Sirens & Sunsets in St Maarten

      Little Bay, Sint Maarten

      BP
      Blue Planet Scuba
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      142 reviews
      May 3 - 7, 2023
      Group size: 6 - 12
      Sirens & Sunsets in St Maarten
      Little Bay, Sint Maarten

      Blue Planet Scuba
      • Email address verified
      • Facebook verified
      • Twitter verified
      142 reviews

      May 3 - 7, 2023
      Group size: 6 - 12

      About this trip

      Join Blue Planet & GalaxSea Mermaid (PADI Mermaid Instructor Trainer and St Maarten local Jen Downey) for a long weekend of fin-tastic mermaid activities in St Maarten. Whether you're already a certified mer or have been waiting for the mer-fect opportunity to earn your PADI Mermaid certification, this is the trip for you! Learn or polish your skills in a supportive coaching environment on a beautiful Caribbean isle and take part in an exclusive ocean cleanup. 


      Want more? Extend your stay and go Pro! Become a PADI Mermaid Instructor and share your passion for the underwater world with other humans. 


      UPDATE: We'll also be offering the PADI Freediver upgrade to folks who already have the PADI Basic Freediver certification. Let's finish your training in warm, clear water!

      Sint Maarten

      Saint Martin / Sint Maarten is the world’s smallest landmass shared by two countries, The Dutch and The French. The Friendly Island is often overlooked by travelers on their way to nearby Saba, St. Barth, and Sint Eustatius, but holds its own as a fish lover's paradise. Devastated by Hurricane Irma in 2017, the island is making a strong recovery. With more than 37 beaches, it's also a mermaid's paradise!

      The Mermaiding

      Become a mermaid! If you need a sign to get your PADI Mermaid certification, this is it! Get certified in the calm waters of St Maarten's Divi / Little Bay. Then, use that certification to mer in different locations around the island.


      Already certified? Join the pod for mer-activities! Hone your skills, learn new ones, and get coaching, photos, and videos in a safe and positive environment. Check out the itinerary below for all the de-tails!


      Lend a fin in a Blue Planet exclusive Mermaid Against Debris where we will recover and remove debris from the ocean!


      We will also visit beautiful and unique locations around the island via boat and experience what St Maarten has to offer a Blue Planet pod of mers!

      PADI Mermaid Instructor

      Ready to take your mer-game even further and start your own mer-journey? Become a PADI Mermaid Instructor! Add on to your trip and stay a few extra days (until May 10th) and we can help make all your professional mer-dreams come true! 


      This course has prerequisites. Please get in touch with us for the de-tails!

      Other activities

      There’s plenty to keep you occupied top side as well. From history and art tours to parrot paradise, there's never a dull moment. We hear sitting on a beach and relaxing is nice, too. St. Maarten boasts over 37 beaches on its 37 square miles. 


      For those who adore good eats, the island is a fusion of flavors from the Dutch, the French, and the Caribbean. With two rum distilleries and its very own brewery, your post-mer beverages are sure to be a hit. Where else can you enjoy world-class curry, fresh-baked croissants, and the best selection of Dutch cheeses within steps of each other?

      Divi Little Bay Beach Resort

      Discover a world of relaxation and adventure at Divi Little Bay! Nestled on a private peninsula, our oceanfront resort offers amenities galore, including a sparkling beach, daily activities for the whole family, complimentary Wi-Fi, incredible beachfront dining, concierge services, free parking, on-site car rental, shopping, and multilingual staff members. When you're ready for rest, retreat to your spacious room/suite to recharge. 

      Travel

      Arrive on St Maarten (SXM) anytime Wednesday, May 3rd through your favorite airline. Some non-stop options run from Dulles International (IAD) on United Airlines. Be sure to keep no-fly times after diving in mind when booking your return trip home; depart any time Sunday, May 7th. Please email or call us before booking your flight!  

      Cancellation Policy

      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 $150 cancellation fee 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. 

      What’s included

      • 4 nights accommodations
        Double or single occupancy at Divi LIttle Bay Beach Resort.
      • All meals and drinks
        All-inclusive package at the resort!
      • Mermaid coaching
        2-3 days of practice in both confined and open water.
      • Photo shoots
        Topside and underwater photo shoots with digital photos and videos for you to keep.
      • All-Day Island Boat Tour
        This Round the Island trip takes us along St Maarten's coastline for swimming, snorkeling and mermaiding at some of the best beaches!
      • Yoga class
        Private yoga class and breathwork training.
      • Sunset cruise
        Catch an incredible sunset while enjoying music, drinks, snacks and sightseeing on this sunset sail.
      • Rum tour and tasting
        We'll visit Jen's favorite rum distillery! Perfect spot to buy gifts for your frozen friends at home.
      • Mermaid Against Debris
        Keep our oceans clean while improving your mermaid skills under the supervision of an instructor.

      What’s not included

      • International flights
        International flights to St Maarten
      • Airport transfers
        From the SXM airport to the hotel
      • Mermaid equipment
        BYOT: Bring your own tail & mer equipment. Rentals available.
      • Mermaid courses
        PADI Mermaid, Advanced Mermaid and Instructor courses are available for additional fees.
      • Tips
        Tips for the boat's amazing crew

      Available Packages

      Beachfront Guestroom, Double occ.

      Enjoy gentle ocean breezes and spectacular beach views from your private patio or balcony with convenient walkout beach access. Each beachfront guestroom offers two queen-size beds and one private bathroom—perfect for couples or friends!

      $1,250
      Deposit: $500
      Beachfront Guestroom, Single occ.

      Single occupancy. Enjoy gentle ocean breezes and spectacular beach views from your private patio or balcony with convenient walkout beach access. 

      $1,690
      Deposit: $500

      Available options



      Itinerary

      Wednesday, May 3rd
      Arrive on St Maarten

      Arrive at Princess Juliana International Airport (SXM), transfer to Divi Little Bay Beach Resort, and check-in. Head down to the beach or the pool and start relaxing!

      Your Organizer


      BP
      Blue Planet Scuba
      142 reviews
      Blue Planet is a different kind of scuba diving organization — aimed at providing the best education and experiences to divers in the Washington, DC area and beyond, while harnessing the excitement and adventure of scuba diving to help protect our fragile oceans.

      Reviews

      Heather & Jonas were excellent trip leaders making sure everyone was well taken care of. The Galapagos Aggressor had a super crew and the diving was challenging and stunning! We saw hammerheads, penguins, seals, sea lions & dolphins! I really appreciated the personal touches like our matching jackets and a cake for my birthday. I would highly recommend this trip.
      By Catherine W for Explore the Galapagos on Mar 02, 2024
      This review is belated, I know... ...But that only means I took **serious*** consideration into reviewing my experience with Blue Planet DC, and ranking them very highly. Its been almost a year since I was OW Certified with Blue Planet in Cozumel - my training during that trip was thorough enough to provide me with a solid foundation to continue scuba diving afterwards many, many times. The trip itinerary, accommodations, and overall pacing of the scuba lessons were incredibly well organized. The instructors were patient and attentive - at various times I was provided specific one-on-one, actionable feedback regarding things like my trim or my breathing rhythm impacting my buoyancy and what I could do to improve my technique. They made sure we knew our stuff before letting us loose into the ocean, and during our checkout dives they stayed closeby and kept a watchful eye on us, so I felt more at ease and safe. (Even with the drift moving us around!) My main priority for this trip was to learn how to scuba, but that said, there were opportunities at Cozumel to (after the day's lessons are done) be a tourist and explore the area. The resort itself is a very beautiful spot with relaxing, open air dining, lounge, and balcony areas as well as a fantastic view of the ocean horizon. I also really appreciated that lodging AND meals were included in this travel package - it saved me the trouble of having to figure that out on my own, which made a big difference by freeing up more time after each full day of lessons to just relax and chill. I know each trip is always different of course in terms of other group trip attendees you may end up with, so of course this can just be sheer dumb luck, but everyone else on this trip was chill. Even the more seasoned divers who were already certified and doing this for years were friendly and happy to drop useful advice or recount from their personal experiences how it was like them becoming certified the first time. The time I did this it was "drift diving" and of course that scared me a ton. But the PADI material that is mandatory to study goes over what drift diving is. When doing my checkout dive the drift didn't like, wash me away from the group dive route. You'll be under instructor supervision so people are keeping an eye on you, and the drift itself is mild - I didn't have to struggle against the current (if you've ever surfed, you'll see that this isn't at all like a riptide or undertow). If anything, managing your buoyancy will end up your primary concern or worry during the checkout dive. Hope this review helps anyone considering who to go with for getting certified on their first ever scuba trip! I'm very glad I went with Blue Planet.
      By M T for March Certification Weekend in Cozumel on Feb 19, 2024
      EM
      This was my first liveaboard! 🛥️ Anthony was a fantastic trip leader and teacher, as always! The Aquacat crew was fun, the food was delicious and the diving and excursions were great! I would definitely recommend this trip with Blue Planet, especially as a first liveaboard experience! I had a good time learning about sharks, too! 🦈
      By Elsbeth M for Ring in 2024 on a Liveaboard in the Bahamas! on Jan 15, 2024
      Thanks for joining on another amazing trip! Hopefully we will be on another fun trip in sharky waters soon.
      By Anthony White on Jan 17, 2024
      AW
      This was my first trip with Blue Planet and my first liveaboard - both were a great experience! The communication and prep from Blue Planet was excellent (pre-trip meeting was really helpful, paperwork was clear and organized). My husband and I are new divers and Anthony (trip lead from Blue Planet) was an invaluable resource - we learned a lot during the dives and felt safe with him looking out for us. The liveaboard itself was amazing. The bed was comfortable, the food was amazing, the staff were wonderful. This was one of the best trips of my life - it's going to be hard to top with the bar now set so high!
      By Rachel L for Ring in 2024 on a Liveaboard in the Bahamas! on Jan 08, 2024
      Thank you so much, Rachel! I am glad you and Ben had such a good time on the trip. You were both great divers, and I can't wait to see you on more of our trips. I look forward to diving with you some more!
      By Anthony White on Jan 13, 2024
      AW
      JR
      Had a great time diving, wonderful people and nice accommodations; hotel was super convenient to dive boats.
      By Jennifer R for December Certification Weekend in Cozumel on Dec 11, 2023
      Thank you so much, Jennifer! We’re so happy to hear how much you enjoyed the dive experience with Blue Planet in Cozumel. We look forward to you joining with us on a future trip!
      By Blue Planet Scuba on Dec 12, 2023
      BP
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