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Review of: Snorkel Tour - The Grand Turk Wall
I went for the snorkel tour with my 3 sons. We stopped in Grand Turk on a Carnival Cruise. I highly recommend this tour. I located it myself on trip advisor and it turned out to be one of the best parts of out trip. One of my son's was a little unsure about getting into the water and using the equipment and Sabine gave him the attention and help he needed so that he could enjoy the amazing marine life just below the surface. Brian is an experienced and confident guide and boat captain. He knows these waters and he'll make your trip worth while. the pre-training tour that Brian takes you on before you encounter the "Wall" was instrumental in ensuring we were comfortable and had a good experience. For my money, Brian and Sabine make a great team and give you a great tour.…
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Date of experience: May 2019
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We did two trips with Brian and Sabine and it was the highlight of our trip! They were super fun and knowledgeable about whales. The first day we saw quite a few whales and the second day we actually swam with a momma humpback and her baby. It was so incredible and made possible by the patience and tenacity of Brian and Sabine! Thank you and I hope to be back one day!…
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Date of experience: January 2020
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Review of: Snorkel Tour - The Grand Turk Wall
We had an amazing time! The snorkeling was incredible and our guide, Sabina, was great! She was very knowledgeable and especially good helping with our 6 year old daughter. They had water and snacks on the boat which was nice. We saw a Sea Turtle, Octopus, and many tropical fish. The Grand Turk Wall should not be missed! It was a great experience and we will do again when we come back.…
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Date of experience: March 2020
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Brian and Sabine are great, very knowledgeable and respectful of the ocean. We had an incredible experience swimming with the Humpback whales!
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Date of experience: March 2020
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Response from humpbackdiveshack, Owner at The Humpback Dive Shack
Responded Mar 9, 2020
Thank you so much for your kind words and positive feedback. We are very happy you enjoyed your adventure with us and the Humpback Whales of Grand Turk. We were happy to share our knowledge and respect of the ocean with you both. Incredible is certainly a word we hear a lot when working with the Humpback Whales, they are incredible creatures and you were lucky enough to get a swim with them. Please post your vid in the guest area of our Facebook page. Swim out from the crowd with info@humpbackdiveshack.com.
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The description of the excursion was misleading. We didn't realize the shortcomings of the craft until we arrived for the excursion. The site advertised snorkeling "with whales, if conditions appropriate." Access into the boat was by a rung ladder. In order to snorkel, you slid off the starboard side of the boat and to re-enter, you had to climb a rung ladder on the port side. Two of us were not able to snorkel because the re-entry was impossible for us. The boat was small, bench seating. Weather always plays a role in excursions like these, so there is a risk. Swells were 3-4 feet, so the rides out and in were actually painful as the boat slammed through the swells. Two people who attempted to snorkel quickly changed their minds, struggled to re-enter the boat. We did see a few whales. I would not recommend this service for any except fit and strong swimmers.…
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Date of experience: February 2020
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Response from humpbackdiveshack, Owner at The Humpback Dive Shack
Responded Mar 8, 2020
Thank you for your advice, it will hopefully help other travelers make educated decisions about the realities of whale watching and whale swimming.. We do snorkel with whales if conditions are appropriate, this is not mis-leading at all. If you want to snorkel with a whale you do need to be in REASONABLY fit physical condition. You do not need to be Michael Phelps as this reviewer suggests. Swimming with a whale is a physically demanding activity, please be advised of this fact. Swimming with a whale is not possible for people suffering from reduced mobility or extreme obesity. If you suffer from reduced mobility (spinal surgery, knee replacement surgery, hip replacement surgery) or extreme obesity you should consider watching the whales from the safety of the boat and forget about trying to swim with them. It's not for you, please be realistic about what you are personally capable of. Our boat is 32ft long, not a small vessel, but this obviously depends on what you are used to, it is not a super yacht we agree. You were warned the sea was rough, the ride would be uncomfortable and even offered a full refund if you desired not to participate. You decided to join. You were also asked not to berate us after the fact if you found it uncomfortable, as you were properly briefed. Sadly you left us a poor feedback anyway, despite our honest advice to you. This is obviously deceitful on your part. Hopefully your advice will at least help others to decide in advance if they are capable of going to sea in rough conditions, if they are fit enough to complete the simple challenge of climbing a boat ladder and if they have the an appropriate level of physical fitness and snorkeling skill to actually swim with a whale once we bring you close to them. "You can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink" - that is the position we find ourselves in with guests such as yourself. We can only do so much, part our the success relies on your own abilities too. Please don't bite off more than you can chew, the open ocean is not a children's paddling pool and boating can be wet, cold and even uncomfortable at times. If you are fit and healthy and you love humpback whales, then please come meet them with us in Grand Turk. Swim out from the crowd (or not ) with info@humpbackdiveshack.com.
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