Tres Pelicanos/Casa Mexicana

[dflaher]

Great report and excellent hunting! The big question is: did you get the margarita recipe?

 

[CajunDiva]

HaHaHa! Nope - closely guarded family secret @MargaritaMike was an awesome guy, but there are limits!

 

[lionfish-eater]

Make lionfish ceviche.
Or coconut battered fried filets.
Or Pez Leon Veracruz.
Or al la plancha con ajo.
Or Gumbo with sausage.
Great job hunting and great write ups.

 

[CajunDiva]

Thanks for the compliment, buddy. Kinda makes all of the effort worthwhile!
Actually, I think the lionfish went home with the crew to feed families

 

[MargaritaMike]

I'm pretty sure that you mean Cedral into Santa Rosa.

Sounds like you had some great dives!

I was there. She did. Simple mistake. And yes they were some great dives.

Her account of the 5 days of diving is spot on. @CajunDiva and @Cajuncru Diver were fun to dive with. Other than the water being a little cloudy all week (actually 12 days for me), the dives were fantastic! One day someone asked me how the diving was and I couldn't think of the word that is better than fantastic. I did 26 dives with the 3P's and loved it. I'll put together another trip report in a day or so and expound on my pleasure experienced with @manta_man and his crew.

Cheers -

 

[CajunDiva]

I'll put together another trip report in a day or so and expound on my pleasure experienced with @manta_man and his crew.

Cheers -

Uh oh. @MargaritaMike ...REMEMBER...what happens in Cozumel STAYS in Cozumel

 

[CajunDiva]

Finally, here is the video clip I threw together. It's just a sampling of some of the things we saw that I was able to shoot. The music will seem odd, but it's a shout out to my boyz on the boat who sang it LOUDLY on a regular basis. @MargaritaMike was the best singer on board...just sayin' Yes, there were many other songs and lots of dancing, but this one became the "anthem". Yes...we had a FUN boat!


Last, but certainly not least, I would like to wish a VERY Happy Birthday to @manta_man - STINGER! You are a great guy and the Cozumel dive scene is better for having you and Tres Pelicanos as a part of it.

 

[MargaritaMike]

You never even call me by my name!!!! I loved the video and it really helped me with my withdrawal. Wow! Did we have fun! Thanks, Diva!
Cheers -

 

[CajunDiva]

You never even call me by my name!!!! I loved the video and it really helped me with my withdrawal. Wow! Did we have fun! Thanks, Diva!
Cheers -

Glad to see I'm not the only one going through withdrawal

 

[diverken374]

Welcome to the club!!!

Dive Day 5...diving north of the DMZ

The gang at Tres Pelicanos are known for playing a very active role in decimating the lionfish population in Cozumel. We felt very honored to be invited along on a specific lionfish hunt outside the marine park where lions were known to roam. This is a group of guys who are HIGHLY experienced with these hunts, so I felt comfortable participating. In fact, I was so eager to participate that the camera I normally carry was replaced by an M8 pole spear! Although I was the only female on the boat, hopefully I have now proven that I can hang with the big boys After proper instruction, I felt confident to give it my best shot...literally.

Although my eyes are much more attuned to finding small reef critters, it didn't take long during our first dive to spot the first target. It was a good-sized lion just hanging out in the open. @manta_man, who was my appointed babysitter, pointed out the target to me and indicated I should take my best shot. I did my best to follow the lessons I had been taught. I armed the M8, pointed at the target, and shot. It was a weak effort, but I did manage to connect and had sense enough to hold down the spear and pin the lionfish down until @manta_man came over to rescue me and finish the job. My first "kill" was not much of a kill...but at least the creature was now in the zookeeper with the accumulating number of victims the other guys were bagging. As the dive continued, my frustration grew as I continued to miss lionfish after lionfish - 4 of them! Thankfully this was a deep dive and only lasted 40 minutes or so. I'm a highly competitive 'Diva and the fact that I couldn't seem to fulfill my mission was grating on me.

During our surface interval at the marina, the captured lionfish were dumped out onto the dock, photographed and counted. In all, there were 22 fewer lionfish on the reef than before our 40 minute sojourn! Knowing that we would be heading out for a repeat performance, @manta_man was kind enough to pull me aside and explain his observations to me. It was evident to his experienced eye immediately that I wasn't arming the spear sufficiently. In other words, I wasn't stretching the rubber band out enough to provide enough thrust for the spear. So during our surface time, he carved grooves around the spear so I could have a little traction and have an idea of how far to stretch the weapon.

After a nice long interval, it was time to head out for a second try. Re-visiting the same site again, it was evident we had made a difference during the first dive - sightings were not frequent. This time when @manta_man pointed out a nice sized lion, I was ready for action. I carefully manned the weapon as I had been instructed, aimed at the target, and nailed that sucker right between the eyes...BINGO! Instantly, a lionfish hunter was born. Before long another potential victim was spotted and I also murdered that big bastard with no hesitation. I will confess that in my normal daily life, I can't kill ANYTHING. I won't even step on a roach. But now I will happily accept the moniker of "KILLER" that @manta_man has hung me with

I was a little preoccupied and didn't follow up, but I think I heard the tally on dive 2 was an additional 15 lionfish. Many thanks to @Cajuncru Diver, @gopbroek , @MargaritaMike , Assassin (Howard), and especially @manta_man. I am no longer a lionfish virgin


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