voop:
I did not know that about nurse-sharks -- enlightening
I have the policy of not touching anything, unless that touches me first. As be understood as: I do not seek to pet or otherwise interact with wildlife, but I have occationally had curious critters try to interact with me.
The most funny example I have of being interacted with was at Oahu, where I, at a respectfull distance distance, was observing a nice big sea-turtle having lunch. Busy looking at this magnificant creature, somethng bumped into me from below. I looked down, and behold.....the turtle had another turtle-friend (comming over for lunch?) whos OW-instructor forgot to teach it to ascent while looking up and holding one paw above its head
Slightly annoyed, the turtle swam a tad forward, turned around just in front of me and looked at me with a "what the hell are you doing and why are you dressed like that you stupid git?" look, then poked/probed my mask before heading off to his buddy.
I know that these creatures are protected and that any interaction between turtles and swimmers/divers is discouraged (or even forbidden?) -- but apparantly this guy didn't know that.
It appears to me, none of the replies; to the original post by the poor beleaguered teen, have come from Instructors???
Has nobody heard of "Discover Scuba"?
As the teen described it, a "crash course" provided by an Instructor, not a certification course. PADI Standards and Procedures states this course has a maximum allowable depth to 13-meters/40-feet. So, if as an uncertified diver, she went to 13-meters/40-feet with an Instructor and her father on an intro dive, she was perfectly within standards, as was the Instructor who took her. The fact the Instructor was close enough to observe (PADI Standards and Procedures stating the Instructor must have direct supervision) and give immediate assistance and acted to ensure no student injury occurred tells me all was well with this activity. The Intro to Scuba is to show prospective divers the wonders of scuba, and entice them into a certification class.
Yes, I am an Instructor.
The intro to scuba covers the most basic scuba skills, which includes mask clearing and regulator clearing/recovery.
I'm not familiar with the dive site referred to, so I can't comment on that subject.
I think it is interesting to read the posts regarding interaction with non-human lifeforms. I won't give my opinion. There were sufficient enough posts to demonstrate there are many schools of thought on this subject. Each has its validating data.
I laughed at the Hawaiian turtle story!!!!!! I can tell you personally I have encountered "wild" sealife.... hugging giant moray eels, caressing blotched stingrays, curious sharks... even a nurse shark who nosed my camera strobe a few times, backed up, and then swam right between my fins, clown fish pecking at my mask, California Sea Lions who grab your fins and tug at you and even drop small rocks onto your head and "bark" in your face to get you to play; and of course, hundreds more encounters.
As one reply noted, someone forgot to tell the wildlife the rules about no interaction.
But, smiling with my regulator in my mouth? I dunno. I usually take it out of my mouth for photo's and laughing!
I've never had a student or buddy get water in their reg from laughing or smiling, but I can imagine it quite easily!!!
Don't forget though... never hold your breath! Blow bubbles or something if you take your reg out!
