Nausea adventurers that we, my wife, Dorothy, and I do it the easy way. We ordered the submarine’s visit, one that brings us to the depths of 140 meters from the western edge of Barbados, during the eight-day southern Caribbean cruise on Carnival Legend.

In the first visit, look through the window of the ship below deck Explorer window, a 70-foot semisubmersible, we joined a chorus of a few dozen other passengers sat back to back, oohing and aahing as the diver swam around the ship while it seems wrapped in a carpet of quivering fish.

Divers, one of the three crew members of St. Martin, used fish and coax the dog food into the arms of scaly creature amazing. Other directing crew, and the third, using a microphone, serving as a lecturer, who describes and outlines of what appeared.

It is part of the 3 1 / 2 hour tours ($ 49 per person) from St. Maarten, the Dutch part of the island, and St. Martin, French side. “We may have different languages and the government,” the tour bus driver explained, “but we are the same person.”

While sliding on the rocks about 10 feet below the surface, black stingray lazy approach. “Not a very mature one,” said a woman professor. This looks like a kite flap is not harmful to the tail. Used as a weapon, though, the coccyx can inflict serious injury. Tropical island, devil ray fish can grow to be 10 – to 14-foot-long monster.

After assessing our mechanical monster, a stingray gracefully turned and retreated to deeper waters and darker. “To the left, 10, see? A sea turtle,” said the enthusiastic lecturer. “Here, here it is.” We hardly see the creature, about the size of beach balls, like floating away.

“Almost everything you see below are still alive: those who fly plants, coral orange, everything,” he continued. “This is a protected area. Small fish make their home and hide from predators on the reefs. If you are diving, never touch the yellow stain that you see on the stones. It’s acidy and can be very painful.”

The last time we saw a colorful angelfish and sergeant major, they are in the aquarium. Now in the midst of their tropical nature, we see the 6-inch-long, yellow-tailed angels and similarly sized departments, with black stripes vertical impressive, foraged for the next meal.

Female angelfish, we learn, may be men when they grow up. After putting their eggs, females usually moved away, leaving his fellow man is more powerful to foster and protect them.

Still curious and perhaps emboldened by semisubmersible experience, we opted for 2 1 / 2 hour tour ($ 95 each) on a real submarine the next day, after arriving in Barbados. This view was promising deep sea 150 meters below the surface.

The captain of this yacht offers little assurance as we approached the submarine a few miles off the coast: “It’s been doing this for 16 years, and we never lost a tourist yet.”

Single file, 48 of us carefully down from the boat and into the cigar-shaped floating white Atlantis submarine. We descended the stairs into the air-conditioned, pressurized interior. We found ourselves on the back-to-back chair in front of the porthole window in the adjacent color chart fish species.

But this time, we were in the hands of two of crew: pilot, faced with large, bubble-shaped windows in front, and a lecturer at the rear wavy accent and a microphone that sounded just a little help. We lost a lot of what was said.

Bubbles by pouring thousands of sub as we descended into. Within minutes, we passed a black, barnacle-encrusted sunken ship is much larger than our 65-foot submarine. Apparently parking in the rock.

Year of death of the ship and the fate of the crew remains a mystery.

At 140 feet, the sea floor like a barren desert. A yellow school by snappers come to a point, like a flock 6-inch blue and other small species of fish, we also have observed from St. Martin. Here and there, we saw brain coral the size of a basketball, and 2-foot barracuda to make a brief appearance.

Sharks, grouper and other large population is not visible, but the flora and fauna that decorate the ocean floor.

Atlantis submarine in Barbados and one semisubmersible at St Martin’s is owned by the same Canadian company, Atlantis Submarines International Inc. Founded by a former designer of submersibles to the oil rigs in the North Sea, the company build and operate a submarine. A fleet of 12 vessels that serve the recreational diving tourists in Hawaii, Grand Cayman, Aruba, Guam, St. Thomas and Cozumel, Mexico.

Contacted at his headquarters in Vancouver, British Columbia, President and CEO Dennis Hurd, Atlantis Submarines, which was launched in 1983 with $ 3 million stitched together from friends and relatives, predicted that the company would have entertained patrons at the end of the 10 millionth this year.

Cayman is now claimed as the world’s fifth-largest financial center, with more than 600 banks. His reputation as a tax paradise attract foreign second home buyers. But U.S. buyers are often motivated by other things the Cayman Islands has become synonymous with: scuba diving, ranked among the best in the world.

There is also broad patch of beach, great restaurants, the pure beauty of nature and sports every description. Added appeal comes from a safe and modern infrastructure.

“It’s close and convenient, just one hour from Miami, with flights from Chicago, New York and other cities,” says broker James Bovell, owner of remax Cayman Islands, which says 70% to 80% of second home buyers is the North american . “We speak English. It’s friendly and safe.”

The island also offers a variety. With a population of about 50,000, the main island, Grand Cayman, home of five star hotels, restaurants, shops and other facilities. In comparison, middle Cayman Brac is home to less than 2,000 people and has a small town feel. Little Cayman just a little more than 100 permanent residents.

Most second home buyers choose 7-Mile Beach, which stretches on the west side of Grand Cayman from the capital, Georgetown, to the West Bay at the northern end. Condos and big resorts here, including the development of the Dragon Bay, the Ritz-Carlton hotel and three residential communities (dragonbaycayman.com). Camana Bay nearby is even bigger, the other major resort development that only the opening (camanabay.com).

A look at three environmental Cayman Islands

7-Mile Beach: This seaside corridor is “a clear choice over,” says broker James Bovell. “The most beach condos, with major projects in the new country.” This is also in the top three markets with the community, Residences at the Ritz-Carlton (from $ 2.9 million); House Deck, 19 houses, each on a man-made private island (from $ 3.5 million); and Secret ports, with 125 apartments (from $ 650,000). Elsewhere, Bovell said, “You can go down to $ 350,000 – $ 400,000 for two bedroom condos.”

Cayman Kai: At the end of the peninsula in the north-central coast, this planned community of single-family homes Grand Cayman is the second most popular place, developed over 30 years. “That’s where everybody used to go on the weekend to get away from Georgetown,” Bovell said. Houses range from less than $ 1 million to around U.S. $ 5 million.

Little Cayman and Cayman Brac: Both foreigners and residents of Grand Cayman to buy a holiday home in the two islands are famous for diving. “The diving at Little Cayman extraordinary,” said Bovell. “It’s like a step back in time.” Cayman Brac is a larger community, but most people know other people. This is hillier, with high cliffs and lack of beaches. Both islands have many homes, there are some condos. Little Cayman offers two-bedroom properties from $ 400,000 to 500,000, while the cost of Cayman Brac house a little less.