Well, not really news, just bits of info. And, OK, not really a "Flash" either - more like a dull glow. Anyway ...
The silversides are back in force at Eden Rock / Devil's Grotto - gazillions of 'em. See them now, before they leave for parts unknown. Floating into the middle of the bait ball and watching the predators (barracuda, tarpon) attack the outside is a surreal experience, especially as you are in a swim-through (tunnel?) at the time. Bring a flashlight.
DiveTech's new dock at Lighthouse Point seems to be finished. It now has a decent entry point to our newest shore dive. Definitely worth checking out.
I saw 2 (count 'em - 2!) hammerheads on a single N Wall dive on Sun. My completely unscientific and subjective opinion is that hammerhead sightings are becoming more common here and eagle ray sightings are becoming less common. Seems like I hear of 1 or 2 hammerhead sightings every weekend. My dive buddy upbraids me for failing to get into a vertical posture when the sharks approached. She says that if you are vertical the shark will understand you are not food. Call me an optimist, but I like to think they know that anyway.
Rumour of the Week: SunDivers, the guys who took over Turtle Reef from DiveTech, will be operating the dive op at Spanish Bay Reef when it reopens. If true, this is most excellent news. They do a good job and Spanish Bay is a great site. It deserves a good dive op.
A friend & I have launched a campaign to preserve the name "Soto's Reef." This site was named after Bob Soto, Scuba Hall of Famer and founder of the 1st Caribbean dive op. The site is right off the Burger King parking lot, so many locals have taken to calling it "Cheeseburger Reef." Now, I understand that the cheeseburger is an important food group, and quite possibly is in the Fatty Food Hall of Fame, but Bob S. still gets my vote. So, please - if you must dive this distinctly 2nd-rate site, call it by its proper name: Soto's Reef.
The silversides are back in force at Eden Rock / Devil's Grotto - gazillions of 'em. See them now, before they leave for parts unknown. Floating into the middle of the bait ball and watching the predators (barracuda, tarpon) attack the outside is a surreal experience, especially as you are in a swim-through (tunnel?) at the time. Bring a flashlight.
DiveTech's new dock at Lighthouse Point seems to be finished. It now has a decent entry point to our newest shore dive. Definitely worth checking out.
I saw 2 (count 'em - 2!) hammerheads on a single N Wall dive on Sun. My completely unscientific and subjective opinion is that hammerhead sightings are becoming more common here and eagle ray sightings are becoming less common. Seems like I hear of 1 or 2 hammerhead sightings every weekend. My dive buddy upbraids me for failing to get into a vertical posture when the sharks approached. She says that if you are vertical the shark will understand you are not food. Call me an optimist, but I like to think they know that anyway.
Rumour of the Week: SunDivers, the guys who took over Turtle Reef from DiveTech, will be operating the dive op at Spanish Bay Reef when it reopens. If true, this is most excellent news. They do a good job and Spanish Bay is a great site. It deserves a good dive op.
A friend & I have launched a campaign to preserve the name "Soto's Reef." This site was named after Bob Soto, Scuba Hall of Famer and founder of the 1st Caribbean dive op. The site is right off the Burger King parking lot, so many locals have taken to calling it "Cheeseburger Reef." Now, I understand that the cheeseburger is an important food group, and quite possibly is in the Fatty Food Hall of Fame, but Bob S. still gets my vote. So, please - if you must dive this distinctly 2nd-rate site, call it by its proper name: Soto's Reef.
