Ken Kurtis
Contributor
STILL LIVE FROM EASTER ISLAND!!!!
(please scroll down for details)
We survived week 1 and are ready to begin week 2 . . .
GREETINGS FROM EASTER ISLAND - It's more correctly known as "Rapa Nui" or "Isla de Pascua." And we've really enjoyed exploring it both above and below for the last week. Unfortunately, (and maybe you know this if you're followed our FaceBook posts), we were hit with a bunch of little problems, the most severe of which was weather. It rained most of the days we were here during week 1. In fact, the weather was so rainy/windy when we got here that the harbor was closed on Monday so that killed our first day of diving. The saving grace in all of this was that the rain was sporadic and, other than making things muddy, it didn't affect our land tours with ace tour guide Josie Mulloy Nahoe. And while it's been rainy, it's also been warm. Air temps are running around 71 in the morning and then topping out around 80-82. Water temps have been as low as 77 but are generally 79-80 on my gauge. Visibility is estimated at 80-100 feet and on one dive, the bottom was around 200 feet and we could see it pretty easily when we entered and descended.
WHAT ARE WE SEEING UNDERWATER? - The general reef structure is low-profile hard corals, somewhat similar to Hawaii (but not as colorful). The underwater topography is amazing and diverse and it's interesting how you can dive one site and then dive a second site only a few hundred yards away, and they're very different. We got in 10 dives overall (spread out over four days). Probably our favorite was at Motu Kao Kao, which is a very steep rocky pinnacle that sticks out of the water - think a taller and skinnier Ship Rock - which had lots of different fish, a bunch of Dwarf Angelfish (endemic to Easter Island and very hard to shoot because they're skittish and always on the move), and even a colorful lobster. We also dove the underwater fake Moai that was sunk in the 2000s for a movie shoot. All the dives sites are fairly close - 2 to 15-minute runs - and all the diving is done from small skiffs so it's gear up and roll off and off we go.
WHAT ARE WE SEEING TOPSIDE? - Obviously the big attraction are the moia, the giant carved statues that dot the island. They've documented something like 900 of them but half of those are still at the quarry where they were carved (Rano Raraku), and others are scattered around the island. 42 of them have been restored and stood upright on the ceremonial platform known as an ahu. Pretty cool and ample reason why the island has been designated as a UNEXSO World Heritage Site.
TAKE A PEEK - Below you'll see (1) The 15 Moai at Tongariki, (2) Walking amongst the heads (they have bodies too) at Rano Raraku, (3) Moai at Anakena with top-knots as well, (4) endemic Easter Island Damselfish (they're everywhere), (5) the small and skittish endemic Dwarf Angelfish, and (6) the endemic fish locally known as the Triangle Fish (but which is in actuality a type of Morwong.)
GROUP 2 - They arrived today (Sunday) safe and sound after the somewhat grueling 20-hour journey from LAX. We've gotten everyone settled into their rooms and will shortly do a walk-around of the "downtown" are which will include a stop at the dive shop and their first actual moai.
FACEBOOK - If you're on FaceBook, be sure to check pout both the Ken Kurtis and the Reef Seekers FB pages. I'm posting Daily Top 10 shots there as well as giving you a short summary of the day. It's a good way to enjoy the experience vicariously. (But there's nothing like seeing it in person.)
CHAMBER EVE TABLE REMINDER - We've got 4 seats left at the Reef Seekers table. Overall, 100 seats have already been accounted for and that number grows daily. We’re delighted to again be able to do all of this in the Great Hall at Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach. This year will see a price increase to $175/seat. And who wouldn't want to win a week of diving Indonesia with Murex Dive Resorts? Our Grand Prize this year is their 9-day “Passport to Paradise” and ONLY people who attend Chamber Evening (or sign up for the virtual version) will have their names in the hopper with a chance to score this wonderful dive experience. Get your seat at www.chamberday.org.
ROATAN IN JUNE - I have to turn in unassigned/unclaimed rooms EOD March 27. So if you're interested in this, signing up sooner is safer than later. We'll have six days of diving, generally three dives/day, plus two night dives. All the food is included (which was pretty good last year) as well as airport transfers and crew/staff tips. All of this for only $3,195 plus airfare. Either shoot me an e-mail or call 310/652-4990 if you're interested in joining.
ROY HAUSER HAS DIED - I just confirmed this with Glenn Fritzler. Roy was a diving pioneer in the Santa Barbara area and was just shy of his 80th birthday. Roy founded Truth Aquatics in 1974 and helped invent California liveaboard boat diving. He'll be feastured during Chamber Eve in our "In Memoriam" segment.
AND FINALLY . . . - How about an octopus riding a shark? That's something you don't see every day: OCTO HITCHES A RIDE.
And that'll do it for now. Have a great week and let's go diving soon!!!
- Ken
(please scroll down for details)
We survived week 1 and are ready to begin week 2 . . .
GREETINGS FROM EASTER ISLAND - It's more correctly known as "Rapa Nui" or "Isla de Pascua." And we've really enjoyed exploring it both above and below for the last week. Unfortunately, (and maybe you know this if you're followed our FaceBook posts), we were hit with a bunch of little problems, the most severe of which was weather. It rained most of the days we were here during week 1. In fact, the weather was so rainy/windy when we got here that the harbor was closed on Monday so that killed our first day of diving. The saving grace in all of this was that the rain was sporadic and, other than making things muddy, it didn't affect our land tours with ace tour guide Josie Mulloy Nahoe. And while it's been rainy, it's also been warm. Air temps are running around 71 in the morning and then topping out around 80-82. Water temps have been as low as 77 but are generally 79-80 on my gauge. Visibility is estimated at 80-100 feet and on one dive, the bottom was around 200 feet and we could see it pretty easily when we entered and descended.
WHAT ARE WE SEEING UNDERWATER? - The general reef structure is low-profile hard corals, somewhat similar to Hawaii (but not as colorful). The underwater topography is amazing and diverse and it's interesting how you can dive one site and then dive a second site only a few hundred yards away, and they're very different. We got in 10 dives overall (spread out over four days). Probably our favorite was at Motu Kao Kao, which is a very steep rocky pinnacle that sticks out of the water - think a taller and skinnier Ship Rock - which had lots of different fish, a bunch of Dwarf Angelfish (endemic to Easter Island and very hard to shoot because they're skittish and always on the move), and even a colorful lobster. We also dove the underwater fake Moai that was sunk in the 2000s for a movie shoot. All the dives sites are fairly close - 2 to 15-minute runs - and all the diving is done from small skiffs so it's gear up and roll off and off we go.
WHAT ARE WE SEEING TOPSIDE? - Obviously the big attraction are the moia, the giant carved statues that dot the island. They've documented something like 900 of them but half of those are still at the quarry where they were carved (Rano Raraku), and others are scattered around the island. 42 of them have been restored and stood upright on the ceremonial platform known as an ahu. Pretty cool and ample reason why the island has been designated as a UNEXSO World Heritage Site.
TAKE A PEEK - Below you'll see (1) The 15 Moai at Tongariki, (2) Walking amongst the heads (they have bodies too) at Rano Raraku, (3) Moai at Anakena with top-knots as well, (4) endemic Easter Island Damselfish (they're everywhere), (5) the small and skittish endemic Dwarf Angelfish, and (6) the endemic fish locally known as the Triangle Fish (but which is in actuality a type of Morwong.)
GROUP 2 - They arrived today (Sunday) safe and sound after the somewhat grueling 20-hour journey from LAX. We've gotten everyone settled into their rooms and will shortly do a walk-around of the "downtown" are which will include a stop at the dive shop and their first actual moai.
FACEBOOK - If you're on FaceBook, be sure to check pout both the Ken Kurtis and the Reef Seekers FB pages. I'm posting Daily Top 10 shots there as well as giving you a short summary of the day. It's a good way to enjoy the experience vicariously. (But there's nothing like seeing it in person.)
CHAMBER EVE TABLE REMINDER - We've got 4 seats left at the Reef Seekers table. Overall, 100 seats have already been accounted for and that number grows daily. We’re delighted to again be able to do all of this in the Great Hall at Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach. This year will see a price increase to $175/seat. And who wouldn't want to win a week of diving Indonesia with Murex Dive Resorts? Our Grand Prize this year is their 9-day “Passport to Paradise” and ONLY people who attend Chamber Evening (or sign up for the virtual version) will have their names in the hopper with a chance to score this wonderful dive experience. Get your seat at www.chamberday.org.
ROATAN IN JUNE - I have to turn in unassigned/unclaimed rooms EOD March 27. So if you're interested in this, signing up sooner is safer than later. We'll have six days of diving, generally three dives/day, plus two night dives. All the food is included (which was pretty good last year) as well as airport transfers and crew/staff tips. All of this for only $3,195 plus airfare. Either shoot me an e-mail or call 310/652-4990 if you're interested in joining.
ROY HAUSER HAS DIED - I just confirmed this with Glenn Fritzler. Roy was a diving pioneer in the Santa Barbara area and was just shy of his 80th birthday. Roy founded Truth Aquatics in 1974 and helped invent California liveaboard boat diving. He'll be feastured during Chamber Eve in our "In Memoriam" segment.
AND FINALLY . . . - How about an octopus riding a shark? That's something you don't see every day: OCTO HITCHES A RIDE.
And that'll do it for now. Have a great week and let's go diving soon!!!
- Ken
