Vessel and Crew:

This trip is a charter with

Conscious Breath Adventures

aboard the 120' M/V Wind Dancer

For photographs aboard the Winder Dancer, it's two 25' tenders, and a virtual tour click below:

 http://www.consciousbreathadventures.com/wind-dancer.html

The Tenders:

http://www.consciousbreathadventures.com/tenders.html

A Virtual Tour that allows you to view the entire vessel from multiple points of view:

http://www.consciousbreathadventures.com/virtualtour/

             The Wind Dancer is a large and very seaworthy vessel. She is compliant with all safety requirements as outlined in the international SOLAS (Safety of Life at Sea) Treaty. The vessel is very well maintained.  Cosmetically, she is in very good repair both inside and out, and well appointed throughout the common areas. 

           There are nine cabins for a total of 18 passengers. There are 8 Deluxe Cabins that each have ensuite heads, providing guests with private sink, toilet and shower facilities. Each Deluxe cabin also has a bunk bed arrangement, but the lower bunk is a double sized bed, and the upper a twin. This means that each cabin can accommodate either couples or singles with ease. Each cabin also has other amenities, such as a wardrobe, full length mirror, bathrobes, and fresh towels daily. These 8 Deluxe cabins can accommodate 16 passengers in total. The Master Cabin has a queen sized bed, ensuite head, and all of the above amenities, plus a tv/vcr. 

            The main salon/dining area comfortably seats the entire party, and has a bar and entertainment center. It is well appointed and warmly decorated, a very cozy and inviting space.

            The upstairs Lido deck is very large, with sun and cover, chaises, tables and chairs to seat the entire party. It also features a second bar and a grill. This deck is the probable location for morning meditations, lunchtime whale observations (it is well elevated for a great view), and of course our evening Amazing Grace and Gratitude Celebration, and night time stargazing.

            The Wind Dancer will host a crew of eight, plus two CBA personnel. The vessel and it's parent company are renowned for a very high standard of service in the live-aboard industry. One can expect their needs to be met on every detail, with the high crew to passenger ratio ensuring very good service. Hints of this service are reflected in the morning in-cabin beverage service; the nightly turn down service; the daily towel service; and the snacks and beverages provided aboard the tenders.

           Food service. The menu will include options for omnivores and vegetarians alike. The vessel will try to accommodate special dietary requirements, with as much advance notice as possible, but due to logistical and facilities limitations, it may not be able to accommodate those with the most sensitive requirements. There are practical limits to what is possible. With decades of experience in the industry, they understand the needs of a wide range of diets, and will do their best to address those needs. Local beer and wine is included.

The Tenders:

           Each tender is 25' in length, fiberglass, with twin outboards. They are as large as or larger than the other tenders currently operating on the Bank. These are real boats, solid and seaworthy. The twin engines are four stroke engines, which are clean and quiet. Having twin engines will allow us to increase our range on slow days, or to move away from fellow operators. More importantly, they also provide a large measure of security. In the event of an engine failure while out on the Bank, if one fails, the tender can still easily return to the mother vessel under her own power, without being at risk and without inconveniencing the second tender.

           Each tender has a full complement of safety equipment, including but not limited to life jackets, radio, first aid kit, oxygen, flares.

           Each tender will carry nine or less guests! This is another major benefit of our operation. These boats are as big or bigger than the others operating in Silver Banks bit will carry fewer guests than either of those. There will be more room for gear, more room for elbows, more room for fins. There will be fewer people blocking each other's view of whales while watching topside, or while taking photos. And let's not forget, there will also be less people in the water at one time, too. Less fins 'n elbows, less jockeying for position. Less people to potentially disturb the whales. It is a major benefit.

           Each tender will also have a crew of two aboard, comprised of one Wind Dancer crewman, and one CBA crewman who will be guiding all of the whale activities. Not only will guests benefit from the extensive expertise of the CBA crew, they will also have the extra assistance getting themselves and their gear into and out of the water safely and efficiently. Two crew will allow us to maintain a level of service aboard the tenders that reflects the level of service aboard the Wind Dancer.

           It is the intention of CBA and the Wind Dancer that there will be a certified divemaster in the water on every encounter. Usually it will be the CBA crewman. This crewman will use his expertise and experience to help guide and direct the guests to the best possible encounter possible in a given situation. As you know, in their enthusiasm and inexperience, new guests invariably take a day or so to learn how things work and how to proceed. By having experienced guides in the water from the start, the learning curve will be much better, and guests can expect to have better encounters throughout the week, maximizing the experience for them. Having a divemaster in the water will also provide a significant element of safety and comfort for our guests. The divemaster will be there to help if there is a problem, and to help support or comfort those that are not as strong in the water.

           Each tender is equipped with a long central bench that runs fore and aft. This means that all passengers will be seated on benches, not on the rail, and in the shade. Also, with the benches configured fore and aft, guests will be seated back to back, looking outward (for whales!), with a clear view. This will be excellent for comfort as well as looking for and/or photographing whales. It is an ideal configuration.

           Each tender has extensive sun shade, as well as spray protection. There is also a dry storage area for cameras and other gear (though it's still advisable to bring a dry bags).

           Each tender is equipped with a heavy duty dive ladder to make boarding easier.

           Each tender will be provisioned with an ice chest that will contain beverages and substantial snacks, beyond the typical water bottle and granola bars.

The Personnel:

           Captain Gene Flipse has been a licensed US coast guard captain for eighteen years, and has worked aboard live-aboard dive boats for twelve. He has ten years experience with Atlantic spotted dolphins in the Bahamas, 50 weeks experience with the humpback whales on the Silver Bank. Gene was always a favorite of the Bottom Time's captains and crew, with his kind, gentle manner with guests combined with his hard work ethic and clear competence in his field.   It is clear that in his creation of Conscious Breath Adventures he is working hard to make these trips fullfulling and pleasurable for everyone. My favorite quote from Gene in our emails:

"I love animals, I love adventures, and I love sharing those two things with like-minded people. Just know that it is my heart that is driving this whole adventure, and I will do my absolute best to make it succeed for everyone."

Gene's associate, Capt. Jeff Pantukhoff (pronounced Pan-a-hoff) is described by Gene as a kind and generous soul, with decades of marine mammal experience. He truly is a kindred spirit. He is the president and founder of The Whaleman Foundation ( www.whaleman.org ), a non-profit conservation, research and production organization dedicated to the preservation of dolphins, whales, and their habitats. The Whaleman Foundation is currently involved in a major education and conservation campaign, called "Save the Whales Again!" ( www.savethewhalesagain.org ). He is an excellent guide on and in the water and has a great rapport with marine mammals. In addition to the Silver Banks, he also spends time each year in Hawaii acting as whale skiff captain and underwater photographer and videographer in support of humpback whale researchers there. He has guided groups to encounter spotted dolphins in the Bahamas, gray whales in Mexico, dolphins and whales in Hawaii, minke whales in Australia, to name but a few. Jeff is a very talented videographer. His documentary films have been presented before the United Nations, the International Whaling Commission, the U.S. Congress, and other governing bodies. Jeff will be a major contributor to the production of the weekly souvenir video. He has excellent equipment, and great skill, so the videos will be top notch!  

In addition to these captains there will be a crew of eight personnel on the Wind Dancer to provide a high level of service and attention to guests.

The Philosophy and Ethic of Conscious Breath Adventures:

Education:  The Whaleman Foundation has been a significant participant in global efforts to protect marine mammals. Through that experience, Jeff has a thorough knowledge about whales and dolphins and the threats they face. During the course of the week, Jeff will offer presentations to educate guests about whales and dolphins in general, and humpback whales in particular. He will also educate guests about the ongoing and new threats that face marine mammals; about the ways that they can help in the effort to protect them; and to motivate our guests to get involved in these efforts, both through the Whaleman Foundation and other organizations.

Conservation:  In cooperation with other organizations, the Whaleman Foundation has successfully opposed the global deployment of Ultra Low Frequency Sonar by the U.S. military, has successfully opposed the construction of an industrial salt manufacturing complex in San Ignacio Lagoon, Mexico, a UN World Heritage Site and vital breeding ground of the critically endangered California Gray Whale, has successfully opposed resumption of indigenous tribal whaling in Washington state, U.S.A., and has consistently opposed the continued and expanding threat of commercial whaling by Japan, Norway, and Iceland. This last threat is highly relevant to the Marine Mammal Sanctuary of the Dominican Republic (MMS DR) in light of Japan's recent announcement before the International Whaling Commission (IWC) in 2006 to expand it's whaling activities to include humpback whales, putting the very whales protected in the MMS DR directly at risk. The success of these efforts, and the options available to help, will hopefully inspire our guests to get involved.

Research:   It is a long term goal of Conscious Breath Adventures to support marine mammal research efforts, especially in relationship to the humpback whales of the Silver Bank. In the long term, Gene would like a research and scientific element to be integral to this operation. Jeff already has twelve years of ongoing humpback whale research in Hawaii, and is involved in a research study of his own, studying the social sounds produced by humpbacks and correlating them to behaviors. One of their primary research projects would be to duplicate these efforts in the MMR DR to broaden our knowledge and database for a comparative study of social sounds produced by North Atlantic Humpback Whales and North Pacific Humpback Whales. Eventually, Gene would also like to be in a position to be able to periodically host other researchers as well to fully take advantage of the incredible opportunity to learn from the gathering on the Silver Bank. I will be exploring that possibility more closely once this operation gets some more momentum.

Giving Back: CBA intends to put its money where its mouth is. It is the stated intention of Conscious Breath Adventures to donate all proceeds from the sale of the weekly souvenir video to directly support marine mammal conservation efforts through the Whaleman Foundation's current "Save the Whales Again" campaign. As you know, this can amount to a significant amount of money, money that will be going right back to helping those to whom we all owe so much. This is a win-win situation for everyone.