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The Carangidae are a family of ray-finned fish which includes the jacks, pompanos, jack mackerels, runners, and scads. It is the largest of the six families included within the order Carangiformes. Wikipedia - just in case anyone else wondered... beats me how a beer barrel can desintegrate quickly... (depending on how many divers, the beer itself can be gone in a wink..)That's a pity...
Fata morgana probably.
This is interesting..so the Mobula actually like to be "called" ? Hopefully knocking on the bottle with the end of your knife or torch will do the trick...
Hi JMBL!Hi !
Went to the Azores 4 years ago, and loved it.
Concerning Formigas (sorry didn't dive Dollabarat) : it was well worth the money and the long navigation (went from Santa Maria). I've been diving since 1990 and seen my fair share of large groupers, but there, they were the most curious and friendly ones I've ever seen, although they're wild and don't meet divers every day. I could even see the little critters living on their body. Nice soft coral forest and black coral as well, lots of them, large trees and only 30m deep (to see some in the Med, you have to go deeper than 50m). Lots of different fishes as well. Spent the day there (2 tank dive), had a picnic on the rocks, it was great fun. Only one regret, not been able to go deeper. Well, rules are rules...
Concerning my experience with the mobulas : stayed 2 weeks in the Azores (one on Santa Maria, one on Faial), and I've seen at least one mobula every 2 dives. According to the locals, I was very lucky. The best place for me was Ambrósio : the DM (a young and pretty Spanish brunette) had to pull me out of the water, everybody had sucked their tank dry but I still had plenty of gas, for once it was good to be an old timer
.
Princess Alice bank wasn't that good an experience. I was set on diving there, it's been a mythical place for me since I was a kid, but we weren't lucky with the weather. Sea had been choppy for a while, so viz was rather murky. Don't get me wrong : it was a nice dive, but condition were less than optimal.
Concerning the shark dive (off Faial, there's a 600m deep drop out, between Faial and Pico) : I was on the boat with a couple and a guy. All three were total jerks ! They expected the blue whalers to be at rendez-vous point right on the strike of the clock !
Concerning water temperature, I was there in July, it was like the Med, my 2 pieces 5 mil wet suit and a neoprene tshirt underneath were quite enough.
Hope to get back there within 2 years, I think I fell in love with the archipelago. Btw, if you're interested in wines, you MUST try the local ones : Pico produces the best ones.
Thanks for the insight - between the two places, which did you prefer for diving? Ignoring chances to see what animal - in general, was the dive sites (biodiversity, coral health, water clarity etc) better in one or the other in your experience?
