Cocos Island
on the Sea Hunter June 28 –
July 9, 2016
7-2-2016 Saturday
Happy Birthday Donna….First dive was back at Dirty Rock. Depths to 115, 80 degree water, still no
thermocline. Quite a few scalloped
hammerheads but they were shy so pictures all at distance. Still a rough ride with constant rain but not
as rough as yesterday. Current wasn’t
that strong. Everything smooth. I may have gotten some big eye jack photos
too.
The view from Sea Hunter, moored in Chatham Bay, looking out at Manuelita Island through the blowing rain as we got ready to depart on our first dive of the day. Liquid Sunshine!
Long spine sea urchins are common at Cocos Island and several of us ran afoul of them while hunkering down on or behind rocks to get shots of hammerheads.
A school of Big Eye Trevally Jacks in the background, Creole fish in the foreground.
Second dive was outside Manuelita again. We are trapped at the NW end of the island
because of winds and seas. Lots of
rain. Second rainiest place on earth
after Kauai, 24 ft a year. More
shy scalloped hammerheads.
A pair of dolphin came past as we were waiting for pickup.
Third dive became a snorkel trip to a bait ball and then
snorkeling at Manuelita Coral Garden. I
was going to skip this dive and wait for the night dive because I am really
fighting a cold and my ears are sensitive.
But a bait ball I had to do.
Yellowfin tuna, dolphin, silky and Galapagos sharks and some boobies
(might have a good picture of one).
Really fun. Then we snorkeled at
Manuelita Coral Garden there were shiny fish (Steel Pompano) eating plants or
plankton at the surface, I dubbed them vegetarian pirana. Then we were visited by a big Tiger Shark, I
was on the far side of the group so I doubt I got a picture but Ryder got a
film clip. The Tiger shark came past two
more times as we were leaving.
Impressive! More 20 knot winds
and rain. We got wet.
A diver's eye view of the boobie colony on the steep sides of Manuelita Island. A 14 ft Tiger Shark does regular patrols past the shore on the lookout for hapless boobies learning to fly. We saw him 3 times on this dive but I didn't get close enough for a shot. I did get close enough later in the trip though.
Night Dive, Manuelita Coral Gardens, Saturday, July 2nd
Dozens and dozens of white tipped reef sharks and huge Black
Jacks hunting with our videographers’ movie lights. I didn’t even use my own light, just hung at
the fringes and filmed using the professional photographer’s lights. Small fish are doomed if a light is shined on
them. Manuel warned us to keep our feet
at least two feet above the bottom so as not to be accidentally bit by white
tips in pursuit of small fish. Also warned
to watch out for small fish desperately trying to hide in your BC because the
white tips will come in after it… Also spotted on the dive were a scalloped
hammerhead, a tiger shark, and a large Galapagos shark.
Large Black Jacks shot past hunting together with the White Tips. You can't see what is coming up behind you until it comes past into the light.
I shot several video clips with my lights out. I just hung back and used the amazingly powerful lights of the professional videographers to catch the action.
To see more from these dives please go to these links:
No comments:
Post a Comment