JanR
Contributor
I had two very good dives yesterday. We went out in the morning on the Captain's Lady.
Atlas
Don't ask me what the wreck looks like, there was so much fish life on the wreck I found I didn't even take the time to look at the wreck. Once getting down to the wreck, I spied a few sand tigers on the wreck. Very cool. Just as I was getting absorbed watching the sharks, I spied a bright white object off of the wreck. After quickly reasuring myself that "great whites are actually grey, right?" I set off to investigate. What I found was a rather large, white Mola Mola. Wow. It didn't seem startled by me at all and allowed me to swim next to it. Magnificant animal.
I realized my dive buddy was still back on the wreck and went back to join him. (Yes, I know--I was a bad buddy.) We moved back to the stern, swimming through of schools of small fish. The sharks gave me a bit of a shock. Usually, I've found Sand Tigers will mind themselves and give you no mind. Yesterday, on at least three occasions I found a shark slowly swimming right at me in what reminded me of a slow motion, underwater game of "chicken". Their actions were not aggressive at all; however, I'll admit that the first time I had a shark's head no more than a few feet from my own, my SAC rate went to h*ll.
We were coming up on our limits and ascended on the line to about 54 feet and hung out for a while watching the Amber Jacks circle around us. Very cool.
On the wreck we had about 35 feet visibility and my computer showed 70 degrees at depth. No real current to speak of.
Caribsea
After a 1:45 SI, we went down on the Caribsea. Not as much fishlife on the wreck and no sharks--or Mola Mola. However, the Caribsea is a wonderful wreck. In between the bow and stern are the huge engine/boilers. While not as many fish as on the Atlas, the Caribsea still has its share of fish and makes up for it with the coral formations on the wreck. There are beautiful purple fan (?) coral on the wreck with all of the associated smaller fishlife and animals you would expect to find in a coral system.
On the way back up, I spied a jellyfish. Not sure of the type--somewhat yellow body with black or brown strips. Tentacles (that I could see) were rather short. Very neat to see (and not feel).
Visibility was a bit less than the Atlas--about 30 feet and my computer showed 68 degrees down on the wreck.
Great day of diving. We are heading out in 15 minutes for today's dives. Right now there is rain...hopefully we get out and get another two great dives in.
For what it's worth,
Jan
Atlas
Don't ask me what the wreck looks like, there was so much fish life on the wreck I found I didn't even take the time to look at the wreck. Once getting down to the wreck, I spied a few sand tigers on the wreck. Very cool. Just as I was getting absorbed watching the sharks, I spied a bright white object off of the wreck. After quickly reasuring myself that "great whites are actually grey, right?" I set off to investigate. What I found was a rather large, white Mola Mola. Wow. It didn't seem startled by me at all and allowed me to swim next to it. Magnificant animal.
I realized my dive buddy was still back on the wreck and went back to join him. (Yes, I know--I was a bad buddy.) We moved back to the stern, swimming through of schools of small fish. The sharks gave me a bit of a shock. Usually, I've found Sand Tigers will mind themselves and give you no mind. Yesterday, on at least three occasions I found a shark slowly swimming right at me in what reminded me of a slow motion, underwater game of "chicken". Their actions were not aggressive at all; however, I'll admit that the first time I had a shark's head no more than a few feet from my own, my SAC rate went to h*ll.
We were coming up on our limits and ascended on the line to about 54 feet and hung out for a while watching the Amber Jacks circle around us. Very cool.
On the wreck we had about 35 feet visibility and my computer showed 70 degrees at depth. No real current to speak of.
Caribsea
After a 1:45 SI, we went down on the Caribsea. Not as much fishlife on the wreck and no sharks--or Mola Mola. However, the Caribsea is a wonderful wreck. In between the bow and stern are the huge engine/boilers. While not as many fish as on the Atlas, the Caribsea still has its share of fish and makes up for it with the coral formations on the wreck. There are beautiful purple fan (?) coral on the wreck with all of the associated smaller fishlife and animals you would expect to find in a coral system.
On the way back up, I spied a jellyfish. Not sure of the type--somewhat yellow body with black or brown strips. Tentacles (that I could see) were rather short. Very neat to see (and not feel).
Visibility was a bit less than the Atlas--about 30 feet and my computer showed 68 degrees down on the wreck.
Great day of diving. We are heading out in 15 minutes for today's dives. Right now there is rain...hopefully we get out and get another two great dives in.
For what it's worth,
Jan
