Old Jamaican in the Caribbean Sea is a post from: Jamaica Vacations

Here is a wonderful set of photos taken from the Negril Cliffs which features one of my favorite Jamaican fisherman out in the early morning as the sun rises on yet another beautiful Jamaica day. I watched this guy fish the local waters off and on for over a year before I settled to take his photo without his permission. I probably could have found him and asked him for it but it was nice to chat with him as he went on about his day completely oblivious to me while I sat and watched him from the seaside cliffs of a Negril resort in amazement at his strength and determination. Some of these Jamaica fisherman seem as old as the sea itself but do not be fooled, these guys are hard as stone and stronger than any two average men you know. They have been fishing these waters for over 50 years in many cases and pulled enough traps to feed a family for longer than I have been alive.

I was almost always amused and sometimes disgusted with how different our lives are and how as I sit there with my digital camera from the deck of my resort accommodations I can peer out into the distance and witness a real man working for a living from a hand carved dugout while I blog about my daily adventures and smoked a few spliffs over a cup of Blue Mountain Coffee in the comfort of my private room overlooking the Caribbean Sea.

It’s a sick and twisted world we live in and the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence but I would gladly trade my experiences and knowledge for his.

The Caribbean is well known as a dive destination with hotspots like the Cayman Islands and Cozumel Mexico just a short distance away. Jamaica’s waters are not quite as nice as many of our neighbors but the diving is considered well worth the effort by those who venture out with a Jamaican dive shop on a proper trip to one of the many scuba dive attractions in the country.

Jamaica has a number of popular dive locations on the North Coast with both Montego Bay and Ocho Rios offering a wide range of great dive vacations. The Widows Maker Cave is the most popular dive in Mobay. The cave starts in about 35 feet of water and goes down to about 80 feet. Most people enter the cave at 80 feet and slowly rise through the cave to exit through a chimney 10 feet wide at the 35 foot mark and you can also go in the opposite direction by entering through the chimney and swimming down to the 80 foot depth. Ocho Rios has the wreck of the Kathryn which is a 140 foot Canadian mine sweeper from World War II which was sunk in 1991 by a Jamaican dive company as an artificial reef and dive attraction. Its a popular dive spot for first time wreck dives and intermediate divers looking for a new adventure.

Negril is the laid back side of the island but don’t let the image of beaches and bars fool you, there are a number of extreme adventures in and around Negril which is known for the best diving in Jamaica. Scuba diving is a dangerous activity which requires certification on specialized equipment before any reputable dive operation will take you out. There are different types of certification and even different organizations and standards that you can be certified with. PADI is one of the most popular diving certification programs and the standard here in Jamaica. Much of the diving in Negril is run from scuba shops at local resorts but the best diving in Negril is with a professional dive shop that caters to certified divers.

If you already have your dive certification you won’t want to tag along with the resort divers because they usually spend their time on easy dives. You’ll appreciate contacting an independent scuba dive operator like Negril Scuba which will be able to build a custom itinerary around your certification level and personalize your dive vacation.

Negril Scuba began as a small resort shop but has grown into a professional dive shop with three locations in Negril offering the best scuba diving in Jamaica. Owner David Wallace started running dives from his fathers resort, known in those days as Mariners Inn, after a guest told him that the diving in front of the property was “better than sex”. Today the property is known as Negril Escape but David still has his dive shop and they still run daily dives from the convenience of the resort for guests who book dive vacations.

Negril Scuba also offers two beach locations with boats taking dive trips to the best dive spots off Negril Beach including reef diving and night dives. Advanced divers usually opt for dives at locations such as “The Arches” and “The Throne Room” or one of the many wrecks in the area including an airplane and shipwreck. You can visit their website for a list of all the dive sites in Negril or just give them a call and book a dive vacation in Negril for your next adventure.

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There is a yellow boa in the mango tree outside and the locals are having a fit. Jamaicans DO NOT like snakes and this one was almost dead if I had not told them they could be fined up to $100,000 jamaican dollars for killing it. They want it out of the mango tree and I sent an email to SOS Wildlife Jamaica and they called me back to say they had no one in Negril that could come and catch the snake but they might have a person here on Wednesday. If they do then they will send him over and he will assist us in relocating the snake to a safer place.

The Jamaican Yello Boa is endemic to Jamaica and a Protected Species. The yellow boa in the tree outside looks to be about 6 feet long and 4 inches in diameter. The snake guy I spoke with said it was probably a female and she had eaten some rats in the tree and was sunning to digest them. This guy may make a trip all the way from Mobay to make sure the snake is unharmed and he said its vital we save all the females we can.

Anyone live in Negril want to climb this tree and catch a 6 foot snake?

The 16th Annual Bob Marley Birthday Bash is being held on February 5th-6th at MXIII in Negril. Anyone going? I know I’ll be there for sure. Anyone need a ride or place to stay in Negril for the event? Contact me and we’ll find something for you.