Peter Hughes Diving's MV Antares Dancer.
Photo by Dive World Travel Productions.

© Copyright U.S. Dive Travel Network.
 

• The new KOMODO DANCER now operates out of Bali, Indonesia & cruises Flores & Komodo.
• All seasons, every year, we will offer a 10% discount off the base rate for any Dancer Fleet cruise to all senior divers age 59 or older, who furnish proof of age via passport or driver's license, before sending deposits for their PNG diving tour.
• All seasons, every year, we will offer a 10% discount off the base rate for any Dancer Fleet cruise to all high school or college students, who furnish proof of current student status via a high school or college ID card.
• All seasons, every year, we will offer a 10% discount off the base rate for any Dancer Fleet cruise to all clients who wish to take back-to-back dive charters on any Dancer live-aboard within a 30-day period. This includes all PNG diving packages.
• All non-diving clients who travel solo, or who accompany a diving partner, are eligible for a 10% discount off the base rate for any Dancer Fleet live-aboard charter. This includes all PNG diving tours.
• There is an established BONUS POINT ACCUMULATION SYSTEM for frequent Dancer Fleet clients, such that any Caribbean Dancer live-aboard cruise earns you 10 points, while any Pacific Dancer cruise earns you 20 points. You can accumulate up to 130 points maximum before being required to "use 'em or lose 'em," the live-aboard owners say. Therefore, if you gather 40 points you get a 5% discount off the base rate of any Dancer Fleet live-aboard cruise of your choice. For every 10 points you gather above 40, you will earn an additional 5% discount, such that 130 points = 50% discount!

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All Peter Hughes vessels offer 4-star luxury cabins with big picture windows. Photos by Dancer Fleet.

Fun li'l boutique.

Comfortable salon.

Spacious sundeck.

Gracious dining room.

Hi-tech photo room.

Peter Hughes vessels offer several luxury staterooms with great picture windows. All photos by Dancer Fleet.

Dive deck beckons!

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Peter Hughes Diving has done it again.  This vessel promises to be one of the most exciting new live-aboards worldwide in the last 10 years.  We have had our gaze set firmly on the renowned Los Roques Archipelago marine park in Venezuela for several years now, wondering when a reliable local infrastructure would emerge to safely accommodate our serious expedition divers.  The time is now, gang.  The Antares Dancer is under the scrupulous direction of Peter Hughes Diving & that bodes well for Venezuela’s live-aboard diving scene in years to come.

The Los Roques island group is situated about 70 miles east of Bonaire. To share some more coordinates, the Los Roques Archipelago also is about 85 miles north of Caracas, nestled nicely in the warm Southern Caribbean & about 180 miles west of world-famous Margarita Island. This 50,000-acre national marine sanctuary offers more than 40 main islands & hundreds of smaller cayes built over the eons from ancient coral formations. White coral sand beaches, super-clear blue-green waters, and stunning submarine visuals are the buzzwords of Los Roques Archipelago.  This place is fast becoming one of the coolest (and hottest) new destinations in the adventure-diving world, depending on your thermometric preferences.

Avidly protected by the Venezuelan government, the Los Roques Archipelago seems to have bright diving future.  Worried that their national treasure might become blighted by over-visitation, the way many once pristine Caribbean islands have decayed under the pressure of greedy developers, the Venezuelan government has enacted a ban on new buildings on these islands.  And tourist numbers are carefully limited now, after officials woke up in 1998 when they saw more than 55,000 people pour into Los Roques in 1997 from the States & Europe.  God bless ‘em for seeing the light before these precious wild islands go the way of some tacky Eastern Caribbean tourist traps.

It’s not too tough to get to Los Roques Archipelago, nor to link up with the MV Antares Dancer.  You fly to Venezuela’s capital of Caracas on any one of several major airlines, or you can fly to nearby Isla Margarita.  Normally an overnight in Caracas will be necessary, but this is a great city, brimming with life & friendly people.  An overnight or two is a bona fide cultural treat.  Then the next morning you scoot out to the islands on a commuter flight run by Linea Turistica Aerotuy.

There have been a few scruffy local dive shops that survived the past several years of Los Roques startups; & one or two have emerged from the pack down in Venezuela, with reportedly decent service.  But this superior Los Roques live-aboard beats them all in sheer luxury, safety standards & diving convenience.  Finally the time has come folks, & we are proud to be offering this wonderful adventure dive tour, under the Peter Hughes aegis -- which means uncompromised quality control, as usual.

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When you choose to cruise with Peter Hughes, you'll shed your shoes
& lose your blues, then dive into pelagic zoos.   ( So John & Sooz
say -- tip the crews & spread the news! )

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Here’s the genesis: way back in 1998, Peter Hughes Diving Inc. joined forces with Linea Turistica Aerotuy, the primary commuter air carrier of Venezuela,  to make this dynamic new destination a reality.  Los Roques National Park, just a skosh off the north coast of Venezuela, is the oldest & largest (continually overseen) national park in the Caribbean region.

MV Antares Dancer will host up to 12 diving passengers at a time, in six graciously-appointed double-occupancy staterooms.   All Antares Dancer cabins are furnished with private heads & showers & nice views – either porthole or window views, depending on your budget preference.

The scuba diving crew conducts all daily dives from a nifty swift little tender that can whisk clients to a plethora of great scuba sites in & around this fabulous cluster of islands, most of which have been dived only a handful of times.  You have the chance to be on the cutting edge of some of the Caribbean’s most exclusive diving yacht experiences, with the MV Antares Dancer.

Peter Hughes staffers who have been to this magical island cluster report that the sheer abundance of fish life in Los Roques Archipelago is the prime compelling reason for visiting Venezuela to dive.  The reefs here have experienced only a modest number of divers, most of whom have recognized the virgin excellence of this environment, & have cared for the preservation thereof.

Venezuela diving means big life. And sometimes it runs deep & far from shore. Thus, live-aboards are the diver's best MO for Los Roques Archipelago, not those gritty little rusty-tank dive op's on the main island, bless their hearts anyway. You will find pinnacles jutting from the ocean depths, which serve as natural big-fish magnets, especially for lively seething schools of meaty pelagics such as groupers, swift & steely-eyed barracuda, big-eyed jacks, mackerel, permit, snapper galore, Creole fish & rainbow runners, just to name a few species that congregate here like it was the Piccadilly Circus of fish feeding grounds.

Venezuela diving also means abundant life. That's where Los Roques diving shines. Also found here in Los Roques Archipelago, in exultantly high numbers, are healthy schools of minnows & scad fish, silversides, angelfish of many hues, exultant parrotfish, yellowtail snappers, barracuda enormous tarpon, multi-hued tropical fish of countless species & scores of other invertebrate forms, as well as exotic smaller fishes.  Then there’s a good chance any day out that you might see dark, mysterious rays & serene sea turtles, too.

In one area famous to the locals, “La Piscina” or The Pool, a huge 5-foot barracuda affectionately dubbed La Abuela (The Granny) rules the roost & regales snorkelers time after time without incident.  This enormous barracuda looks pretty tough but is not a threat, guides say.  But she surely gets your adrenaline stoked when she glides swiftly up to your side to investigate a flashing bracelet or ring.  Word to the wise:  don’t wear jewelry near Granny, or any ‘cudas for that matter, since sometimes they have been known – like W.C. Fields – to take a nip or two during the daytime.   However, unlike Mr. Fields, these curious barracudas DO like water, even though fish “mate” in it.

Peter Hughes has told staffers that on one of his recent dives he personally counted 29 lobsters at a single dive site alone, nearly all of which were so close to his hands he could have reached out & grabbed them effortlessly.

Recent travelers to Los Roques Archipelago have reported that the guidebook lore seems more than true down here.  The stories of visitors having their dive booties rolled up & down, they were so charmed in Los Roques, & by the nascent Venezuela diving scene, all seem to be consistent with reality, the dive guides & travel pros agree. Los Roques diving is nothing ordinary, this is certain. Los Roques diving is everything a jaded adventurer would want in his / her live-aboards -- minus the jade. It might fairly be said that Los Roques diving IS Venezuela diving. And Venezuela diving is the Caribbean's hottest new ticket in luxury live-aboards, we predict today.


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GEOGRAPHIC PLUMS of this PRISTINE ISLAND CHAIN INCLUDE:

• The ocean waters around many of these islands – especially when the sun is high overhead -- have an unearthly & hypnotic color, almost a mystically radiant meld of aquamarine + turquoise-green, really inspiring to behold.
• There are more than 270 species of exotic tropical reef fish, from tiny iridescent critters that flit & flicker around the brain corals to burly mantas & black-tip sharks cruising serenely along the outer walls.  As the Rolling Stones used to say, “Got LIVE if you want it!”
• Among the species that delight scuba divers the most are a kind of royal blue angelfish, puffy porcupine fish, swiftly darting sting rays by the scads & some hefty mantas as well.
• Reportedly there are about 85 species of corals in the greater Caribbean region & nearly all these species are found in healthy abundance in the isles of Los Roques Archipelago.  Few places in the Caribbean can boast of such species differentiation & such abundant marine life. Venezuela diving just keeps on giving: life & color & crowds of critters.
• Los Roques Archipelago also offers topside visitors more than 90 species of exotic birds, including those loveable old classics, the brown boobies,  & the slightly more elegant scarlet ibises. So you see, for your non-diver companions, Los Roques diving is not about only scuba, you get free brown boobies thrown in, chirps & all.
• There are fewer than 300 homes on the main island of Gran Roque, so life is still pretty sweet & simple here.  The island has only a couple trucks, for delivering water & hauling away the trash, & no hordes of fume-belching cars have invaded yet.  You can still pull in a good healthy draft of fresh air every morning when you roll out of the rack & stagger down to the dive deck.  As Bill Murray said in Caddyshack, "I've got THAT goin' for me!"


For those of you topwater fishermen who relish the adrenal buzz from fighting tail-dancers (as we do!), there’s some mighty good news here in Los Roques Archipelago.  We’ve been told some of the world’s best bonefishing can be found here in these islands.  Also, it’s relatively easy to round up a local guide with a rickety wooden boat to take you out on the reef some morning for a fishing dream day.

Linea Turistica Aerotuy, the prime commuter airline in Venezuela, offers six posadas (guest inns) in the small city of Gran Roque, where you first land in the Los Roques Archipelago. The Vistamar, El Muelle & La Plaza hotels are deemed superior lodging (maybe 4 star at best), while NaturaViva, Las Palmeras and Macabi resorts are considered average (maybe 2-3 stars).   All of these hotels offer ceiling fans and private bathrooms.  While killing time before or after the MV Antares Dancer, clients can relish the island’s activities of snorkeling, kayaking, some heart-starting bonefish action in season & -- not to forget the essence of Caribbean "vacating" -- lounging idly on some of the sweetest sandy beaches in Latino America.

There are still plenty of virgin coral reefs & walls still left to be explored.  But local divers already have nailed down some awesome standards for the tourists. Here are some of the secrets of Los Roques diving, the pride & joy of Venezuela diving .....

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The CLASSIC SCUBA DIVING SITES of
LOS ROQUES ARCHIPELAGO in VENEZUELA:

• Punta Salina  -- this gratifying & satisfying wall dive is situated near the southern end of the Los Roques Archipelago, & is jam-packed with exciting caves to explore, where small critters & creepy crawly crustaceans dwell peacefully; also there’s a goodly number of lush sponges, with visibility between 60 to 100 feet on a good diving day.
• Boca del Medio -- a life-rich maze of corals & marine fauna, featuring refreshingly clear & shallow waters, with average depths 30-50 feet; & normal visibility 40-80 feet.
• Noronqui  --  abundant & beautiful formations of elkhorn coral with a rich plethora of marine critters all around you, typical of the healthier Caribbean coral reefs; diving depths are quite shallow but well worth the visit.
• Piedra Ahogada   –  this translates into the Drowned Rock, but the enormous pelagic schools here are anything but deceased.  Expect to be regaled visually by hundreds upon hundreds of hulking giant groupers, snappers, jacks & occasional rays, plus the odd surprise visitor.  Hey, you never know down here!  (Just promise us you won’t bring any squeeze cheese or fish pellets, OK?  Okay.)
• Nordisqui  --  this dive is situated to the north of the Los Roques Archipelago, & features fine formations of flat corals, jumbled stones & a couple decent wrecks as well.
• Cayo Sal  –  this site offers excellent visibility, it’s been reported, most often in excess of 85-95 feet, plus a steep & forbidding ocean wall that plummets to 185 feet.  Here you’ll find a vast ledge, teeming with life forms, then the wall just cascades into the Big Blue Void, down a couple thousand feet into a realm we only imagine about when puffing our everyday regulators.  Divers can see some pretty impressive sponges here as well.
• La Piedra de la Gausa  -- a pinnacle that rises from the 110-foot sandy bottom to within about 20 feet of the ocean’s surface.  Large colorful schools of pelagic fish are common here; & scuba viz hovers between 40 to 80 feet; it’s a mostly rocky & gritty underwater ambience. This is a jewel of Venezuela diving.
• La Buceadora  --  a cool cave rife with milling tarpons, various groovy little crustaceans & healthy plush sponges; depths to 70 feet, viz the same. This is another Los Roques diving jewel.
• Boca de Cote   --  big heart-starting walls that drop to nearly 200 feet, & they are loaded with hard & soft corals alike, plus an abundance of vari-colored fish; visibility normally stays somewhere between 60 to 90 feet.

One of the best cabins aboard Antares Dancer.
Photo courtesy of Dive World Travel Productions.

Good cheer & good meals on Antares Dancer.
Photo courtesy of Dive World Travel Productions.

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MORE FACTS & FIGURES ABOUT
the PETER HUGHES ANTARES DANCER:

Length: 76 feet

Passengers: 12.

Staterooms: 6 double cabins.

Technical Gear on Board:  The MV Antares Dancer is equipped with modern navigation & communications gear, plus dual compressors.

Weather: Tropical and warm, year-round temps of 75 to 87 degrees F.

Water Temps:  77 to 85 degrees F most of the year.

Diving Visibility:  normally 40 -100 feet.  

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Each & every one of Peter Hughes Diving's 5-star luxury diving yachts provides clients with turndown bed service every day, morning coffee served in your stateroom, bathrobes, sit-down dining with a choice of two entrees every supper, snacks every morning & afternoon, clean towels every day in your stateroom, removal of your tank as you stand at the diving platform after surfacing, daily E-6 color slide processing right on board, & around-the-clock hands-on service from a crew that will treat you like royalty.

All Peter Hughes Dancer vessels, including the Antares Dancer, are equipped with air-conditioning in all staterooms & common areas such as salon & lounge.  All Peter Hughes Dancer vessels offer private en-suite bathrooms, hot freshwater showers, audio & video entertainment centers, nightly entertainment, light tables for slides, excellent photo & video labs, open-air sundecks with some covered areas for sun protection, lockers for your dive gear, spacious stern jumpoff areas with 2 exit ladders & showers right there waiting when you surface, camera work tables conveniently on the dive deck, & rigid decompression bars underwater, to increase your profile safety.

Every Peter Hughes Dancer yacht is also equipped with powerful engines, plus dual generators, ultra-modern navigation gear, radar, depth finders, GPS & Weather-Fax systems, VHF & SSB radios, desalination plants that pump out from 2,400 to 3,600 gallons of fresh water each day, rescue & chase craft ready at all times & powerful dual air compressors, so you never have to deal with an empty tank.  If Peter Hughes, one of the resident geniuses in the world of diving yachts, hasn't thought of one "i" to dot or one "t" to cross, we challenge you to find that iota & let us know.  These splendid Peter Hughes Diving vessels are the creme de la creme of world live-aboards, & their prices are just plain affordable.

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FOR MORE INFORMATION or RESERVATIONS:

Please feel free to contact:
John Hessburg, General Manager
Susan Hessburg, Operations Manager

U.S. DIVE TRAVEL Network
PMB 307 -- Suite # 116
15050 Cedar Avenue S.
St. Paul, MN, USA 55124-7046

Voice Mail: 952-953-4124


E-mail: divetrip@bitstream.net

Website: www.usdivetravel.com

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IMPORTANT REMINDER about PRICES & TARIFFS:

All Los Roques live-aboard prices listed here are subject to possible change in this steadily evolving travel market. Lodging, side tour & diving prices are traditionally stable, as are live-aboard package prices; however air prices can fluctuate daily. Until air tickets are issued, all airlines reserve the right to change airfares without notice -- an industry standard per FAA rules. We at U.S. Dive Travel will price-protect you to the utmost of our professional ability, on your Los Roques live-aboard package; & that has been our pledge for one decade now. Our Los Roques live-aboard dive tour experts normally secure excellent wholesale discount air tickets for our clients who book early enough to secure limited seats in the best price categories. Remember please, the federal government has deregulated all U.S.-based airlines, so only they control their pricing -- not any travel professionals. Early is good when seeking the best air ticket rates to connect with your Los Roques live-aboard cruise.

Unless specifically noted, these above Venezuela scuba diving packages are prices for only the Los Roques live-aboard portion of your dive trip, in most cases reflecting double-occupancy rooms. On most live-aboards, there will be no triple-occupancy staterooms offered. International air tickets & commuter "island-hopper" seats are always extra above these land costs. Nominal service fees are also extra for air tickets & the dive vessel + side tour components. The baseline tariffs for all clients start at $35 per person for the land portion + $20 pp for the air tickets. Late-booking clients may receive slightly higher tariffs on the lodging + diving at many of our dive resorts. Solo clients on our Los Roques live-aboard tours will always pay a single supplement to secure a private stateroom -- normally 50% - 100% more than the standard double-occupancy rate for the live-aboard of your choice.

The preferred payment mode for all of our live-aboards, dive resorts, side tours & air ticket specials is by cashier's check or wire transfer in U.S. dollars. All Los Roques live-aboard clients living outside the USA or Canada will need to pay for their dive vacations via direct wire transfer only. No personal checks will be accepted for any reservation. Thank you for your gracious understanding. Our service level is the highest & our prices the lowest in this industry, & thus we need to preserve a reasonable margin. For published-fare air ticket bookings, USDT always accepts Visa & Mastercard. For ultra-discount wholesale air tickets, USDT accepts only cashier's checks or wire transfers, please.

Remember, all Los Roques live-aboard clients to all foreign destinations will be asked by local officials overseas, upon departing the airport on your final day, to pay a nominal government departure tax, usually between USD $25 - $40 per client. USDT cannot collect this tax beforehand, so you simply pay it down there, in your host country. Be sure to stash away a little cash for this final moment at the airport, so you'll get your exit visa stamped quickly with no fuss; & away you go. Best of luck with your Antares Dancer diving plans. We hope your Antares Dancer vacation is a safe & satisfying adventure. Blessings & best wishes with ALL your dive vacations.

Best fishes too!

>////*>   <*\\\\<

John Hessburg & Susan Hessburg, Mgrs.
U.S. Dive Travel Network.




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