Friends in low places!

Our Friday Photo dive took us to the south sand patch of the Casuarina Point Reef off Don Foster's Dive Cayman.

Conditions were excellent, no current, great visibility and lot of fish activity.

Our starting focus was on looking for high outcrops of corals with sponges, fans and fish that allowed us to shoot upwards into the natural sun light. However soon we were distracted by the activity close to the sand and low to the ground. An aggregation of barracudas almost touching the bottom, with a very clear camouflaged tone to conceal themselves, were waiting for unsuspected pray. Further down, the elusive Pipe Fish was meandering along rubble and sand. Then a Hermit Crab was moving along pretty fast from mound of sand to mound of sand, feeding.

Razor Fish were diving in and popping out of the sand by the dozens. It is amazing how much activity we can find in a few square feet of sand!

My Dive Instructor visits Cayman!

It has been over 35 years since i finished my Open Water course and over 30 since I last saw Guillermo Bellomo, one of my dive instructors. Now with some gray hairs and a 23 years old son, decided to come and visit us and the Cayman Islands. We did a bit of a refresher in the pool and a Discover Scuba Diving class for his son. Then right into the ocean for our first dive. They continued with a two tank dive and Sting Ray City dive next day. Monday they explored Eden Rock and on Tuesday was the turn for the Wreck of the Kittiwake.

We also took the "Cayman Helicopters" and we were able to see all these dive sites from above. Incredible!

The weather was in a bad mood for a few days having some on shore waves and lower than average visibility but the fish were all there to entertainus.

Until next dive!

Sergio

Snorkeling South Sound Reef

We prepared to dive the West Side of Grand Cayman but the weather had other plans. The morning revealed choppy seas, not so good vis and conditions deteriorating. We changed the plans to go explore and take photos of the many creatures within the South Sound reef and the Wreck of the Pallace. We started our snorkel adventure over the pilings of and old dock surrounded by Turtle Grass. Right there by the shore: Spotted Moray; Green Moray; three Flounders; Lion Fish and juvenile French Angel Fish. Further toward the reef and under a boat, a Great Barracuda. Over the shallows by the wreck, beautiful soft corals and Gorgonians. Under the wreck, big Balloon Fish, Glassy Sweeps, Bristle worm and giant schools of grunts. Back over the Turtle Grass bed we found two big size Pygmy File Fish. We spent three hours snorkeling and taking pictures and we are already making plans to go back again!

Until next dive,

Sergio

Kitti, Kathy & Linda!

The new year brought a new wreck to the Cayman Islands diving scene. The Kittiwake was sunk at the beginning of the month. We did one exploratory dive a few days after the sinking. We spent about one hour diving the wreck. It is spectacular, offers great photo opportunities and it will take many dives to get to know her all.

Kathy and her friend Linda came for a visit. I have dived with Kathy in the past and was looking forward to dive with her again. We dove Trinity Caves, Oro Verde Wreck, Great House Wall and Wild Life reef. Several tunnels, black coral and lots of fish, including a big green moray and also lobsters, furry sea cucumber and more. It was a pleasure to guide Kathy. Kathy is passionate about diving and improving her skills with each and every dive. She is going to Wakatobi next and I can not wait for her stories!

Linda came with few expectations and the idea of "trying" Scuba for the first time. She enjoyed so much that ended up diving every day including shore and boat dives. I admire her openness to a new challenge and now is on the way to get certified. I hope to have the opportunity to guide them privately again soon!

Last Dive of 2010!

What a dive! Over 100 feet visibility, tons of fish and creatures, great photo ops and our friends as dive buddies. Does not get any better than that.

Site: Turtle Farm Mini Wall

Max Depth: 64 feet

Dive Time: 72 minutes

Water Temp: 78

Fish & creatures seen: Gray Angels; Queen Angels; Black Groupers; Trumpet Fish; Scorpion Fish; a giant Gray Doris (so rare!!!); Octopus and Furry Sea Cucumber.

We are going back next year (tomorrow afternoon!) to take more pics.

On our side we prepare to take more divers on guided dives and u/w photo safaris on 2011.

Until next dive. Have a great New Year and remember, if everyone gives, nobody has to take!

Sergio

Some photos West Side and Sting Ray City

Dario and I went for a shore dive and also to Sting Ray City. Dario was trying his new camera and housing and the different options and features of his photo equipment. The result was varied but a learning experience after all. The reef again was very active although vis was a bit low (for Cayman standards). Sting Ray City was pretty fun. Visibility was great and although there was some current to contend with, the ray were awesome and the Moray Eel visited our group of divers.

Until next one

Long time since last dive!

Tracy and I left on August 21 st for our annual vacation that took us through Nevada, Utah, Idaho, Montana and Wyoming. We visited Yellowstone National Park, Grand Teton National Park; Zion and Las Vegas. We drove, we hiked, we climbed up, fly fished and canyoneered up and down those areas. Had encounters with many animals (bears, wolves, moose, elks, bisons, eagles, ospreys and more) and took hundreds of pics. Upon our return we wanted to go diving however the weather on the Caymans kept us out of the water for over a month. We managed one dive last Friday to tune up our underwater equipment, we explored the cow well on another dive and we moved a mooring block for one of the Don Foster's boat. We found lots of fish on the reef, good vis in the pond and successfully re- located the cement block. Here are some of the pics form our adventures up north and here in Cayman. Next dive will have to wait as seas are rough again for a little while.

Until next one!