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Kids Sea Camp
By Melissa Guarino,
Age 13
If you could pick anywhere in the world to go where would you choose?
I would pick any of the locations where a Kids Sea Camp is happening!
I have met some pretty amazing people and they are now my really good friends. I have been to at least one Kids Sea Camp every summer at a variety of islands including Fiji, Curacao, Grand Cayman, Bonaire and Roatan. I was at the very first Kids Sea Camp and I will be at the very last one too!
During the school year when you are doing your homework, do you stop and daydream about where you would rather be? I think about how much I can’t wait until the summer to scuba dive and see my friends. Last year in Fiji, I got the opportunity to dive with sharks. My friends and I were terrified but we lived through it and it was an amazing experience.
In Curacao and Roatan Kids Sea Camp, we swa m with dolphins and they kiss you on the cheek. Photographers are there to take your picture and they are available and we use it as a Christmas card.
In Grand Cayman I did the most fun thing I have ever done while diving; I used an underwater scooter and rode around while looking at marine life. I also dove with stingrays and lots of turtles.
Have you ever been to a Donkey Farm? I visited one during the KSC in Bonaire. They are really cute once you see them up close and pet them. The flamingos on Bonaire are really cool too, but the best is the parrot fish and angel fish you can hang with just off shore.
Through the camps I have gotten my PADI Jr. Open Water certification, as well as certifications in Photography, Adventure, and Fish Identification.
Kids Sea Camp is the most fun camp that I have ever gone to in my entire life. I would recommend it to anyone ages 4 -16 and guarantee that you will have the time of your life!
Sea Camp allowed us as parents to enjoy
great morning dives each day knowing that the kids were well attended
to.
Upon return to the hotel each day after diving around lunch time, the
kids were so consumed with the content of their programming, they barely
recognized our return!
The afternoon allowed us to get out and enjoy some more activities, before
returning to get the kids at the end of their afternoon sessions. As if
the scheduled kids activities weren't enough, it wasn't uncommon for the
instructors and counselors to continue to interact with the kids well
beyond the end of scheduled times, and quite often into the evening as
well!
Perhaps most rewarding was that by the end of the week we got to experience
the wonders of the oceans with our newly certified Seal Team members together
as family.
To quote the kids - 'that was the most awesome vacation we've ever had!"
Indeed it was!
Mike Jones & Natalie Kunkel (Ian
and Morgan Jones, age 8 & 10) Grand Cayman 2004
We have taken our son James with us
on every dive trip we've taken, sometimes with and sometimes without babysitters,
and it's usually worked out for us. But when we learned about Kids Sea
Camp, we knew it was exactly what we were looking for all along. So much
so, in fact, that we began to wonder, "could it really be as good
as they say?" Well, it was better than advertised! The kids were
kept so busy with so many wonderful activities that the days just flew
by! Animal encounters, ocean art, stories, snorkeling, SASY, etc, etc!
And best of all, there were enough responsible and professional instructors
that each child got all the individual care that they needed. Friends
were made instantly among both kids and parents. The families had many
opportunities to gather for beach cookouts and the kids even had their
own movie and pizza night. And yes, there is plenty to do for non divers!
Do yourself and your kids a real favor
and attend a Kids Sea Camp destination in 2005!
Tim & Jill Kolakowski (
James age 7) Curacao 2004
My
Thoughts as a Mom on Seacamp!
I had been debating on whether to put
down my deposit for the 2005 Kidsseacamp in Cuarcao. We couldn't
decide whether we wanted to try a new location or take a year off. But
after speaking with Emily at Caribbean Adventures/formerly of Kiddseacamp,
and found out what a special alumini week they had planned for us "oldtimers"
how could I not put in our reservations!
We had such a wonderful time at Curacao last year, we had learned
from our first year that one week was not enough and we signed up for
a two week stay. We enrolled our daughter, Corley, in the Dolphin
Training Program the first week. It was such an incredible experience
watching as she put "her" dolphin, Teresa, thru her paces.
The way those beautiful animals interact with people is so amazing.
I highly recommend any family going to camp, take time to have their own
dolphin swim. My swim will always be a treasured memory. Our
second week of camp was the diving week. Corley began her junior
openwater certification. Getting to dive with her on the final day
on the Tugboat dive was such a thrill, seeing how she had learned to operate
her equipment, and be a responsible diver made me realize what a wonderful
teaching crew they have from Ocean Encounters. All these experiences
and so many more from taking a daytrip to Klein Curacao, diving the Mushroom
Forest, meeting new friends and renewing friendships made the year
before, and of course golfing with Nolo makes it easy to come back.
On another note, it's amazing what a small world we live in. Part
of our vacation plans were to bring my older daughter, Sara along with
us. She was certified 6 months before she was sent overseas to do
a tour in Afghanistan and then Iraq, and she had never gotton to
dive in the ocean yet. While we were waiting for her to arrive,
my husband. Jon, overheard a diver talking about her dive buddy who was
a paratrooper. Sara is a paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne Division,
and of course it made me curious. I introduced myself to him, and
asked where he was stationed, to make a long story short, his name was
Rick MacIntosh and he and Sara had been in Ramadi, Iraq together.
This made for quite a reunion later that week when she arrived and an
interesting "you'll never guess who I ran into while on vacation"
story. The beautiful waters of Curacao made for a very memorable
first ocean dive experience for her and she now understands why we are
so hooked on Kidsseacamp!
Trish Worthman ( daugther Corley Clark age 11)
Alliance, Nebraska
Dear Kids Sea Camp,
Last winter, as I was beginning to
plan my annual summer dive trip, I encountered some roadblocks.
As a single divorced mother of an eight year old boy, I had the problem
of making sure he would be cared for, while I was away. His
father recently moved out of state and was inaccessible. My
parents, 74 and 84, offered to watch my son, but admitted it was becoming
more difficult to entertain an active boy for an entire week...especially
with no other kids in the neighborhood to play with. When I logged onto
the Kids Sea Camp web site, I immediately contacted Margo. I soon received
the information packet and knew that I had found the solution to my problem.
When I go on a dive trip, I dive....as much as I can. For me, it's a once
a year endeavor that I literally submerge myself in. How could I
be a mother and dive at the same time? I decided that attending
Kids Sea Camp would provide the answer. By week's end, I had logged thirteen
dives, made friends with several other divers and had quality vacation
time with my son. While I was diving, my son had great instruction
with well planned daily activities. He was well cared for and made
friends while at KSC. The additional bonus to KSC Curacao,
was having access to the Curacao Sea Aquarium and the dolphin interactions
at Dolphin Academy.
Kathleen Durig
Kelvin Durig Buerkle, 8
From
My Perspective as a Parent
We got to Curacao early to spend a little time getting used to the place.
My kids, although avid swimmers, had never really felt comfortable in
the ocean. Sea Camp changed everything. The first day in Curacao,
my kids wouldn't go past where they couldn't touch the bottom of the water.
By day two, they were swimming the channel with local kids, back and forth.
I was thrilled.
I had spent my whole childhood enjoying the ocean and had always watched
Jacques Cousteau and had even got to go to some of his lectures through
Cal Tech in California, but after seeing Jaws, I was terrified of getting
eaten. Years later, after a really wonderful impromptu snorkeling
shark experience with about 50 wonderful leopard sharks, I finally
became a SCUBA diver, Rescue diver and then a Divemaster. I finally
realized many of my dreams of interaction, observation and the amazing
feeling of being in what I think is heaven, that SCUBA Diving has to offer.
Well, I thought my kids would never see it that way. They were always
nervous because of the shark movies they'd seen, whether we were snorkeling
or kayaking. Those days are over now.
My son, who really had an aversion to studying, read his SCUBA cerfication
book nightly with an enthusiasm I had never seen. He worked hard,
and his instructor, Steve, worked with those kids in amazing ways.
Every day, I saw a personal and intellectual growth in both kids, that
I could never have imagined. The best part is, they were just having
fun and had no idea what huge obstacles they were overcoming from what
I knew of them in the past.
I have to say, that the most exciting day for me and my husband was the
day we dove with them for the first time. I dove with Megan, as
she wasn't old enough for open water certification but got her confined
water certification. She actually showed me around the "In
Ocean Acquarium" and knew what animals hung out where, what their
personalities and tendencies were and how to interact with them.
She took me to all the different areas so that I could experience all
her new friends: The friendly stingrays, the enormous Jew Fish,
and the Blow Fish who just loved to hover right in front of your mask
all the time. We laughed and giggled underwater at all their personalities
as if it was the most natural thing in the world. She monitored
me and my air as if she had to make sure I would be OK in her newly found
playground. It was great!!!
My husband went with Micheal on his open water dive. My son had
done it. He was certified. He could go out off of the rocks
with his equipment, make good decisions about the current and depth, was
really good at boyancy, and was a natural at looking out for others.
There he was in the open ocean, loving and appreciating it's vast amazing
beauty with respect and awe, just as I had always dreamed he would get
to do. He's always been like me, feeling close to animals and nature.
I used to try and describe to the kids the amazing and beautiful experiences
I've had as a diver, how it feels to lay on the sandy ocean floor and
look up through the kelp with the sun shining through, how it feels to
play copycat with the sea lions and the things to do and not to do so
that you can enjoy being a guest in their world. Now when me and
Micael talk about it, he gets that same look, that one only divers know
and share.
This wasn't something available when I was a child. We could only
watch that occasional Jacques Cousteau special and dream of what it might
be like. But now, both me and my children have a world of exploration,
beauty and heaven to explore together. It would be impossible to
describe the feeling, as a parent, that I have, every time I think about
the joy on their faces at their own accomplishment, and at the relationships,
both human and animal that they developed through Kids Sea Camp.
We're going again, for two weeks, to do different programs. My kids,
who love piles of presents under the tree, were ecstatic when I asked
them if it was OK if we did a really small Christmas so that we could
go to Sea Camp instead.
Nothing in the world has given them what Sea Camp gave them, and we are
so fortunate that we have the opportunity in today's world to give our
kids this gift that will start them on a path that will last a lifetime.
I am so grateful to Margo for having this dream for her and her kids and
making this program a reality for those of us who see the great value
in it but never really thought it was a possibility. Not only is
it a fun thing to do, but it makes a huge change in the children and the
parents who have done this. Our lives will never be the same
and we have been truly blessed by the experience.
Gloria Fontenot (parent Micheal
and Megan Marshall) 2003 KSC Curacao
Dear Kids Sea Camp,
This was the
best vacation of my life!!! The kids didn't want to come home.
Max (5) plans on learning Dutch so we can move to Curaçao. We'll
come back.
Ann Marie Morgan-Trew
Dear
Emily,
Thanks for the E-Mail, it is really appreciated. My wife and I had a great
time this year but our grandson had a fantastic time once again at camp.
He enjoyed all the activities during the week and met some of the same
children from last year as well as the new ones this year in the first
week. Michael really enjoyed sharing his camp time with the Sea Lions.
The interaction he was able to have with these Sea Lions and pictures
he has with them and himself will be cherished for years to come. The
accommodations at the Royal Resort were topnotch. The Lions Dive Hotel
last year was nice but the Royal Resorts, being a newer facility, just
made the stay at camp and in Curacao that much more pleasant. Michael
has already been asking about going back again next year. Would you please
advise me when we can sign up for Sea Camp 2005 in Curacao.
Thank
you again for your assistance for this years camp and making the last
minute changes for me again. Your kindness is truly appreciated. Hope
to hear from you at your earliest convenience.
Warmest Regards,
Mike Bergmeister
Dear
Emily,
...We enjoyed Kids Sea Camp very much!!! I can not think of another place
where the parents can dive every day and their children are having a better
time than they are!
We would like to book the same week and same room if possible for next
year! ...
We felt that the resort was nice. It lacks a good restaurant, and the
front desk staff is not always pleasant but the room makes up for these
inconveniences. The room was huge and was very comfortable for our family
of 5 for the week. The view was the best part! We were lucky enough to
look over the dolphin pool and the ocean. It made for wonderful early
mornings watching the dolphins play and listening to the ocean waves.
The camp counselors were top notch, it is very obvious that they love
working with children. Jordan and Susanne had an amazing time at camp
and learned a lot about the ocean, coral reefs and the other fish and
animals that live there. They both loved learning SASSY. I would like
to see KSC increase the number of Sassy units available so each child
could participate in Sassy each day. Susanne said her favorite activities
were the swimming pool and doing Sassy. Jordan said his favorite activities
were the games and doing Sassy. Kyle really enjoyed diving, scaring his
mother to death, and feeding the sharks and rays at the Sea Aquarium.
Please tell Margo thank you for us for offering such a wonderful camp
and diving opportunity. Her hard work is very evident. We really had a
great time and are looking forward to going back to Curacao next year!
Thanks for the opportunity to share our ideas and experiences with you.
Deanna & Ben Bernstein
Hi,
My name is Melissa, and I have been going to Kid’s Sea Camp for 3
years. Some of my favorite things about Sea Camp are scuba diving, the
dolphins, the treasure hunt, stingrays, pizza & movie night, Chee-Chee
the sealion, and the ostrich farm.
Two things I like about scuba diving are when you are 10 or older, you
can get certified, and if you are younger, you can still try it.
My favorite things about the dolphins are that you go in groups of 5 and
swim with them! Cool! They also take a picture of the dolphin kissing
you. Last year (2002) I used my picture of the dolphin and me as a Christmas
card! The treasure hunt was cool because if you collect so many coins
you get a bigger and bigger prize….(and you get to keep the coins)!
What I think you might like about the stingrays are we get to walk in
a tank with them barefoot and they tickle your feet. You also get to feed
them by hand!
Chee-Chee the sealion is special because whenever you are sad you can
go to his pool and talk to him. Also he does tricks for you. FUN!
The best thing about the ostriches are that you can SIT ON THEM. Also,
you can hold the baby ones.
I have had a lot of FUN at Kids Sea Camp!
Melissa
- PADI Seal Team
Curacao
Sea Camp in 2003 in Curacao. I had lots of fun. Do you know what I did?
I swam with dolphins and you you know what I did with them? I rode them.
They went so fast I coudn't believe it that they went so fast. I know what
their names are. Copon, Trisa, Bonier, Dee Dee and Anney. Those are all
the dolphins names. Next I snorkled in Animal Encouters. Animal Encouters
is where you snorkel. Thar's lots and lots of fish in there. I can tell
you some of them. Puffer, Rimora, Tar Pin , Turtle, Damselfish and other
sea crechers. Next I went scopa diving.I went 12 feet down. It was fun.
My mom was snorkeling over top of me that was the most funniest day ever.
Robbie C (8 years old) - SASSY and PADI Seal Team
Dear
Margo,
My favorite part of Kids Sea Camp was snorkeling with the dolphins and
petting the dolphins. I also liked watching the sharks. I learned that
nurse sharks suck their food in their mouths when they eat.
I enjoyed the Treasure Hunt and getting so much cool stuff. I am going
to wear my new wetsuit to the pool sometime, and my new Lobster likes
it's new home in Michigan and other stuffed animals.
Katy, Shelby and Nate were my favorite teachers. Shelby sang songs to
me and I liked listening to Nate teach about Dolphins. Katy helped me
walk out to see the Dolphins and she held my hand.
Thanks also for the treats in our room, it was fun having candy every
once in a while.
I hope we come back to Curacao next year!
Jason Wegryn
(5 years old) - SASSY
Dear
Margo,
Thank you for the wonderful time that you made for us in Curaçao.
My favorite part was snorkeling with the dolphins, I liked hearing their
clicking sounds under water.
The Bonfire was a lot of fun too, I had fun running on the beach with
my friends and looking for coconuts.
My favorite teachers were Katy, Iris and Shelby, they were fun to play
with and Iris let me ride on her back in the pool. I also enjoyed the
touch tank and holding the sea urchins and star fish.
This was our second year at Kids Sea Camp in Curacao and it was the best!
I hope we come back next year and we do not miss our flight, like we did
this year.
Ben Wegryn (7 years old) - SASSY
Dear Margo,
Ed and I were a little worried about taking the same exact vacation we
did last year. Especially since we had such a good time in Curacao and
we didn't want to jinx ourselves. But our worries were put to rest after
the first day back at Kids Sea Camp. We fell right back into our routine
of relaxation and diving. Everything was so organized that all we had
to worry about was when to get out of the pool to have dinner.
Ben and Jason seemed to have even more fun this year because they knew
the routine and some of the same great teachers were still a part of the
program. Ben and Jason also came back each day with a new fact about sea
life that they were very excited about. I think what made our week so
successful was that the children were having as much fun as we were! We
didn't feel guilty about diving each day, because we knew they were in
good hands and having a blast. After spending all day with their friends,
at 4:30pm when we picked them up at the pool, they just wanted to stay
in the pool and play. I don't think their was one minute of the whole
week that they were bored.
Our diving experience was a pleasant surprise too, we had different Dive
Masters than last year, and we didn't think they could live up to our
experience with Remy and Sherman the year before. Chili and Raoul took
over where Remy and Sherman left off. They arranged a visit to the other
side of the island to "Mushroom Forest" for our last day of
diving. Those two dives were the "icing on the cake" for the
whole week. We saw a small sea turtle that seemed to stay with our group
forever, and we saw an 8 ft. Nurse shark sleeping under the coral. At
our surface interval they took us to this cool cave that we all snorkeled
to and I felt like I was taken back in time. We also saw a school of squid
on the way back to the boat. The small things that the Dive Masters and
Captain did during the week were very much appreciated. Louis, the Captain
took us on a Harbor Tour during a surface interval, we got to see a huge
ship in a Dry Dock getting repaired. We learned some History of the Island
too. Louis also arranged for a special treat of Raisin bread one day and
Raoul brought coconuts for us to drink from for a surface interval. Everyone
on our boat got along so well and it was like a small family at the end
of the week saying goodbye.
So overall we were very happy we decided to come back to Kids Sea Camp
on Curacao. We are even talking about coming back next year with Ed's
brother and his family.
Thanks again for all you have done to make Kids Sea Camp so special!
Wegryn Parents - Scuba Mom and Dad
or
phone
1.800.934.3483 for more information.
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