Jetsettersblog

Mona Mona Mona

Looking for an adventure? Overwhelm your senses and come experience the enchantment of the Mona Passage- Mona Island, Monito Island, and Desecheo. Located just off the coast of Puerto Rico, these uninhabited islands connect the Atlantic Ocean to the Caribbean Sea. Not only is it home to rare birds and iguanas but the diving is just absolutely breathtaking. There are no words that can describe the diving found in the Mona Passage. See for yourself in this YouTube video produced by one of our guests. You can also see some great pictures taken of Mona by our guest Ben Seggerson in this newsletter.

Mona Sail Dates

7 Day Mona Itinerary

Nov 14, 2009 – Nov 21, 2009 $1995 Nekton Pilot

Nov 21, 2009 – Nov 28, 2009 $1945 Nekton Pilot

Nov 28, 2009 – Dec 5, 2009 $1845 Nekton Pilot
Dec 5, 2009 – Dec 12, 2009 $1745 Nekton Pilot
Dec 12, 2009 – Dec 19, 2009 $1745 Nekton Pilot
Dec 19, 2009 – Dec 26, 2009 $1695 Nekton Pilot
Dec 25, 2009 – Jan 2, 2010 $1795 Nekton Pilot
Jan 2, 2010 – Jan 9, 2010 $1795 Nekton Pilot
Jan 9, 2010 – Jan 16, 2010 $1795 Nekton Pilot

NEW- 10 Day Mona Exploration Itinerary
Sept 12, 2009 – Oct 3, 2009 $2495 Nekton Rorqual
Oct 5, 2009 – Oct 10, 2009 $ 2495 Nekton Rorqual

New 10 Day Mona Exploration Itinerary

Come join the Nekton Rorqual on our New 10 Day Mona Exploration Itinerary as we cruise on Isla Mona, Isla Monito, Isla Desecheo, South West Puerto Rico and Vieques.

Much of the diving is off of the shear cliffs and wave swept boulders calved from the cliffs. Because of the waves, currents and proximity to hard vertical surfaces, much of the diving requires good buoyancy control and proper functioning equipment providing the ability to descend quickly, swim under the wave zone, enjoy the dive and swim away from the wave zone surfacing in the calmer water well off the cliff. For your diving efforts you will be rewarded with abundant sea life including sea turtles too numerous to count, sharks on nearly every dive and fish life of every description.

While each 10 Day Mona Passage cruise may vary due to weather and sea conditions, the outline below will give you a good feel for the adventure you could experience!

Saturday:
You will fly into San Juan Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico (airport code SJU). From San Juan, you’ll need to make your way to Puerto Del Rey Marina near Fajardo, about 35 miles from San Juan. One may rent a car, arrange for a private transfer, or ride in a shared van with other Nekton guests. (Please note that the shared shuttle may require a wait as other Nekton guests arrive.) Dinner is served onboard and boarding begins at 5PM. Later that night the vessel gets underway for the first destination at Vieques.

Sunday: Wake up at the first dive site of the trip. Immediately after breakfast, there will be a general dive briefing and a dive site briefing, followed by the dive deck being open until lunch. This will be your chance to see the beautiful reefs in Vieques.

Monday dive the different dive sites off South West Puerto Rico such as”The Isthmus” (80′).

Tuesday- Saturday: dive Mona/Monito/Desecheo

Isla Monita- Here is your first introduction to the numerous turtles of the area including the endangered Hawksbill and Leatherback. Be sure to look for tags under their front flippers as the four island rangers, the Department of Natural Resources and the Puerto Rican Universities do a great job of tracking the local populations.

Isla Desecheo is a tall mountain-like island with steeply rising slopes and a low-lying shoreline including a couple of beautiful protected coves which are great for kayaking. The lee side or western shore diving includes shallow patch reefs with profiles to 10 feet. This will be your first introduction to the prolific basket sponges of this unique area. Everywhere you look, you will see basket sponges of all sizes in both individual stands and mass colonies.

Your first morning dives will typically be on the choppier north side, weather permitting, at a very dramatic site called Hobbit House. Here you will enjoy many swim-throughs under island-born boulders morphed by centuries of reef building. The end result is an enchanting odyssey not soon forgotten.

Isla Monito- Enjoy a drift dives off Isla Monito for some colorful and dramatic cliff diving. Isla Monito, the smallest and most vertical of the islands, is so steep and deep that mooring or anchoring is not possible. There is the possibility of seeing just about anything here where the Atlantic meets the Caribbean Sea.

Monday: Enjoy drift dives at La parguera in South Western Puerto Rico. Overnight the boat makes the passage back to Fajardo, Puerto Rico.

Tuesday:
The boat has arrived back at the dock. Disembarkation is at 8:00 am. We will transport you and your gear back to the airport in San Juan.

Please schedule flights AFTER 12:00 PM to allow time for arrival back to the San Juan airport and REMEMBER DAN’s recommended waiting period between repetitive diving and flying.

Nekton Diving Cruises

phone: (800) 899-6753
email: newsletter@nektoncruises.com
web: http://www.nektoncruises.com