Thanksgiving in Palau 2009- A HUGE success!!!

March 3rd, 2010
 

Hello again! We just wanted to take a few minutes to write about what an awesome time we had this past Thanksgiving in Palau. This amazing trip has been in the works for over 5 years and we were finally able to make it happen. Leaving from LAX on November 20th, Margo and 50 Kids Sea Camp travelers made the long trek to Palau. Although the flight was the longest most of these families had ever been on, the decision is unanimous- the trip was totally worth it. Palau is the stuff dreams are made of. Emerald green islands atop crystal blue waters. A diver’s paradise. Something to definately be thankful for- just in time for Thanksgiving.

 
 
The flight landed in Koror late at night, but Kids Sea Camp was greated by dancers and a beautiful welcome banner. Each person got a handmade lei placed around their neck. They were taken to the Palau Royal Resort to rest up for the next day’s activities. With a delicious breakfast in their stomachs, KSC families took a trip out to jellyfish lake. They were able to swim with these non-stinging jellyfish making it an experience they will never forget. At 6:00 PM an opening ceremony was held at Sea Passion hotel. It included performances by native dancers and also had a very important guest in attendance. The President of Palau- Johnson Toribiong- came to spend time with all of the kids and gave an unforgettable speech. He spoke about the world’s first ever shark sanctuary and told the kids that they are the protectors of the ocean. They are our future.

 
 
Kids Sea Camp families enjoyed diving at some of the best sites in the world, such as the Blue Corner & German Channel. They went to a place called the Milky Way where they covered themselves with mud, which was way better than any spa treatment. They also got the chance to dive and snorkel where they got to see WWII wreck sites. It was an amazing learning experience for all.  Kids and adults all got the chance to paint with world renowned artist Ron “Rogest” Steven. You can see some of their painitings in the Kids Sea Camp photo gallery.
Ron Rogest painting with the kids

 
 
Just a few facts about this trip:
*Palau is the ninth country selected to host Kids Sea Camp
*Sam’s Tours has been working to secure Kids Sea Camp for over 5 years
*We are going to Palau again in 2010- Nov. 19-27th
*In 2010, Kids Sea Camp will be celebreating it’s 10 year anniversary and Sam’s Tours will be celebrating their 20th.
 
Later in the week, an article by Bernadette H. Carreon appeared in the local newspaper, Palau Horizon. I have included the contents of the article below:

By: Bernadette H. Carreon Horizon News Staff

The Kid’s Sea Camp comes to Palau with over 50 kids with their families enjoying the country’s marine life and water. 

This is the first time that the camp has been brought to Palau, but the plan to hold it here has been in the drawing board for years. Margo Peyton, founder of the Kids Sea Camp said Palau is “the perfect place” to hold the camp.

“I alwayMargo addressing the Kids Sea Camp families and President of Palaus had interest in Palau, but the long flight is keeping us from coming here,” Peyton said.

The wait, Peyton said have paid off.

Peyton said the participants of [Kids Sea Camp] despite the long flight described their stay in Palau as a “beautiful dream.” 

To welcome the participants, organizers held a welcoming cermon for them with President Johnson Toribiong gracing the event on Sunday held at the Sea Passion hotel. 

President Johnson Toribiong

President Johnson Toribiong

 Peyton said Toribiong’s speech was inspirational.

 “He said that this is about the children, that we see our future in the eyes of the children,” Peyton said.  am is for kids age 4-7;  PADI Seal Team; This program is for kids age 8 and up; PADI Junior Open Water; This program is for kids age 10-14; PADI Open Water; This program is for kids and adults age 15 and up; PADI Jr. Advanced Open Water; This program is for kids 12 and up and provides a depth of 65 feet.

The program will be divided into PADI snorkel and SASY training; this progr

Dermot Keane, General Manager of Sam’s Tours and one of the sponsors of the event said the program is “to bring new people into the dive industry.”

 Manta Ray[Kids Sea Camp] has been to locations such as Florida, Bahamas, Fiji, Bonaire and Galapagos.Keane added that aside from the fun-filled activities, there is also the education component of the program which is marine education and ocean environment.

He said the Camp “will be a great exposure for Palau as a tourist destination.”

Peyton said [Kids Sea Camp] will celebrate its 10th anniversary in Palau next year.

The other sponsors of the event are Continental Micronesia Airlines, which flew the kids to Palau for free, Palau Royal Resort which is one of the major sponsors and Sea Passion Hotel 

We are already taking bookings for our 2010 Palau trip and although space is going quickly, we do still have some space available for you and your family to join us as we return to the 8th wonder of the world! You will get  to dive wrecks, go for a swim in the jellyfish lake and spend Thanksgiving with your family and the friends you have made throughout the week. This is an amazing opportunity. And don’t forget that kids fly free to Palau on Continental Airlines! Thanks to Palau Royal Resort, Continental Airlines, and Sam’s Tours for making this such a wonderful week.

We also want to congratulate Andre Simmons and Zachary Sittler for earning their PADI Jr. Open Water certifications! Welcome to our underwater world!!!

 

Blue Corner

On Reef Hooks at Blue Corner

At Jellyfish Lake
At Jellyfish Lake

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bonaire news and specials!

February 5th, 2010

Year-round dive packages an be arranged and booked through Kids Sea Camp Family Dive vacations. Give us a call at 1-800-934-3483 or email us at kids@kidsseacamp.com.

Buddy Dive in Bonaire has received its new custom cat-hull designed yacht and started using it for new 3-tank Washington Slaagbai trips to some of Bonaire’s best dive sites. Fast and comfortable, divers can now sample some of Bonaire’s more difficult to reach and pristine sites for a day of adventure including lunch.

Buddy Dive’s new boat arrived at Buddy’s dock! Both guest and personnel were very excited to see the first glimpse of the 42’ custom designed ‘yacht cat’ on the horizon next to Klein Bonaire.Buddy Dive new boat

The new boat is completely innovative and new to the scuba diving industry. This sleek vessel  has room for 24 divers for a 3-tank dive outing. It has everything on board that a diver needs including rinse tanks, a camera table, a sundeck, a shaded area, and an easy entry platform for both going in and out of the water. After your dive, you can enjoy the sun and stunning views from a comfortable seat on the fly-bridge. With this new boat Buddy Dive Resort will be the first and only resort on Bonaire that is going to offer a 3-tank boat dive trip to the Washington Slagbaai National Park.

The price for the trip is only $120 per person and includes a lunch.

Possible dive sites that can be dived during the trip are: Boca Bartol, Playa Bengi, Playa Funchi, Bise Morto, Wayaca, and Boca Slagbaai.

Check out this cool video by Buddy Dive of this new amazing offer!

 

Boca Bartol
This is the northernmost dive site on Bonaire. A good place to look for the larger fish species. The shallows offer large, unusual coral formations, and the sandy bottom provides a habitat for rays and garden eels. Depth 20-80 feet.

Special – Book a 7 night stay Drive and Dive package and get a 50% discount on your food bill (max. of $75.00 off per person) and a free 2-tank East Coast boat dive. Valid for travel between Apr. 10 and Jun. 5, 2010.

Playa Bengi
The experienced diver will be rewarded with some of the most pristine coral found on Bonaire. This site is also home to many larger fish species. Depth 15-100 feet.
Bonaire Dive Site Map
Playa Funchi
At depths of 15-100 feet, horse-eye jacks can be seen out in the pristine blue water. The shallows are loaded with many of the smaller species that approach divers and snorkelers looking for a handout.

Bise Morto
Deep-water pelagics such as whale sharks, manta rays and even spouting humpback whales have been spotted here. Depth 20-100 feet.

Wayaca
Wayaca offers divers a new site where very little diving has been done in the past. Many times, dive sites in this area are visited by larger species of animals, so keep your eyes on the blue when you dive Bonwk1_teens (68)this site, and you might be lucky. Depth 30-100 feet.

Boca Slagbaai
With depths of 20-100 feet, you may have a chance to see mantas or other smaller rays. This site is known for its moderate to strong currents and is recommended for intermediate to experienced divers.

Taylor Made
This site is considered to have a very pristine reef that drops from 15ft to depths beyond limits. Divers will be surrounded by very ancient coral heads and lots of fish. Its main attraction is the beautiful unspoiled coral formations.

 

Congrats to the Graduating Class of 2009!

December 11th, 2009

Hello all!

We just wanted to say congratultions to our Kids Sea Camp PADI Jr. Open Water graduates of 2009. Welcome to our underwater world. We cannot wait to have you come back and dive with us again!

  • Our underwater graduation ceremonyAidan Gottlieb
  • Alexander Grace
  • Amanda Stratton
  • Andre Simmons
  • Andrew Christian
  • Anna Jacobson
  • Annelise Luyckx
  • Brianna Miller
  • Bridget Gottlieb
  • Cameron Carney
  • Campbell Robinson
  • Carina Wolk
  • Christian Ifi
  • Connor Enright
  • Dorothy Bakkenson-Collins
  • Elizabeth Condon
  • Emma Milteer
  • Ethan Caban
  • Hailey Spreeman
  • Hannah Broom
  • Jack Enright
  • Jack Olson
  • James Phipps
  • Jason Tong
  • Jazmin Rodriguez
  • John Cunniff
  • Jonah Parham
  • Josh Carnett
  • Juliana Triano
  • Katherine Mumm
  • Lazar Zamurovic
  • Lena Teckenbrock
  • Matt Parker
  • Miranda Wolk
  • Morgan Tappero
  • Natalie Nicoletti
  • Rachel Grasso
  • Riley Milteer
  • Samuel “Ty” Matheny
  • Sarah Hilborn
  • Sarah Jacobson
  • Sarina Shah
  • Savannah Stanley
  • Shelby Brown
  • Shivan Shah
  • Soniya Shah
  • Steven Schwartz
  • Tom Olson
  • Taylor Pigg
  • Xander Kraus-Mclean
  • Zachariah Kraus-Mclean
  • Zachary Sittler

 

Hello world!

November 18th, 2009

Hello!

Thanks so much for stopping by the check out our blog. This is a work in progress, but we are very excited to have another way for us to stay in contact with our families throughout the year. Kids Sea Camp just finished our November newsletter which was loaded with tons of information about some of our upcoming events.

One event that we are very excited about is the Special Advanced certification week being offered by Kids Sea Camp and Divetech. This special week will be offered June 12-19, 2010 and will give adults and teens, ages 15 & up, to earn both Nitrox and Rescue diver certifications. The PADI website has a great description of both courses. Be sure to check it out to find out what you will learn.

This is a great opportuniIMG_2591kscfmlyty for divers to advance their skills, either as a family or individually. We have had several requests for a Rescue Diver course from moms and dads, as well as older teens who are excited about diving and keep asking us, “What’s next?”.

There are only 16 spaces available soemail Margo or Tabitha ASAP to find out more. We certainly don’t want you to miss out on such an amazing opportunity.

I also wanted to wish everyone a very HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!! We are so thankful to have met each and every one of you and cannot wait to see you again this coming summer. If you haven’t booked your trip yet for 2010, be sure to act quickly. Space is going fast and you won’t want to miss Kids Sea Camp’s 10 year anniversary! Want to know where we’re going next year? So many great places!

April 3-10, 2010  Turks and Caicos liveaboard adventure. Join KSC and the Aggressor Fleet as we snorkel with Humpback whales! 

June 26-July 3 & July 3-10  Join Kids Sea Camp in Belize at Turneffe Island Resort. Ever dreamedliving on your own private island? This is your chance….

July 10-17 & July 17-24  Cobalt Coast Dive Resort and Divetech in Grand Cayman. Double the fun!!! Ron Rogest art weeks & SeaLife photo weeks. Enjoy tons of diving, art, poetry  and photography for the entire week. Have the chance to win the newest model SeaLife Digital Camera!!!

July 24-31   Kids Sea Camp Eco-Adventure in Costa Rica!!! Join us at El Ocotal Beach resort and go diving, horseback riding, whitewater rafting and MORE!!!

July 31-Aug 7 & Aug 7-14   Buddy Dive Resort in Bonaire. Both weeks are Ron Rogest Art weeks! Great diving and excursions for the entire family to enjoy.

There are so many great choices. Not sure which to choose. Give us a call at 1-800-934-3483 or email us at kids@kidsseacamp.com. We cannot wait to see you this summer!!!

Be sure to leave your comments!!!