Greetings from United flight #1920 at 32,000 feet over the Gulf of Mexico (on my way home after a weekend family wedding) . . .
EASTER ISLAND AIRFARE/SKED UPDATE - For those of you already on this trip or thinking about it, all I can say is the LATAM seat availability chart is sort of screwy. They have 100+ economy seats available one day and then say only business the next day. i think they're trying to get people to choose other skeds instead. Bear with it. We shall persevere.
WORKING ON THE LOCAL TRIP & CLASS SKED FOR 2025 - That's been one of my projects while on the plane rides for this weekend getaway. Classwise, we'll offer Nitrox, Fish ID, Tables & Computers, and Photo Workshop. (All of those will be via Zoom.) We'll still do our Avalon day trips as well as Night Dives and Squid Dives (squid dives are always free) at Vets Park. And we'll be doing some one-day one-dive Saturday classes at Vets as well. I hope to have the full sked available for printing in the December newsletter.
SPEAKING OF SQUID . . . - I have not been diving at Vets in a number of months. But I'm seeing LOTS of reports and great pix of squid activity from San Diego County and am hopeful that this will be moving north if it hasn't already. If you've been out to Vets in the last few weeks or are going in the next few weeks, drop me a note and let me know how it was. Any squid eggs or live squid????
ROATAN IN JULY - I'm closing in on the Roatan dates and hope to nail those down later this week. Based on availability at Anthony's Key, as well as fares for the plane tix, it looks like July 5-12 will be the best opportunity. I don't have overall pricing yet but we'll get in three dives each day Sunday-Friday, two night dives, and all meals are included as well. They've got a really nicely-run tight organization. The diving is good, not phenomenal, but that's about the best you can say for most Caribbean diving nowadays due to Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease. However, it's not too bad in Roatan nor are there any drastic mitigation measures in place that are impacting the diving.
WORLD'S LARGEST CORAL DISCOVERED - Scientists have discovered the world's largest coral - not a reef but it sounds like an individual coral or colony - in the Solomon Islands, measuring roughly 100 feet by 100 feet. They describe it as being the size of a cathedral. You can read more about it here:
LARGE CORAL DISCOVERED.
AND A NEW SPECIES TO BOOT - Scientists have also discovered a new species of sea slug in the Monterrey area. You can see a video about it here:
NEW SEA SLUG.
THURSDAY - And before I forget, don't you forget that Thursday is Thanksgiving. Have a great time with family and friends and if there are leftovers, pack up a plate and find some homeless person and give them a good meal and make it a better Thanksgiving for them.
And that'll do it for now. Have a great week and let's go diving together somewhere soon!!!
- Ken
