,
diving and snorkeling, wholesome day activities and pleasant sunset entertainment. Ideal for water sports enthusiasts and for
just-getting-away-from-it-all vacations, but not suited for 'glittery'-style holidays.
The Diving: Most varied, along two shorelines, and at a number of nearby cays and islands perfectly set for combining virgin diving and
island cruising. Offering a blend of typical Bahamas and Caribbean dive settings with world-renowned highlights such at SHARK REEF, the
superb Conception Wall and the alluring Clarencetown Blue Hole! With the easiest of dive conditions - clear warm water, without currents,
and 'fixed' bottoms - for very safe diving. Rich in life, shallow and medium depths, providing for a maximum of daily enjoyment.
The Stella Maris Marina
The marina is located 1 1/2 miles from the hotel (free diving transfers). Featuring an 18' deep saltwater training pool,
diving and fishing equipment shops (for use, not for sale!), docks, boat ramp, etc. Diving gear available here for guests' use,
but we recommend bringing your own gear (except weights and tanks). Some equipment repairs are available, but spare items/parts are
limited due to variety. Dive gear can be left on boats or in shops overnight. Gear rinsing is available on boats, at docks and at dive shop.
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Bahamas Diving at Stella Maris
Stella Maris offers an incredible variety of diving, from hundreds of coral head and reef sites on the northwest lee side of Long Island to some 15 miles of explored northeast Atlantic locations. The lee is mostly calm, with little or no current; most sites afford a 'fixed' bottom, making for easy and safe dive planning and orientation. The Atlantic shelves and reefs are dramatic, with vast areas of incredible antler and other large-growth coral fields. The water here seems bluer, the fish bigger, and underwater scenery wilder. Every dive here provides a feeling of raw adventure and yet, the shore isn't far away. |
Dive Equipment
It is recommended that divers bring their own snorkel equipment, plus BC, regulator, and dive skin or wet suit if needed. Skins or wet suits are nice for the winter months when average air temperatures are in the mid-seventies to eighties and water temperatures are typically in the mid-seventies to low eighties.
We do have rental snorkel equipment at reduced rates for hotel guests as well are rental BC/s, regulators, wet suits, dive lights and cameras.
Diving Equipment Rental
Per day:
- Regulator - octopus with pressure and depth gauge regulator $12.50
- BC $12.50
- Wet Suit $10.00
- Underwater Camera $35.00
- Underwater Light $15.00
Tanks, aluminum with some small sizes available, and weights, weight belts are available and not subject to rental charges.
Note: Dive equipment is available only for Stella Maris diving participants due to liability issues! Privately owned SCUBA tanks can be filled at prevailing charges if carrier shows valid Dive Certification Card. |
The Boats:
65' Sol Mar III: A no-nonsense, serious dive cruiser for day and overnight traveling. Twin-diesel, 10 knot,
110/220 electric, hot/cold water, compressor aboard. Large four-stepped partially submerged platform. Full galley, shaded lounge/galley area,
and upper sun deck. Plenty of space for gear. Air-conditioned bunk sleeping for up to 18 passengers.
32' Sol Mar II: A fast day-dive cruiser, with plenty of deck area. Single diesel, 16 knot. Sunroof; entry from low boat sides
for 'rolling over' or via small platform.
27' Coral Seas : Glass bottom lee side day-boat, single diesel, 9 knot, sunroof. Entry from low sides for 'rolling over or
via small platform. The Coral Seas often serves as tender for the other boats.
All vessels are radio equipped, meet all legally required safety equipment standards, and have head(s)!
Most diving is done from boat, some from shore. Boat travel from the Stella Maris Marina takes from 20 to 50 minutes. Boats sometimes meet divers
at more dive-site oriented beaches/docks for less traveling and more variety.
Well planned and safe overnight adventure cruises feature the nearby cays of Rum Cay, Conception Island, and Cat Island and can include any of the
many Exuma Cays. This part of the Bahamas is a diver's and boater's paradise, offering history, beautiful scenery and the quaint Out Island
way of life and the superb diving adventures below! |
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All-inclusive (packages)
