Cliff Sharker Turtle and Wreck Tours

16/08/2024

Update on the situation with the turtles in Carlisle Bay:

Baited up the turtle site with 50 pounds of fish scraps . This is the second day I have the turtles eating fish .

Lots of tarpon. Turtles are coming back as well now that they are eating fish, since there is little seagrass for them to eat. Hopefully the stingrays will return on a regular basis .

Will go out tomorrow although I am not doing a tour to see if I can get the turtles that are now eating fish to eat from our hands so that they can spend more time on top of the water .

Things looking good .

See you out there !

14/08/2024

Update on the turtle situation in Carlisle Bay:

I have not done any tours in almost two weeks because the turtles have been hard to find since Hurricane Beryl past south of Barbados. I don't take you out there and then give you mother nature excuses.

Since Hurricane Beryl, every couple of days I have snorkeled the bay myself and rarely seen a single turtle .

A lot changed on my last tour, which I took with expectations of possibly seeing one turtle if I put in a lot of effort .

I filled up my my bait bag and sank it to the bottom on the sand . I noticed two turtles hanging around the bait bag which is unusual . They started to eat the fish from the bait bag. This was probably the first time these turtles were eating fish at the turtle site . They stuck around for a long time . We saw about 6-8 different turtles . It was a really good day.

This is a good sign. If other boats would resume bringing fish for the turtles, stingrays, and tarpon we would have more to show tourists paying to go on our tours rather than simply giving them the mother nature excuse.

I am the only person who brings a bait bag to the turtle site to attract the stingrays and tarpon.

Within 15 minutes of putting down my bait bag I normally have stingrays and tarpon . Once you do this, stingrays will show up almost every day.

I will continue baiting up the turtle site to show you more sea life than any other tour boat will show you in Carlisle Bay . Effort, effort , effort .

My reputation as the best snorkeling tour will always come first .

So, reach out to me and I will tell you straight up what to expect on your turtle tour .

See you out there,
Charles

01/08/2024

Some photos from yesterday 🤙🏾

30/07/2024

So yesterday on my day off I snorkeled at the turtle site and up to the Hilton looking for turtles .

I saw two turtles off of Pebbles and one at our regular turtle site . Turtles were just not there . This has been the trend since the storm .

Today everything changed ! Both my turtles for photos were there and many other turtles . One has been completely lethargic since the storm , the other turtle was awesome . Only problem is that it has a hook right through its mouth and it is trailing about 8 feet of fishing line . Will try to fix that up tomorrow .

I have had few bookings since putting up my updates about the turtle experience being not so good .

Today was perfect , plenty of turtles, stingrays on top of the water , my guests diving down and feeding the stingrays , tarpon , super visibility , great guests .

Hope this trend continues.

Best,
Charles

27/07/2024

Update on turtle sightings for my upcoming tours :

Today was terrible . Took me over 1 1/2 hours to find one little turtle . Have not had a tour like this in years . There is simply no seagrass for the turtles to eat , so why should they stick around .

Had two stingrays in which I was able to have one on the top often for my guests to see up close.

Anyone who is booked on an upcoming tour, can contact me to know what you can expect on a tour.

If the tour is similar to today's tour the price will be reduced to $65 US per person.
You will still get underwater photos , free dive instruction (optional), and me spending more time looking for turtles than any other tour boat .

Hope things get better .

Charles

26/07/2024

Hard to find the turtle that stays on top since the storm . Hard to see any turtles even on the bottom , period . The seagrass that they eat is just not there .
Takes a lot of time and effort to make it happen . Not bad considering other tour boats are not even bothering stopping at the turtle site to look for turtles .

23/07/2024

Update : One turtle came back today

21/07/2024

On my second to last tour I had a stingray follow me up to the top of the water from a 53 foot free dive . I did not know it did until I saw it on top of the water .

Today we had this remora stay with us at the turtle site and follow us out to the shipwrecks and stay with us . It was close to 3 feet long . What a treat . We probably had it for about 45 minutes.

Today we saw probably about 6 turtles although none of them stayed with us on top of the water . Pretty good considering some tour boats are not even bothering visiting the turtle site .

We also had the sting ray on top of the water .

Always trying my best to give you the best possible snorkel tour .

20/07/2024

One turtle has returned for photos today ! Have not seen her since the storm . We both did a double take.
What a treat .

14/07/2024

I hear that there are some turtles on the west coast that I may be able to use for photos .

This would be too far for my boat . Only way I could do this would be to swim you off of the beach . All turtle sites are right off of the beach . I would have an inflatable tube that could be used for a rest stop . I did this a few years ago when our turtles in Carlisle Bay disappeared . I think this was right after Hurricane Maria .

This tour would be for those who really really have been looking forward to turtle photos .

I will be going this week to check it out .

At this moment, in Carlisle Bay , we have turtles that mostly stay on the bottom, tarpon, and a stingray or two .

What do you guys think ??

08/07/2024

Update on my upcoming turtle photo tours !

Since the storm, there has been some changes regarding two specific turtles I use for photos . One turtle has changed location . I was able to find it but it is quite lethargic . On that particular day it was challenging to use it for photos .

I have not found the second turtle that I use sometimes for photos .

There are quite a few other turtles to be seen in 10-15 feet of water that will come up to breathe about every 5-10 minutes .

Unlike other tours I cover a lot of ground looking for the turtles . This means that I swim a large area looking for turtles. I am able to do this as I only take on a small group, I teach you how to snorkel properly with flippers , and if needed you wear flotation. This allows me to swim around and search a large area for the turtles and other sealife . At this time my boat is always close to you should you want to relax while I search for turtles .

For my $120 US turtle photo tour, if I am not able to get turtle photos, the tour will cost $80 US per person . You will still get photos on the shipwrecks .

That is the worst case scenario .

I know you have been looking forward to photos with yourself and the turtles . That is probably the main reason you chose my tour .

What do you get from my tour should I not be able to get photos of you with the turtles ?

You will still see turtles but they are unlikely to stay in your face for photos .

You get individual snorkeling instruction . I take your snorkeling ability to the next level .

You get a better chance to see as many turtles as possible as I snorkel a large area looking for turtles . There is absolutely no comparison to the amount of area I cover looking for turtles compared to any other tour boat .

I bring a lot of bait to attract other sea life unlike other tours that just bring a small bag of bait if any bait .

You get a maximum of 6 people on my tours .

If you choose the $120 US tour and I am not able to get turtle photos you basically get a semi private tour if you are two people, or a private tour tour just for $80 US a person. This an entirely different experience than being on a tour with 8 or more people .

You get basic free diving instruction .

You are on a tour that has a perfect safety record .

I went looking for old bottles after the storm yesterday and was way out in the ocean with racehorses being exercised and it was quite an experience. These horses were not from the much publicized beach where people go to view the horses being exercised . It gave me some ideas . I was the first to include as part of my tour to have my people swimming with racehorses in Barbados .

Always trying to think of something unique to offer my guests .

I will update you once the turtles for photos become more cooperative.

Best,
Charles

29/06/2024

Hurricane Beryl !!!

For my guests staying at an Airbnb, that are already on the island , you will need to prepare for the hurricane that is forecasted to hit Barbados early Monday morning. For my hotel guests , you should be fine .

-You will need to stock up on some food . Get to the supermarket tomorrow before it opens as the lines will get ridiculously long . Get drinking water, canned food, candles, lighters, and plenty of snacks .

- You will need to store some water for drinking and bathing should the water go off. You can use any containers, empty pep bottles, cooking pots , etc .

-keep your phone fully charged. Charge up anything that can double as a power bank to charge your phone such as a Bluetooth speaker .

-Stay in your home . A section of galvanized sheet from a roof, backyard, shed, etc that gets airborne can be extremely dangerous .

You can reach me anytime at 1-246-259-6906 on WhatsApp or by regular phone call for any advice or tips you may need .

See you out there once things settle down .

Stay safe ,
Charles

28/06/2024

For my upcoming tours on July 2nd, 3rd and 4th

We are going to have to watch this weather system approaching Barbados which could possibly start from Sunday night.

The visibility should be affected if the forecast is correct .

I may be able to reschedule some tours .

Feel free to get a hold of me from after 5 PM today .

Sorry for any inconvenience.

Best,
Charles

26/06/2024

Some of yesterday's photos !

25/06/2024

Stress today .

Turtle did not show up for photos today . Rarely happens .

21/06/2024

Hey guys,

I have a new tour out from tomorrow .

It is basically the $120 US tour but as a private tour for one couple .

The tour costs $340 US for only one couple .

See you out there ,

Charles

19/06/2024

Some of yesterday's photos !!!

13/06/2024

Some of 184 photos from today . Started with terrible visibility .

Orders were to pose with the stingray not knowing you had once got stung by one . Oh well....nice photo .

13/06/2024

Some photos from 2-3 days ago ....not the best visibility

07/06/2024

In today's terrible visibility

06/06/2024

Visibility in Carlisle Bay.....could not be worse .

Can those on my upcoming tours make contact with me in case we have to reschedule . You will be given priority over new bookings .

Thank you !

29/05/2024

Have space for 4 more people on my $75 US tour on Thursday .

On this tour YOU feed the turtle.

www.cliffsharker.com for details.

You can Whatsapp me on 1-246-259-6906

See you out there !

Cliff Sharker guarantees turtles, no crowds, starting at $35 US. Individual instruction, non swimmers welcome.

28/05/2024

Terrible visibility but ....

28/05/2024

OMG......terrible visibility today !

27/05/2024

Messed up on my booking.

Have room for two on tomorrow's $120 US tour . Starts at 7 AM .

27/05/2024

Hey Guys,

I need your opinion please .

You know my photo tours can be very demanding on you. They are far from randomly taken photos .

It is getting increasingly difficult to get photos of my guests with the turtles .

Instead of photos , I could take several 20-30 second videos of you with the turtles . You could be feeding the turtles as well .

These videos would be good for Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tok, etc

This would be way less demanding on you and to me, a much more enjoyable tour .

Your feedback would be much appreciated .

Best,
Charles

19/05/2024

Some of today's photos !

18/05/2024

Some of today's photos

17/05/2024

Some photos from yesterday's private tour. I get the best people .

14/05/2024

Some photos from today .
Awesome guests, as usual and nice pics with super visibility .