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	<description>Information about diving sites around Caribbean Islands</description>
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		<title>Snorkel sites</title>
		<link>http://www.caribbean-diving.net/2011/01/snorkel-sites/</link>
		<comments>http://www.caribbean-diving.net/2011/01/snorkel-sites/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 06 Jan 2011 21:09:49 +0000</pubDate>
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		<description><![CDATA[Blind Shoal The site is not accessible from land, it has a maximum deepth of 6 m and the shallowest point of this reef is just belove the surface. The reef consists of volcanic rocks both shallow and deep encrusted with coral. The shallow rocks are mostly covered by hard corals , fire coals and ...]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<ol>
<li>Blind Shoal</li>
</ol>
<p>The site is not accessible from land, it has a maximum deepth of 6 m and the shallowest point of this reef is just belove the surface. The reef consists of volcanic rocks both shallow and deep encrusted with coral. The shallow rocks are mostly covered by hard corals , fire coals and sponges while the deeper rocks are mainly covered with soft corals. In the many overhangs, small caves and crevices cryptic fish, mollusces and crustaceans can be found, Green Turtles, Nurse Sharks and Reef Sharks are frequently seen at this site.</p>
<ol>
<li>Twelve Guns</li>
</ol>
<p>The site is not accessible from land, it has a maximum deepth of 6 m and the shallowest point is about a meter from the surface. The site is named after the many historical cannons laying on the bottom in the northen side of the site. The reef is made up of boulders of differenet sizes scattered over a sandy bottom. There are many small caves and crevices to explore around the site. Schools of Blue Tang and Black Durgon are a common sight here, Parrotfish and Damselfish are also frequently spotted grazing on the reef.</p>
<ol>
<li>Inner Jenkins Bay</li>
</ol>
<p>The site is located in a sheltered bay in the northen marine reserve, the site is only accessible by boat and has a maximum deepth of 6 m. The reef at this site is build up of large, coral encrusted outcrops split by deep gullies and surrounded by sand. Large female Stingrays are commonly seen in the sandy area surrounding the site, some other common species here are Black Durgon, Smooth Trunkfish, Damselfish and Blue Striped Grunts.</p>
<ol>
<li>Orjanestad Bay</li>
</ol>
<p>The site is accessible from land and has a maximum deepth of 7 m. During the 1700th century warehouses where ships could offload their cargo was built on reclaimed land along the bay. Today theses warehouses are since long flooded and the remains of the wall can be seen snorkeling. There are many artifacs scattered along the wall like cannons, anchors, old wine bottles, ballast stones and the remains of old buildings. Flying Gurnards are frequently spotted a little of shore from the wall, some other commonly sighted species here are Juvenile Green and Hawksbill Turtles, Squid, and Stingrays.</p>
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		<title>Additional information on dive sites 6 &#8211; 32</title>
		<link>http://www.caribbean-diving.net/2010/12/additional-information-on-dive-sites-no-complete-list/</link>
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		<pubDate>Fri, 17 Dec 2010 22:15:12 +0000</pubDate>
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		<description><![CDATA[6. Mushroom Gardens The mooring is placed at a depth of 16 m, the site is located in a sandy area were the reef has developed on lava fingers and on huge boulders.  The reef is covered with a wide variety of soft and hard corals. Some common fish species found at this site are ...]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>6. Mushroom Gardens</p>
<p>The mooring is placed at a depth of 16 m, the site is located in a sandy area were the reef has developed on lava fingers and on huge boulders.  The reef is covered with a wide variety of soft and hard corals. Some common fish species found at this site are Yellow Wrasse, Bicolored Damselfish, Cromis, Queen Triggerfish, Four-eyed Butterflyfish and many more. Hawksbills and Green Turtles are also a common site and occationally Eagle Rays are seen here.</p>
<p>7. The Humps</p>
<p>The mooring is placed at a depth of 13 m, lava boulders found in this are left from volcanic activity. The boulder which are overgrown with corals and sponges have given the dive site its name. It is a favorite to take novice divers as it is one of the shallowest dive sites on Statia. Around the reef are many ledges, overhangs and swimthroughs to explore. Spotted Drum fish are frequently seen on this site, also French Angelfish and Moray Eels are some of the creatures that dwell here.</p>
<p>8. Valley of the Sponges</p>
<p>The mooring is placed at a depth of 13 m and is located on a long ridge developed on a finger of lava. The site is also a good site for novice divers as it is straightforward and quite shallow. The site is dominated by different species of sponges and a number of territorial fish species are common to this site. It is not home to a diverse population of fish species but occasionally Goliath Groupers are seen on the site.</p>
<p>9. Five Fingers North/10. Five Fingers South</p>
<p>The two sites are located north and south of a series of solified lava fingers which make up the sites, the sites are only 200 m apart although its only the northern site that has a buoy, the mooring is placed at a depth of 16 m. The reef is a low profile reef and in between the coral encrusted lava fingers are sandy valleys were Flying Gurnards and Flounders are frequently spotted.</p>
<p>11. Ledges</p>
<p>The mooring is placed at a depth of 19 m, the site is located on a lava flow which is surrounded by rocky reef, sand and rubble. On the reef are many small ledges and overhangs to explore where different fish species like Tiger Groupers, Black Margate, Squirrelfish and many more dwell.</p>
<p>12. Anchor Reef</p>
<p>The mooring is placed at a depth of 23 m, the site is named after the large anchor which is embedded in the reef and can thus be easy to miss. There is an abundance of large hard corals on the site with boulders of star and brain coral, some of the species that have this site as their home are Hawksbills, Queen Angelfish, Butterfly fish, Spanish Hogfish, Moray Eels and Barrey Hamlet. Goliath Groupers and Nurse Sharks are frequent visitors and can sometime be seen under the ledges throughout the reef.</p>
<p>13. The Blocks</p>
<p>The mooring is placed at a depth of 17 m, the site is located at a solified lava flow which has created blocks that are now encrusted with corals. The reef is of a low profile and there are many ledges, overhangs and crevices to explore. Sea horses and Giant Anemones are some of the creatures which you can find if you look closely on this site. Also Turtles, Eagle Rays and Sharks are regularly spotted here.</p>
<p>14. Hangover</p>
<p>The mooring is placed at a depth of 17 m, the reef on this site is formed on a basal plate and all around the site are complex ledges and overhangs which also has given the site its name. In the shelter of the overhangs and ledges many juvenile fish species and many nocturnal species are found like Nurse Sharks and Spiny Lobsters.</p>
<p>15. Anchor Point South / 15a. Anchor Point West / 16. Anchor Point North</p>
<p>There are three bouys placed at different locations in this reef complex, all with a similar topography. They are placed at a depth of 14 m, 18 m and 19 m respectevly. The reef consists of several lava fingers and is a relativly low profile reef ranging from a depth of 13 to 19 m. There are a variety of sponges, soft and hard corals and in the many small caves and walls Moray Eels and Nurse Sharks are frequently found. Other species commonly seen here are Spiiny Lobsters, Spotted Drum, Crabs, Groupers and shoals of Horse-eye Jack and Chub.</p>
<p>17. Twin Peaks</p>
<p>The mooring is placed at a depth of 22 m, the site is located on a coral encrusted basal plate. Two large rocks at the end of the reef have given the site its name. Around the two rocks Spotted Drummerfish and Spiny Lobsters are frequently seen.  Many types of coral can be found at the site but it is the huge barrel sponges that dominated the underwater landscape. Some of the marine species that can be found here are Giant Barracudas, Black Durgon, Damselfish and Rock Beauty.</p>
<p>18. Barracuda Reef</p>
<p>The mooring is placed at a depth of 23 m, this site is famous for the large shoals of Barracudas that often circle the mooring line. The site has a high diversity of fish species and the basal plate which the reef has developed on is overgrown with coral. Nurse Sharks, Spotted Scorpionfish and Moray Eels are some of the species that can be spotted here. The site is one of the most popular dive sites in the marine park and is also a good site for night dives.</p>
<p>19. Nursing Station</p>
<p>The mooring is placed at a depth of 19 m, this site is close to Barracuda Reed and thus the two sites have a similar topography and morphology. The reef is a low profile reef located on a basal plate with extruding fingers. There is a wide range of hard corals on the site although it is dominated by soft corals, there are also some interesting overhangs and caves to explore. Hawksbills, Nurse Sharks and Spiny Lobsters are some of the species which can be spotted here also Lettuce Sea SlugsCorckscrew Anemones and Pederson cleaner shrimps are plentiful at this site.</p>
<p>20. Blair’s Reef</p>
<p>The mooring is placed at a depth of 20 m, the low profile reef is located over a basal plate. There is an adundance of corals at this site especially soft and hard corals. Large shoals of fish is a common sight on this site, among the species of fish that congogate in showls at this site are Mahogany Snapper, French and Yellow goat fish. Other smaller species to look out for at this site are Decorator crabs, Tiger Paw Sea Cucumber and Arrow Crab.</p>
<p>21. Crooks Castle</p>
<p>The mooring is placed at a depth of 11 m, the site is on of the shallowest dive site. It has got is name from the ruins of a 17<sup>th</sup> century warehouse complex on the shore close to the dive site.  The site is mainly dominated by large sea fans and soft coral which have developed on large boulders on a sandy bottom. Among the species found here are Blue Tang, Yellowtail Snapper, Black Durgon and Stripped Parrotfish.</p>
<p>22. Tripple Wreck</p>
<p>The mooring is placed at a depth of 19 m, the dive site is located in an area in Oranjebay which is scattered with reamins from ships from the 16<sup>th</sup> and 17<sup>th</sup> century.  Among the old ship remains found on the site are 3 anchors and ballast stones. The acnhors can be quite easely recognized but the ballast stones are often misstaken for rock as they make up the foundation of the reef and are thus incorporated inte the reef. Species commenly seen on the reef are Sharpnose Puffers, Purcupinefish, Moray Eals and Giant Barracudas, other species that you can fine on the sandy area that surrounds the reef are Sting Rays, Peacock Flounders and Green Turtles.</p>
<p>23. Doubble Wreck</p>
<p>The mooring is placed at a depth of 20 m, the site is located in Oranjebay between the remains of two 17century trading ships. The ships are since long gone but the ballast stones have created this low profile reef, in the northen part of the reed the two anchors from the ship are still visible although they are to an extent overgrove with coral. The reef is quite small but it still harbors a diverse fish population, frequently large shoals of fish circle the reef.</p>
<p>24. Stingray</p>
<p>This site does not have a mooring, the site is located by an old ship wreck which has created a low profile reef made out of coral encrusted ballast stone scattered over the bottom. A canon is left from the wreck among with pottery and wine bottles spread around the reef. Sponges mainly dominate the eastern side of the reef while the western side is scattern with smaller colonies of hard corals. There is a rich marine life on the reef and in the surrounding areas of the reef Stingrays are a common sight which has given the site its name.</p>
<p>25. STENAPA Reef</p>
<p>The mooring is attatched to a water barge at a depth of 17 m, STENAPA Reef was created when the Marine Park was established in 1997 as a fish attracting site for fishermen to compensate for the loss of fishing grounds. The site consists among other things of a 70 m long barge, part of a tanker and a 15m long tug boat. Stingrays and Garden Eels are a common sight on the sand among the wrecks, Grunts, Snappers and Ocean Surgenfish are frequently seen moving between the wrecks. The site is often used for night dives as many Turtles both Hawksbills and Greens sleep in the shelter of the barge at night.</p>
<p>25a. Chien Tong</p>
<p>The mooring is attached to the bow of this Taiwanese fishing boat, the vessel was sunk in 2004 as a fish attracting site and a dive site. The vessel is 30 m long and sits upright on the sand at a depth of 21 m. The coral growth is limited as the vessel was recently sunk, school of fish frequently swim above the wreck and in the sandy areas around the wreck Stingrays and shoals of Yellow Goatfish are common. Green and Hawksbill Turtles are frequent visitors at the site especially during night dives.</p>
<p>26. Doobies Crack</p>
<p>The mooring is placed at a depth of 29 m, the site is located by a rocky patch surrounded by sand. The rocky patch is covered by sponges, coral and many deep water sea fans. In the sandy area around the rocky patch Stingrays, Razorfish, Jawfish and shoals of grazing Yellow Goatfish are a common sight. Other species that frequently are spotted on the site are Green and Hawksbill Turtles, Reef Sharks, Permit and Black Jack.</p>
<p>27. Outer Jenkins Bay</p>
<p>The mooring is placed at a depth of 12.5 m, the site is located at a low profile reef colonised by sponges hard and soft coral. Corals at this site tend not to reach large size due to sedimentation, in the sandy area around the reef Southern Stingrays area commonly found. Among the creatures that dwell on this reef are Slippery and Spiny Lobster, Honeycomb Cowfish, Bigeye and Yellowtailed Snapper.</p>
<p>28. Twin Sisters</p>
<p>This site does not have a bouy, the site is located in an area with many lava rocks. Two large lava rocks reaching up two 9 m.There are many overhangs and ledges to explore around the site, shoals of French Grunt, Black uDrgon, Horse-eyed Jacks are commonly seen on this site also Barracudas and Reef Sharks frequently visit the site.</p>
<p>29. Gibraltar</p>
<p>The mooring is placed at a depth of 18 m, just off shore in the northern reserve volcanic boulders (14 m high 16 m wide) encrusted with coral is the main attraction at this site. The volcanic boulders have created many caves for fish and invertebrates to hide in. Mainly soft corals cover the reef but there is also a variety of hard coral species and sponges at this site. Some of the larger species which are often seen here are Hawksbills and Green Turtles, Eagle Rays, Nurse and Reef Sharks.</p>
<p>30. The Charles L. Brown</p>
<p>Moorings are placed both in the bow and in the stern of the Charles L. Brown. The ship is a 100 m long cable laying ship previously used by the US company AT &amp; T and is one of the largest dive wrecks in the Caribbean. The ship was purchased for a symbolic 1 US dollar in 2002 by the Islands government of St Eustatius. The ship was sunk in March 2003 and is now lying on her starboard side at a depth of 31m. The wreck is suitable for both beginners and advanced diver as the shallowest section of the ship begins at 21 m. Large shoals of fish are often seen around the wreck, Hawksbill Turtles, Barracudas, Reef Sharks and large shoals of Horse-eyed Jacks are also common sights around the wreck.</p>
<p>31. Blue Bead Hole</p>
<p>This site does not have a buoy, it is located at the main entrance of Statia harbor. The site is notorious for being the place to find blue beads. The site has three different habitats to explore, sand, sea grass beds and rubble with small rocks. In these habitats many well camouflaged and cryptic species can be found, common species in this area are Flying Gurnards and Peacock Flounders. Other species to look out for are Gobies, Blennies, Pipefish, Cryptic Seahorses and Green Turtles. Around the coral covered small rocks scattered on the sandy bottom many juvenile fish and other small creatures take shelter.</p>
<p>32. Aquarium</p>
<p>This site does not have a buoy, the site is located in a sheltered sandy area with rock formations overgrown with coral. The reef is characterized by steep slopes and small coral covered boulders around the reef, the reef is mainly covered by sponges and hydroids although small colonies of hard corals are also found around the reef. On the reef you can find Giant Anemones, Pederson cleaner shrimp and Sea Urchins. In the sandy area surrounding the reef species like Garden Eels and Sand Tilefish are commonly found, also Green Turtles, Octopus and Moray Eels can be found at this site.</p>
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		<title>Hello world!</title>
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