Advertisement
Published: January 3rd 2013
Sargassum shrimp
One of the three on that branch 12 19 2012
Roatan Dive 12. Mating eels
We had a late start. I missed my deadline for Ocean Views. The system took my payment but not the uploads. We dove the Coco View West Wall once again. Steve spotted sargassum on the surface. I grabbed a piece and I noticed a weird shrimp on it. I bolted off to grab SK fin and I guess I lost the shrimp with the current. I grab another piece and It had 3 shrimp in it: a sargassum shrimp, a stripped clear one and a tiny whiny one. I tried to hold it steady for SK but the surge was moving us not even holding my breath. I took them a little deeper but the water was a bit disturbed and it was difficult to focus. I hope one is sharp. I let go of my good subject to photograph nothing for the rest of the dive. I have to remember that if I find something good to photograph I have to stay with it. I checked on the jawfish that mated yesterday and one had eggs but it went down to its hole and nevercamet back out. But when Steve
Lizard fish
We found two cleaning stations for Lizard fish came close the jawfish yamned it front of his lens. What’s new?. It even spit and all. Steve showed me a lizard fish getting its teeth clean, as soon as I took a test shot it desappeared but when Steve showed back again opened its mouth wide open for him to check its teeth. Ha! I couldn’t believe if I didn’t see it. On the way back we were looking for arrow blennies and saw fighting or mating giant eels instead. One turned bright light green and the other one black and turned around each other and then face to face. Could have been a great video opportunity for Diane. Steve shot a juvenil hogfish cleaning a jack. I watched from the surface because I was having so much trouble equalizing I thought I was going to get run over by the dive boat but they must have seen my bubbles because they stopped the engines.
42 ft 128min Ni 29% AL80 10lbs +ank 3mm+Bear 7mm
Roatan Dive 13. Boat dive: School of huge squid, 2 giant eel and cleaning station.
I changed my plans and decided to go on the boat instead of diving
the house reef because Pat, a lady I talked to in the am, said she could lead me to the white seahorse on the Coco View wall Judy and Diane have been raving about.
As soon as we got in the water a school of big squid welcomed us. Every one was trying to get a photo and we scared them away. We descended to the wall that lead us to a small crack with a little swim through at 70 ft. I went through it as soon as I noticed it was safe, just for the fun of it even though the DM advised us not to. DM Marcus showed us a giant eel and soon enough we saw its mate swimming in front of the one stationary. The one swimming changed colors to a bright lime green that must be its mating color. I took a shot of the single one and left them behind because they didn’t pair up. On the way back I saw a few cleaning stations. I saw a Coney with its mouth wide open and a couple of cleaning shrimp doing its job. Also colorful parrot fish being cleaned by small yellow
fish. It was a pretty site but no luck with getting close. I saw a few peacock flounders swimming on the rubble probably waiting for time to mate and on my surface interval I saw the group of squid again they were the biggest I have seen probably bigger than my hand. I manage to get a few shots because all the divers were already on the boat. People don’t realize that if you don’t move squid come to you!
Dive note: Back with 500psi just perfect.
75 ft 64min Ni 21% AL63 10lbs +ank 3mm+Bear 7mm
Roatan Dive 14. White seahorse at Coco View east.
Pat lead the dive towards the white seahorse. They were swimming fast for my normal pace. About 7 to 10 minutes into the dive her husband stopped us to signal he had spotted it. It looked like a banded type. The seahorse was long and skinny just a bit smaller than my hand, with darkish head. It was on a string orangey/yellowy sponge all tangle up right at 46ft. The seahorse was pretty deep in there very inconvenient for photos. But at least I got to
see it. It was shy as well. I am adding Judy wonderful photos of it. Pat’s husband also spotted a juvenile trumpet fish so adorable. I marked the spot on the ground at 70 ft but not sure if I will get back to it. I struggled again with my ear and I had to ascend slowly a few times to equalize. At 1500 psi I decided to head back because I didn’t know how far I was. I swam fast and passed a few caves, overhangs, and cracks with the depth pulling me down. It is a place that if you get distracted you end up deep. I was constantly watching my gage wanting to keep my self at 30 ft but ending up at 50ft. Finally I got to the slope, which I recognized and headed to the buoy to look for Steve. I had 500 psi left no time to go find him. I slowly returned through the grassy area. I saw a bunch of lettuces pale green and pink with red rim but not as pretty as the day before. I run into some divers looking for stuff in the grass. That is when I met
Squid
The biggest squid I have ever seen. About a foot long. Philippines Bill. We showed critters to each other. It was fun. Bill’s buddy showed me a rock full of my lime green crabs with pink legs hiding deep in the holes. I tried to get a photo but with no luck. I saw an ugly blenny and more mantis. I was out of air by the time I got out.
Dive note: I am overweight for a 60+ dive but I need the extra weight for the end.
66 ft 58min Ni 31% AL80 10lbs +ank 3mm+Bear 7mm
Roatan Dive 15. Juv lion fish and pea crab on sand dollar
As we started the dive an octo climbed on my housing while I was putting my fins on. It turned turquoise as it moved. I followed it for a while. Then Steve showed me a tiny whiny green sponge bob moving so fast that it was impossible to catch up with. My light was surrounded by shrimp and plankton that it was hard to see. Then I found the pea crab on an urchin. Actually 3 of them but only one was big enough to see it. It was way back in the spines
Giant eel
Pretty rough up. Can actually see scars. that would surround it to protect it from the light so it was hard to reach. I don’t think I got a shot but I am happy I got to see it. I was looking for nudis and I found a baby lion fish and I took it to steve to try to get a shot. I turned around and all the sudden I had 500 psi so we bolted back. It was ok dive: My tank had a hole!
41 ft 89min Ni 31% AL80 10lbs +ank 3mm+Bear 7mm
Advertisement
Tot: 0.059s; Tpl: 0.012s; cc: 8; qc: 20; dbt: 0.0394s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.1mb
Hugo Costa
non-member comment
Seahorse
I guys, Check the seahorse page at http://skaphandrus.com a comprehensive catalogue of marine species to sea lovers.