We had our first dives of the trip on Sunday, after a brief re-orientation from Augusto, the head of Dive Operations at the resort. I did one dive in the morning, then took care of business, including renewing my driver’s license online, picking up some groceries, and renting a truck, and two in the afternoon: one early, with my roommate Mike, and one later with Ralph and Joe Quinnan as well.
First Dive
You are surrounded by fish as soon as you enter the water.
Turtle passing by
Spotted Eel
Smallmouth Grunts schooling
Blackbar Soldierfish, Smallmouth grunts, squirrelfish, brown tube sponge
Schoolmaster Snapper
Brown Tube Sponge
Convoluted Barrel Sponge
Blackbar Soldierfish
Christmas Tree Worms
Smallmouth Grunts
Blackbar Soldierfish
Chtistmastree worms on coral
Schoolmaster Snapper and Stove Pipe Sponge
Schoolmaster Snapper and Stove Pipe Sponges
Second Dive
For the second dive, Mike and I headed north from the resort
Sand Diver Lizardfish
Knobby Cactus Coral
Spotted Goatfish
Flower and lettuce coral
Azure Vase Sponge
Spotted Moray Eel
Brown Tube Sponge
Schoolmaster Snapper
Mahogany Snapper
Threespot Damselfish juvenile, coral, and christmastree worms
Threespot Damselfish juvenile and coral
Schoolmaster Snapper in a basket sponge
Third Dive
We did our last dive of the day around five; for this dive, I used a red filter over the lens instead of using the strobe. The filter permits a more natural feel, because you’re using existing light, at the cost of color. I took the filter off once we reached the boat, and lost the mount on the way back.
Schoolmaster Snapper still at his post in the same basket sponge
Schoolmaster Snapper in a basket sponge
Head on. Didn't seem as if it had moved much since the earlier dive.
Schoolmaster snappers and sharptail eel
Lobed Star coral and stovepipe sponges. This kind of outcropping is typical
The sunken boat between Buddy's and the Habitat
Bow of the boat
Sergeant Major protecting his eggs (the purple mass)
Blackbar Soldierfish
Sharptail Eel
Smallmouth grunts under the dive ladder