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Front Porch
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Submitted By:
Bill K.
Submitter Comments:
This reef extends south of Bari Reef at the site of the former Sunset Beach Resort (now gone). Entry is a bit north of the sandy beach in the picture. 12 degrees 09 min 59.6 sec N, 68 degree 17 min 13.5 sec W.
Directions:
Drive toward the beach on the very rutted dirt road from the northern traffic circle, following the new yellow marker that points to Bari Reef. Enter the water at the sand beach to the left of the sunken pier and tiny yellow cinder-block building at the northern end of the site. You can also get to the southern end of the reef at the Eden Beach Resort and proceed north on the dirt road by the water.
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Diver
Reviews: Click
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12/31/2009 Bill K (Avg: 3.30 Review) - We did this site both during the day and at night this year. Enter at the sandy beach to the left of the sunken pier and yellow building. If you are staying at Sand Dollar or Den Laman, just jump off the BDA dock and swim to the left. Check the current. Either way, be sure to visit the sunken pier before continuing to the left (south). The reef slope is a mix of coral heads and several sand chutes; this site has a large diversity of sponges. We saw the usual mix of fish, with the bonus of a turtle during our day dive. At night, be sure to check out the orange cup corals on the pier and watch for the resident tarpon.
03/16/2009 Kevin Crowe (Avg: 3.00 Review) - Did this as a night dive, and highly recommend it. We entered from the beach, a very simple shore entry. At around 35' found the down line leading to the tugboat that rests upside down in about 95' of water. Inside were 2 very large French Angels and a giant crab. Swimming around the wreck was the biggest snapper I have seen, must have been Cubrera?? Very enjoyable night dive. I heard there is also a sunken sailboat a little farther out in around 45', but heard this after I had dove the area.
12/23/2008 Bill K (Avg: 3.72 Review) - We swam south from the BDA dock between Den Laman and Sand Dollar one day when the current was running from the south. One can also enter via the old road off the traffic circle and then make an easy beach entry. There is rarely any surf. The reef is a bit more open here, with several sand channels. Though coral growth may be a little more sparse than at Bari, there are tons of sponges and feather hydroids in the mid-depth zones. We saw lots of fish, including a queen angel and long snout butterfly fish out on the reef slope. The best part of this site is the sunken old pier that is close to shore as an excellent snorkel site. Our 7-year-old son did this site several times, seeing morays, flounder, christmas tree worms, tons of parrotfish and damsels, and a squid. This part of the site is worth the experience of a snorkel trip.
02/27/2008 Gary A (Avg: 3.83 Review) - We were staying at Den Laman next door, and did this dive late one afternoon as a last minute additional dive. We weren't expecting much, but we were pleasantly surprised. There is a mix of sand and coral, even at depth, rather than the solid coral at other locations, so we saw a variety of sand dwellers (jaw fish), as well as the usual coral inhabitants. Small wreck at about 80-90 feet. Peacock flounder, lizard fish, angels, scorpion, trumpet fish, a long line of fish commuting with the rush hour, squid, and the other usual species.
08/19/2007 Marge Lawson (Avg: 3.86 Review) - The usual entry for someone not staying at Sand Dollar or the Den Laman properties would be to the south of Den Laman. Divi resorts plans to build a huge resort on this property, so access may be more limited in the future. We live at Sand Dollar for 6 to 7 months of the year, and although my favorite dive site is Bari Reef (right in front of Sand Dollar), we occasionally go south from our dock and dive Front Porch. Typically, we will go south at a depth of 40 to 50 feet, then, when the coral makes a dip down onto sand and rubble, we will descend to the small wreck at 95 feet and check to see what is hiding inside. Frequently we'll find a large Green Moray hiding under the wreck near the bow or hiding inside near the stern. A Comb Grouper and a Dog Snapper often hang out inside the wreck and you can often find a Tiger Grouper getting a cleaning near the bow. We've found Yellowhead Jawfish below the wreck, which is interesting because they are usually found much more shallow. Although the sand and coral rubble above the drop off isn't very pretty, I find it extremely interesting. It is great habitat for octopus and frogfish. The broken cement slabs south of the Sand Dollar dock is called the Aquarium for good reason. This small area is filled with fish of all types. You can often find juvenile squid in the shallow area just to the north or south of the Aquarium.
02/06/2007 Steve at IA (Avg: 3.76 Review) - Entry/Exit is easy from the beach or the dock of Eden Beach. Go down to about 85 feet and turn North (right from Eden Beach) and watch for the tugboat. We had strong current to swim into, but it was a great dive. We saw a large sea turtle napping under the Tugboat wreck at 95'.
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Looking North.
Submitted by Bill K
Looking South.
Submitted by Bill K
Sunken pier.
Submitted by Bill K
Diver
Averages for Front Porch (1=worst,
5=best) |
Number of reviews for this site: 6
138-2-2-28
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4.00
3.50
4.17
2.83