Franko's Caribbean Series
Includes:
Franko’s Map of Cozumel
Franko’s Cozumel Mini-Map & Reef Creatures Identification Guide
Franko’s Bonaire Mini-Map & Reef Creatures Identification Guide
Franko’s Aruba Mini-Map & Reef Creatures Identification Guide
Franko’s Curacao Mini-Map & Reef Creatures Identification Guide
Franko’s Cayman Islands Mini-Map & Reef Creatures Identification Guide
Franko’s Caribbean Reef Creatures Guide (Mini Fish Card)
Franko’s Mexican Caribbean Reef Creatures Guide (Mini Fish Card)
Franko’s Map of The British Virgin Islands
Franko’s Map of Cozumel
Side 1 of Franko’s Map of Cozumel: This is the first of a series of Caribbean Maps that Franko has been working on for over three years. At last it was finished in October, 2003. Franko’s Map of Cozumel, which is and island just off the Yucatan Peninsula of the state of Quintana Roo, Mexico, features an layout of Isla de Cozumel, based on nautical charts and aerial photos. Cozumels roads, Maya ruins, resorts, and other features are shown on side one. Most importantly, is the location and detailed descriptions of 55 scuba diving and snorkeling sites, which is what Cozumel gains it’s prestige and fame. It is noteworthy to say that Cozumel boasts some of the most outstanding scuba diving on earth. One could claim that as many as five of the top ten scuba sites in the world are along Cozumel’s leeward (west) side. From south to north, the fabulous reefs include Maracaibo Reef, Chun Chacab Reef, Punta Sur Reef (South Point), Columbian Pinnacles (Columbia Reef), Columbia Shallows (Columbia Gardens), Palancar Reef, Palancar Caves, Palancar Horseshoe, Palancar Shallows (Palancar Gardens), La Francesa Reef, Punta Dalila, Paso Del Ceral Wall, Paso Del Cedral Reef. Santa Rosa Wall (possibly Cozumel’s best dive site), Santa Rosa Shallows, San Francisco Reef/Wall, Cardona Reef, Punta Tunich, Yucab Wall, Yucab, Tormentos Reef, Wreck of the Felipe Xicitencatl (Cozumel’s Wreck), Bolones de Chankanaab, Beachcomeber Cavern, Chankanaab Reef, Chankanaab Underwater Park, Fiesta American Cozumel Reef, Las Palmas Drop-off, Las Palmas Shallows, Paraiso Sur (Paradise South), Paradise Shallows, Paradise Reef, Paraiso Norte (Paradise North), International Pier, Aeroplane Wreck, La Ceiba Reef Preserve, Gorgonian Flats, Villablanca Drop-off, Villablanca Reef, Pico’s Reef (Barracuda Reef), Barge Wreck Eagle Ray Wall, San Juan Reef, and Barracuda. The descriptions of these underwater walls, coral pinnacles and buttresses and coral gardens is briefly told for each one, and then on side two of the map there is a drawing and descriptions of these features in general. Franko’s Map of Cozumel also shows a number of dive sites on the windward side of Cozumel, including El Islote, Playa Bush, El Mirador, Punta Chiqueros, Chen Rio, Punta Morena, Los Atolones and Islotes. For those who are interested, Cozumel also has a trio of notable surf spots, which are located on the map. They include Playa Bonita, Chen Rio and Mezcalito’s. Cannons, anchors and other artifacts are found in the waters of Cozumel. Franko’s Map of Cozumel shows a sampling of these items dating from the Spanish exploration era onward. Maya ruin sites, where there still can be found beautiful examples of former great cites in Cozumel’s interior are also located on this map. They include the famous and fabulous San Gervasio, El Cedral, Santa Rita, etc. Some folks travel to Cozumel just to see the ruins. Since much of Cozumel is a Marine Park (Marine Parque Arricefes De Cozumel), it is certain that this map fits right into Franko’s personal love of the undersea. It also follows that no Franko’s Map which caters to a beautiful island and it’s diving would be complete without local reef creature information. In fact, the finishing touch on side one of Franko’s Map of Cozumel is Franko’s Caribbean reef creatures guide. This biological interpretive data includes over 100 species of fish, invertebrates, corals and sponges, depicted in full color with names for easy identification. This includes everything from green sea and hawksbill turtles to white-spotted eagle rays, trumpetfish, blacktip reef sharks, and longspine squirrelfish. It also includes mountainous star coral, finger coral, sheet coral, sea fans, and the one coral feared by Franko - fire coral. The favorite of all of Cozumel’s undersea creatures is it’s own unique Cozumel splendid toadfish. This curious creature is depicted peering out from a hiding spot, as usual. This beautiful depiction of Cozumel’s fabulous undersea life is a combination of carefully drawn artwork, intermingled with Franko’s underwater photography that has been blended into the artwork.
Side two of Franko’s Map of Cozumel features a couple of zoom-ins and a Cozumel Reefs explanation and artwork. The first feature is Franko’s Map of Greater San Miguel, which covers much of the west coast, from the Cozumel Country Club on the north to Chankanaab Marine National Park on the south. Chankanaab Park is also show in an enlarged detail. The locations of the dive spots defined on side one are more closely shown here. A few undersea photos of the reefs and sights highlight this map. Although this detail shows many of the hotels and resorts along Cozumel’s leeward side, the City of San Miguel itself deserves an even closer detail. And thus the detail called Franko’s Map of Downtown San Miguel was created. Many of Cozumel’s main dive shops are located in this detail, along with the city’s main features, such as the cruise ship terminals, the route to the airport, Plaza San Miguel, hotels, and even grocery stores. A pictue of a statue of the archangel San Miguel (Saint Michael), which was photographed at Cozumel’s beautiful San Miguel Church, shows exactly what this fine city was named after. This city map and the details on the other parts of the map make getting around on Cozumel via car, vespa, bike, or walking easy. The last detail on side two of Franko’s Map of Cozumel is the Coral Reefs detail, in which yours truly (Franko) has created a water cube. In it the nature of Cozumel’s walls (drop-offs), where scuba divers take a fabulous drift-dive ride on Cozumel’s strong, clear currents, is described in detail. This is typical of Santa Rosa Wall, or Maracaibo Reef. In slightly shallow water this same picture shows a typical cross section of Coral Pinnacles and Buttresses, as would be experienced on a Cozumel drift dive at Columbia Pinnacles or Punta Sur (another famous favorite Cozumel dive site). Lastly, there is a depiction of a Cozumel Coral Garden, such as might be found at Santa Rosa Shallows or Paradise Reef.
Franko’s Map of Cozumel is a must have for anyone visiting or diving at Cozumel. Anyone who likes seahorses must have this map!
Franko’s Cozumel Reef Creatures Guide (Mini-map and Fish Card)
The first of a series of Caribbean Reef Creatures fish cards is this one of Cozumel. On side one there are fish - lots and lots of colorful, tropical, Caribbean fish, plus invertebrates, sponges, and corals. There are over 100 species shown. There are big fish like the nurse shark, tiny fish like the blue chromis, and middle-size fish like the princess parrotfish. There are fat ones like the blue parrotfish, skinny ones like the trumpetfish, sleek ones like the cero, box-shaped ones like the spotted trunkfish, round ones like the spotfin butterflyfish, wide ones like the eagle ray, and much more. Then there are colorful sponges and corals. The cutest one of all may be the seahorse. The scariest thing on the card is probably the fire coral. The list is almost like a top-100 of favorite critters in Cozumel waters. Technically, all of these fish are depicted on side two of this fish card. On side one the main feature is a mini-map of Cozumel, taken from Franko’s Map of Cozumel. It shows the names and locations of Cozumel’s principle dive sites, plus a few more fish (there wasn’t enough room on the other side of the fish card for all of them!).
Franko’s Cayman Islands Reef Creatures Guide (Mini-map and Fish Card)
The Cayman Islands - Grand Cayman, Little Cayman, and Cayman Brac - have so much fabulous underwater scenery and so much sea life that this Franko’s fish card just had to be created. Side one presents a mini-Franko’s Map for each of the three Cayman Islands, showing their respective major scuba and snorkeling sites. These scaled down, yet accurate maps show the major features of Grand Cayman, Little Cayman and Cayman Brac, and the descending blue hues of the water indicate depths as they increase all along the famous walls of the Cayman Islands. There are over 150 dive sites named on side 1 of this fish card. Actual GPS data was used to accurately locate the dive site moorings on these tiny maps. Little Cayman sites include Bloody Bay’s most famous wall dives and the south sides numerous sites, particular on the west end of the island. Cayman Brac’s most famous sites including favorites like the Tibbetts Wreck, Grunt Valley and Greenhouse Reef are shown on the north side, with favorites like Rock Monster Chimney on the south. Grand Cayman is famous for the best shallow dive in the world - Stingray City. Dozens and dozens of other dive sites are noted on the map of Grand Cayman. Side two of Franko’s Cayman Islands Reef Creatures Guide depicts 100 plus Caribbean reef creatures found commonly in Cayman waters. Although one could never really depict the beauty of tropical reef creatures or their environment, this is an amazingly colorful rendition of a huge number of species of the most commonly found reef creatures of the Cayman Islands. Nature supplied the beauty, Franko just tried to show it in a form so that the scuba diver or snorkeler could identify the creatures first hand. Fabulous angelfishes, parrotfishes, damsels, wrasses, groupers, snappers, rays, and chromis are but a few of the types of fish shown. But of course - this is the Cayman Islands, so certainly the most famous fish of all must be shown, and that is the lovely Southern Stingray gliding above the sand. There are also a number of colorful corals and sponges, plus a team of invertebrates awaiting your discovery. This fish card will have you dreaming of your next (or first) trip to the Cayman Islands for sure. Say Good Day to everybody for Franko when you are there.
Franko’s Bonaire Reef Creatures Guide (Mini-map and Fish Card)
Bonaire is one of the world’s most fabulous and famous places to dive and snorkel and this is because of it’s rich tropical Caribbean reef life. The creatures depicted here are 100 or so of the most common and favorite of Bonaire waters. This fish card also shows a mini-Franko’s Map of the wonderful island of Bonaire, which is entirely surrounded by a marine National Park out to a depth of 200 feet. Dive sites numbered 1 through 60, mainly on Bonaire’s leeward side, are located and listed, as are the 26 dive sites, with the letters A through Z, which surround Klein Bonaire. These boat dives and shore dives also include a number of snorkeling sites. A few of the pelagic species that frequent the area of the Netherlands Antilles, including whale sharks, manta rays and dorado, are depicted on side one. On side two is 100 plus Caribbean reef creatures common to Bonaire are depicted. Everything from butterflyfishes to wrasses, and damsels to parrot fishes are shown. A sampling of Bonaire’s fabulous invertebrates are shown too, including the lobster, coral crab, black sea cucumber, and cushion sea star. The vivid colors of this Bonaire fish card will make you want to be there for sure. When you go, make sure to take Franko’s Bonaire fish card with you so that you will more easily be able to identify the creatures you see when you scuba dive or snorkel in the best underwater national park in the world.
Franko’s Aruba Reef Creatures Guide (Mini-map and Fish Card)
Aruba is the first of the ABC’s islands, a part of the Netherlands Antilles. You remember the word Aruba from the old Beach Boy’s song, right? Anyway, millions of cruise ship passengers have disembarked for a day in Aruba, and many of them have taken the time to snorkel or scuba dive in Aruba’s beautiful warm waters amongst her rich tropical reefs. This fish card consists of a great little Franko’s mini-map of Aruba on side one to show the whole green island as it sits on the blue Caribbean Sea. Aruba’s roads and towns, plus major landmarks and hills can be seen. 35 Aruba dive sites, including notation about which ones are good for snorkeling and which ones are good for diving are shown. Aruba’s beaches that are good for just hanging out are also shown. Side two shows 100 plus Caribbean reef creatures that hang out in Aruba’s warm waters. They include butterflyfishes, wrasses, damselfishes, parrot fishes, grunts, snappers, rays, sharks and trunkfishes. A sampling of tropical Caribbean invertebrates of Aruba are shown too, including the lobster, coral crab, black sea cucumber, and cushion sea star, corals and sponges. The vivid colors of this Aruba fish card will make you want to be there, and when you go take me, Franko along! Well, if you can’t take me to Aruba, at least take my fish card along so you can know what you see when you scuba dive or snorkel in Aruba’s warm, crystal waters.
Franko’s Curacao Reef Creatures Guide (Mini-map and Fish Card)
Curacao is the middle island geographically in the ABC’s islands, a part of the Netherlands Antilles. It is an exciting stop for millions of cruise ship passengers, and many of them love to get out to snorkel or scuba dive in Curacao’s long line of beaches down it’s leeward side. Curacao’s beautiful warm waters and rich reefs play host to a billion tropical reef creatures. This fish card consists of a great little Franko’s mini-map on side one to show the long, skinny green island of Curacao as it sits on the blue Caribbean Sea. Curacao’s main roads and towns, plus major landmarks and hills can be seen. 66 Curacao scuba and snorkeling sites are located on the map. The beaches that are good for just hanging out are also shown. Side two is where 100 plus Caribbean reef creatures are depicted. Curacao’s common tropical fishes include butterflyfishes, wrasses, damselfishes to parrot fishes, rays, grunts, snappers, and even a seahorse. A sampling of tropical Caribbean invertebrates of Curacao are shown too, including the lobster, coral crab, black sea cucumber, and cushion sea star, corals and sponges. The vivid colors of this Curacao fish card might just knock your socks off. When you get to Curacao the beauty will definitely knock your socks right off, so just wear sandals! Don’t forget to take your Franko’s fish card along so you can know what you are seeing when you scuba dive or snorkel amongst Curacao’s famous tropical reefs.
Franko’s Caribbean Reef Creatures Guide (Mini Fish Card)
This is the cutest, handiest, most informative little fish card! How could 90 species of tropical Caribbean reef creatures be packed into one little 4" x 6" fish card? And yet they do fit, and so beautifully too! This is an economical, generic Caribbean fish card, features a huge variety of reef creatures. They include the graceful giant manta ray, the tiny fairy basslet, the large groupers, the colorful butterflyfishes and angelfishes, the curious triggerfishes, as well as stingrays, wrasses, turtles, and many more. These Caribbean fishes are beautiful, and this fish card makes it easy for the scuba diver or snorkeler to identify many of the most common ones. Yours truly wishes you the best of times next time you are in the Caribbean, coming face-to-face with the wonderful reef creatures identified on your Franko’s Caribbean Reef Creatures Guide. Please buy a few for your friends too!
Franko’s Mexican Caribbean Reef Creatures Guide (Mini Fish Card)
This fish card ties for the cutest, handiest, most informative little fish card with the almost-identical Franko’s Caribbean Reef Creature Guide. 90 species of reef creatures are jammed onto this little 4" x 6" fish card in vivid, colorful clarity. This is an economical, generic Mexican Caribbean fish card, featuring a huge variety of reef creatures on a tiny, pocket-size card. They include huge things like the graceful manta ray, and tiny fish like the fairy basslet, more large ones like the groupers, and more small ones the colorful butterflyfishes, as well as angelfishes, curious triggerfishes, yellow stingrays, colorful wrasses, hawksbill and green sea turtles, and many more. These Caribbean reef creatures are beautiful, and this fish card makes it easy for the scuba diver or snorkeler to identify many of the most common ones. Yours truly wishes you the best of times next time you are on the Yucatan. Say Hola! to the reef creatures for me. Get this Mexican Caribbean Reef Creatures Guide and you’ll own a pocket-size fish card to help you know what you are looking at down there. I want to be under the sea! Please buy a few for your friends too!
Franko’s Map of The British Virgin Islands
This is one of the most unusual of Franko’s Maps, because it took so-o-o long to complete it (over three years in the making), and it included so much input from the locals (almost every bit of information on it has been given to me or has been carefully scrutinized by the local BVI people, specifically the British Virgin Islands Dive Association, which is all of the dive shops and some of the dive live-aboard boat operators. BVI was a huge undertaking and it turned out better than good! In fact, I think it is better than better than good! It is an outstanding, accurate chart of the islands, and it is a good map of the roads and features of each island as well. Every notable scuba and snorkeling site is shown, as are main boating routes. This is the coolest map! It is also interesting in that I utilized no digital data for it’s production, so it was produced in a less technical way than many of my maps. It is entirely a tracing of British Government charts, with the shaded relief of the islands and the descending hues of ocean blue entirely done by yours truly, by hand on the computer. It is literally a work of art.
Side 1 of Franko’s Map of The British Virgin Islands is a the finest dive map to date in the Caribbean, I think, maybe tied with my Franko’s Map Cozumel, but much more beautiful because of the nature of the layout of the islands. In addition to the artwork depicting the islands themselves, I’ve drawn up a little layout of BVI’s most famous dive site of all - The Wreck of the RMS Rhone. I remember first seeing the Rhone on that movie The Deep from the 1980's, (yes, I remember Jacqueline Bissette). In those days this movie led people to think that green moray eels could get to 10 feet long and might bite a man’s head off. But how lovely and peaceful this place is and how docile and reclusive those green morays really are. The list of British Virgin Islands dive sites that one could visit is lengthy. Around Tortola, recently made more known by Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean movie, you will find just a few dive site. Likewise for the lovely island of Virgin Gorda. But as soon as you sail across the Sir Frances Drake Channel over to Norman Island (aka “Treasure Island”), Peter Island, Salt Island, Cooper Island and Ginger Island, you will find over two dozen of the world’s most scenic dive spots, and even more up around Round Rock, Seal Dogs, West Dog, Great Dog, George Dog and Cockroach Island. There are also the wrecks of the Chikuzen, Rocus and Parametta in the shallow sea between Virgin Gorga and Anageda, as well as a few dive sites at Anegada itself, but these are depicted on side 2 of Franko’s Map of The British Virgin Islands. Throughout, this is amongst the world’s best sailing, as gentle trade winds and smooth waters prevail. This side of the map also features Jost Van Dyke, a boater’s favorite destination. Making a great circle around these islands one could find dive sites with the following names: Santa Monica Rock, Angelfish Reef, Brown Pants, Spyglass Wall, Carrot Shoal, Shark Point, Ringdove Rock, The Indians, Wreck of the Fearless, Rhone’s Anchor, Rainbow Canyons, Dead Chest West, Dead Chest North, Blonde Rock, Shipwreck Bay, The Wreck of the RMS Rhone, Rec Bluff Point, Markoe Point, Carval Rock, Alice in Wonderland, Ginger Steps, Round Rock Drift, The Blinders, Coral Garden’s Vanishing Rock, Cistern Point, Dry Rocks East, Alice’s Back Door, Aquarium, Diamond Reef, Joe’s Cave, Mountain Point, Seal Dog Islands, Bronco Billy’s, Dolphin Rocks, The Visibles, The Chimney, The Flintstones, Wall-to-Wall, Towing Point, Lee Bay, Times Square, Grand Central Station, and Brewer’s Bay Pinnacles. In addition to dive sites, the best spots to anchor are shone. This includes all-night anchorage, plus day-only anchorage. Franko’s Map of The British Virgin Islands wouldn’t be complete with out a selection of 100+ of BVI’s most see, beloved reef creatures. Triggerfishes, butterflyfishes, turtles, wrasses, angelfishes, groupers, parrot fishes, grunts, snappers, filefish, trunkfish and even a sea horse are shown. Invertebrates including giant brain corals, mountainous star coral, gorgonian fans, tube sponges, sheet corals, lobsters, sea stars, crabs and the octopus are shown. Note the hermit crab scurrying across the sand in front of the drawing of the Wreck of the RMS Rhone. The descending hues of blue that show the ocean depth contours show the viewer the obvious - where the Caribbean ends and the Atlantic begins, as the bottom just drops out into the open ocean. The Continental Shelf could not be more obvious.
Side 2 of Franko’s Map of The British Virgin Islands shows the entire string of islands comprising the BVI. It is on this side that one finds the more remote and less visited island of Anegada, with it’s long, long horseshoe reef, which has more wreck than we probably know about. The southwest side of the map shows the island of St. John in the United States Virgin Islands. This side of the map contains descriptions of each of the main islands themselves, with additional information about airlines, ferries, marine park rules, and the Dive Shops, Charter Boats & Live Aboards and Marine Photography studios.
These folks comprise the BVI Dive Association, and it is they who are the experts who helped edit Franko’s Map of The British Virgin Islands. Thanks all! Also on this side of the map is a series of local photographs, also provided by the photography studios at the BVI. The main boating routes in and around all of the British Virgin Islands appear as dotted lines on this map. It makes one want to get aboard a beautiful sailing vessel and cruise the Sir Frances Drake Channel.
|
Click this button to order by phone fax or by mail
|
