Salt Pier Today

[deco_martini]

Dive 6: Salt Pier. We noticed something breaching the water a bit north of the dive site. We geared up and went in the water past the "thing". As we swam toward the pier, we were greeted by a very large fun loving sea turtle whose head we had kept seeing pop out of the water. It escorted us the rest of the way to the pier. I found four octopus this dive, three scorpionfish, red banded snapping shrimp, and the usual collection of barracuda/tarpon/snapper/etc. At the end of the dive we ran into a silverside supernova in the shallows.

Pro Tip: If you see a pile of bi-valve shells while diving salt pier (or any place), there is probably an octopus daytime roosting under/near them. Don't be a dick and mess with them. Octopus like to decorate their "homes".

 

[drrich2]

Sounds like a great time. Wonder what species of sea turtle?

Richard.

 

[parachute]

Pro Tip: If you see a pile of bi-valve shells while diving salt pier (or any place), there is probably an octopus daytime roosting under/near them. Don't be a dick and mess with them. Octopus like to decorate their "homes".

This is exactly what I saw when I found an octopus in the shallows @ Vista Blue near the end of a dive last trip.

 

[deco_martini]

Sounds like a great time. Wonder what species of sea turtle?

Richard.

A very large green turtle. Largest turtle I've spotted so far on the island.

 

[jujubeess]

Did you get any pics today diving at the pier. I would love to see that turtle. Thanks. Jujubeess

 

[Aruba Bobs]

The octopus clean whatever is inside the shell and then the empty shell stays right outside their home.

 

[drbill]

We had a large loggerhead at The Forest on Klein Bonaire in June

 

[deco_martini]

I didn't get any pictures of the turtle juju.

I did go back last night... we made an 80 minute night dive on the peer. Saw mantis shrimp, octo, lions, all the usual suspects. Basket stars, feather stars (look halfway some of the columns). Unfortunately there were some other divers with lights that basically made it daytime underwater. Thus making everything crawl back in their holes.

_Night_ dive. In the crystal clear caribbean. You don't really need more than 65 lumens for this. One of the sagest pieces of advice I ever got early on diving in the caribbean was to take a small light on night dives. See more and be less of a dick to the nighttime wildlife.

 

[Donnah]

Totally agree about the light. I used to do night dives with just a small light (larger back-up in my pocket) and explore the area around the anchor. Saw many critters that way. Haven't done a night dive since cataract surgery and new lenses. I didn't like doing night dives with lots of divers in the water. It seems as though someone was always blinding me with a monster light. Much better with just a few experienced divers.