How can it be mid-August already . . .????
KEN'S TRIALS & TRIBULATIONS - It's weird that this past week was spent playing catch-up from being gone for three weeks on the Yap trip. And now this coming week will be spent getting ready to leave for Isla Mujeres. I realize it's bad form and sounds weird to be complaining about having to go to fabulous dive spots around the world but I didn't plan enough space between these two trips. By the same token, it's an embarrassment of riches and I truly appreciate the fact that so many of you are eager and willing to join us on these adventures. Keep an eye out fo the 2024 trip schedule, which I wil lwork on earnestly once back from Isla.
FINAL POST-YAP THOUGHT - If you didn't get a chance to look at the two videos, give them a quick view both are short. The first, Manta Fly-By, are the three mantas that buzzed us a couple of times in Goofnu Channel. Video is maybe 30 seconds long on one of the encounters. The other is the baitball and shark feeding frenzy we encountered. Thanks to Glenn Suhd for jumping in to shoot some video, as well as to Gayle Chin who gave me her GoPro to shove into the water as the baitball swooped by our boat. Here are the links:
ZOOM SEEKERS FROM LAST WEEK - In case you missed it, Rachel Cushman, DSO at the Aquarium of the Pacific, gave a nice talk last week about what it's like to dive at AOP and what you'll need to do if you'd like to join the volunteer dive corps. You can catch her comments here:
LAHAINA FIRE - It's hard to know what to say here as this is a tragedy almost beyond our comprehension. Every time I see more pictures, my jaw drops. There are a number of dive operators based on Lahaina who have been not only affected but devastated. Two of the largest are Extended Horizons and Lahaina Divers. Both seem to have lost their buildings and their boats, not to mention that many of their staff people were also burned out of their homes. PADI has set up a GoFundMe page in conjunction with the Ako'ako'a Foundation to help those in need. Reef Seekers just donated $500 to those efforts and we hope you'll consider making a donation as well. Here's the direct link to the GoFundMe page:
WONDERFUL DAY IN AVALON LAST WEEK - I always like taking people to the Underwater Park but it was a special treat last week as I took the two Aquarium staffers who are in charge of our re-purposed Amber Forest exhibit which is now known as Casino Point. Interestingly, neither one of them had ever seen a Giant Sea Bass in the wild so that was a key goal on our dives and I'm happy to report we were successful. I'm also pitching them pretty hard or either making a replica of the Cousteau plaque for the AOP exhibit or at least have some photos put up to tell people about it. Work in progress. But it was very productive for them as we covered all the areas of the Park over the course of three dives and they already came away with some ideas of how to adjust the exhibit in terms of animals being featured, structure, and stuff like that. So when you come to the Aquarium the next time, be sure to check out the Casino Point exhibit, just to the right of the tall Blue Cavern exhibit at the end of the Great Hall.
NEXT WEEK WE'LL BE IN MEXICO - We leave Saturday morning for Isla Mujeres, a speck of an island just north of Cancun, and our home base to go snorkel with the annual congregation of Whale Sharks in the area. Scientists don't know why they come to this spot at this time every year, but they do and the numbers are estimated to be as high as 800 animals!!! The Mexican government has strict regulations in place about what you can and can't do when interacting with these leviathans and we're looking forward to the encounters. This will be our fifth trip down there, although we haven't been since 2016 so it will be interesting see what has changed in the last seven years. I plan on writing TWARS from Isla next Sunday which will be after our 2-tank dive in the Cancun Underwater Museum (sculptures) which I've always found to be fascinating. Hopefully I'll have some pix for you as well.
And that'll do it for now. Have a great week and let's go diving soon!!!
- Ken
