The Aqua Safari Back in the Water

Engine trouble. Bad enough that the boat has spent a couple months on shore, one engine replaced and the other rebuilt. Thus it has been a while since I have been out diving, since late October! Had the weather been better shore diving may have been a higher priority. The winter weather has been rough, with high surf warnings a common item in the morning news.

Cave Entry
One of the many entries to the cave at Pentagon
Since the gear had sat for several months the first order of business was a good checkout of everything. The tanks only had a few hundred pounds of pressure in them, but enough to check the regulators and computer. The valves and buoyancy bladder in the BCD held pressure. I did need a new mask strap, solved with a trip down the hill to the Blue Wilderness shop. Purchasing two, one for the mask, one for the spares kit. Both of the tanks are due visual inspection, need to get that taken care of.

Arriving in the Makalawena area we found a dozen boats milling about. Only one thing would attract that may boats… Dolphins. The shallow water here is a good place to find dolphins and whales. Sure enough, there were dozens of dolphins about and pods of humans snorkeling between the boats in an attempt to see the dolphins in the water. The dolphins seemed intrigued by the boats and swimmers. A group came over to check us out and surf in our wake.

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Redbarred Hawkfish

A good dive?

There may be a few criteria of a good diving experience. One of the top reasons I would call it a good dive… When the dive results in at least one really good photo.

This fellow was not in a cave, not in a wall, but out on the coral flats, and area not usually associated with great photo opportunities. Out on the flats the light is troublesome, in a cave or under an overhang I can control the light, eliminating the strong blue green hues that ruin so many photos. Under a coral head, I spot a fish just perched in the crevice. He did not move despite six or seven exposures with the camera a foot in front of him…

Redbarred Hawkfish
Redbarred hawkfish (Cirrhitops fasciatus) perched in a reef crevice