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Archive for September, 2009
When the trainer opened the gate between the pen and the ocean I thought: That dolphin is not coming back. It shot out of the pen like a bullet, heading straight out from shore, a dark, sleek shadow racing through the waves, disappearing in the distance. We boarded the boat and began the short, ten minute trip to our designated dive site. The trainer scanned the horizon for signs of the dolphin, the corners of his eyes pinched with the beginnings of worry. We spent the travel time gearing up so that we would be ready to jump into the water as soon as we arrived at the site.
The captain cut the motor and a mate lassoed a mooring ball cemented to the sea floor so that the boat anchor would not damage the reef. We shuffled to the back of the boat with the rest of the divers, prepared for entry into the ocean. Our eyes focused on the surface, looking for the dolphin, our designated dive buddy for the day. Its disappearance surprised crew and passengers alike, causing us all some concern. Suddenly, it leapt from the water at the stern of the boat, its silver-grey sides glistening in the sun. Its face held intelligent eyes and a smile that said “Hi! It took you long enough to get here!”
Our group of six divers and one divemaster eased into the water and descended to the ocean bottom, about thirty feet down. We knelt in a large circle on the sandy floor. The dolphin trainer swam in the water with, of course, the dolphin. The trainer had taught the mammal well; it kept an eye on its teacher, watching for queues. Flipper swam to each of us, allowing us to pet his back and interact. The dolphin was surprisingly strong, able to push even the largest diver around with ease.
Amazingly, we swam in open water with no barriers around us. At any point the dolphin could have simply left our group and never returned. At certain points the dolphin did disappear from sight, dashing out into the blue and then back again, perhaps resting or refocusing its efforts. The trainer patiently waited until the dolphin appeared ready to move onto the next person or activity. The dolphin seemed to enjoy the experience, having a purpose and freedom at the same time.
Sometimes humans come upon dolphins that have been injured or neglected from birth. Across the globe groups work to rehabilitate these animals, but not all can be returned safely to the open ocean because of the lasting effects of their injuries or their dependence on humans. The company we dove with had rehabilitated many dolphins, some of which needed to remain in captivity, destined to live out their lives with beings that walked instead of swam. Our dolphin was born in captivity, its parents rehabilitated from injuries, but too weak to survive in the wild.
I was excited to swim with the dolphin, but hoped it would be an educational experience, not just a circus act. I found a beautiful creature that had a job it clearly enjoyed with purposefulness that far exceeded swimming around a pen. And, it could have simply swam away, but didn’t. As the dolphin came close to me and inspected my mask, I almost forgot to breathe. It turned to make eye contact with me and I thought: The Bahamas are a great place to be.
Yap Manta Ray
Nomadic in nature and notoriously bubble-shy, Manta Rays are undoubtedly one of the most appreciated underwater sightings once you finally find one. There are, however, a few places in the world that can almost guarantee a manta sighting on any given dive.
Yap, Micronesia – This tiny Pacific island just north of the equator houses a resident colony of manta rays, a rare living situation for the animals. Check out Yap Diver’s blog that highlights pics from “Manta Fest” including one dive trip accompanied by a pod of Orcas. As a bonus, visitors to the island also get a unique top side cultural experience that frequently includes grass skirts, loincloths, and the use of huge wheels of stone money for barter.
Kona, Hawaii – This manta experience is decidedly more manmade, but no less exciting. Dive operators and hotels light up the waters off the Kona Coast at night, attracting swarms of plankton that, in turn, attract the manta rays. Divers and snorkelers alike hover in the water column, watching the giants glide and swoop as they feed. Check out Kona Honu Diver’s page for a cool video of what the dive actually looks like.
Atlanta, Georgia – On this trip you have a 100% chance of seeing not one manta, but two. If you buy tickets to the aquarium, that is. Whether you agree with the idea of aquariums or not, you have to admit that this place really has it all when it comes to sea life. The two mantas swim in a six million gallon exhibit next to four whale sharks, a handful of hammerheads, and a ton of other fish. Rumor has it that one of the rays likes to do flips out of the water at the surface, a rare treat for people on the Behind the Scenes tours.
The SILFRA Rift offers insane visibility for extreme divers. Thanks to Scuba Iceland who made me aware of this incredible phenomenon I have to move Iceland up to my #1 location for my next dive trip. The Silfra Crack, where the American and European continents meet, offers three diving sites: Silfra Lagoon, Silfra Cathedral and Silfra Hall. Visibility is an amazing 100m+ (300ft+), but the water is super cold ( 2°C – 4°C all year ) because it is fueled by the runoff of glaciers. If strong currents and mid-dive earthquakes aren’t your thing, you might want to stick to Florida.
Italian authorities just uncovered what might be the worst case of ocean toxic waste dumping ever. An “informant” (who will, presumably, be sleeping with the fishes soon) directed the authorities to a sunken ship 15 miles off the Italian coast. According to the informant the vessel had toxic waste cargo onboard when it blew up 17 years ago. This is one of 32 potential radioactive underwater sites. Reportedly, a local crime syndicate sunk the ships to make money from companies wanting a quick and easy way to dispose of their toxic goo.
It took 17 years for this informant bird to sing. One sort of wonders what has been happening on the sea floor during that time. For sure some sea life is beginning to glow like a string of aquatic Christmas lights. Other fish have grown fingers, and are coming along nicely with their piano lessons. The seaweed has developed a personality, and won’t stop imploring passers by to “Feeeeed Me, Seymour.” In short – it has got to be ugly. Here’s hoping it is cleaned up soon.
NOAA via AP
This past Monday some scientists were floating along in the Gulf of Mexico off the Louisiana coast, when they realized, “Hey. We might have something bigger than a sardine in our trawling net.” The giant squid they caught was pretty surprised too, since the rapid rise to the surface caused him to leave this earth and go to that great ocean in the sky where curious scientists and the word “calamari” don’t exist.
After celebrating the life and death of this rare creature with marinara and a deep fryer, the scientists then brined it like a pickle and shipped it off to the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History where it will sit on a dusty shelf for all eternity next to Bigfoot and the New Jersey Devil. Though the published story did not elaborate on the mail delivery method, I have to imagine the act of filling out the UPS packing slip was an exercise in creative writing:
Contents: 1 Suckered Sea Monster
Weight: 103 pounds, but dehydrating by the minute
Special Delivery Instructions: Please ignore the dripping and the fishy smell, the package actually started out that way
Are Contents Dangerous?: At one time, but we took care of that
Another Cozumel Christmas Tree Worm
(see latest post below)
Christmas Tree Worm
Spirobranchus giganteus
These cheeky little fellows possess well-developed nervous systems complete with a central brain. The two feathery “Christmas Trees” (aka. Madonna’s Bra) are used to capture dinner and also to breathe. The worms burrow themselves into coral, moving only to extend or retract their trees when something scary, like myself, swims by. They are found in tropical waters world wide, and are a favorite of photographers because they don’t swim away.
I have found that if you approach without casting a shadow over them, their trees will stay up long enough for a memorable picture. You’ll only get one, however, as the camera’s flash will quickly send them looking for cover.
A recent CNN article about strange hotels brought to my attention yet another interesting way to embrace the sea. When you are done with diving you don’t have to leave the ocean. Instead, you can swim back to your hotel room resting on the sand below. Jules’ Undersea Lodge in Key Largo, FL was a submarine research laboratory until its owners turned it into the newest way to rest your head at the end of the dive day.
Understandably, the place is small, so you better like the folk(s) with whom you are sharing the facility. Also, I reviewed their website in depth, but did not determine how you would get your suitcase into the place (you actually have to dive 21 feet below the surface to get in the front door.) On the upside a night at the lodge includes unlimited tanks. They also have a nice entertainment center down there, although with several portholes and unlimited diving, I imagine the TV is pretty dusty.
Why is the Mola Mola eating this woman's finger?
I love the quirky things the sea has to offer. Perhaps none more quirky is the infamous sunfish, otherwise known by its jollier name, the mola mola. Every time I see one, I think of a half eaten Popsicle with the stick protruding from both the top and bottom. Gill Divers reports recent sightings in Bali of these fantastically interesting creatures. And, if you are a real mola nut, you can see some great pics on earthwindow.com.
I’ve never had the pleasure of seeing one of these flat beauties in the wild, although they appear in many aquariums, such as the Genoa Aquarium, where I last saw one. The name mola means “millstone” in Latin, alluding to it’s round, flat shape. They eat jellyfish and are known to “bask at the surface” (aka. play dead) in order to rid themselves of parasites.
Sadly, like so many aquatic critters, folks in Asia seem to think of them more as “lunch” rather than as “unique.” Fortunately, the sale of their meat is banned elsewhere, helping to ensure that the mola mola will live on long after us. Have you seen one? Send us your pics, and your stories. After all, they are so good, you have to say their name twice.
Does anyone know what this sea monster is?
Diving Location: Grand Cayman
Dive sites: Orange Canyon and Oro Verde Wreck
Water temp: 90 degrees!
I dove two nice sites yesterday in Grand Cayman. Visibility topped 140 feet with glass-like blue seas. A puffer the size of a large loaf of Wonder Bread showed up on the first dive, along with two turtles, a nurse shark, and a whole squadron of arrow crabs. \
On the second dive I toted along my macro lens and found (in addition to more turtles!) a ton of Pederson shrimp, Christmas tree worms and this finned beauty (see the photo) which perched in front of a beautiful pink and green anemone. He was about 2 inches long. Anyone have an idea what this critter is?
Does anyone know what this sea monster is?