Monday, June 09, 2008
Sunday, June 08, 2008
Divers on 20 Mile Drift!
Now THIS is what I call a drift dive! I'm glad to hear that they found and rescued these 5 European divers who were caught in a current after their Indonesian dive. They drifted 20 miles, finally swimming to the island of Rinca, their last hope before being swept into open ocean. There, they apparently had to ward off the hungry advances of a Komodo Dragon.
What could have been a tragic new article in a dive magazine now makes a great story of survival. Kudos to the 5 divers who acted calmly to save their hides.
Photo from Yahoo news: AFB/ Andrew Yates.
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Why I Need UW Video
I just saw the coolest thing on the night dive I led tonight:
It started out as a nice, typical, large yellow margin moray eel. He was about 5 feet long, maybe about 5 inches in diameter, speckled brown and yellow with a distinctive yellow stripe down his spine. I watched him as he hunted, darted into holes, and swam languorously around and through corals. Moray eels hunt at night, but have notoriously bad vision. I watched him snap unsuccessfully at a few fish, including some yellow tangs. This lasted about 5 minutes or so. Most of my divers were up already, and it was just me and the eel, soon to be joined by my last diver.
Suddenly the eel darted into a hole, which was actually a short (18 inches?) tunnel. We watched his tail end squirm a bit before following the tunnel to the other end, where there was a cloud of disturbed sand in the water: The eel had caught a yellow tang! The poor fish was clamped in the eel's mouth, it's little eyes bulging and it's fins flailing to no avail! The yellow margin moray has to work himself into the correct position to squeeze and then eat a fish of that size (he was maybe 6 inches?) but the eel was having difficulty working into the correct knotted position while his head and tang were out one end of the tunnel and his tail end was out the other. He kept looping and undulating over himself to get a better grip. This lasted about 2 minutes.
Out of nowhere a second eel, a greyish moray with a whitish spine stripe, came snaking through the coral. He darted into the first hole and snapped his jaws down on the yellow tang! Both eels were clamped on the tang's poor yellow body, one from each edge, and the eels were using all their muscular strength to tug-of-war the fish into their possession. Their rippling, sinuous bodies were rolling over each other, grey with yellow, while the center pearl of this twisted knot was a very distressed tang with two toothy jaws clamped on him!
Finally the grey moray tried a different tactic: He let go of the tang and clamped onto the yellow margin moray instead, leaving two white fleshy gashes in the last 10 inches or so of the yellow eel. Ouch! The yellow eel momentarily let go of the tang in shock, and, amazingly, after being mangled in the double jaws of death for about 5 minutes, the yellow tang quickly made it's escape. Yes, bruised and probably cut, the yellow tang lived! Amazing!
The grey moray claimed the tunnel for his own hunting, and the yellow margin swam off to nurse his gnashed tail.
I realized that I had my hand on my regulator the whole time because my jaw was on the sea-floor.
It is amazing to witness behavior from sea-life, and I feel so lucky to have seen this little scene from about 4 feet away. Better than Tee-Vee fer shure, but it would have made a damn good YouTube!
It started out as a nice, typical, large yellow margin moray eel. He was about 5 feet long, maybe about 5 inches in diameter, speckled brown and yellow with a distinctive yellow stripe down his spine. I watched him as he hunted, darted into holes, and swam languorously around and through corals. Moray eels hunt at night, but have notoriously bad vision. I watched him snap unsuccessfully at a few fish, including some yellow tangs. This lasted about 5 minutes or so. Most of my divers were up already, and it was just me and the eel, soon to be joined by my last diver.
Suddenly the eel darted into a hole, which was actually a short (18 inches?) tunnel. We watched his tail end squirm a bit before following the tunnel to the other end, where there was a cloud of disturbed sand in the water: The eel had caught a yellow tang! The poor fish was clamped in the eel's mouth, it's little eyes bulging and it's fins flailing to no avail! The yellow margin moray has to work himself into the correct position to squeeze and then eat a fish of that size (he was maybe 6 inches?) but the eel was having difficulty working into the correct knotted position while his head and tang were out one end of the tunnel and his tail end was out the other. He kept looping and undulating over himself to get a better grip. This lasted about 2 minutes.
Out of nowhere a second eel, a greyish moray with a whitish spine stripe, came snaking through the coral. He darted into the first hole and snapped his jaws down on the yellow tang! Both eels were clamped on the tang's poor yellow body, one from each edge, and the eels were using all their muscular strength to tug-of-war the fish into their possession. Their rippling, sinuous bodies were rolling over each other, grey with yellow, while the center pearl of this twisted knot was a very distressed tang with two toothy jaws clamped on him!
Finally the grey moray tried a different tactic: He let go of the tang and clamped onto the yellow margin moray instead, leaving two white fleshy gashes in the last 10 inches or so of the yellow eel. Ouch! The yellow eel momentarily let go of the tang in shock, and, amazingly, after being mangled in the double jaws of death for about 5 minutes, the yellow tang quickly made it's escape. Yes, bruised and probably cut, the yellow tang lived! Amazing!
The grey moray claimed the tunnel for his own hunting, and the yellow margin swam off to nurse his gnashed tail.
I realized that I had my hand on my regulator the whole time because my jaw was on the sea-floor.
It is amazing to witness behavior from sea-life, and I feel so lucky to have seen this little scene from about 4 feet away. Better than Tee-Vee fer shure, but it would have made a damn good YouTube!
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Dream
I had this dream recently where I was wearing full scuba gear, wetsuit, and fins. And also roller skates. With my fins. But it was okay, because I know how to skate backwards. (When wearing fins, one walks backwards).
In this dream I was going to pick up my brother. (I don't know how I was going to pick him up, since my modes of transportation were fins and skates...). After I made it backwards down his driveway and he answered the door, he looked me up and down, took in the whole outfit, and with a quizzical look in his eyes, asked me,
"Are those new glasses?"
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Saturday, January 26, 2008
More Whales!
Here is another whale shot to share. I took this one of a mama and calf, which swam past the boat:
They are so amazing. The mothers have given birth recently and the baby whales are building strength and practicing skills for the upcoming journey North. We recently saw a new-born whale being pushed up to the surface by it's mama: They must learn to breathe as soon as they are born. Even more impressive are the breaches: Diving co-worker Robyn shot this incredible photo of mama and baby jumping out of the water:
Amazing.
They are so amazing. The mothers have given birth recently and the baby whales are building strength and practicing skills for the upcoming journey North. We recently saw a new-born whale being pushed up to the surface by it's mama: They must learn to breathe as soon as they are born. Even more impressive are the breaches: Diving co-worker Robyn shot this incredible photo of mama and baby jumping out of the water:
Amazing.
Saturday, January 05, 2008
Diving a ton this month!
Diving for me began mid-month as we started to get more tourists, my brother included. Since then it has been non-stop boats, sudents, dive-shop work, and even a night dive!
The big news this time of year are the whales. I first spotted a returning humpback this year in late November, and just about now in January we are seeing the baby whales with their mom's and escorts. This week we even saw some baby whales breaching the surface and slapping their tails!
I am cold (my new wetsuit should be coming in soon. My current wetsuit is 3 years old and really compressed) and tired and my shoulders ache from slinging tanks. But I am really, really happy!
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Dead Booby Bird on Dive Day
Saturday we avoided the Ironman Triathalon (and accompanying traffic closures and lack of business) by going on an employee (and SO's) dive day on the boat.
Our first dive of the day was a "Blue Water" dive in 1200 feet of water out at Buoy ZZ: Far out to sea. This photo shows Buoy ZZ, with a (partially obscured) notation about not tieing anything to the buoy. The bird standing on the buoy is fine: We made sure he was hopping along un-hindered. The bird on the left is dead, it's neck still tangled in the fishing line tied to the buoy. Very sad.
We went on to have a fascinating dive full of tiny jelly critters, then went on to another two dive sites, where we saw sharks and eels and turtles and fascinating ocean critters.
It is very nice sometimes to dive for fun, but I find that I never turn off my safety and watchfullness instincts.
Our first dive of the day was a "Blue Water" dive in 1200 feet of water out at Buoy ZZ: Far out to sea. This photo shows Buoy ZZ, with a (partially obscured) notation about not tieing anything to the buoy. The bird standing on the buoy is fine: We made sure he was hopping along un-hindered. The bird on the left is dead, it's neck still tangled in the fishing line tied to the buoy. Very sad.
We went on to have a fascinating dive full of tiny jelly critters, then went on to another two dive sites, where we saw sharks and eels and turtles and fascinating ocean critters.
It is very nice sometimes to dive for fun, but I find that I never turn off my safety and watchfullness instincts.
Friday, October 05, 2007
Wisconsin
I just returned from a short mainland trip to Wisconsin (of all places...) to meet DBF's son and grandson (I KNOW!, Right?). Beside the family obligations, I had some goals: Cheese, Yarn, and getting photographic proof that there actually were crazy people who surfed Lake Michigan.
This shot was taken in Sheboygan WI on the shores of Lake Michigan. They were amazed that I had heard of the surfspot. (It is in "Step into Liquid" and actually "Surf's Up!" wherein the surfing chicken is from Sheboygan.) they had no tee-shirts to sell me, which is a shame: Someone should be cashing in on that.
This shot was taken in Sheboygan WI on the shores of Lake Michigan. They were amazed that I had heard of the surfspot. (It is in "Step into Liquid" and actually "Surf's Up!" wherein the surfing chicken is from Sheboygan.) they had no tee-shirts to sell me, which is a shame: Someone should be cashing in on that.
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