UAE East Coast Temperatures

[Searcaigh]

It was significantly colder this week compared to last - surprisingly my dive computer registered 25c as it did last week. But everyone commented that yesterday felt colder.

Yes I noticed that on Thursday when I decided to wear a 3mm and no hood.

Still to download my pics even from the week before when I dived Inch 2, just haven't had time and was partying with the rest of the Pub Quiz team I belong to at the Jumeirah Beach Hotel FOC as part of the packages we won back in December 2020.

 

[hedonist222]

Update from an outlandish Friday:

We were scheduled to dive at Deep Reef, followed by Inchcape 10. The staple Barracuda Dive Center dive meals.

I don't know if the dive guide was subtly warning us or a mere coincidence.
He casually mentioned sea snakes being popular in this area. We even joked that now that he'd mentioned it, we'd be harassed by one.

This dive was supposed to be about learning my new camera/lens setup. I'd intended to stay within ten minutes of the mooring line as I had no intention on exploring. Just testing out the camera and lens.
On the boat, one of the housing dials was not making contact with the camera dial. So I had to switch from manual mode to aperture mode. As that malfunctioning dial not only controlled shutter speed, but ISO as well. Mild annoyance as I was now somewhat handicapped.
As I descended, another annoyance. The pressure sensor indicated orange - which means theres a slow leak that needs to be addressed.
Decided to carry on with the dive.

As soon as I'd descended and for the remaining and what felt like an eternity of my eight minute dive - I was harassed and hounded by a large male banded sea krait. It would simply not leave me alone. They tend to swim by, take a curious glance and then swim off. This particular critter spent eight minutes chasing me. At first I ignored it. But I noticed it kept getting closer. Too close for comfort.
Decided to swim ten meters across the reef. Maybe I was impeding on a snack it had its heart set out on?
It followed me there. Ignored it. Still kept getting closer. F*(&^ it.
So I decide to swim further across the reef. I look back and its following me. I swim faster and it swims even faster. In hindsight I may triggered its chase-the-prey instinct.
I then decide to swim to the center of a group of four or five divers. Maybe it'd get scared and swim away.
No. It was just after me - weaving through other divers.
I then decide to abort the dive.

I'm sitting on the boat after a very lovely eight minute dive - particularly frustrated because I only got one photograph in- and that was even before I'd turned my light on.

Soon enough divers start to ascend. The first of the bunch were friends - a couple. She looked uncomfortable as she climbed up the ladder.
Everything okay, I ask? Shen then tells me she and her husband had to abort the dive because of a overenthusiastic sea snake.
You can imagine how the conversation carried on from there.

Alright, no matter. It happens. Better to have aborted then risked the sea krait.

Dive two, Inchcape 10. Immediately upon reaching the wreck, I felt a surge of cold water. It was 24 degrees celcius. Felt like March.
Saw a large green turtle with patron remoras in full service. Also, a juvenile electric ray - the diameter of a small pizza.
I decided to end the dive at thirty eight minutes and fifteen minutes NDL. It was just too cold.
Nice dive though. Found a nudibranch that is apparently somewhat rare: Trapania japonica.

What a manic Friday.

 

[Searcaigh]

A nice calm morning but what a shocker to experience 5m vis after the 50m vis in the Gulf of Aqaba (Red Sea). I even cleared my mask twice on the descent as I thought it had fogged up

Bottom temp on Deep Reef (28m) was 27C, and on the second site CC2 it was 29C lovely

Had a couple of sea snakes for company but other than that it was just a nice chilled out dive with nothing notable.

On the ascent a small shrimp landed on my glove. I assume it came off the mooring line as four other divers were physically using it despite no current and calm conditions

I managed to transfer the shrimp to my buddy's glove and get a couple of shots while we were on deco.

On the second dive at Car Cemetery 2 we only found three species of nudis, but the majority were Hypselodoris dolfusi.

A good day out at BDC with my number one buddy, Kerstin.

 

[Searcaigh]

Two good days of diving due to a long holiday weekend here in the UAE with my best buddy Kerstin

Bottom temperatures though were back down to 25C though

Loads of nudis on Inchcape 2 and Inchcape 10 added to the seahorses on Paradise Reef and Gunther's Wrecks made for a brilliant two days diving with Barracuda Dive Centre (BDC) along with great company and not so busy boats as they had all of them in action including the dhow yesterday, so everyone had decent social spacing

No less than seven species of nudis on Inchcape 2 yesterday made for a great last dive too.

Gymnodoris impudica

Doto species laying eggs

Looking forward to next weekend.

 

[chillyinCanada]

Two good days of diving due to a long holiday weekend here in the UAE with my best buddy Kerstin

Bottom temperatures though were back down to 25C though

Loads of nudis on Inchcape 2 and Inchcape 10 added to the seahorses on Paradise Reef and Gunther's Wrecks made for a brilliant two days diving with Barracuda Dive Centre (BDC) along with great company and not so busy boats as they had all of them in action including the dhow yesterday, so everyone had decent social spacing

View attachment 676422

View attachment 676423

No less than seven species of nudis on Inchcape 2 yesterday made for a great last dive too.

Gymnodoris impudica

View attachment 676424

Doto species laying eggs

View attachment 676425

Looking forward to next weekend.

Beauty features!

 

[hedonist222]

So my dive friend from Boston, Jo, who does several hundred dives a year across Indonesia/Philippines - to remote places I do not even know of - has been dry (terrible grammar/punctuation I know) since January 2020.

I somehow managed to convince him to come here since his usual haunts are still not open.
We actually met in Khasab of August 2019. So he was aware what "UAE" diving entails.
Four days later he and Lisa his wife are on a direct flight from Boston to Sandy Beach Hotel. Sandy beach because Lisa isn't diving much and would prefer to snorkel.

Today we dived with Barracuda. Ruby Reef and then Inchcape 1.
We were met with a behemoth and magnificent ray that apparently is either a Honeycomb Ray or a Leopard Ray.
I think it was a Honeycomb Ray.

Three Whiprays

Later on that dive we find a very large and curious Remora.
You know what you do when you find a Remora, right?
Seek out its host.
A bit of scavenging nearby and we find two very large feathertail rays.
Remora also in vicinity.
We get a little close to one of the Ray and it propels itself and the Remora tethers itself to it.
Alright - some closure. We found the remora's host. It wasn't a Mola Mola or Shark or Whaleshark...

A school of fairly large Trevally were sort of schooling around us as well for a few minutes. I wonder what that symbolizes.

Inchcape was the usual self.

 

[hedonist222]

Two good days of diving due to a long holiday weekend here in the UAE with my best buddy Kerstin

Bottom temperatures though were back down to 25C though

Loads of nudis on Inchcape 2 and Inchcape 10 added to the seahorses on Paradise Reef and Gunther's Wrecks made for a brilliant two days diving with Barracuda Dive Centre (BDC) along with great company and not so busy boats as they had all of them in action including the dhow yesterday, so everyone had decent social spacing

View attachment 676422

View attachment 676423

No less than seven species of nudis on Inchcape 2 yesterday made for a great last dive too.

Gymnodoris impudica

View attachment 676424

Doto species laying eggs

View attachment 676425

Looking forward to next weekend.

Wow, Searcaigh. Nice find with the Doto laying eggs!!

 

[hedonist222]

Right - it was also unnervingly cold for midsummer August UAE temps!

24 at Ruby Reef (26 meters)
25 at Inchcape 1 (24 meters)

24 degrees in August?!?!
I was a bit chilly towards the end of both dives.

 

[Searcaigh]

I was a bit chilly towards the end of both dives

Tell me about it, Kerstin was only in her skin with a thermal vest and hood due to the warm temps the week before.

Almost tempting to bring a 5mm as a backup

 

[Searcaigh]

25C on Inchcape 2 today where Kerstin and I did two dives whilst the rest of the boat did Martini for the second dive.

Nudi heaven at the moment, hence the second dive and besides the usual suspects lots of tiny white dots that magically turn into nudis when observed closely.

Phyllodesmium sp.

and several Eubranchus sp.

5mm next weekend!