Trip Report Finally, back at home 2023

[scubadada]

Thanks for all the good wishes. I broke my leg in October and went to surgery. I broke the initial fixation hardware and had to go back to surgery in December. Recovery from the second surgery was very tough, much, much harder and longer than my hip replacements. I wouldn't have been able to go home after surgery if it were not for my fantastic wife. Physical therapy was priceless. The rest was hard work. I have one recommendation, never break your femur, particularly when you are older.

Diving yesterday went beautifully, no trouble walking with my gear and no problem reboarding. Yesterday was a fins on ladder, today will be fins off.

Initial fracture, fixation, and broken hardware

Second fixation, that's a lot of metal, including a few broken screws. Second photo shows healing callus

I'll see you in less than a month @Dan

 

[brownie]

I wouldn't have been able to go home after surgery if it were not for my fantastic wife. Physical therapy was priceless.

Bravo on your excellent recovery.

Looking forward to reading about your next Malpelo adventure!

 

[Dan]

Thanks for all the good wishes. I broke my leg in October and went to surgery. I broke the initial fixation hardware and had to go back to surgery in December. Recovery from the second surgery was very tough, much, much harder and longer than my hip replacements. I wouldn't have been able to go home after surgery if it were not for my fantastic wife. Physical therapy was priceless. The rest was hard work. I have one recommendation, never break your femur, particularly when you are older.

Diving yesterday went beautifully, no trouble walking with my gear and no problem reboarding. Yesterday was a fins on ladder, today will be fins off.

Initial fracture, fixation, and broken hardware
View attachment 789147 View attachment 789148 View attachment 789149

Second fixation, that's a lot of metal, including a few broken screws. Second photo shows healing callus
View attachment 789150 View attachment 789151

I'll see you in less than a month @Dan

Ouch!

My dad broke his femur. He was never be the same since then. No more running. Just walking with cane.

I broke 7 bones in my body & snapped Achilles tendon, but never the femur, in my crazy younger days (Tae Kwon Do, Cycling, Rock Climbing). I am very very careful to what I do now.

CU in Malpelo!

 

[scubadada]

Day 2 diving, Friday June 23

Two nice dives out of Boynton Beach today with Starfish, Capt. Chris, mates Mati and Katie. Started off sunny and very warm, raining moderately when I surfaced from the 2nd dive and continued through return. Visibility was 40-50 feet, water temperature 81-83, mild north current.

First dive was on the outside of Clubhouse. A couple of Nurse Sharks, all the usual reef fish. I dived with my friend Maureen, who hunted while I had the flag, very relaxing dive.

Second dive was on the inside at Briny Breezes. I saw one of the more interesting things I've seen. I spotted a large Green Moray and went to investigate. Once there, I noticed that 2 Black Brotulas had a special symbiotic relationship with the eel and were cleaning it. They took turns signaling the eel and it would open its mouth maximally wide. They would then swim into its mouth and disappeared down its throat. About 15-20 seconds later, it would swim back out and the eel would close it's mouth. I must have watched this show for 7 or 8 minutes, absolutely fascinating. I did not have my camera with me, here is the photo of Black Brotulas from the Humann/Deloach book. They are quite unique, a single continuous dorsal and anal fin. They shimmy to swim. They bear their young alive rather than laying eggs. Their behavior as cleaners is well known. I have only seen 2 single Black Brotulas in Boynton Beach, deep in recesses, in 13 years of diving here.

I also saw a good size Goliath Grouper on the reef, almost forgot to mention it.

2 more dives in Boynton Beach tomorrow morning. So good to be back

 

[tridacna]

Thanks for all the good wishes. I broke my leg in October and went to surgery. I broke the initial fixation hardware and had to go back to surgery in December. Recovery from the second surgery was very tough, much, much harder and longer than my hip replacements. I wouldn't have been able to go home after surgery if it were not for my fantastic wife. Physical therapy was priceless. The rest was hard work. I have one recommendation, never break your femur, particularly when you are older.

Diving yesterday went beautifully, no trouble walking with my gear and no problem reboarding. Yesterday was a fins on ladder, today will be fins off.

Initial fracture, fixation, and broken hardware
View attachment 789147 View attachment 789148 View attachment 789149

Second fixation, that's a lot of metal, including a few broken screws. Second photo shows healing callus
View attachment 789150 View attachment 789151

I'll see you in less than a month @Dan

Here’s my clavicle. Poor runner up to your femur. Did you get stopped st TSA?

 

[drrich2]

Black Brotulas

Neat. On an east coast dive guided by Bas Tol at Cai in Bonaire years ago, he showed me one. Very small, undulating like an eel to hover, and at least at whatever depth he showed it to me, it was inky black. Nice to see them get some attention on the forum; I didn't know they served as cleaner fish. Did the 2 you saw appear all black in color at depth?

 

[scubadada]

Here’s my clavicle. Poor runner up to your femur. Did you get stopped st TSA?

I have gotten stopped at every regular chech point since 9/11, except for the one in Bonaire that was still in test mode and not turned on, I told them. I use the body scanner whenever available, I generally get through.

Neat. On an east coast dive guided by Bas Tol at Cai in Bonaire years ago, he showed me one. Very small, undulating like an eel to hover, and at least at whatever depth he showed it to me, it was inky black. Nice to see them get some attention on the forum; I didn't know they served as cleaner fish. Did the 2 you saw appear all black in color at depth?

The two I saw today were jet black.

 

[scubadada]

Day 3 diving, Saturday June 24

2 tanks with Starfish out of Boynton Beach, Capt. Chris, Mati, and Ren. Day was sunny and warm, seas 1-2 ft, water temp 82, Screaming north current on the first dive and half of the second before it slacked off a bit. Covered a lot of ground.

First dive started outside of Clubhouse, ended inside at Briny Breezes. Was moving too fast most of the time to see much but caught a glimpse of a Great Hammerhead at midreef during the crossover. The dorsal fin got my atttention and then I saw its head. It was traveling in the opposite direction.

The second dive was on the inside reef, starting at Clubhouse and ending just north of Black Condo. The current decreased noticeably on the second half of the dive. Couple of Loggerhead turtles, nurse shark, all the usual reef fish.

A nice vigorous day of diving.

 

[scubadada]

Day 4 diving, Sunday June 25

Two dives with Jupiter Dive Center on the Republic IV, Capt. Ryan, guide Steve. It was a very sunny, hot day. Seas 1 foot. Trickle of north current. Water temperature was wild. On Deep Ledge it was 78 below 100 ft and in the 80s above that. At Scarface/Capt. Kirle's it was a cold 75-76 degrees.

This was not a great day of diving in Jupiter. The first dive at Deep Ledge had only 5 solo Bull Sharks make very brief appeaances. There was one nice large school of Jacks. Visibility was 30-40 feet.

Besides being cold, the second dive had poor visibility, mostly aroud 20 feet. Nothing remarkable, I stayed relatively shallow in an attempt to stay warm in my 3 mm fullsuit.

Not every day of diving can be great.

 

[Johnoly]

Not every day of diving can be great.

Thank you for the conditions reports on your dives!!!