I dove with Al. Jo was the divemaster for our group. There were 9 divers and two "guides", so they paired up all the divers and the two guides each took a group. Our group was the first in this time, and Al and I were the first in the water. Headed down the mooring line when all of our group was in.
Al Pedden descending to the Mahi
We dropped right down to the bottom at the bow of the wreck and immediately spotted a huge Great Barracuda swimming slowly away off the side of the ship. It was too far away to get a photo of. The visibility was great today - about 80 feet and the water was very clear and blue.
When the group was all assembled, we started slowly swimming around the wreck and there were Spotted Eagle Rays everywhere! They were just hanging around the wreck and not leaving. Usually when we see them, they just do a swim-by and it is so far in the distance that you just barely see them. Not today! They hung around is pairs and groups of three or four and singly - it was amazing.
Spotted Eagle Rays
As the group was completing our circle of the wreck, there was a group of three rays that were swimming along side us and I just edged out to get closer to them. rather than fleeing, they just slowly swam alongside me and I was able to get a video of them. It was great fun. The rest of the divers were a little apprehensive that I was not coming back, so I turned to swim back to the group, and the rays turned and followed me - so cool!
This one was just hanging out over the center of the wreck.
Spotted Eagle Ray
Spotted Eagle Rays
Al kind of did a disappearing act on me toward the end of the dive as I was taking the last couple of photos. I swam back to the mooring line and began my ascent. I could see him above me then so I wasn't worried about where he was. After a safety stop, I got out. This dive was really all about the rays!
When I got out of the water, there was a humpback whale breaching right behind the boat! I missed it, but those on-board were talking about it. As I was making my way to my seat and getting out of my gear, it surfaced again alongside the boat, but quite a ways out. I managed to see it just as it humped its back in a huge curve and dove deep. Its tail fluke came clear out of the water and would have been a great photo if I had been ready with a camera.
Jo Hanging Out Waiting for the Second Dive
If the first dive was all about rays, the second one was all about urchins. We did the normal circuit through the site and all the regular swim-throughs, but everywhere I looked there were cool urchins to photograph.
Marlinspike Auger
Rock-Boring Urchin
Thomas's Urchin and Red Pencil Urchin
Needle-Spined Urchin
Rough-Spined Urchin
Banded Urchin
Rough-Spined Urchin
Ran into this guy hanging out under a rock near the end of the dive. Probably to largest Whitemouth Moray I have ever seen!
Whitemouth Moray Eel
As I was about to end the dive, Jo called me over and showed me this Panther Flounder. It was the first I had ever seen. Very difficult to see and even harder to photograph!
Panther Flounder
Ascended without a safety stop since I was about out of air.
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