Pickle Bank (Caribbean)

Hey all,

I'm thinking about organizing an 'expedition' dive out of Cayman Brac
this fall to "Pickle Bank".

Its around 60 miles out; Long/Lat is:

20 deg 23.469 min N
080 deg 27.108 min W

Which is roughly midway to Cuba.

Information that I've found on it is that it is a (very?) occasional
fishing location for Caymanians. Sounds like most of the trips out
there are primarily to look for the bigger pelagics (wahoo, etc) for a
fishing contest.

Basic report is: "...top of a submerged seamount about three miles
long and one mile wide. The undersea mountain rises up from the ocean
floor 6,000 feet below, ascending to within 72 feet of the surface.
The shallow water environment attracts a multitude of small fish and
reef dwelling life, that in turn attracts the predators in the form
of
shark, barracuda, tuna, dolphin, marlin and wahoo."

General expectation would be for bluewater conditions with currents
likely over a deepwater coral reef. There's been fishermen up there,
but don't know if there's ever been any divers. Thoughts?


-hh

"-hh" <recscuba_google@huntzinger.com> wrote in message
news:1176375878.069449.10890@o5g2000hsb.googlegrou ps.com...
>
> I'm thinking about organizing an 'expedition' dive out of Cayman Brac
> this fall to "Pickle Bank".

Go for it. You're not getting any younger.

On 12 Apr 2007 04:04:38 -0700, "-hh" <recscuba_google@huntzinger.com>
wrote:
> Hey all,
>
> I'm thinking about organizing an 'expedition' dive out of Cayman Brac
> this fall to "Pickle Bank".
>
> Its around 60 miles out; Long/Lat is:
>
> 20 deg 23.469 min N
> 080 deg 27.108 min W
>
> Which is roughly midway to Cuba.

I didn't notice that you said "Cayman Brac" originally and thought
that you were talking about someplace between Florida and Cuba... A
quick look at a map showed that there was an island around there --
Damas Cay... Ooops...

As it turns out, the the coordinates that you gave are approximately
84 nm to the SSW of Cuba... Grand Cayman is approximately 73 nm to the
SSW of the location... Little Cayman is approximately 47 nm to the SSE
of the location... Cayman Brac is approximately 53 nm to the SE of the
location...

Looks like it might have been an island during the last ice age...

-hh wrote:
> Hey all,
>
> I'm thinking about organizing an 'expedition' dive out of Cayman Brac
> this fall to "Pickle Bank".

One of those places out there, don't know if that is it, is part of the
Bahamas and can not be entered without a Bahamian visa. Apparently
erratically enforced, but enforced nevertheless.

esg

Grumman-581 wrote:
> On 12 Apr 2007 04:04:38 -0700, "-hh" <recscuba_google@huntzinger.com>
> wrote:
>
>>Hey all,
>>
>>I'm thinking about organizing an 'expedition' dive out of Cayman Brac
>>this fall to "Pickle Bank".
>>
>>Its around 60 miles out; Long/Lat is:
>>
>>20 deg 23.469 min N
>>080 deg 27.108 min W
>>
>>Which is roughly midway to Cuba.
>
>
> I didn't notice that you said "Cayman Brac" originally and thought
> that you were talking about someplace between Florida and Cuba... A
> quick look at a map showed that there was an island around there --
> Damas Cay... Ooops...
>
> As it turns out, the the coordinates that you gave are approximately
> 84 nm to the SSW of Cuba... Grand Cayman is approximately 73 nm to the
> SSW of the location... Little Cayman is approximately 47 nm to the SSE
> of the location... Cayman Brac is approximately 53 nm to the SE of the
> location...
>
> Looks like it might have been an island during the last ice age...


so much for global warming

On Apr 12, 7:04 am, "-hh" <recscuba_goo...@huntzinger.com> wrote:
> Hey all,
>
> I'm thinking about organizing an 'expedition' dive out of Cayman Brac
> this fall to "Pickle Bank".
>
> Its around 60 miles out; Long/Lat is:
>
> 20 deg 23.469 min N
> 080 deg 27.108 min W
>
> Which is roughly midway to Cuba.
>
> Information that I've found on it is that it is a (very?) occasional
> fishing location for Caymanians. Sounds like most of the trips out
> there are primarily to look for the bigger pelagics (wahoo, etc) for a
> fishing contest.
>
> Basic report is: "...top of a submerged seamount about three miles
> long and one mile wide. The undersea mountain rises up from the ocean
> floor 6,000 feet below, ascending to within 72 feet of the surface.
> The shallow water environment attracts a multitude of small fish and
> reef dwelling life, that in turn attracts the predators in the form
> of
> shark, barracuda, tuna, dolphin, marlin and wahoo."
>
> General expectation would be for bluewater conditions with currents
> likely over a deepwater coral reef. There's been fishermen up there,
> but don't know if there's ever been any divers. Thoughts?
>
> -hh

I have heard of this place..even tried to get their once from Grand
Cayman, but could not find a boat willing to take us there at the
time..

If you guys plan a trip, I would be interested--as long as I can
spearfish...
Dan Volker

"DanVolker" <d...@sfdj.com> wrote:
> "-hh" <recscuba_goo...@huntzinger.com> wrote:
>
> I have heard of this place..even tried to get their once from Grand
> Cayman, but could not find a boat willing to take us there at the
> time..

I got a boat that's willing; just checking out the destination to see
if it would be worth it, and the boat: 50 miles out in a 35ish footer
means checking backup systems, radio, etc.


> If you guys plan a trip, I would be interested--as long as I can
> spearfish...

I think that might be able to be arranged. Afterall, it is a
permitted fishing area and I'm looking for people willing to share
costs of the boat.



-hh

[Oceanpincess]

Its part of The Bahamas? The Bahamas is so far away from The Cayman Islands do they really have that much territory in the region?