Diving with Nicholas!

I had the pleasure to meet and dive with Nicholas Wilhelm today.
Nicholas comes from California for a few days rest with family members and trying to fit in a couple of dives.
Today our shore dive was from Don Foster's Dive Reef. Conditions were not ideal as we have been having several days of strong North North East winds due to a cold front. But Nicholas and I kitted up for the dive and giant stride in some swell water but soon we were under the surface enjoying what the ocean had for us in store.
Visibility was actually better than expected with a deep blue color over the sand patches. The caves were very pretty with deep blue light braking through the sky lights and Tarpons swimming around. We saw a few Tiger Groupers including a couple in cleaning stations. A couple of Trunk/ Cow Fish crossed pour path. The top of the Coral was teaming with Blue Chromis and Bermuda Chub.
We also so many Rope and Tube sponges. Over the sand we had the opportunity to pet a Furry Sea Cucumber and there were several Conchs and many Garden Eels. On the sand we found a Mantis Shrimp of a pretty good size, the kind that can split your thumb!
Our computer dive profile was 52 Feet for 70 minutes bottom time.
Nicholas is a pretty good diver, very relaxed with great air consumption that allowed us to enjoy a pretty good long dive.

Next dive for Nicholas is on Tuesday from the boat, visiting the Wall and then doing a second reef dive!
We did not take any pictures this time around but I will post some of the creatures we saw during the dive.
Until next dive,
Sergio

Week End of Diving

Friday and Saturday we did two dives at the Don Foster's Casuarina Reef Dive Site. While the winds were pretty much N. North East, conditions were different both days.
Friday was pretty surge over the shallows while we were looking at the family of Banded Jaw fish (like six of them). One of them was nursing the eggs in his/her mouth however we did not get to see them.
The deeper part of the reef was very active with marine life, visibility was pretty good partly due to a bit of north to south current common with this type of wind pattern.
Over the sand patch we found an elusive Pipe Fish amongst the Garden Eels and Conchs

Saturday was still choppy on the surface however there was almost no current. Visibility was pretty decent and the fish were all over the place. Loads of Garden Eels, Angel Fish of several kinds, Big Barracuda, Snappers, hundreds of Blue Cromis too. Several of the Rope sponges were inhabited by Pygmy File Fish.
Many Pike Blennys were popping up from sand mounds all along the 50 feet sand patch.
Here are some of the pics. Until next dive!
Sergio

Passing through of Hurricane Sandy

We managed a couple of dives on the South side of Grand Cayman while Hurricane Sandy was churning away a couple of hundred miles from us.
The storm brought strong Northwest winds for several days.
We dove two sites with beautiful elkhorn coral formations, long tunnels and many fish. Visibility was the best I have seen in a long time (over 100 feet).

The dive team: Romeo, Esteban and myself.