I Have A Crush

[FWNurseshark]

Still feeling in the vacation mode- it was just last Friday morning I was in Cozumel. Now at work but hey that's what will allow me to afford to go back.

On the last night dive on Wednesday night(shore dive off of the Brisas) I was feeling tired and really realized it before jumping in and ended up spending an hour diving. You know the dive,eat,sleep,dive,dive ,dive, eat,dive etc. Even during the dive I was thinking- I've seen the stingray, the angel fish, the black urchins, etc.

And then what happened took it all away.... an octopus that took my breath away. I had seen several octopus but for the most part they were hiding. This one was out feeding and had a beautiful glow to it. I thought of it as a "sea angel." It went from white to green to aqua to blue to dark red to white to green to aqua to blue to dark red over and over and over. I was mesmerized and I still have this memory imprinted. It still can take my breath away. Also I should mention that all of the tiredness that I felt turned to pure elation. I was so glad I jumped in no matter how tired I felt. You never know what you might miss right?

Would like to hear similar experiences-- c'mon swampers I know we like to reminense.(sp)

 

[Natasha]

You took me back. That was nice.
I will be in Coz in 8 more weeks, and then again in May.
It's still my #1 favorite place to dive.

Sometimes, I pretend I'm diving through the cabins in the C-53.
I even sit on the toilet in there. Ha!
What fun.

 

[Dee]

I fell in love with octopus' with my first one. I was totally hooked the first time one touched me. Yes, he touched me first!

I still remember it like yesterday. It was in Coz, too. The dive site was Palancar Gardens. A Splendid Toadfish had been found and I was down close to the sand taking a picture of it. I had one hand on the sand for stability. As I was waiting to take the pic, I felt something very lightly skim across the back of my hand. I couldn't look right then as I was waiting for the Toadfish to come back out a bit, but I figured it wasn't stinging me so I wasn't in any danger so it was probably something waving in the surge. Much to my surprise it was an octopus with a body about the size of a grapefruit. I was so excited! The Toadfish was quickly forgotten!

As this small octo examined my hand and arm, he was watching me the whole time, looking at me eye to eye. It was an amazing connection, almost spiritual. Sounds corny but it's hard to explain. My new friend continued to explore up my arm and when he got to my face you could see the expression change. His body changed colors rapidly and the texture went from smooth to rippled like the surface of the corrugated inflator hose, skin that felt like wet silk. One gentle tentacle explored my face, mask and reg then back down to my BC. Ever have an octo arm exploring down your bathing suit? It's a weird feeling! He was so gentle, almost like a blind person reading my face.

This encounter must have lasted around 15 minutes. I wasn't leaving! The DM brought everyone back around to watch. I don't know if it was the audience or if his curiosity was satisfied but after one last brush across my fast, he slowly made his way down my arm and back into his home under the edge of the reef.

That was one of those memory moments that I'll never forget.

Damn....I should burned a pot of pintos sitting here re-living that. It was worth the smell!

 

[FWNurseshark]

As this small octo examined my hand and arm, he was watching me the whole time, looking at me eye to eye. It was an amazing connection, almost spiritual. Sounds corny but it's hard to explain.

That was one of those memory moments that I'll never forget.

No Dee it doesn't sound corny. Gosh, I want to get an aquarium just to watch octos but I know they wouldn't be happy and that would be a crime. I'll never forget it either and now wanna go searching again just for that experience. Your experience surpassed mine but I'll take it . Wow, you've had over 300 dives- I'm in the low 40's.

Natasha- I understand. "This is why we dive right?" On my most stressful day I'll take my mind back there and I know that there are places in this world that are so peaceful.


It doesn't have to be an octopus though- this experience replaced my memory of a large parrot fish. I know another diver who talks about algae bloom at night- I don't understand that one but ya gotta be there.

I'd love to hear other "breathtaking " experiences. Thanks

 

[Dee]

FWNurseshark once bubbled...
.....Wow, you've had over 300 dives- I'm in the low 40's.

I've got more than double that now but total dives don't always tell the story. Your 40+ dives are important to you, maybe more so, because because of all the new things you're learning and experiencing. The wonder in your writing is refreshing to me and brings back those same feelings when I had them the first time. As your dive count continues to grow, I hope you never loose that wonder of the world down under. It sounds like I have alot of dives, and I guess by numbers I do, but when I look ahead at how much I still want to see and do and experience, it's a drop in the bucket!

Maybe some day we can experience something new together!

 

[tx.lakerats]

I totally agree with Dee on this... My best dive was around my 25th or so... It was in Coz as well when I had my first incounter with Yellowheaded Jawfish... I thought those little guys in the holes were the best thing since slice bread... I was working on my bouyancy when I noticed these things popping up and when I figured out they were fish I was down on the bottom of the reef the entire dive... Simple yet had soo much fun...

 

[Sham_ba_la]

Oh Wow! All of what everyone has said sounds so exciting, I certainly hope one day when I can get to Coz after getting a bit more experience under my belt I can see the same... Then again I guess I really need to get past my first class coming up... I do however have a singles trip I'm going on coming up this Feb, not real sure where's it going to be though, possibly Florida so maybe then I'll get to see some interesting things.

D

 

[ScubaTexan]

I guess one of my most memorable experiences was my first night dive in Cozumel, back in November 2001. It was at Paraiso (Paradise) and we entered the water at dusk. As we swam to one of the first coral formations we came up to, I saw a spotted moray eel stick his head out, almost as if to say hello to us. It might have been hard to tell with a regulator in my mouth, but I had a smile on my face that you could not have wiped off with a beach towel! It was my first moray eel (and, to date, my only one). A little later in the dive, I saw an octopus, as well, as it swam past and back into another piece of coral. It was a very special dive for me, and there truly is something magical about coral reefs at night.

The next day at La Francesa, I saw three nurse sharks -- so far, the only sharks I've ever seen on a dive. I had to do a double take to make sure I was really seeing what I thought I was. Finally, after making the shark sign to one of the divemasters, he nodded in confirmation. They were all three going after something in a piece of coral, so we didn't bother them, but it was really an awesome feeling. Makes me wish I was back there right now...

 

[Dee]

Now you can see why it's a favorite destination for so many of us. But Sham_ba_la...you can see these same things anywhere in the Caribbean, not just Coz.

Good luck with your class. Coz is great in the wintertime! :tease:

 

[Diver Kat]

I have not had the experience of seeing an Octopus yet, but as we plan to do several night dives during our December Coz trip, I have my fingers crossed ....

My best so far was in Florida, doing my Underwater Naturalist Speciality. Alan (buddy, hubby & best friend!) and I had dropped down and immediately lost our Instructor (actually, he lost us - twice!) Since we were comfortable with our plan, we proceeded with our "classwork." I was cruising a few feet back from my buddy, skimming just above the bottom, when suddenly this HUGE head popped up in my face, startling me. Slowly this enormous turtle, longer than my entire body (and I'm 5'4"), rose up from under me, kind of gave me a look (I guess I woke him up!), and then gently swam off. I had to do a couple quick fins to get a yank on Alan's fin so he could catch sight of the turtle as it left. We were both totally amazed and awed by the sight ... it really brought the term prehistoric to mind. Amazingly, as we circled back around, we ran into him again a bit later, again napping on the bottom. He again rose, then gently swam off. I've had a number of great dives since then (although I'm only up to #58) nothing so far has matched the sight of that gentle giant rising so close to me, then slipping away. (I still get the warm fuzzies whenever I think about it ....)