2025 ST MAARTEN LAND VACATION

DAY 3: WE'RE GOING DIVING TODAY!

I woke up super excited this morning because...we are finally going diving today! So a little back history about picking this particular dive shop. I had reached out to multiple places in SXM prior to coming. A lot of them said they do not dive at the sculptures because it's not deep and it's considered a "snorkeling place". However I did find a few that said they would. One of them, when it came time, said they lost their dive master and couldn't do it and the other claimed they were the only one's "allowed" to dive there. I had another company, despite what the previous said about being the only one allowed to dive there, said they would but then the prices were absolutely crazy. They pretty much wanted my first born and well, since he's not on this trip with us, they're not getting him. So, we went with Mr "Only we can dive there" and that's what we're doing today. I really didn't care HOW I got there just that I got there at this point. I mean that was the entire purpose of picking St Maarten to begin with. I was about to accomplish my goals! Now this dive shop said he only takes Discover Scuba Divers out in the afternoons and since we had 2 of them still, we were going to go later today.

Rise and shine! I was bouncing around the place, all happy go lucky, and packing for the day and you could not bring my spirit down! I obviously knew this was going to be a good dive because there were signs...

Today I made egg bagels for breakfast and since we had 4 hours until diving I didn't want to waste the day away and suggested we go out to our own beach and do a little bit of snorkeling this morning. I mean we hadn't explored this yet so why not make it a full fish day?

The kids were in agreeance and we gathered our equipment and headed down.

The hubby decided to stay on the beach and me and the kids headed out. I had the GoPro and my camera in tow. Sakari and I got to try out our new fins we purchased for diving. We started out in the little cove next to us and went along the rocks. Sakari spotted a dead lobster and dove down to get it.

Along the walls were rocks with plenty of little fish.

French Angelfish:

About that time I decided to take a video of the French Angelfish and I noticed something. Something devastating...my GoPro battery door was OPEN! There was no battery in it or anything and it was FLOODED. My heart sank. I panicked. Oh my gosh! What am I supposed to do now? We are diving later and I HAVE to have my GoPro for my videos!!! I immediately swam back to the hubby to report. I don't know what I expected him to do but he's my go-to when something goes wrong and he always makes things better in some way. But, there was no fixing things this time around. The entire camera was flooded. You could see it in the screens. I was devastated!!!!

Well, not much can be done now. I decided to head back out and catch up with the kids to let them know what had happened since I left in such a hurry. When I caught up with them they had made it out to the end of the rocks and was getting ready to head over to the other side. Karl says "I seen a stingray" then pointed in the area. Sakari hadn't seen it but now I was going to be on the look out.

Then I spotted it!!!!!!!!!!!! I wasn't just a "stingray" it was a SPOTTED EAGLE RAY!! WOW! I started screaming for the kids and they swam over. It was so beautiful. You don't see these very often and we have only seen them out in the ocean when diving and not up close. It's a treat when you get to spot one and this one was right here near shore!

Ok, I may have lost my GoPro on this snorkeling adventure but at least this made me smile again!

Squirrel Fish:

About this time I had another failure...my battery in the camera dies. UGH! I'm just not having much luck today. Once again, I swim back to the shore and check my bag only to find that I did not bring my container with all my batteries. Ok, I have decisions to make. Do I take the time to go all the way back up to the room to grab another or just keep snorkeling without a camera? It wasn't a hard decision for me because anyone that knows me knows I do not go ANYWHERE without a camera. It would be my luck that we'd find something interesting and I'd miss out on the picture. So, I'm taking myself back up the too-hot-for-comfort elevator, back down the long hallway to our room and grabbing more batteries and off I went.

I came back to see that the kids were still out in the same area and I met up with them. Ok, back to your regular scheduled snorkeling program...

Blue Surgeon:

Yellow Tang Surgeon Fish (these are not as commonly seen):

We spotted some rather large Feather Dusters (which are really worms):

Sakari likes to get close to them because when you do, they immediately pull themselves in as a defense. Well, when she did this, she noticed something beside it.

There was an Arrow Crab next to it. She came up and grabbed the camera because she is the pro at diving down and STAYING down long enough to take a picture. I just float right back up to the surface when I try and can't stay down long enough.

We spotted another French Angelfish:

Still heading around the corner along the rocks and under one of them was a Queen Angelfish. They are so pretty!

Sakari likes to practice ring bubbles, something she learned in dive class back when she was 8 years old.

Corkscrew Anemone:

Another Arrow Crab:

Then we spotted a pretty large Lobster. It's probably one of the biggest one's we've seen before. They are so curious and if you can get close enough to them, they will reach out with their antenna's and try to touch you.

I'm so glad I went back to get more batteries. See all the things I would have missed out on if I hadn't. I made the right call.

Sea Grapes:

A Yellow Snapper:

Lizard Fish hanging out below the rocks. It almost looked like a snake head:

A small Barracuda was over in the shallow entrance:

On our way in we seen a row of Caribbean Squid. Now normally if you come anywhere near them they "flutter" off. But we had one that was quite curious and swam right up to me. We see these a lot and this has never happened. Sakari was shocked at how close it was getting to me. They are so odd looking but yet cute.

We found a shell that still had the upper and lower part attached to it, which is unusual, and then Sakari grabbed a sea grape and put in it like it was a pearl or something and showed Karl and daddy. Karl of course looked on wanting to know what kind of sea creature it was. 🤣 He's so gullible. By the time I was able to take a picture of it, the sea grape had collapsed darnit. It doesn't give the full effect.

One of the locals looking for a handout:

It was time to head back up to our room and change into dry bathing suits. I was still very bummed about my GoPro so I immediately started searching online to see if there might be a camera shop on the island close by that maybe I could just purchase another. Several places I looked up wasn't exactly what I was looking for but then I ran across a place right down the road from us. I tried to call them using our "house phone" and it wouldn't dial. I was getting frustrated. I called the front desk who told me they would have to place the call for me. The place didn't answer. Hmmm, what else can I do instead of continuously calling the front desk for every place I looked up. I decided to try to use the WhatsApp to make a call....and it worked! They eventually answered and told me they did have a GoPro Hero 13, which is the newest model for the price of $500 and "It is a kit". Well, by kit they just meant it came with small case, the batteries and charger. But, what can I do at this point? I NEED a GoPro for diving.

We headed down the road a short distance and located the store, went in and over paid for the GoPro I just had to have and out we went. We headed over on the other side of the marina a short distance to find the dive shop. I was given an address but the location was pretty vague because when we got over there, it seemed to be a dead end road with a bunch of buildings, none of which said the dive shop.

We decided to just park on the street, which was WAY down the street where we could find a place, and just walk back between the gates. Once back there, it was hard to find anyone that spoke English and they really didn't understand what I was asking for. I did see several doors open with scuba tanks in them, but none with the dive shops name on them. Several people said they had never heard of the dive shop and seemed confused.

We headed back down the long road and it was smoldering hot out and quite the hike. I'm glad we decided to head on over here early otherwise, I don't know if we would have made it on time.

Ok, so we walked down the road that we had parked on, which led straight into the boat dock/ocean. We had already tried this once and this place appeared to either be an apartment or hotel. The doors were locked the first time around. This time we seen someone standing by a locked gate that led out to the boat dock area. Whew! He let us in and it happened to be our dive instructor. Thank goodness because I would have had to drive all the way back to the resort in order to get service to call him to say we couldn't find the place.

Out on the dock were some really cool looking Bugatti boat cars. How cool are these????

We went into the scuba shop, which is a room located in this ?hotel? I'm not sure what it was but there was no one around and it was old and for some reason reminded me of places in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico. They gave a short class to those Non-certified divers over there (the hubby and Karl), had them fill out paperwork and take their test.

I got busy putting my new GoPro together only to find that the lady at the store that sold me it lied and said they take the same batteries as my GoPro Hero 10. NOT! They are a totally different shape and all. (She refused to let me open the box to check while we were in the store). So, that meant that now I would have batteries that are probably only half charged and would die during our 2 dives today. 😡 Also, I would find out when I put my sd card in it, it wanted me to format and sign up for GoPro Quik to register and it wouldn't let me do anything else with it. I tried getting on the dive shops wifi and it said it would take HOURS to do all this. My internal light was dimming, I was getting agitated, I was heartbroken and every other emotion that you can think of at that time. 😭

Since we only have wifi while at the resort, I did not receive any messages from the dive instructor prior to leaving (after telling him about what happened to my GoPro and telling him I'm trying to find/buy another before we get there). He says "Did you see my last text to you?" I looked and he had said that he had plenty of GoPro's and I could use one of his no worries. He said he has about 10 of them because they all take them and set them up when they dive with the sharks to capture every angle. WHEW! My happy place was coming back in my heart. He said he lived right around the corner and we'd just make a pit stop with the boat and picked it up.

Once my heart went back to a regular rhythm and the color in my skin returned, we headed outside to gear up with our weights and equipment needed then onto the boat we went.

So we stopped by to grab his GoPro and of course what do I do but leave my sd card in our bag back at his shop...which meant I didn't have a sd card. Oh Em Gee! Could life get any harder at this point. Thank goodness he had one of those too! He was busy checking out the functions of his GoPro while we were on our way to the first dive site. (He had my dive filter on it during this picture lol)

We headed out of the marina and under the bridge right by our resort and had to snap a picture.

There's not a prettier picture than seeing all the dive tanks lined up and waiting on us. I was getting so excited!

We had made it to our first stop THE SCULPTURE PARK!!!!! We pulled up and there was absolutely no one there! Like not one person, snorkeler or boat! We were going to have the entire place to ourselves! Now I'm really excited.

The area is roped off so that you know where everything is within the park. No boats can go in there and we "parked" right at the "entrance". We were given instructions about where we were going to get in, swim around the statues, and what to do after that. I had mentioned I also wanted to see the sunken things in the area as well. This was close but yet a little ways away. I had read they had a sunken helicopter and other things in the area and would love to see them. So, the plan was the statues and as long as we (and by we I mean those pesky Discover Scuba Divers) were doing good (I mean the hubby has done 26 Discover Dives and I think Karl has done 4 or 5 so far) then we would continue our dive by swimming over to where the sunken treasures were located. Daniel gave our instructor instructions to put our dive flag up once we were over there to signal that we had made it and he would drive the boat over to pick us up when we came up.

Now those that have been to St Maarten in the past might remember doing excursions with the Tiki Hut Snorkeling Park, which is a floating catamaran platform that floats around in the area around Little Bay, and they serve drinks and have an open area that resembles a pool to "teach" people to snorkel and then they can snorkel the area on their own.

Here's a few pictures to show you what it looked like (NOT MY PICTURES-they belonged to management)

Just a little back history on the Tiki Hut. It was around for years (since 2005) and everyone knew about it. Then Hurricane Irma destroyed it and took part of it away on September 6, 2017. They were left with a couple of platforms and the pool. It was a category 5 hurricane with 185mph winds reported. The island was devastated and we went for a visit 7 months later and it still looked like it had just hit. It was so sad. (Again, not my pictures)

It took several years for them to buy another sunken barge and rebuild it (2020). However, I don't find anything relating to it after a few short years later (maybe 2022?). They do have a SeaTrek there now and I'm wondering if they took over the Tiki Hut instead. There is something out there on the water. After more research I would discover that a place called Rainforest Adventures took over the SeaTrek in November 2024. (More on Rainforest Adventures later in the review).

Ok, so on with the review...I just like to give any additional information on places we go and sometimes I get a little carried away. 😁

As we started to gear up us "now professional divers" (ah hem, Sakari and I) were told "You guys go ahead and get in and we will get the others ready". It felt so weird that we just suited up and went in on our own and waited for the others. Such a different feeling. Well you didn't have to tell me twice and in I went. Next up was Sakari in her fresh new wet suit we bought back home. She looks so cute in it. (Notice the guys aren't even ready lol)

Once all of us were in and ready to dive, off we went. Daniel was staying on the boat and we had another girl with us as the dive instructor. She would NOT allow the hubby to have a camera or the GoPro with him on "the first dive" to make sure he was "concentrating and doing good on the dive". If he did, then he would be able to take it on the second dive. 🙄😳 We have never been told that we can't take our camera's or GoPro. I found this very odd seeing how she was well aware that he's already done this 26 times! If I wasn't certified at this dive and she told me that, I would have completely cancelled the dive. I'm not going anywhere without my camera's. So that meant I would just take the camera (since we are down one after the other camera took a crap last vacation) and Sakari agreed to take the GoPro this time.

Now I'm going to bombard you with pictures of the Under SXM sculpture park. It was absolutely AMAZING down there and so much to see. It was just what I had hoped for. I will try to give any history/information on anything as I go along...because you know that's how I am.

The underwater sculpture park cost $1.2 million to create and opened in December of 2023. It was developed by a UK-based company named Deep Blue Sea. It is located in around 20ft (6m) of water. Here are some pictures of the sculptures when they were created: (not my pictures)

They captured a picture of real life locals standing next to their sculpture:

Now on to our pictures.

The Taino Tribe: The First Settlers on St Maarten features over 100 figurative sculptures portraying the Taino people's history, art and beauty. The Taino were an Arawak-speaking tribe from South America.

Sakari was busy off getting footage for me with the GoPro and winding her way around all the sculptures. I was really hoping for the best because when she had the GoPro when we were back home in the quarry getting certified...let's just say I ended up with a lot of footage of the GoPro turned on and dangling from her arm upside down. 🤷‍♀️

So far so good with the GoPro. I have to say I like the way the pictures turned out.

Guardians of the Ocean: The line of warriors stand as guardians of the Taino family. They symbolize the protection, loyalty, and the deep-rooted importance of family to the people of St Maarten. They reflect the island's strong cultural ties, where family is at the heart of the community, and locals take pride in their heritage, embracing a spirit of love, respect and unity.

Oysters all over this sculpture:

Unity: Two Cultures, One Island. The fabled story of how the Dutch and French drew the borders of St Martin/Sint Maarten tells of a Dutch and French explorer standing back to back before setting off along the coast in opposite direction. The Frenchman, drinking wine, covered more ground than the Dutchman, who drank gin and when they finally met again, the borders were set-giving France the larger share of the island.

Ponum: Honoring the Emancipation of St Maarten. Ponum was conceived to honor the emancipation of the island's people, symbolizing a pivotal moment in the island's history. Inspired by the petals of St Maarten's iconic Flamboyance Tree, the dancers sway and shuffle to the beat of the drummers, with each configuration capturing expressions of exuberance, relief and hope.

Carnival: Celebrating the vibrancy of the people: The Carnival scene is a vibrant celebration of joy, unity, and cultural expression celebrated in St Maarten. These sculptures bring to life the dynamic spirit of the Carnival, an event renowned for its exuberant parades, pulsating music and captivating dance: featuring some of the island's very own musical master, such as King Beau Beau, DJ Outkast and King James.

We spotted a Trunkfish hanging out with these girls. I guess it liked the view.

Then a Filefish was also there:

So about this time...my camera battery dies. Are you fricken kidding me? Just my luck. I was having the best time capturing these sculptures and it says dead battery. UGH! I just can't win today! However...for the rest of this dive, I would wait a few minutes and then try to turn it back on and it would work long enough for me to get a few pictures and then it would turn off again. But, at least I was getting some. That just meant I would have to hang out in the area a little longer than I normally would in order to wait for it to come back on.

Well Karl is having a good time!

Sakari, what are you doing all the way up there? Get down here and take more video's.

There were a lot of fish hanging out in this area. I guess those boxes became their condominium.

Home of the Blackbar Soldierfish:

We looked up and there were a whole school of Needlefish above us. They were just everywhere.

Time for a selfie and awww, Karl kissed her hand:

The Fallen Wall: Facing challenges and rebuilding together. The island's history has been marked by events that have tested the resolve of it's people time and time again. Yet, in the face of these challenges, the island has emerged stronger, demonstrating its capacity to rebuild and adapt. At the heart of the gallery is a fallen wall featuring the work of renown street artist Lilly Hinckfoot, surrounded by sculptures of thirty different nationalities. With the islands diverse communities working together in a restorative even to rebuild, this is a beautiful illustration of the cultural diversity and social cohesion that defines St Maarten.

There was an anemone underneath this sculpture

Sakari went in close since once again, my camera died. She was able to capture a good picture of another Arrow Crab by the anemone.

Behind this was a sculpture of someone that looked like they were trying to push the wall up.

Well, we were at the end of the sculpture park. It was amazing and everything I had hoped for and more. The only gripe I would have is the area that we went in, they said it was the "entrance" however, I felt like it needed to be at the other end because all the sculptures were facing the other direction. So, you got pictures of the backs of them or you had to swim past them and then turn around.

The dive instructor checked our air and we were good to go on to the helicopter wreck. Thank goodness. Karl has a habit of heavy fast breathing and continues to try to work on his breathing skills and not using so much air. We usually complete a dive and will have between 1000-1500 average left in our tanks. He will have around 500. LOL

I have to say with this dive, I felt a lot more confident in my skills and my buoyancy was ON POINT! I could stop anywhere to take a picture and just hover. I was so proud of myself. I also did pretty good at the frog kick if I say so myself.

I thought the ocean floor looked really weird in places. They were like little mounds of sand. I wonder what's living under there. Crabs?

We were going over mounds of rocks and started seeing a little bit of coral along the way (something we were definitely missing this dive).

Everyone was ahead of me and heading toward the helicopter and something on one of the rocks caught my eye. I motioned Sakari over since she was the closest to me. It was a green starfish!

Then we found a stingray.

Karl was practicing his scuba skills and keeping his hands under him at this point. He said he felt real comfortable this dive and felt like he did better than before.

Aww blowing kisses:

I'm not sure what this is, the remains of...a boat?

A Lionfish. The one and only one we would see this time.

More Bluestriped Grunts:

French Angelfish:

Then we came to this area and I immediately knew what it was....SEATREK!!! We were actually going to be diving around the SeaTrek walk! How cool is that?!? Once again there was NO ONE THERE! Even cooler!

Anyone wanna go shopping? This time I'll make sure to go to the right grocery store. Today's special is ....FRESH FISH!

We've never got to actually float above the SeaTrek walkway. This is so cool. We can explore all the area's you normally can't go into.

A canon:

There was a Trumpetfish hanging out under the canon.

Then we spotted the helicopter. Sakari was in complete shock and said she didn't know what to expect but an entire helicopter??? Yep, that's what it was! We were off to explore it.

As we looked inside the helicopter, we found a really huge Puffer fish coming out.

The helicopter really was neat. I'm glad we got to see it but there was a whole lot more still to see.

Next along the path we would see something that looked like the Neptune God.

Hiding behind him would be a stingray. We see you back there!

The hubby decided he didn't want to scuba anymore and would walk the path of the SeaTrek:

Un un un ☝️You are not allowed to walk on the path. That is for the people with the big heads of air, not the scuba divers. I put him in jail for being naughty.

This looks like it might have been a plane?

Then we noticed something else really big...a submarine!! Sakari was super excited now. When we were done she couldn't stop talking about the submarine.

This was definitely the home to a lot of fishies! I bet they are the fish they feed during the SeaTrek walk and they all come out for pictures.

A really big Stingray. man they were everywhere. Our dive instructor said there usually isn't many stingrays in this area but maybe they were there because none of the SeaTrek people were down there.

Another Trumpetfish:

Well we had seen everything and it was time to go up. We were told before we went into the water that even though we were not going to be deep, we were going to practice a 3 minute safety stop on the way up. So up we went and stopped. Of course I'm taking pictures of down below still...that is when I could get my camera to come back on. 🙄

Then it was time to go all the way up. We would notice that there were tons of Ballyhoo Fish circling us. It was so cool to watch and there were so many of them!

Once we made it to the surface it was a lot easier to get pictures of them.

And here is the "new" floating hut instead of the Tiki Hut.

Ok, this review has gotten really long on this page and when this happens it starts to lag. I'm going to finish out the next dive and the rest of the day on the next page.