Beth came down to visit again while she wasn't working. She had gone diving when she was here in July but I only went with her one day and the visibility wasn't good. This visit we went diving two days with SCUBA of course and it was fabulous. Amazing visibility, healthy coral and tons of creatures. I wore my 3 ml wet suit without the jacket and wore 25 pounds of weight which was just right.
Wed. November 18, 2015
After dinner at the house with Molly, Ed, Rick and Bret cooked mostly by Beth, we were surprisingly chipper for diving on the north shore the next morning. On the boat was a student tech diver and his teacher, Richard (a local), and three danish tourists including a couple that were sea sick and a mess in the water.
Salt River East Wall
Salt river, both east and west, are some of my favorite dives. It was lovely, very healthy coral, clear visibility, tons of fish. Huge growths of black coral which kept reminding me of the people that bought my house as they so loved the black coral that had washed up on the beach and which Del hung on my light.
Turquoise Bay
Turquoise Bay is along Long Reef between Sugar Beach and Cormorant, just off the Nature Conservancy. The water was very clear, the coral was all very healthy and colorful and we saw tons of turtles swimming around. Then a 4 foot reef shark came to join us. At one point I was just slowly spinning around as the shark swam leisurely by, than a huge hawksbill turtle, then the shark again, then the turtle again - round and round. The two of them hung out with us for a very long time - I don't think I have ever spent this much time with either a shark or a turtle. They both were so graceful in the water and just accompanying us on our dive.
Thursday November 19, 2015
Ed had thought it would be especially rough on the north shore so suggested we do the west end instead. I had never mbeen diving on the west so we said sure. I loved it! The boat docks right at the pier on which you can park if there are no cruise ships and the dive sights are all right there. We decided to do the reefs south of the pier. The water was like glass even though it was windy and rough on the north. Beth and I and Richard were the only ones on the boat. Richard really liked Beth, he kept commenting how graceful she is in the water, which she is - she also likes to hang upside down and never seems to be using her arms or fins.
Alien Nation
Sort of right off Sand Castles. Very healthy reef, with sandy spots in between coral groups, crystal clear water and tons of fish. The highlight of this dive was a huge green moray eel. I have seen them before but they usually just poke their head up and disappear again in a crevice. This guy was out and about, slowly swimming along with us. He was at least 5 feet long and so graceful with his undulating dorsal fine. He was actually swimming with his body sideways most of the time. And several times he came swimming straight at me so I was looking right into his eyes (although they say they cannot see well). I also really liked the peacock flounder that was turning purple and pink but then going sandy color on the sand. Very pretty.
Aquarium
Another dive south of the pier but closer to it, similar topography. We saw a sting ray in the sand, more peacock flounder and our favorite the puffer fish. They were actually quite large, not puffed up with really boxy heads and giant eyes. I found two hanging around a coral grouping just slowly swimming around and through it together who I hung with for a while. Beth found one that was very friendly and let her pet its tail.
