I Hurt Myself Today

[alohagal]

Okay...this is getting out of control. Yes...we leveled off with our ascent, many times. And were albe to swim and be level. What is the big deal. We did not kick down to 160 feet. We descended normally then turned ever so slightly verticle/horizontal to get where we needed to be. It was the dive plan, not to take our sweet time descending.

As for touching the eel. We had been seeing many of them the weeks before. It is a very unshy snake eel that hangs out with you always swimming on the sand. I have great video of one from the week before. My point of saying anything was that the DM was misinformed, just as he was about the Lionfish.

 

[alohagal]

Guess I won't mention the Gigantic Grouper "Fred" in the Belize Marine park who hangs out under the boats waiting for snorkelers.

Do not go to Belize if you don't want to see DM's touching everything under the ocean and then some! For the non-touchers of the world...I highly recommend Galapagos...you have to literally jump back and away from the baby seals who want to try and nurse on your legs when their mommas are gone. The moms and dads are underwater and will come up and put their snouts on your mask and then imitate your bubbles by blowing their own. You are eye to eye with them. I had one bring me a conch shell like he wanted to me to play a soccer game with it. Nose to Nose. They have NO fear of humans because they go unmolested and unhunted there for so many centuries.

In Galapagos the mantra every moment of the day is not to touch anything (as it should be). It is the gospel there.

The DM from BA who saw the snake eel said he touched them all the time...until someone from the States told him it was deadly venomous. He took their word for it! That is why he doesn't touch them anymore. He wasn't being PC.


Okay...time to go diving. "Look ma, no hands"

 

[firstdive2005]

We were briefed to kick down to depth so we could get the job done...no one had any clearing problems or mask squeeze.
It was all good.

I am not trying to make anything get 'out of hand'. I appologize if that seems the case. Sometimes words are litteral here. Not all divers are an experienced diver like you. I was pointing out for newer divers what could happen if not careful on a bounce to the bottom. Kicking down is dangerous if not done carefully. Some may think, cool lets bolt to the bottom for more air time. That is why I commented not to put down your skills. I dive and kick all the time.
Also you petted the snake eel. At least that is what you wrote. It does not matter if it was curious or not. Sharks are curious. Come on. That can be very deadly if you do not even know what your touching and you didnt. I am not getting out of hand. I would hate to see something happen to you or other divers. Please dont read this as trying to mess up you report, it is adding skills. Your report of your trip is most cool. Keep it up. I hope you dont take offence. Maybe this should have been PM'd.

 

[billindenver]

In judging others a man labours to no purpose, commonly errs, and easily sins, but in examining himself, he is always wisely and usefully employed.
Thomas A Kempis

 

[Budgirl]

This is the most entertaining thread I have read in a long time...Alohagal please extend your vacation for about 7 more weeks...I will be there in 6 weeks and would love to dive with you...I am sure it would be an adventure to write home about!

 

[jeancmo]

This is the most entertaining thread I have read in a long time...Alohagal please extend your vacation for about 7 more weeks...I will be there in 6 weeks and would love to dive with you...I am sure it would be an adventure to write home about!

agree! did you see her finger? she posted a pic of it in the photo gallery! YUK!!



Jean in MO

Mary where are you??? I want to hear about your 300 ft dive and your ride on the big grouper!!!

 

[firstdive2005]

and your ride on the big grouper!!!

Are we going to get some fish porn now?

 

[ggunn]

Are we going to get some fish porn now?

Here ya go.

YouTube - Horseshoe crab mating

 

[K_girl]

Mary is right about Belize. I had an eel come swimming out of a hole straight for me. Couldn't back-up fast enough and I used my huge camera to keep him off me. He stuck his face right in the lens, almost like he was trying to crawl through the camera. Learned later he was probably looking for food because the DMs feed them there. Don't know what I would have done without the camera.

At Sting Ray City, they give you squid to hand-feed the sting rays. They teach you to keep your thumb down as you hold the squid. No one really wanted to do it because the sting rays would knock you over just from shear numbers of them. I had no food in my hand and one of them grabbed my pearly white thumb. Scared the holy *** out of me, but didn't hurt me.

Thing is, we are taught to not touch life underwater, but in practice we see others who are supposed to be our "guides" doing just the opposite.

Was on a dive recently in Florida, and a diver who was in our group had his hand in a hole in the sand, motioning me to get him a stick or something. I had absolutely no idea what he was trying to do, nor did I like it, so I just moved on. A few moments later, he comes up to me with a baby octopus in his hand. He would let the octopus go and then re-capture it. Finally, the octopus figured out he was not going to be eaten, nor was he going to get away. The diver opened his hand near his own face and the octopus stayed. It reached out with one tentacile and touched his face and reg in a curious manner. Then he placed the octopus on another diver's shoulder and the octopus stayed. I did not approve of what he had done, nor would I want him or anyone else to ever do it again. But that moment was pretty incredible. We managed to communicate to the diver that we wanted him to take the octopus back down to a safe place where it belonged. Here is the picture, but please don't give me a lot of guff about it as it was not my idea.

 

[billindenver]

Oh my GOD! You witnessed someone touching an animal! The barbarity, the sheer lack of conscience! Uh...I'm...going to be sick.

:coolingoff:

Ok, truth be told I've never felt the need to touch a turtle etc, but then my spare time is often spent in the outdoors touching wild animals (Ok, I often eat them later that week) so there is no real thrill in it for me...but should a diver next to me reach out and gently touch the back of a turtle (happened last trip... it was the DM), I'm not going to go all ballistic as long as it is respectful and non-threatening. My view is, if the animal isn't bothered, neither will I be...if the animal is bothered, I will be as well. A guy manhandling an eel that clearly wants nothing more than to get away...that does bother me. Everyone has their line in the sand and some are drawn a long way further back than mine. Nothing wrong with that of course...it takes all kinds to rotate this rock, but those who feel their way is the only enlightened path really are irritating. Yes, they are only regurgitating what they were told since none of them are marine biologists, but still.

If you grew up in a city where animals are not your every day experience, I can see how it would be easy enough to feel they are fragile beyond all reason...but the truth is most of them are not. Would I suggest people rush out to touch things they know nothing about? Certainly not. Wildlife often defend themselves in manners which are unpleasant to the target of their fear.....but then if you do something stupid, you suffer the consequences....I will not lecture you over it either way. In Cozumel, the park rules are no touchy feely...so I abide by those rules. In florida, if we wanted lobster for dinner...touching would take place...prior to boiling water. If a grouper in Coz got drunk and swam into me, I would not be too put out by it since I've eaten many of his relatives. When we swim our cameras to within 6 inches of a turtle...I'm thinking if that doesn't bother him, that DM touching his shell didn't bother him either. I didn't feel the need to follow suit as I'm more of a camera guy so I got some really nice pics. He was not the only DM I've seen playing touchy feely in Coz. One of the more vocal dive ops on this forum has at least one DM who does so...I took some pictures actually but it was all done with respect, reverence even....and being that she is educated enough to know what is and is not safe/harmful, I see no problem with that as I saw no problem with the turtle molestation last trip. The octopus incident above would likely have bothered me, but without seeing the wildlife reacting myself...I pass no judgment.

To each their own beliefs and may they practice them in peace....while keeping them to themselves.