Under the Sea

Here are some of my first attempts at photography while scuba diving. This site is called Seagrape, named after this wrecked boat of the nearby hotel by a dumb captain who took it out during a storm. Here are Rachel and Robby, some of my companeros here. I have to work on my skills to capture some of the incredible fish. The camera is a little distracting from just enjoying the dive and it is difficult to keep up with the group when I want to chase a fish around. I want to get my advanced certification while I'm here which even includes an course elective on underwater photography!

On the left, the sun from above making a rainbow into the water. Next, some grand pillar coral. And below, my dive buddies.

On Monday evening, we went on a night dive with Native Sons, the shop next door. Because it gets dark here at 5:30, it was more of an early evening dive. We met before sunset to prep gear and for the dive briefing. Basically learning, make a circle with your light to signal "I'm okay" and wave it frantically back in forth to signal you need help. I paired up with Nichole, and we promised to stay very close together. We got on the boat just as it was getting dark, jumped into the water, and turned on our torch lights. It was a little bit eerie at first looking down into the dark water and thinking I was about to descend into it, but I left all fears on the surface. We dove at Seagrape, actually the same site as the photos above. However, it was totally unrecognizable in the dark. The reef is a whole different world at night. The diurnal fish go to sleep (sleeping fish look hilarious), and the nocturnal creatures come out to feed. I saw a huge channel crab that must have been over 2 feet wide, spiny lobsters, squirrel fish, and the glowing red eyes of many shrimp. 

All that was cool, but then two incredible things happened. First, Nichole and I swam across a bare patch between reefs. I scanned the rocky sea floor as we swam over, not expecting to see anything. Then suddenly I saw it move--a blue octopus! That may not sound too incredible, but you have to see it to understand. It was obviously afraid of us and our lights so it would swim up then cling to a rock with all its tentacles. It would change from blue, to almost clear, to brown, to speckled, and back to blue. It looked like an alien and moved with completely freeform shape. We tried using the panic signal to get the other divers over, but by the time they came the octopus had hidden under a rock. We were so lucky to see that rare creature. 

Second, toward the end of the dive everyone came back to an open area and the dive master signaled for us to kneel down on the sea floor. We then all turned off our flash lights. We began waving our arms in the air and magically stars appeared. The biophosphorescent plankton reacting. Then we all began to swim up and as my eyes adjust to the darkness I slowly start to see the "string of pearls" appearing. 15-20 feet underwater these tiny creatures swim emitting drops of a luminescent chemical which creates the effect of a growing chain or stars moving through the water. I swam right into the middle of a patch of them and literally felt like I was swimming in the stars. It was unbelievable! 

We all agreed the night dive was one of the coolest experiences of our lives.