What better way to start the new year than with some of the best diving in the Bahamas?! Join Blue Planet for an epic New Year's trip on the Aqua Cat. Imagine sinking your toes into sugar sand, snorkeling or diving among the sharks and sting rays, or hiking the trails of pirates and bootleggers of years gone by. No crowds, no set itineraries, nothing to do but sit back, relax and choose from an incredible variety of activities including scuba diving, snorkeling, kayaking, sunbathing and island exploring.

The Exumas

Experience exceptional scuba diving like no other place in the Atlantic Ocean or Caribbean. The variety of dive sites in the Exuma Cays is truly unique. Because it can only be reached on a dive liveaboard, this underwater world is pristine and filled with an abundance of colorful fish, macro-critters, corals, sponges, fans, lobster and  sharks. 

Great for Non-Divers Too!

For those who wish to do more than blow bubbles, eco-adventures are offered daily. There is a 28’ jet boat available to take guests to deserted islands for hours of beach combing, relaxing and hiking trails. Kayaks, SUPS and snorkel boards are all available onboard! Unique experiences indigenous to the Bahamas are also offered – meet the endangered iguanas of Allen’s Cay, swim with pigs at Major’s Cay, watch the rare tropic seabirds nest at Camp Driftwood to name just a few of the activities you can enjoy on the Aqua Cat! All this makes the Aqua Cat perfect for your non-diving partners and family members to join you on your special diving adventure!

The Diving

Minimum dive certification/experience:  Perfect for beginners and experienced divers. A great spot to complete your Advanced Open Water Diver and more. 

The Aqua Cat offers a great variety of diving including passive shark feeding dives, walls that begin as shallow as 40′ and slope over the edge where large pelagics are frequently seen, exhilarating high speed drift dives through the cuts of the cays, blue holes which are banked by patch reefs with huge schools of fish as well as other wonderful sites. You can enjoy up to 26 dives per week and will leave with a log book full of new memories and wonderful sightings. 

The Aqua Cat

The 102 ft liveaboard catamaran, Aqua Cat, offers luxury accommodations, a spacious main salon and an extremely smooth ride. The tri-level Aqua Cat offers 11 passenger cabins – some of the largest in the dive liveaboard world, a spacious dive deck, a main salon for dining and relaxing, a sundeck with a panoramic view, and an alfresco bar. The vessel cruises at a speed of 14-knots allowing us to travel quickly between dive sites while her 35-ft. beam ensures a smooth ride. The Aqua Cat provides divers a luxury experience, but with a comfortable and casual vibe. Plus Aqua Cat has been rated #1 by the readers of Scuba Diving magazine for BEST CREW! 

Travel

 You should plan to arrive in Nassau by December 30 since boarding is at 6 pm on Saturday. There will be a welcome briefing, dinner and an important safety briefing immediately afterwards. If you are arriving earlier, you may drop bags off at the boat prior to 6:00 PM. The Aqua Cat returns to Nassau Friday afternoon. You will be responsible for dinner ashore Friday evening. We require that you disembark Saturday by 9:00 AM. You may leave your bags at the boat if you have a late afternoon flight. 

Interested in extending your trip? Let us know! 

Upon cancellation of a reservation for any reason, the refund of the deposit and payments made or due will be contingent upon Blue Planet reselling the participant's reservation. Any refund may also be subject to a cancellation fee of $250 and payment of any non-refundable fees imposed by the tour company, dive operator or any other contractor associated with the trip. 

Dive accident insurance is required for all divers on this trip. We strongly recommend travel insurance to protect your vacation investment. Contact us if you need more information. 

Arrive in Nassau and head over to the marina. We will board the Aqua Cat at 6 PM and check in, have dinner, unpack, and receive an orientation and safety briefing. If you arrive early, kick back at the marina's bar and restaurant next to the boat.

We'll depart before first light and then we can do 4 daytime dives and 1 night dive. In between all the eating and napping. Although since it's New Year's Eve, we may skip the night dive and have a bonfire on a desert island??

4 daytime dives and 1 night dive per day/night in the Exuma Cays and/or Eleuthera. Shore excursions are offered daily.

4 daytime dives Captain’s Dinner with photo and video presentations; awards presented during dessert. 

Two final morning dives (blue hole!) and then we return to Nassau around 2:00-5:00pm depending on weather and travel distance. We'll have a farewell cocktail party and then venture into town to have dinner on our own. The evening is yours to enjoy in Nassau. 

We'll disembark the boat at 9 AM after breakfast. You can head off to the airport or tour around if you'd like. OR we can help you extend your vacation with other fun adventures!