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Stepping aboard a sleek yacht and casting off from the dock excites even the most seasoned of sailors, but you do not have to be an 'old salt' to share the awaiting adventures. As you and your shipmates hoist the sails, you begin to discover the potentials of both the regions we visit and ourselves. There will be few moments when you confuse your voyage with a pampered cruise ship vacation or a day at a theme park; these are real adventures where you make things happen. The responsibility and joy of active participation and doing things on your own allows you to acquire valuable lifelong skills and accomplish goals. Upon return to port you will have uncovered confidences and abilities that would give the 'old salt' a run for his money. Fill your sails!
After spending the night under a blanket of stars, you awaken in an emerald cove nestled below a tall, lush island mountainside. As your morning unfolds, you chart out the day's course with the captain, haul up the anchor and hoist the main-sail to set out to a dive site on an oceanic pinnacle. You feel the acceleration as billowing sails catch the wind and your vessel slices through turquoise waters. Excitement builds as you and your fellow shipmates perfect a series of fast tacks and arrive at a cay inhabited by only a colony of booby and frigate birds. The excitement persists as you gear up with your buddy, ready to plunge below the surface and discover the pelagic jacks and barracuda feeding on a huge schooling cloud of 20 million silverside minnows. You spot a bright orange anemone with an iridescent blue cleaning shrimp within its tentacles, aim, and capture the scene with our digital camera. After arriving at a protected overnight anchorage, you sea kayak silently through a mangrove forest, bringing you face to face with an egret. Looking for some speed, you may try your luck on the wake-board or kneeboard and perfect a 360 or work with the biologist studying fish ecology. Then its time to head in to the beach with your crew and enjoy an exciting volleyball match in the afternoon sun. Your day continues as the sun sets, suit up to night-dive and witness the amazing nocturnal reef transformation, followed by hot chocolate and tall-tales with friends..
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Why Sail with Odyssey?
Unparalleled Programs Our unique programs provide unrivalled chances for exploration, learning, skill development and fun.
Personalized Instruction Each vessel is functionally independent. Your program will be you, your three staff, and 11 participants of similar age to yourself. You have direct involvement in the planning and realization of your voyage, working closely with your instructors in a non-competitive environment centered on dynamic small group support and self-reliance. You get progress at your own pace and truly make the voyage yours.
Experience All of our Program Directors have been with Odyssey for at least six years. They are marine biologists and master scuba instructors and sailing masters. They are committed to making sure you get the most educational, adventurous, and safe program. They sail aboard the vessels with the students and take active leadership roles. This is not a program where the owners hire seasonal staff to manage the operations, we are completely involved with the smooth operations of the programs and create a much safer, friendlier, family atmosphere and you know that the program directors are most interested in your success.
Active, Hands-On Program allows for personal growth, responsibility, and leadership skills development as you take part in a diverse array of activities with first-hand experience. No rigid schedules, flotillas, equipment sharing or activity rotations to limit your experience.
Skill Building Activities enable you to learn about sailing, safe yacht operation, underwater exploration, leadership, and marine biology.
Safety A solid commitment to safety by both staff and shipmates, a full complement of safety equipment aboard, safety and risk management policies, and an experienced and extensively trained staff familiar with our program and locales, combine to develop our safe programs
Knowledgeable, Friendly Staff Experienced leaders and educators live aboard with you and share their areas of expertise, bringing you a wealth of opportunity to broaden your horizons, increase your knowledge of the world, develop your abilities, and gain a new perspective on the roles you can play in accomplishing your goals.
Highest Quality Equipment The best yachts, equipped with the best diving gear, recreation and safety gear, and biology education resources, allow your voyage to explore in depth and comfort the amazing British Virgin Islands & Windwards like no other. No need to share dive gear or wait on support boats. Your catamaran has everything aboard, and features ample space, easy dive decks, excellent performance all in a comfortable package.
Unprecedented Itinerary allows your voyage to experience the richness in biological and cultural diversity of exciting, pristine, and beautiful locations, without limit on what is convenient for a support boat or separate dive boat to meet you with. Our itinerary takes us to all the cool dive sites and islands, which means more adventure for you!
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Explorations Section Feature: Odyssey Scrapbook (Voyage Photos, Forums)
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