Dolphin Dream

The Dolphin Dream provides a premier liveaboard experience in the Bahamas, specializing in shark diving and dolphin snorkeling at Bimini and Tiger Beach. The 86' x 26' (26 x 8m) ocean expedition trawler yacht is designed with comfort and safety in mind, and has been refitted to offer easy, safe, and fun ocean encounters in the Caribbean. It operates out of South Florida, thus obviating the need for international flights to the Bahamas.

The liveaboard offers a comfortable and relaxing way of life, where you can unwind and enjoy stress-free days surrounded by breathtaking nature. They create a fun and exciting atmosphere on trips that are scheduled during the year for the best tiger shark and great hammerhead encounters. Captain Scott, with over 40 years of experience in scuba diving and snorkeling in the area, leads the Dolphin Dream crew, who are known for their knowledge, professionalism, and enjoyable times. Being an owner-operated vessel, Captain Scott spends more time on the boat than on land, and he ensures that the boat is always clean, well-maintained, and stocked with the finest food.

There are 6 cabins on board, accommodating a maximum of just 12 guests; they are located on the lower deck, the most stable location on the boat. Additionally, there are 2 shared bathrooms with showers for guests on the main deck, an outside shower and ample fresh water. The indoor saloon is located on the main deck, providing entertainment options such as a TV, DVD, stereo, book and video library. It has benches and chairs surrounding 2 dining tables. A separate drinks counter is equipped with a refrigerator, ice maker, and coffee pots. There is plenty of room for electric devices such as cameras, computers, and chargers. The upper deck has an open area for sunbathing, and a covered section to stay out of the sun. The fore deck is another great place to relax and enjoy the expansive, beautiful ocean.

Dolphin Dream also receives special attention in terms of maintenance and service. Safety is of utmost importance, and the liveaboard is equipped well above the safety standards required for a vessel of its size. The boat is equipped with twins or backups of major equipment, air conditioning, safety chase boat, and other redundant to ensure reliability and safety. The liveaboard also has a steel hull.

The dive deck has tables for cameras and benches for seating, a fresh water rinse bin, and shelves for storage of personal items. The large built-in dive platform is where the scuba tanks are stored ready to donning, while the water is just a short distance away, with a ladder to climb out on. Captain Scott loves the ocean and everything in it, it has been his only way of life and he loves to show it to those that board. The guests that join, many of whom are repeaters, they come because they want the very best in shark diving and dolphin snorkeling in the Bahamas, and they know that they will find it all with the Dolphin Dream liveaboard.

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Notes: Age restriction: Minimum age for shark diving is 18 years old.

Dive experience: Divers must be advanced open water certified and experienced; these shark diving trips are not for inexperienced or novice divers. All passengers must be able to climb a flight of stairs, and divers must be physically capable of performing a giant stride entry and of boarding the vessel after a dive with all dive gear intact, including but not limited to: mask, fins, BCD with cylinder, and weights.
Shark diving: the use of a dark full length wetsuit, hoods and gloves (no bright colours) are required, not only for warmth and protection but also to appear darker and less attractive to the other creatures in the area.
All divers must notify us in advance of any medical conditions that are contraindicative to diving and provide proof of medical clearance.

Cruise price per person includes: Cabin accommodation, breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, drinking water, soft drinks, hot drinks, port and park fees, dives (as detailed in the trips above), experienced English-speaking divemaster(s) (2 in-water guides for Tiger Beach, elsewhere 1 guide), 80 cu ft / 11 liter tanks, weights and weightbelt, all taxes.

Cruise price per person excludes (mandatory, unless customer provides own): Scuba equipment rental (per week: regulator set: US$ 75, BCD: US$ 75, wetsuit: US$ 75, mask/snorkel/fins: US$ 25), dive computer, and safety sausage, diving insurance. Unless otherwise stated, all the listed items need to be paid on arrival (cash in USD or travelers checks, or PayPal).

Optional extras: Alcoholic drinks (beer only), torch: US$ 10 per dive, 15 liter (100 cu ft) tanks: US$ 60 per week. Unless otherwise stated, all the listed items need to be paid on arrival. Note: prices of items purchased onboard are subject to change.

How to get there: The Dolphin Dream departs from Blue Heron Docks, 389 East Blue Heron Blvd, Riviera Beach, Florida, USA. This is in the West Palm Beach Florida area. The nearest airport is Palm Beach International (PBI), about 20 minutes from dock; Fort Lauderdale (FLL) is the next closest airport, being about 1 hour from the dock, and largest airport is Miami (MIA), about 2 hours from the dock. There are many direct flights from across North, Central and South America, as well as from the Caribbean and Europe.
Boarding time is 3-7 pm on the start date (dinner is provided) and the boat departs for the Bahamas around 10 pm. Recomendations for ground transport assitance are provided upon booking. Immigration procedures in the Bahamas are handled by the crew in Grand Bahama on the first morning of the trip. On cruise end date, disembarkation is around 10:30 am, after US Immigration and Customs clearance. Please wait at least 18 hours before flying after diving. Divers must be mindful of when their flights are and stop diving accordingly. We will dive as much as possible the penultimate day, however, the latest out of the water would be at 3-4 pm.

Non-diver rate: None.

Single supplement (if you do not want to share accommodation): This is optional - solo travelers may choose to share a cabin or pay for a single cabin, or pay a supplement of 80% of the normal published price.

Dive clubs and group discounts: Pay for 8 guests and 1 additional person can join the cruise in the Standard cabin free of charge (total 9 or more guests).

Whole boat charter rate (per night): Pay for 16 guests and 2 additional persons can join in the Standard cabin free of charge (total 18 guests).

Grand Bahama (7 Days / 6 Nights - 16 Dives)

Trip highlights: hammerhead sharks, shark action, dolphins, schooling fish & big pelagics

Diving environment: advanced divers, beginner divers, cage diving, caverns, drift diving, healthy reefs, off the beaten track, very popular, wall diving, wreck diving

Dive sites and activities: Grand Bahama: Tiger Beach

Day 1
After being welcomed onboard Dolphin Dream you will have plenty of time to unpack and familiarize yourself with your floating home for the next week. Dinner will be served onboard during the evening. An orientation briefing will be given on emergency procedures and information to ensure you get the fullest enjoyment from your adventure. The liveaboard departs Riviera Beach Florida around 10 pm for the overnight crossing to West End, Bahamas.

Days 2-6
Wake up for breakfast at 8 am. On Day 2, when Bahamas customs and immigration opens at 9 am, your Captain will get the paperwork completed, and soon after you'll be on your way north to Tiger Beach, arriving shortly after lunch for a check-out dive on a shallow reef.
Expect up to 4 dives a day on some of the most amazing dive sites that the Bahamas has to offer, with Tiger Beach being the highlight of your diving safari. A beautiful beach area with a white sandy bottom that is visited by different species of sharks: tiger sharks, lemon sharks, nurse sharks and Caribbean reef sharks. Divemasters will try to attract the sharks using bait; just kneel on the sand and enjoy the adrenaline-filled shark encounters. The crew alternate the dives between structured tiger shark baited dives and non-baited dives where you can swim around the tigers and reef area. At Hog Fish Reef you will notice lots of crevices that are home to small creatures. A garden of soft and hard corals and it's surrounded by schools of snappers and angelfish. Swimming in the sandy areas just off the reef are large and small hogfish. Fishtail is a dive site covered with gorgonians, yellow sea whips, sea plumes, orange spiny sea rods and sea fans often visited by local tropical fish: a perfect spot to enjoy.
The menu aboard is varied and plentiful, with a variety of international and local dishes. The chef takes pride in providing outstanding home-style cooking, using only the freshest US food, drinks, and supplies available on board. Meals are prepared daily and include a variety of options, such as meats, vegetarian dishes, starches, multiple vegetables, salads, and fresh fruits. Snacks are available all day, including fruit, nuts, and sweets, along with a range of refreshments, such as ice water, soda, juices, coffee, hot and cold tea, and lemonade, all included in the package. If you have any dietary restrictions or food allergies, please let us know in advance, and we will be happy to cater to your needs.

Day 7
After an overnight crossing back to Florida, the boat will arrive at the US Customs dock at 8 am for clearance. Breakfast will be served and then you will return to the home dock for disembarkation.

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Grand Bahama & Bimini (8 Days / 7 Nights - 20 Dives)

Trip highlights: hammerhead sharks, shark action, dolphins, turtles, schooling fish & big pelagics

Diving environment: advanced divers, beginner divers, cage diving, caverns, drift diving, healthy reefs, off the beaten track, very popular, wall diving, wreck diving

Dive sites and activities: Grand Bahama: Tiger Beach, Bimini

Day 1
After being welcomed onboard Dolphin Dream you will have plenty of time to unpack and familiarize yourself with your floating home for the next week. Dinner will be served onboard during the evening. An orientation briefing will be given on emergency procedures and information to ensure you get the fullest enjoyment from your adventure. The liveaboard departs Riviera Beach Florida around 10 pm for the overnight crossing to West End, Bahamas.

Days 2-7
Wake up for breakfast at 8 am. On Day 2, when Bahamas customs and immigration opens at 9 am, your Captain will get the paperwork completed, and soon after you'll be on your way north to Tiger Beach, arriving shortly after lunch for a check-out dive on a shallow reef.
Expect up to 4 dives a day on some of the most amazing dive sites that the Bahamas has to offer, with Tiger Beach being the highlight of your diving safari. A beautiful beach area with a white sandy bottom that is visited by different species of sharks: tiger sharks, lemon sharks, nurse sharks and Caribbean reef sharks. Divemasters will try to attract the sharks using bait; just kneel on the sand and enjoy the adrenaline-filled shark encounters. The crew alternate the dives between structured tiger shark baited dives and non-baited dives where you can swim around the tigers and reef area. At Hog Fish Reef you will notice lots of crevices that are home to small creatures. A garden of soft and hard corals and it's surrounded by schools of snappers and angelfish. Swimming in the sandy areas just off the reef are large and small hogfish. Fishtail is a dive site covered with gorgonians, yellow sea whips, sea plumes, orange spiny sea rods and sea fans often visited by local tropical fish: a perfect spot to enjoy.
Bimini Islands are home to a number of very exciting and varied dive sites where you could encounter great hammerheads and wild Atlantic spotted dolphins. Bimini Road is a wall which plummets some 4,000 ft (1,300m) and is claimed to be part of the lost city of Atlantis! Elsewhere you can expect hawksbill turtles, Bermuda chubs, French grunts, stingrays and blacknose sharks.
The menu aboard is varied and plentiful, with a variety of international and local dishes. The chef takes pride in providing outstanding home-style cooking, using only the freshest US food, drinks, and supplies available on board. Meals are prepared daily and include a variety of options, such as meats, vegetarian dishes, starches, multiple vegetables, salads, and fresh fruits. Snacks are available all day, including fruit, nuts, and sweets, along with a range of refreshments, such as ice water, soda, juices, coffee, hot and cold tea, and lemonade, all included in the package. If you have any dietary restrictions or food allergies, please let us know in advance, and we will be happy to cater to your needs.

Day 8
After an overnight crossing back to Florida, the boat will arrive at the US Customs dock at 8 am for clearance. Breakfast will be served and then you will return to the home dock for disembarkation.

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Grand Bahama & Bimini (9 Days / 8 Nights - 24 Dives)

Trip highlights: hammerhead sharks, shark action, dolphins, turtles, schooling fish & big pelagics

Diving environment: advanced divers, beginner divers, cage diving, caverns, drift diving, healthy reefs, off the beaten track, very popular, wall diving, wreck diving

Dive sites and activities: Grand Bahama: Tiger Beach, Bimini

Day 1
After being welcomed onboard Dolphin Dream you will have plenty of time to unpack and familiarize yourself with your floating home for the next week. Dinner will be served onboard during the evening. An orientation briefing will be given on emergency procedures and information to ensure you get the fullest enjoyment from your adventure. The liveaboard departs Riviera Beach Florida around 10 pm for the overnight crossing to West End, Bahamas.

Days 2-8
Wake up for breakfast at 8 am. On Day 2, when Bahamas customs and immigration opens at 9 am, your Captain will get the paperwork completed, and soon after you'll be on your way north to Tiger Beach, arriving shortly after lunch for a check-out dive on a shallow reef.
Expect up to 4 dives a day on some of the most amazing dive sites that the Bahamas has to offer, with Tiger Beach being the highlight of your diving safari. A beautiful beach area with a white sandy bottom that is visited by different species of sharks: tiger sharks, lemon sharks, nurse sharks and Caribbean reef sharks. Divemasters will try to attract the sharks using bait; just kneel on the sand and enjoy the adrenaline-filled shark encounters. The crew alternate the dives between structured tiger shark baited dives and non-baited dives where you can swim around the tigers and reef area. At Hog Fish Reef you will notice lots of crevices that are home to small creatures. A garden of soft and hard corals and it's surrounded by schools of snappers and angelfish. Swimming in the sandy areas just off the reef are large and small hogfish. Fishtail is a dive site covered with gorgonians, yellow sea whips, sea plumes, orange spiny sea rods and sea fans often visited by local tropical fish: a perfect spot to enjoy.
Bimini Islands are home to a number of very exciting and varied dive sites where you could encounter great hammerheads and wild Atlantic spotted dolphins. Bimini Road is a wall which plummets some 4,000 ft (1,300m) and is claimed to be part of the lost city of Atlantis! Elsewhere you can expect hawksbill turtles, Bermuda chubs, French grunts, stingrays and blacknose sharks.
The menu aboard is varied and plentiful, with a variety of international and local dishes. The chef takes pride in providing outstanding home-style cooking, using only the freshest US food, drinks, and supplies available on board. Meals are prepared daily and include a variety of options, such as meats, vegetarian dishes, starches, multiple vegetables, salads, and fresh fruits. Snacks are available all day, including fruit, nuts, and sweets, along with a range of refreshments, such as ice water, soda, juices, coffee, hot and cold tea, and lemonade, all included in the package. If you have any dietary restrictions or food allergies, please let us know in advance, and we will be happy to cater to your needs.

Day 9
After an overnight crossing back to Florida, the boat will arrive at the US Customs dock at 8 am for clearance. Breakfast will be served and then you will return to the home dock for disembarkation.

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Bimini (Dolphin Special) (7 Days / 6 Nights - 4 Dives)

Trip highlights: dolphins, non diving activities, onboard experts on wildlife and natural history

Diving environment: advanced divers, beginner divers, cage diving, caverns, drift diving, healthy reefs, off the beaten track, very popular, wall diving, wreck diving

Dive sites and activities: Bahamas - Bimini Islands

Day 1
After being welcomed onboard Dolphin Dream you will have plenty of time to unpack and familiarize yourself with your floating home for the next week. Dinner will be served onboard during the evening. An orientation briefing will be given on emergency procedures and information to ensure you get the fullest enjoyment from your adventure. The liveaboard departs Riviera Beach Florida around 10 pm for the overnight crossing to the Bahamas.

Days 2-6
Wake up for breakfast at 8 am. On Day 2, when Bahamas customs and immigration opens at 9 am, your Captain will get the paperwork completed, and soon after you'll be on your way south to Bimini, where the friendly family of wild dolphins live, arriving shortly after lunch. By the afternoon we will be ready to snorkel with the dolphins; we can come across playful spotted or bottlenose dolphins at anytime.
You start each day with breakfast around 8 am. Then we engage the motor and look around for the location of the dolphins. We often find a pod of dolphins by 10 am, some days we find them immediately and other days we have to look for longer. We usually swim with them till around noon or 1 pm, then take a lunch break.
Spotted dolphins are nocturnal and go in to a rest period in the afternoon, so at this time we leave them alone to rest. During these breaks you can relax, have fun, sunbath, swim, snorkel and scuba dive on a shallow reef. We look for dolphins again in the afternoon and evening when they wake back up for their nighttime feeding. Often we will swim with them till sunset and if we’re lucky, we may experience a night dolphin encounter, a magical occurrence and the stuff of dreams.
The menu aboard is varied and plentiful, with a variety of international and local dishes. The chef takes pride in providing outstanding home-style cooking, using only the freshest US food, drinks, and supplies available on board. Meals are prepared daily and include a variety of options, such as meats, vegetarian dishes, starches, multiple vegetables, salads, and fresh fruits. Snacks are available all day, including fruit, nuts, and sweets, along with a range of refreshments, such as ice water, soda, juices, coffee, hot and cold tea, and lemonade, all included in the package. If you have any dietary restrictions or food allergies, please let us know in advance, and we will be happy to cater to your needs.

Day 7
After an overnight crossing back to Florida, the boat will arrive at the US Customs dock at 8 am for clearance. Breakfast will be served and then you will return to the home dock for disembarkation.

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Grand Bahama & Bimini (10 Days / 9 Nights - 27 Dives)

Trip highlights: hammerhead sharks, shark action, dolphins, turtles, schooling fish & big pelagics

Diving environment: advanced divers, beginner divers, cage diving, caverns, drift diving, healthy reefs, off the beaten track, very popular, wall diving, wreck diving

Dive sites and activities: Grand Bahama: Tiger Beach, Bimini

Day 1
After being welcomed onboard Dolphin Dream you will have plenty of time to unpack and familiarize yourself with your floating home for the next week. Dinner will be served onboard during the evening. An orientation briefing will be given on emergency procedures and information to ensure you get the fullest enjoyment from your adventure. The liveaboard departs Riviera Beach Florida around 10 pm for the overnight crossing to West End, Bahamas.

Days 2-9
Wake up for breakfast at 8 am. On Day 2, when Bahamas customs and immigration opens at 9 am, your Captain will get the paperwork completed, and soon after you'll be on your way north to Tiger Beach, arriving shortly after lunch for a check-out dive on a shallow reef.
Expect up to 4 dives a day on some of the most amazing dive sites that the Bahamas has to offer, with Tiger Beach being the highlight of your diving safari. A beautiful beach area with a white sandy bottom that is visited by different species of sharks: tiger sharks, lemon sharks, nurse sharks and Caribbean reef sharks. Divemasters will try to attract the sharks using bait; just kneel on the sand and enjoy the adrenaline-filled shark encounters. The crew alternate the dives between structured tiger shark baited dives and non-baited dives where you can swim around the tigers and reef area. At Hog Fish Reef you will notice lots of crevices that are home to small creatures. A garden of soft and hard corals and it's surrounded by schools of snappers and angelfish. Swimming in the sandy areas just off the reef are large and small hogfish. Fishtail is a dive site covered with gorgonians, yellow sea whips, sea plumes, orange spiny sea rods and sea fans often visited by local tropical fish: a perfect spot to enjoy.
Bimini Islands are home to a number of very exciting and varied dive sites where you could encounter great hammerheads and wild Atlantic spotted dolphins. Bimini Road is a wall which plummets some 4,000 ft (1,300m) and is claimed to be part of the lost city of Atlantis! Elsewhere you can expect hawksbill turtles, Bermuda chubs, French grunts, stingrays and blacknose sharks.
The menu aboard is varied and plentiful, with a variety of international and local dishes. The chef takes pride in providing outstanding home-style cooking, using only the freshest US food, drinks, and supplies available on board. Meals are prepared daily and include a variety of options, such as meats, vegetarian dishes, starches, multiple vegetables, salads, and fresh fruits. Snacks are available all day, including fruit, nuts, and sweets, along with a range of refreshments, such as ice water, soda, juices, coffee, hot and cold tea, and lemonade, all included in the package. If you have any dietary restrictions or food allergies, please let us know in advance, and we will be happy to cater to your needs.

Day 10
After an overnight crossing back to Florida, the boat will arrive at the US Customs dock at 8 am for clearance. Breakfast will be served and then you will return to the home dock for disembarkation.

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[Information is best estimate in ideal circumstances and subject to changes beyond our control. The itinerary is a guide only and may be adapted to best suit the weather, tides, currents, availability and other prevailing events. Price is for the cruise, not for an exact number of dives].

There are 6 cabins on the lower deck, accommodating a maximum of 12 guests, 5 of which have full-size upper and lower single bunk beds, and one cabin with a double bed. All cabins share 2 bathrooms.

All the cabins have: No. of bathrooms / showers - 2 / 2 - hot water