- Diving the Flower Gardens National Marine SanctuaryTexas Caribbean Charters, LLC, Freeport, TX
Event Summary: This is a joint event with Austin Scuba Diving & Surfing
This is the most popular tour of the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary.
The charter departs from Freeport, TX in the evening and motor out to the West Bank where we wake up at 7AM and dive at 8AM (and again at 11AM). The West Bank is famous for sighting manta rays, so don't forget to LOOK UP while you're on your dive, as divers sometimes miss seeing mantas passing above them!
After lunch we'll dive on an oil platform (if available). Be prepared to be impressed. Divers often go on this dive with modest expectations, but the deep-water oil platforms change a lot of minds! And most divers tell us the rig dive is the best we offer!
Next you'll spend the evening at the East Bank where you'll make one more dive before dark and a night dive. The East Bank usually has turtles that hang out with divers and aren't shy about getting their photo taken.
Overnight we motor to Stetson Bank where you'll have two more dives before heading back to port for an evening arrival around 5-6PM..Whale shark season is in full swing!!
We will host meetings to prep for the trip!SCHEDULE:
Friday, June 7th: Joining the boat, boarding, and departure- 7pm divers arrive at the pier
- Divers board the boat and check in
- Departure!
Saturday, June 8th: West Flower Garden Bank, East Flower Garden Bank, Oil Platform
- 7am wake up and continental breakfast
- Dives 1&2 at the West Bank, famous for cruising Manta Rays
- Lunch, then Oil Platform Dive
- Dives 4&5 at the East Bank, visit with the turtles
Sunday, June 9th: Stetson Bank
- 6am wake up and continental breakfast
- Dives 6&7 at Stetson Bank, nowhere for the critters to hide
- Return to Freeport at about 5:30-6PM
Date: June 7th-June 9th
Where: Freeport, TX (M-V Fling Charter pier)
Accommodations: Currently there are 13 bunker spaces left for these dates so book ASAP!! Booking with the MV Fling Caribbean Charters in Freeport, TX.
Price: $885/diver on single bunk. $985/diver on double bunk.## What's Included
- All meals and snacks
- AL 80 cf tank
- 27-32% Nitrox
- 7 Dives (see itinerary)
## What to Bring
- All your dive gear, weights, wet suit, dive light, back-up light, tank light, surface marker buoy, everything.
- A couple of towels
- Necessary medications
- Sea-sickness medication
- Personal hygiene / toiletries
- Gratuities are not included in your booking. The crew works for tips. They work hard for you, so please remember them at the end of the trip.
East Flower Garden Bank: East Flower Garden Bank | Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary (noaa.gov)
West Flower Garden Bank: West Flower Garden Bank | Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary (noaa.gov)
Stetson Banks: Stetson Bank | Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary (noaa.gov)
MV Fling Caribbean Charters: Home | M-V FLING by Texas Caribbean ChartersHow to find us:
COMING SOON! - Austin EcoExpeditions & Wildlife - Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtle ReleaseMalaquite Beach, Corpus Christi, TX
Kemp’s ridleys are the smallest and most critically endangered sea turtle species. Adults are 2 feet long and weigh only 70-100 pounds. In Texas, Kemp’s ridley sea turtles occur in nearshore Gulf of Mexico waters, bays, and passes, where they feed mostly on crabs, and occasionally fish, sea jellies, and mollusks. Since the mid-1970s, the National Park Service at Padre Island National Seashore has been an integral member of the bi-national, multi-agency Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle Recovery Program. Its mission? To save the critically endangered Kemp’s ridley sea turtle species from extinction.
National Park Service Page: Kemp's ridley sea turtles - Padre Island National Seashore (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov)Hatchling Release Page: Requested Page Not Found (404) (nps.gov)
Page will be available once the turtle season begins in late April, check back!!Event Summary: Every year the National Park Service welcomes people from around the world to experience the wonders of our nation's national parks. At Padre Island National Seashore, many people patiently wait for return of sea turtle nesting season and the opportunity to watch a hatchling release. Hatchling releases typically occur from mid-June through August. Most of the releases take place at 6:45 am on Malaquite Beach in front of the visitor center at Padre Island National Seashore on North Padre Island in Corpus Christi, Texas.
Dates: Mid-June throughout August. Exact dates will not be announced until closer to the season. Check back on this page in June 2024 for future sea turtle hatchling releases. We will then be able to schedule our tour!
Nonetheless, we will be having Meet Ups to plan for this event in the near future!
Upcoming Prep Meetings:
COMING SOON!