The Sharkmasters' Log
- Trip Reports -
Guadalupe White Sharks
Oct 11-16, 2011
Oct 10 Another quick turn around for this trip. I only had an hour to get a bite with the “Shark Chick” and catch up on the latest from La Paz. Is always great to see Jessie. I miss working with her, but she in a different phase of her life now married and about to have her first child. Finally I had to get beck to the Islander to greet the guests as they boarded the Islander and show them down to their cabins. Captain Jason gathered everyone into the salon to introduce the crew and conduct a pre-departure safety briefing. We had to wait for a couple of late passengers until midnight, and then headed for Ensenada.
Oct 11 Day One
It was a smooth ride down to Ensenada. We cleared with the Mexican officials and headed for Guadalupe. The captain estimated our ETA at Guadalupe around 7:30 AM tomorrow morning. Surprisingly most of the passengers showed up for dinner, but after finishing they all retreated to their cabins for the rest of the night.
Oct 12 Day Two
The transit down to the island was fairly smooth but our course had us rolling in the trough. Around 6:30 in the morning we could make out the outline of the island in the early dawn light. The Islander anchored up and we quickly launched the cages. The action was very slow throughout the morning then picked up shortly after lunch when Shredder showed up to put on an impressive show. By the end of the day we had seen seven different sharks including a huge female who showed up around 3:30. At dinner there were animated conversations about who got what pictures of which shark. I’ve seen it many time before of past trips and it always pleases me to see how enthusiastic the divers are about their first white shark experience. Everyone was looking forward to tomorrow’s action.
Oct 13 Day Three
The cages were in the water and ready for divers by 0715. A couple of the hard-core adventurers suited up and hopped in to start the day. The action was on and off most of the day, but often there were 2-3 sharks visible from the cages. The “drop-down” 2-diver cage was put in use today with good results. Being submerged to a depth of 35 ft gives divers the feeling of really being out there alone with the circling sharks. It certainly gives divers a different perspective on the animals. A huge female shark showed up in the afternoon that really impressed all the divers with her size. By the end of the day everyone had plenty of water time and were ready for a cold one. Rick, the chef, cooked up a delicious meal and desert for dinner. After dinner Mauricio Hoyos, the Mexican white shark researcher at the island, came onboard and did a presentation on his work. Everyone got a lot of information from the talk and Q & A session.
Oct 14 Day Four
Our luck held out when the first divers in the cages spotted two white sharks cruising underneath the Islander at 20 ft. The cages were quickly filled with divers eager to greet the white sharks. The action was up and down thru the morning. Bruce and a large female white shark really put on a show for a short period making great passes right in front of the cages.
Oct 15 Day Five
Today is our last dive day so we’ll drop the cages right at first light, then go full tilt until 12 when we’ll have to pull the cages and begin our prep for the transit back to Ensenada. The Islander crew cleaned the back deck then retrieved the cages and secured the vessel for the transit back home. The northern end of the Guadalupe was clear and windy which is common. Everyone made sure their clothes hung out to dry were secure.
Oct 16 Day Six
The transit last night was a fairly nice ride even though we were heading into the up-swell chop. The Islander pulled into Ensenada around 9:30am. We tied up in a slip and awaited the Mexican officials who would again check the vessels paperwork so we could be cleared to leave Mexican waters. After being cleared the Islander headed north towards San Diego. We had to check in with US Customs and finally made it to our slip at Fishermen’s Landing. Everyone off loaded and said their good-byes. Finally I get a break to catch up on the office work. I’ll be back next month for a film trip.
Guadalupe White Sharks
Oct 6-10, 2011
Oct 5 Another quick turn around for this trip. I only had two hours to get home, catch up on office work, and then get back to the boat. We greeted the guests as they boarded the Islander and showed them down to their cabins. Captain Jason gathered everyone into the salon to introduce the crew and conduct a pre-departure safety briefing. We had to wait for one late passenger until midnight, and then headed for Ensenada.
Oct 6 Day One
It was a rolling ride down to Ensenada. We had caught the tail in of a cold front that had swept thru southern California and northern Baja. We cleared with the Mexican officials and headed for Guadalupe. The captain Jason estimated our ETA at Guadalupe around 7:30 AM tomorrow morning. Surprisingly most of the passengers showed up for dinner, but most couldn’t handle dissert and retreated to their cabins for the rest of the night .
Oct 7 Day Two
The transit down to the island had us rolling in the trough. The 6-8 ft swells made for an very uncomfortable evening. The seas finally eased down as we approached the island. Around 6:30 in the morning we could make out the outline of the island in the early dawn light. The Islander anchored up and we quickly launched the cages. The action was very slow throughout the morning then picked up in the afternoon. By the end of the day we had seen five different sharks including a huge female who showup up around 4:30. At dinner there were animated conversations about who got what pictures of which shark. I’ve seen it many time before of past trips and it always pleases me to see how enthusiastic the divers are about their first white shark experience. Chris Harvey-Clark an expert on Greenland Sharks showed us a DVD of a History Channel episode of Monster Quest detailing his quest to find Greenland Sharks in the St. Lawrence Seaway in eastern Canada. Chris had some very interesting information about the sharks and whales to be found in that waterway. Mauricio Hoyos, the local white shark researcher came onboard to give a presentation on his research work at the island. All the passengers enjoyed his informative videos and the Q & A session. Everyone was looking forward to tomorrow’s action.
Oct 8 Day Three
The cages were in the water and ready for divers by 0715. A couple of the hard-core adventurers suited up and hopped in to start the day. They weren’t disappointed, there were two white sharks patrolling beneath the Islander. The cry “white shark” went out and as soon as the other divers could finish their morning coffee they were in the cages too. The action was on and off most of the day, but often there were 2-3 sharks visible from the cages. The “drop-down” 2-diver cage was put in use today with good results. Being submerged to a depth of 35 ft gives divers the feeling of really being out there alone with the circling sharks. It certainly gives divers a different perspective on the animals. A huge female shark showed up in the afternoon that really impressed all the divers with her size. By the end of the day everyone had plenty of water time and were ready for a cold one. Rick, the chef, cooked up a delicious meal and desert for dinner. After dinner Mauricio Hoyos, the Mexican white shark researcher at the island, came onboard and did a presentation on his work. Everyone got a lot of information from the talk and Q & A session.
Oct 9 Day Four
Today is our last dive day so we’ll drop the cages right at first light, then go full tilt until 1 when we’ll have to pull the cages and begin our prep for the transit back to Ensenada. Our luck held out when the first divers in the cages spotted two white sharks cruising underneath the Islander at 20 ft. The cages were quickly filled with divers eager to greet the white sharks. The action was up and down thru the morning. Bruce and a large female white shark really put on a show for a short period making great passes right in front of the cages. The Islander crew cleaned the back deck then retrieved the cages and secured the vessel for the transit back home. The northern end of the Guadalupe was clear and windy which is common. Everyone made sure their clothes hung out to dry were secure.
Oct 10 Day Five
The transit last night was a little bumpy until around 3am. The Islander pulled into Ensenada around 930am. We tied up in a slip and awaited the Mexican officials who would again check the vessels paperwork so we could be cleared to leave Mexican waters. After being cleared the Islander headed north towards San Diego. We had to check in with US Customs and finally made it to our slip at Fishermen’s Landing. Everyone off loaded and said their good-byes and the crew prepared the Islander for another group departing at 10 pm tonight.
Guadalupe white Sharks
Oct 1-5, 2011
Sept 30 It was a quick turn around for this trip. I only had two hours to get home, do laundry, catch up on office work, and then get back to the boat. We greeted the guests as they boarded the Islander and showed them down to their cabins. Captain Jason gathered everyone into the salon to introduce the crew and conduct a pre-departure safety briefing. We had to wait for one late passenger until midnight, and then headed for Ensenada.
Oct 1 Day One
It was a smooth trip on the ride down to Ensenada. We cleared with the Mexican officials and headed for Guadalupe. The captain Jason estimated our ETA at Guadalupe around 7:30 AM tomorrow morning. Surprisingly most of the passengers showed up for dinner. The rest were down and out in their cabins.
Oct 2 Day Two
The transit down to the island had us rolling in the trough. The 3-5 ft swells made for an uncomfortable evening. The seas finally settled down about 2 in the morning so sleeping was easier. Around 6:30 in the morning we could make out the outline of the island in the early dawn light. The Islander anchored up and we quickly launched the cages. The first shark didn’t show up until the third rotation. The action was very slow throughout the day. At dinner there were animated conversations about who got what pictures of which shark. I’ve seen it many time before of past trips and it always pleases me to see how enthusiastic the divers are about their first white shark experience. Mauricio Hoyos, the local white shark researcher came onboard to give a presentation on his research work at the island. All the passengers enjoyed his informative videos and the Q & A session. Everyone was looking forward to tomorrow’s action.
Oct 3 Day Three
The cages were in the water and ready for divers by 0715. A couple of the hard-core adventurers suited up and hopped in to start the day. They weren’t disappointed, there were two white sharks patrolling beneath the Islander. The cry “white shark” went out and as soon as the other divers could finish their morning coffee they were in the cages too. The action wasn’t as consistent as yesterday, but often there were 32-3 sharks visible from the cages. The “drop-down” 2-diver cage was put in use today with good results. Being submerged to a depth of 35 ft gives divers the feeling of really being out there alone with the circling sharks. It certainly gives divers a different perspective on the animals. There was a lull period where we saw no sharks, then my old buddy Bruce showed up and put on an impressive show right in front of the cages. He is now sporting a spot tag bolted to his dorsal fin by the “Shark Men” crew. The tag provides vital information on Bruce’s migrations over a long period of time. By the end of the day everyone had plenty of water time and were ready for a cold one. Rick, the chef, cooked up a delicious meal and desert for dinner.
Oct 4 Day Four
Today is our last dive day so we’ll drop the cages right at first light, then go full tilt until 1 when we’ll have to pull the cages and begin our prep for the transit back to Ensenada. Our luck held out when the first divers in the cages spotted two white sharks cruising underneath the Islander at 20 ft. The cages were quickly filled with divers eager to greet the white sharks. The action was up and down thru the morning. Bruce and a large female white shark really put on a show for a short period making great passes right in front of the cages. The Islander crew cleaned the back deck then retrieved the cages and secured the vessel for the transit back home. The northern end of the Guadalupe was clear and windy which is common. Everyone made sure here clothes hung out to dry were secure.
Oct 5 Day Five
The transit last night was a little bumpy until around midnight. The Islander pulled into Ensenada around 10am. We tied up in a slip and awaited the Mexican officials who would again check the vessels paperwork so we could be cleared to leave Mexican waters. After being cleared the Islander headed north towards San Diego. The weather was sunny and bright until we got 10 miles from San Diego. Then the wind picked up the sky became overcast and a steady light rain began to fall. We had to check in with US Customs and finally made it to our slip at Fishermen’s Landing. Everyone off loaded and said their good-byes and the crew prepared the Islander for another group departing at 10 pm tonight.
Guadalupe White Sharks
Sept 26-30, 2011
Sept 25 It was nice to have a day in-between trips to catch up on the office work, answer calls and reply to emails and watch a football game. Finally it was time to head for the harbor and begin another trip. We greeted the guests as they boarded the Islander and showed them down to their cabins. Captain Jason gathered everyone into the salon to introduce the crew and conduct a pre-departure safety briefing then at 10pm we moved out of our slip and headed for Ensenada.
Sept 26 Day One
The boat rolled a little more then last trip on the ride down to Ensenada. We cleared with the Mexican officials and headed for Guadalupe. The captain Jason estimated our ETA at Guadalupe around 7 AM tomorrow morning. Jimi, the other dive-master, ran the non-scuba certified passengers thru some basic drills on the way down. Unfortunately there was a 4-6 ft swell on the way down so several of the group weren’t felling well. We had to pass out some “flight bags”. Surprisingly most of the passengers showed up for dinner. The rest were down and out in their cabins.
Sept 27 Day Two
The transit down to the island was a pretty rough ride with lots of sideways rolling in the trough. The 4-6 ft swells made for an uncomfortable evening. Around 6:30 in the morning we could make out the outline of the island in the early dawn light. The Islander anchored up and we quickly launched the cages. The first shark showed up just as the anchor tightened its grip on the bottom. The divers quickly got into the cages. From there the action was consistent throughout the day. This is the 3rd trip in a row this season that we’ve been visited by Shredder (Scar). I’m sure there are thousands of images of him. Several other sharks showed up during the rest of the day and by the time we pulled the cages out of the water we had seen seven different white sharks. Everyone showered and had a cold one to end the dive day. At dinner there were animated conversations about who got what pictures of which shark. I’ve seen it many time before of past trips and it always pleases me to see how enthusiastic the divers are about their first white shark experience. Mauricio Hoyos, the local white shark researcher came onboard to give a presentation on his research work at the island. All the passengers enjoyed his informative videos and the Q & A session. Everyone was looking forward to tomorrow’s action.
Sept 28 Day Three
The cages were in the water and ready for divers by 0715. A couple of the hard-core adventurers suited up and hopped in to start the day. They weren’t disappointed, there were two white sharks patrolling beneath the Islander. The cry “white shark” went out and as soon as the other divers could finish their morning coffee they were in the cages too. The action wasn’t as consistent as yesterday, but often there were 3-4 sharks visible from the cages. The “drop-down” 2-diver cage was put in use today with terrific results. Being submerged to a depth of 35 ft gives divers the feeling of really being out there alone with the circling sharks. It certainly gives divers a different perspective on the animals. There was a lull period where we saw no sharks for about an hour; then as if someone hit the “on” switch we had white sharks crashing the surface really putting on a show. By the end of the day everyone had plenty of water time and were ready for a cold one. Rick, the chef, cooked up a delicious meal and desert for dinner.
Sept 29 Day Four
Today is our last dive day so we’ll drop the cages right at first light, then go full tilt until 12 when we’ll have to pull the cages and begin our prep for the transit back to Ensenada. Our luck held out when the first divers in the cages spotted two white sharks cruising underneath the Islander at 20 ft. The cages were quickly filled with divers eager to greet the white sharks. The action was up and down thru the morning. Around noon everyone had their fill of diving and began to wash up their dive gear. The Islander crew cleaned the back deck then retrieved the cages and secured the vessel for the transit back home. We finally had to depart Isla de Guadalupe and point our bow on a course to Ensenada. The sea was fairly calm with only widely separated swells gently rocking the boat. The entire northern end of the Guadalupe was clear which is a rarity. It made for wonderful pictures of the island.
Sept 30 Day Five
The transit last night was smooth one considering we were headed up swell. The Islander pulled into Ensenada around 9am. We tied up in a slip and awaited the Mexican officials who would again check the vessels paperwork so we could be cleared to leave Mexican waters. After being cleared the Islander headed north towards San Diego. We had to check in with US Customs and finally made it to our slip at Fishermen’s Landing. Everyone off loaded and said their good-byes and the crew prepared the Islander for another group departing at 10 pm tonight.
Guadalupe White Sharks
Sept 20-24, 2011
Sept 19 It was a quick turn around from the last trip we only had a couple of hours to re-provision the Islander, refuel, and take on fresh water. Unfortunately the departure was delayed a couple of hours because a passenger had a delayed flight. Finally at 12am we moved out of our slip and headed for Ensenada.
Sept 20 Day One
The boat rolled a little more then last trip on the ride down to Ensenada. We cleared with the Mexican officials and headed for Guadalupe. The captain Jason estimated our ETA at Guadalupe around 7 AM tomorrow morning. Jimi ran the non-scuba certified passengers thru some basic drills on the way down. Unfortunately there was a 3-4 ft swell on the way down so several of the group weren’t felling well. We had to pass out some “flight bags”. Only about half of the group ate dinner. The rest were down and out in their cabins.
Sept 21 Day Two
The rest of the transit down to the island was an easy ride. Around 6:30 in the morning we could make out the outline of the island in the early dawn light. The Islander anchored up and we quickly launched the cages. The divers didn’t see any sharks until the 3rd rotation into the cages. From there the action was consistent throughout the day. Shredder showed up late in the day as I was in the cage. Its always good the see my old buddy. He’s looking healthy and has always been a favorite amongst the divers who come to Guadalupe. I’m sure there are thousands of images of him. We had a full on completely in the air breech just 25 yards off the side of the Islander. Its really an awesome site seeing these huge sharks launch themselves out of the water then fall back with a thunderous splash! Several other sharks showed up during the rest of the day and by the time we pulled the cages out of the water we had seen six different white sharks. Everyone showered and had a cold one to end the dive day. At dinner there were animated conversations about who got what pictures of which shark. I’ve seen it many time before of past trips and it always pleases me to see how enthusiastic the divers are about the first white shark experience. Everyone was looking forward to tomorrow’s action.
Sept 22 Day Three
The cages were in the water and ready for divers by 0700. A couple of the hard-core adventurers suited up and hopped in to start the day. They weren’t disappointed, there was a white shark patrolling beneath the Islander. The cry “white shark” went out and as soon as the other divers could finish their morning coffee they were in the cages too. The action wasn’t as consistent as yesterday, but often there were 3-4 sharks visible from the cages. The “drop-down” 2-diver cage was put in use today with terrific results. Being submerged to a depth of 35 ft gives divers the feeling of really being out there alone with the circling sharks. It certainly gives divers a different perspective on the animals. By the end of the day everyone had plenty of water time and were ready for a cold one. Rick, the chef, cooked up a delicious meal and desert for dinner. We had a special treat this evening-Mauricio Hoyos, the island’s resident white shark researcher came aboard for an after diner presentation of his work and showed he passengers a couple of videos that were made about the research for Latin American TV. It was an eye-opening night packed with the latest white shark information from Guadalupe.
Sept 23 Day Four
Today is our last dive day so we’ll drop the cages right at first light, then go full tilt until 12 when we’ll have to pull the cages and begin our prep for the transit back to Ensenada. Our luck held out when the first divers in the cages spotted two white sharks cruising underneath the Islander at 20 ft. The cages were quickly filled with divers eager to greet the white sharks. The action was steady thru the morning. Around noon everyone had their fill of diving and began to wash up their dive gear. The Islander crew cleaned the back deck then retrieved the cages and secured the vessel for the transit back home. We had time to cruise the shoreline viewing the seals. Captain Jason maneuvered the Islander into shallow water off Elephant Seal beach so the passengers could get a look at the lumbering beasts as they slept on the warm sand. He then eased the boat into a small cove off the northern end of the bay so we could see the small Guadalupe Fur Seal pups playing in the protected waters away from the large predators patrolling just offshore. We finally had to depart Isla de Guadalupe and point our bow on a course to Ensenada.
Sept 24 Day Five
The transit last night was smooth one considering we were headed up swell. The Islander pulled into Ensenada around 9am. We tied up in a slip and awaited the Mexican officials who would again check the vessels paperwork so we could be cleared to leave Mexican waters. After being cleared the Islander headed north towards San Diego. We had to check in with US Customs and finally made it to our slip at Fishermen’s Landing. Everyone off loaded and said their good-byes. Thankfully we had a day off before our next trip. Time to catch up on the computer work, respond to emails. And return phone calls.
Guadalupe White Sharks
Sept 15-19, 2011
Sept 14 Boarding- we greeted our passengers as they boarded the Islander this evening. Since Islander is now allowed to depart out its slip in San Diego. In previous seasons all of the shark boats visiting Guadalupe Island had to depart directly out of Ensenada, Mexico. After a pre-departure briefing by Captain Jason we cast off our lines and began our easy transit to Ensenada where we would have to clear with the Mexican customs and immigration officials in the morning.
Sept 15 Day One
It was an easy overnight ride down to Ensenada. We quickly cleared with the Mexican officials and were on our way headed for Guadalupe. The captain estimated our ETA at Guadalupe around 7 AM tomorrow morning. Everyone was excited by the prospect of seeing their first white sharks in the morning.
Sept 16 Day Two
The transit down to the island was a nice easy ride. Around 6:30 in the morning we could make out the outline of the island in the early dawn light. The Islander anchored up and we quickly launched the cages. As we were setting up the cages two white sharks were spotted. Not a bad way to start out the diving at Guadalupe! The action was consistent throughout the day. A couple of my old pals showed up to delight the divers. Scar/Shredder certainly made his presence known. He is likely the most photographed Great White Shark in the world. I’m sure there are thousands of images of him. He is usually the first shark to greet the sharking boats as they arrive at Isla de Guadalupe. Another easily identifiable shark is named Lucy. She has a deformed upper tail lobe and doesn’t seem to swim quite as efficiently as the other white sharks, but she is healthy and seems to get her share of the tuna baits. We had a mini-breech on one of the hang baits. A medium sized white shark came completely out of the water as it came up vertically from the deep to pounce on the bait. The shark came down with a huge splash! Luckily one of the passengers on deck caught the action in a series of rapid-fire photos. Several other sharks showed up during the rest of the day and by the time we pulled the cages out of the water we had seen seven different white sharks. Everyone showered and had a cold one to end the dive day. At dinner there were animated conversations about who got what pictures of which shark. I’ve seen it many time before of past trips and it always pleases me to see how enthusiastic the divers are about the first white shark experience. Everyone was looking forward to tomorrow’s action.
Sept 17 Day Three
The cages were in the water and ready for divers by 0700. A couple of the hard-core adventurers suited up and hopped in to start the day. They weren’t disappointed, there was a white shark patrolling beneath the Islander waiting for his tuna snacks. The cry “white shark” went out and as soon as the other divers could finish their morning coffee they were in the cages too. The action wasn’t as consistent as yesterday, but often there were 3-4 sharks visible from the cages. The “drop-down” 2-diver cage was put in use today with terrific results. Being submerged to a depth of 35 ft gives divers the feeling of really being out there alone with the circling sharks. It certainly gives divers a different perspective on the animals. By the end of the day everyone had plenty of water time and were ready for a cold one. Rick, the chef, cooked up a delicious meal and desert for dinner. Some hardy souls opted for a movie after diner, but most headed for their berths. That’s shark diving at Isla de Guadalupe!
Sept 18 Day Four
Today is our last dive day so we’ll drop the cages right at first light, then go full tilt until 2 when we’ll have to pull the cages and begin our prep for the transit back to Ensenada. Our luck held out when the first divers in the cages spotted two white sharks cruising underneath the Islander at 20 ft. soon enough the “drop down” cage was ready for the first encounter of the day. Meanwhile the surface cages were quickly filled with divers eager to greet the white sharks. The action was steady thru the morning. Around noon everyone had their fill of diving and began to wash up their dive gear. The Islander crew cleaned the back deck then retrieved the cages and secured the vessel for the transit back home. Since we had ended the diving a couple of hours early, we had time to cruise the shoreline viewing the seals. Captain Jason maneuvered the Islander into shallow water off Elephant Seal beach so the passengers could get a look at the lumbering beasts as they slept on the warm sand. He then eased the boat into a small cove off the northern end of the bay so we could see the small Guadalupe Fur Seal pups playing in the protected waters away from the large predators patrolling just offshore. We finally had to depart Isla de Guadalupe and point our bow on a course to Ensenada.
Sept 19 Day Five
The transit last night was smooth one considering we were headed up swell. The Islander pulled into Ensenada around 10am. We tied up in a slip and awaited the Mexican officials who would again check the vessels paperwork so we could be cleared to leave Mexican waters. After being cleared the Islander headed north towards San Diego. We had to check in with US Customs and finally made it to our slip at Fishermen’s Landing. Everyone off loaded and said their good-byes and the boat prepped for the next departure at 10 pm tonight!
Isla Holbox July
21-25, 2011
July 21 Day
One
Two of our group arrived before noon so they were transferred to the island while I and another two people arrived in the afternoon and took a later van to Chiquila where we boarded the ferry to Isla Holbox. We were quickly whisked to the Hotel La Palapa where after a refreshing shower we met up with the other two in our group over refreshments. My contact on the island, Rodrigo Sidney aka “Whale Shark Daddy” had outlined the next days pick up time for the Whale Shark viewing. After dinner everyone bedded down hoping for lots of sharks in the next days.
July 22 Day Two
Everyone was up and waiting for coffee at the hotel restaurant. William, the morning chef, took the breakfast orders and hopped to it since the boat was scheduled to pick us up at 7:30. This being tropical Mexico breakfast took a little longer to finish so we actually boarded around 8:00. No problem we were off soon enough. It was about a 1-½ hr. transit until we sighted out first Whale Shark. We began hopping into the water in twos. The first two would swim along with the animal until it had left them in its wake. They re-boarded the boat and the next two got ready as Captaino Rene maneuvered the boat ahead of the Whale Shark for the next two to drop in. As we continued working with this shark other boats began arriving and lining up to take their turns at the shark. I noticed another group of boats working another shark about a mile away. We kept rotating in on the shark until everyone had their fill for the day. We then headed back towards the Cabo Catoche lighthouse. As we approached the lighthouse the captain asked us if we wanted to snorkel a shallow reef. We opted to give it a try. There were several other boats on the reef as we anchored and slipped into the water. It was only about ten feet down to the bottom and if you looked under the ledges there was a small Nurse Shark, a puffer fish, and a Lionfish. This was the first time I had seen a Lionfish on this reef. I guess they are really spreading quickly throughout the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean. That evening all the carnivores in the group were craving steaks for dinner so I made a reservation for six at a new restaurant called Las Guayas. We all opted for the rib-eye steak except for the one vegetarian, my wife Trudy. After diner everyone was ready to hit the rack. Everyone had a good day and was looking forward to tomorrow’s sightings.
July 23 Day Three
Last night Rodrigo got a report that there were 100 Whale Sharks in the area northeast of Isla Contoy in blue water so our boat made the three-hour transit to get there this morning. This is twice as far as we normally go, but the chance of seeing that many Whales Sharks in blue water was too good to pass up. We had to stop on the way because one of our group had to do a wee! Fortunately we spotted a group of Golden Rays during the stop so we all quietly slipped into the water so as not to spook the group of about 50 small rays lazily cruising together. It was a magical experience and we hadn’t even seen Whale Sharks yet! We were rewarded for the long transit, because when we arrived in the sighting area. There were lots of Whale Sharks moving in all directions scooping up tuna eggs drifting in the water. The rotations went non-stop until we were all pooped, but exhilarated. On the way back we ran into two large Mantas Rays slowly swimming on the surface. The captain slowly edged the boat alongside of the Mantas so we could get photos and videos of the two animals. Now that was the real capper to a fantastic day on the water.
July 24 Day Four
This is the group’s last dive day. After toast and coffee we hopped aboard the boat for the 3 hr. transit to the viewing area. Again we were excited to see what looked like even more Whale Sharks in the area than the day before. We quickly began our rotations into the water as Whale Shark after Whale Shark made close passes by the boat. After 5 or 6 hops into the water most everyone was exhausted and agreed it was time to head back to Holbox. On the way back we cruised into the mangroves to look for birds. Holbox and the Yum Belam Preserve are know as a premier birding area. It is not unusual to see dozens of species within a short time. There are often Flamingos feeding on the mud flats as large groups of Pelicans socialize nearby. Once back at the hotel the four group members who were departing the next day rinsed their gear and set them out to dry in the tropical breeze. After dinner they all settled their hotel bills and called it a night. Their ride back to the Cancun airport was at 8:30 so they had to finish their final baggage pack first thing in the morning. Trudy and I said our goodbyes to the rest of the group since we were staying an extra couple of days.
July 25 Day Five
We had a quick coffee and toast breakfast then a short walk to the pier to board our boat. It was a smaller vessel than the one my group had used the past three days and we only had six people total onboard. Of the six passengers two were not going into the water. This made the rotations go very quickly. We barely had time to catch our breath before it was time to get into the water again. Soon it was time to return to Holbox. We again went into the Mangroves again but this time we beached the boat alongside several others and got off onto the sand bank and walked around photographing the scene. We departed and were back at the pier in a short time. After a quick rinse off and a siesta we walked to the plaza for a pizza diner. The meal was so big that we had to box up the leftovers and eat them later in our hotel room. Life is good on Holbox!
July 26 Day Six
This morning the owner of the boat picked us up at the hotel and drove us to the pier-a nice service touch! This time there were only 4 passengers onboard: Trudy, myself, and a father & son. This would again make the rotations into the water very quick. During the transit we spotted several Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphins playing in the water. We were lucky as several of them approached our boat close enough to get photos of them. Once in the Whale Shark viewing area Leo, the father got ready but his son balked at going into the water. He was too afraid of the Whale Sharks. As it turned out Leo had to be rescued by the guide, Gabriel. Evidently Leo had swallowed too much seawater. That was the last time he went into the water. That meant that Trudy and I were constantly in the water with only short rests in between. We did pretty good for a couple of senior citizens. Meanwhile on the boat Leo and his son are getting seasick and begged us to finish so they could go back to solid ground. After a couple more jumps we eventually tired and had our fill of the Whale Sharks and had mercy on the two other passengers so we left earlier then usual. All in all it was a good day, good weather, good Whale Shark action and a good fresh ceviche snack on the way back. That night we had dinner with the “Whale Shark Daddy” and swapped stories. It was a perfect ending to a wonderful trip.
July 27 Day Seven
Trudy and I had a leisurely breakfast then did a final pack for our departure from Holbox at 10:30. I made a reservation with the “Whale Shark Daddy” to come back next year at the same time in July for another expedition with the gentle giants..
Socorro Mar 29-April 7, 2011
Mar 29 Day One
After an easy flight from San Diego into San Jose Del Cabo I was met outside of the arrivals hall by a rep from Cape Travel who escorted me and to the transport van. First we made a beer stop to get into the spirit of the vacation. Hans, a diver from Germany, and I were the only divers in the group. We made a couple of stops to drop off people at their respective resort hotels. I was taken to the Quinta del Sol were most of the Solmar passengers were staying. Several of us met up for dinner in town and over cold Cervesas discussed the upcoming trip.
Mar 30 Day Two
After having the complimentary breakfast at the hotel we lounged around the pool until it was time for our 1:30 pick-up that would take up to the Solmar V moored at the Cabo Marina. Once aboard we took care of paperwork and were assigned our cabins. After unpacking all the luggage was stored in a locker on the foredeck. At 4:00 the captain fired up the main engines and eased the Solmar V away from the dock and into the channel. We stopped at Land’s End for photographs and then it was off on the 24 hr. transit to San Benedicto Island
Mar 31 Day Three
The Solmar arrived at “The Anchorage” around 3 in the afternoon. We were given a dive briefing then hit the water for a checkout dive. Visibility was down to about 40 ft. We swam past several pinnacles on the way down to 90 ft looking for sharks. Unfortunately none were around today so we just made a leisurely tour of the area. Exiting the water we secured our dive gear, showered and relaxed while diner was being prepared. After the meal most everyone hit the racks anticipating some good diving in the morning.
Apr 1 Day Four
The Solmar moved a few yards to another site called “The Canyon” which had a similar bottom structure to the Anchorage. We did see a couple of Hammerheads and Mantas but the vis was still down. We later moved to the “Boiler” This site has been renowned for the manta interactions. Unfortunately there were only two mantas around the cleaning station and the vis was still down.
Apr 2 & 3 Day Five & Six
We transited overnight to Roca Partida. You never know what you’ll see at this site. There could be multiple mantas, lots of sharks, dolphins, or even Humpback Whales! Roca is very isolated the nearest land is 75 miles away at Socorro Island. The place acts as a fish magnet. Our first dive here was on the cool side at 73F. There were large schools of Jacks, Creolefish, and Chubs. Down deeper just beyond our dive profile we could see Galapagos, Hammerhead, and Silvertip Sharks. Unfortunately the mantas were a no show, however Humpback Whales made up for that. There was a mother and young calf that lazily swam near the rock often breeching to the delight of the divers and those witnessing the show from the Solmar. The dive-masters had said that this was the same whale they had seen here five years before but with a different calf. We piled into our panga after the dive then motored near to where the whales were frolicking and quietly hopped in with only our snorkel gear on. It was a real treat to see the calf riding on the mother’s back or under her chin. When snorkelers were near the whales remained calm just hanging out 20 ft below the surface.
We made a total of five dives at Roca along with three whale dives on scuba. The whales were surprisingly tolerant of having scuba divers near them as they rested 30-50 ft below the surface. It was a very special experience to look directly into the eye of one of these mammoth creatures
.
Just as we were finishing up dinner the Mexican navy sent over a contingent of marines to inspect the Solmar V. All the passengers and crew had to gather on the dive deck while all the inside spaces were searched and the boat’s documents reviewed.
After the marines left, the Solmar hoisted anchor and began the transit to Socorro Island.
Apr 4 Day Six
We had a smooth ride from Roca Partida to Cabo Pearce at Isla Socorro. Cabo Pearce is a basalt ridge to juts away from the island and is a cleaning station for both mantas and Scalloped Hammerhead Sharks.
The was a strong surface current running during the first dive so we had to hand over hand down to the ridge on the stern anchor line. We hung out on the up current side of the ridge hoping for some Hammers to come check us out. We didn’t get any takers so we swam out into the blue where we encountered several of the elusive and shy hammerheads. Unfortunately as is often the case we couldn’t get close enough to get decent photos or video. We then headed back toward the ridge and waited to see if a manta would approach the cleaning area. A single manta did cruise by slowly and just overhead. The group then slowly made its way to the anchor line for our safety stop.
The 2nd and 3rd dives were much more successful in getting close-up encounters with the mantas. Once a manta got close to the ridge a hoard of Clarion Angelfish rushed out to begin their cleaning job on the manta. The mantas have to come in and get the parasites and dead skin cleaned on a regular basis.
Apr 5 Day Seven
During the night the Solmar transited over to the Anchorage at San Benedicto Island. We did two dives in the morning and had terrific encounters with some Bottlenose Dolphins. For the last two dives of the trip we returned to the “The Boiler” and were rewarded with close-up encounters with some of the friendly mantas that started showing up as the divers got into the water. It just seems like these Giant Pacific Mantas are eliciting these close encounters with the divers. They often come directly to each diver and either pass close by or slowly swim over the divers within touching distance. It was a magical way to end the diving on this trip. Afterwards all the divers rinsed their gear and hung it out to dry during the transit back to Cabo San Lucas.
Apr 6 Day Eight
It was a surprisingly smooth ride back up-swell back to Cabo. Most everyone relaxed and worked on their tan or reading. We hit the dock at the Cabo Marina around 6 PM. Dinner aboard was at 7 and afterwards some of the passengers opted for a walk around the night scene in Cabo while others just hung out on the Solmar.
Apr 7 Day Nine
Breakfast was at 7AM and afterwards everyone did their final packing and cleaned up for the departure from the Solmar. It was a very pleasant trip with good people onboard. Some were transported directly to the airport while others were taken to hotels until their late afternoon flights or if they were spending a few extra days in Cabo.
Dec 4-14, 2010 Galapagos
Dec 4 Day One
Because of flight constraints I had to book my air to arrive into Guayaquil, Ecuador earlier then I wanted to so I got to spend an extra day in the city than I normally would do. It is a vibrant Latin American city and is the biggest port in the Ecuador. I arrived late at night so I just crashed as soon as I had checked in.
Dec 5
Guayaquil is rich in history and has a rebuilt Malecon along the bank of the Rio Guayas. The Malecone was a short stroll from he Grand Hotel where I was staying. Dec is the beginning of the humid and rainy season here in Ecuador so it is a bit steamy along the river, but it is still a great walk with many fountains, monuments and vendors hawking food and trinkets. There are a couple of sailing ships moored at the quay for visitors to tour. Since it was Sunday the Malecone was packed with families that had come for a walk after church.
Dec 6 Day Three
Caught my AeroGal flight into the Galapagos arriving into San Cristobal around noon and was met by Ruly and Nicolas, the dive masters on the Deep Blue for this trip. Once they had gathered all the passengers we boarded our shuttle for the short ride to the harbor where the pangas from the Deep Blue would pick us. There were a couple of Sea Lions lounging on a bench on the pier near the water. Being surrounded by photographers didn’t bother these two at all. In short order the pangas had whisked us out to the Deep Blue, our home for the next seven days. After introductions and signing necessary releases and unpacking our gear we made a short checkout dive nearby in the harbor. The visibility was only about 10 ft so as soon as we ran thru our drills we surfaced and exited into the pangas. The Deep Blue then began a leisurely transit to North Seymour Island to start the real diving the next morning.
Dec 7 Day Four
Breakfast was at 6 AM and right after we got geared up for the first dive of the day. We were divided into two groups of seven to each of the two pangas. Once on site we back-rolled into the water and re-grouped on the bottom. It was long before we spotted several White-tip Reef Sharks resting under a ledge. As we swam along the boulders I began to notice many blue nudibranchs. Later I spotted a large Navanax nudibranch that I’m sure that was feasting on it smaller blue cousins. Later in the dive we swam over a sand bottom where there were dozens of the big Galapagos Garden Eels. These particular Garden Eels were much bigger than the ones I’ve seen in other locals. The visibility was down to around 30 ft here with lots of stinging coelenterates floating in the water. Several of us divers got stung across the upper lip by these nearly invisible creatures. Once onboard the Deep Blue we all decided to forego the 2nd dive planned here and do the land tour early so we could head up to Wolf and Darwin Islands in the far north of the archipelago. The land tour is always a treat since the birds and animals have no fear of humans and will allow you to walk right up to them. We had to stay on the marked trails but that wasn’t a problem since there were lots of animals to see. After the tour we had a delicious shrimp kabob lunch. The Deep Blue then started the 140-mile transit up to Wolf Island where we anticipate diving with lots of big sharks!
Dec 8 Day Five
As the Deep Blue approached Wolf Island we saw a vortex of wheeling and diving Boobies that were attacking baitfish that were being pushed to the surface by tuna and dolphins. It was one of those spectacular nature scenes right out of National Geographic. The dolphins then peeled off the bait ball to rush the boat so that they could play at the bow wave. It was as if the dolphins were greeting us to the island. Our first two dives were at a site called Landslide. Here the large basalt boulders were evidence of the many landslides that have occurred around the island over time. We saw lots of Eagle Rays passing close to the reef slope, a Galapagos Shark came by to check us out, and we could see Scalloped Hammerhead Sharks off in the blue. The 3rd dive was a site called Shark Bay. Again there were Eagle Rays and a Turtle. We were surrounded by a school of Amberjacks towards the end of the dive. It wasn’t as sharky as the site name might imply-at least not on this dive! Afterwards the Deep Blue hauled in the pangas and we began out transit to Darwin Island were we would dive for the next two days.
Dec 9-10 Day Six & Seven
This the spot where most avid divers dream of. Diving Darwin Arch is an over the top type of dive where you never know what you will see, but you do know that it will be BIG! We made five dives on the first day and four on our second day at Darwin. On seven of the nine dives at the Arch we saw Whale Sharks and tons of Scalloped Hammerhead Sharks along with a few Galapagos and Silky Sharks. Actually there were more Silky Sharks hanging out under the Deep Blue than were at the Arch. The Silkies were gobbling down kitchen scraps the chef was tossing out of the galley window. The Arch is impressive both above the water and under. The arch itself was formed by erosion and wave action and stands like the Arch d’ Triumph in Paris. Underwater it is a series of basalt ledges and boulders mixed with sand channels. There is so much sea-life here that you often don’t know which direction to look. There are massive schools of Creolefish, Jacks, and Bonita with big predators lurking on the outskirts of the schools. Massive Yellowfin Tuna often rake the Bonita or Mackerel, while Marlin and Dolphin are always looking for unsuspecting baitfish. I never tire of diving this site. Even after four trips here it still amazes me! We finally had to stow our gear and secure the Deep Blue for the long transit to Isabela Island a 24 hr. run to our next dive sites.
Dec 9 & 10 Day Ten & Eleven
We dove the famous Darwin Arch 5 times on the 9th with the first dive at dawn. The place is always amazing. You never know what you’ll see. We saw Whale Sharks on most of the dives along with Scalloped Hammerhead Sharks, with an occasional Galapagos and Silky Shark. There were also schools of Amberjacks, and Big Eye Jacks as well as clouds of Creole Fish and a Turtle or two. There was also a Dolphin cruising the ledge on two of the dives. It was a full day and all were exhausted by evening. On the 19th we made an additional three dives. No matter how many times I’ve been at this site, it never gets old seeing how much life there is here.
Dec 11 Day Twelve
We motored overnight to get to our next destination Roca Redonda. This was the first time I’ve had the opportunity to dive this site so I was looking forward to seeing what was down there. This islet is still volcanically active as evidenced by the bubbles that percolate out of the sea floor. The two dives we did here were the coldest of the trip. Water temps were in the 50s! We saw a Pacific Torpedo Ray. These fish can give of a big jolt of electricity so you need to be careful around them.
Dec 12 Day Thirteen
After another overnight transit we made two dives at Cousin’s Rock. This site used to have a couple of resident Seahorses that lived in a black coral bush. Evidently the animals have moved off the site. I guess they got tired of all the divers crowding them. They are still large schools of Barracuda here along with Eagle Rays. After the dives we motored over to the Island of Bartoleme. The vistas here are spectacular. Some of the passengers snorkeled looking for the Megellanic Penguins. Unfortunately most of the birds were away fishing. Three of them were spotted and made a beeline for deep water once sighted. We did a land visit onto one of the nearby lava flows to see the bizarre patterns of he solidified lava and the strange plants and animals that made the lava their home.
Dec 13 Day Fourteen
A last overnight transit brought us back to the harbor on San Cristobal where we boarded a bus that took us up into the highlands for a visit to Cerro Colorado, a Galapagos Tortoise research station. Many adult tortoises and juveniles are housed here and eggs are hatched in incubators help to preserve the species. After the visit we were bused to the airport for our flight back to Guayaquil and Quito. Once on the ground in Guayaquil we all said our goodbyes at the airport and went our separate ways. The Galapagos is one of those magic destinations that you really have to go to once in your life!
Maldives
Aug 17-27, 2010
Aug 17-18 Day One and Two In Transit
I drove up to LAX from San Diego and parked at nearby
parking structure that I had booked online. Their shuttle quickly drove me to
the international departures terminal where I lined up to check my bag for the
long flight on Emirates Airlines to Dubai. I had flown Emirates the year before
and was pleased with the service of their multi-national crew. They spoke at
least a half dozen different languages onboard. It is a 15 hr. leg into Dubai
going over the great arctic route thru Canada’s far northern territory of
Nunavut across Greenland and down thru Russia and into Dubai. The airport in
Dubai will become the world’s largest once construction is completed on a new
terminal in 2013. It is ultra modern with upscale shopping and all the familiar
restaurants plus some unique dinning options.
I had a 7 hr. layover to just hang out exploring the transit area and made the best of the free Wi-Fi access to catch up on emails. The 0320 departure for Male, Maldives was only a 4 ½ hr. flight. We were scheduled to arrive at 0800 local time. This gave me the opportunity to get some aerial shots of the atolls as we descended towards Hulule International Airport. I had met Eric Chang before we boarded the flight into the Maldives. Eric is the force behind Wetpixel.com an online site dedicated to underwater photographers and videographers. Eric was to be part of the dive group aboard the M/V Orion, our live-aboard for the week.
Aug 19 Day Three
We collected our bags and checked thru customs then exited the arrivals hall; outside we were met by Alex Bryant, the owner of the Orion. We also hooked up with another friend, Doug Seifert, whom we had both dived with before on previous trips. Doug had just finished a two-week trip aboard the Orion diving the same itinerary we were about to do. He had glowing reports of his dives up at Hanifaru Bay with the feeding Mantas. It sounded like we were in for great trip. Once our cabins were ready onboard the Orion we unpacked and began to set up our camera gear. There were still some passengers from the previous trip that were waiting to be transferred back to the airport for their flights home. Those divers soon boarded the dhoni for their ride back to the airport. We said good-bye to Doug and his girlfriend, and then just relaxed. The rest of our dive group were to be picked up in Male by the dhoni once it had deposited the other passengers at the airport. Once everyone arrived at the Orion and boat briefing was done, introductions were made, and everyone assigned to their rooms. Lunch was served shortly afterwards and everyone settled in. Some explored the boat; others assembled their cameras, and some just napped. After diner the Orion began its transit thru North Male Atoll to Baa Atoll where we would start off with diving at Hanifaru Bay. A few of us gathered up on the spa deck for drinks and conversation as we got to know each other. Afterward everyone turned in for the night. The Orion made it to the anchorage at Baa atoll around 11 pm. The water was flat calm so I’m sure all slept well and dreamed about the many Mantas and Whale Sharks we hope to see in the morning.
Aug 20 Day Four
We made our first dive at Daravandhoo Tila a small pinnacle near Hanifaru Bay. We stopped by Hanifaru to see if the Mantas were in the bay feeding, but they weren’t so we opted for the tila dive. It was just a so-so dive for the Maldives plenty of tropical fish, but no big animals.
The 2nd dive of the day was at Hanifaru Bay and this now famous site did not disappoint. There were groups of 6 to 12 mantas feeding in a line and doing barrel rolls as they scooped up the plankton. The topper was there small whale sharks mixed in with the mantas taking advantage of the concentration of plankton. It was the type of diver where so much is happening that you don’t know which way to point your camera. It was a spectacular dive! The late lunch conversations were very animated to say the least.
Thee 3rd dive of the day was at 4:30 a bit later than usual since we had spent so much time diving with the big animals at Hanifaru. We went to nearby reef called Farigoma Tila. It was another so-so dive plus the light levels dropped significantly during the dive. It was practically a twilight dive. We did see a couple of large Marble Rays but that was about it.
Aug 21 Day Five
First dive was at Dhonfaru Tila another typical Maldivian pinnacle dive with lots of tropical fish, sloping reef structure and undercuts. There were large schools of Fusiliers and Silversides, which were occasionally harassed by the marauding Jacks.
On the 2nd dive we checked out Hanifaru Bay to see if the Mantas were in feeding, which they weren’t so we opted for a dive at Dhonfaru Faro a wall dive near the resort of the same name. There was a friendly turtle and many macro subjects.
We checked Hanifaru again before and after our third dive at Daravandhoo Tila, but unfortunately they were not in the bay feeding either time. We dove the tila in the opposite direction this time had found a couple of beautiful flat worms, a free swimming eel, and a small Leaf Fish on a sand patch. It was a nice dive.
Aug 22 Day Six
Our last dive at Baa Atoll was at Nelivaru Tila near the Soneva Fushi Resort. It is know as a Manta cleaning site and it did not disappoint. Several mantas would cruise in then hover over a reef outcrop at 80 ft while small wrasses rose off the reef to clean parasites off the animals. It was a really cool dive. After breakfast the Orion began the transit to Rasdu Atoll where we hope to get in two dives this afternoon and a dawn dive tomorrow morning to see Hammerhead Sharks.
After a 5 hr. transit we arrived at Reshoot Atoll where we did an afternoon dive at a site called Reshoot Madivaru. The reef drops off steeply into the blue. Big tuna, and Gray reef Sharks cruised out in the blue while small White Tip Reef sharks circled over the reef top. There is a sand bowl in the middle of the reef where thousands of Garden Eels wave in the current as they feed on small animals drifting by.
We did a second dive at Reshoot Madivaru taking in the big tunas and fish schools riding the current over the edge of the reef. We saw several groups of Spotted Eagle Rays both over the san bowl and out in the blue.
Aug 23 Day Seven
We were up at 0530 for a Hammerhead dive in the blue off Reshoot Madivaru. I had done this dive several times over the years and have yet to see the hammers up close enough to get some video. Unfortunately that was the case on this dive also.
The Orion then fired up for the 2-½ hr. transit over to North Ari Atoll. Once anchored off Maaya Fushi Resort e geared up for a late morning dive on Hausa Thila. There were tons of schooling snappers, mackerel, and Big Eyes. Some of us “hooked” into the reef lip as the current washed over us we took in the scene as Gray Reef Sharks and White Tip Reef Sharks circled just yards away from the reef. Under the table corals juvenile white tips huddled together and rested from the current. There was lots to see at this spot.
We made a night dive at Maaya Thila where there were several turtles sleeping in the undercuts of the reef and lots of Morey Eels were out free swimming as they hunted for prey. The White Tip Reef Sharks were also out and actively hunting for sleeping fish.
Aug 24 Day Eight
We returned to Maaya Thila for a day dive. Some saw a Mobula Ray cruising over the top of the thila. Other divers were entertained by a small green turtle foraging on algae at the top of the reef in the shallows. There were plenty of eels sticking their heads out of their crevices and a marble ray resting under a coral outcropping.
Next dive was at Bethel Ken Thila a typical thila dive. We first went out onto the sand flat at 100 ft. looking for sharks and tuna, then back up to the reef face checking out the undercuts. The current was running at the lip on the thila so we hooked into the reef as we looked for cruising fish.
The 3rd dive of the day was a return to Hausa Thila. We took a group photo with a birthday banner for Susie, one of the divers. Then we scoured the reef looking for white tip reef sharks hiding under the table corals and small animals on the top of the reef. I opted to pass on the night dive at Maaya Thila tonight.
The diver retuned with good reports on the action during the night dive. Lots of eels and white tip reef sharks hunting and even a ray getting in on the action. We celebrated a passenger’s birthday tonight complete with a cake and party swag. During dinner the Orion began the 3 hr. transit back to N. Male Atoll where we will be doing the last two dives of the trip.
Aug 25 Day Nine
We started the dive day at Lankan Manta Pt., which is a cleaning station for Manta Rays. Several animals came into the station and hovered over a huge coral mound while small wrasses swam out to clean dead skin and parasites off the Mantas. It was a mesmerizing scene and all too quickly the dive time was up and we had to return to the surface. What a way to start the day!
Our last dive of the trip was at Banana Reef. I am very familiar with this site having dived here at least a couple dozen times over the last 25 yrs. There is always a school of Blue Stripped Snappers here as well as turtles and eels. It was a great way to end the trip.
July 22-26, 2010
Islan Holbox Whale Shark Expedition
July 22: Day One The
transit:
Our early morning flight from San Diego thru Phoenix to Cancun was fairly smooth even though there were short flight delays. It just isn't as much fun flying on the American carriers these days. Unfortunately the earliest we could arrive into Cancun was 3:30 in the afternoon so those in our group from the East Coast who had gotten there in the late morning had to wait for us. As it turned out our van driver was late picking us up anyway. Hey, it Mexico! We drove thru the countryside to the village of Chiquila where we hopped onto a panga that would ferry us across the lagoon to Isla Holbox. Upon arriving on the island we were picked up by three golf cart taxis and taken to our hotels. The group met for dinner at the 2nd floor Italian restaurant overlooking the central plaza. The meal was delicious and everyone was excited about the whale shark viewing the next morning. After dinner we all headed for our rooms and settled in for the night.
July 23: Day Two Whale Sharks!
We met our boat crew early this morning and waited for fresh hot empanadas to arrive before we cast off the lines and headed for the Whale Shark viewing area. It was a longer ride than in past seasons. We headed much further east until we were only a few miles off Isla Contoy. We noticed some pangas from Isla Mujeres were working the same area.
The ocean was a little bumpy today with a 3 ft. wind chop. Several in the group were a little queasy. We spotted our first Whale Shark around 9:30. The first two snorkelers got ready and when Captain Duque gave the word to go they hit the water and swam toward the approaching shark. The swimmers were only able to keep up with the shark for about 8 minutes before they returned to our boat and the next two readied themselves. This routine went on throughout the morning until we had all had our fill of viewing the sharks. In all we had snorkeled with 8 different sharks, by the time we called it quits everyone was tuckered out. The captain headed back towards Cabo Catoche were we stopped to catch a coupe of snappers for some fresh ceviche. Man that was delicious! Afterwards we re-anchored the boat near a shallow reef for some relaxing fish watching. On the way back to the pier we slowed to view flocks of Brown Pelicans and Flamingos near the shore. All in all it was wonderful day. Everyone headed back to their rooms to shower and take a siesta. We met for dinner at a new restaurant I hadn't been to before called Casa de Juan Parilla. I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the diner offerings, the good drinks and the attentive wait staff. This is one that I will return to on next year's trip.
July 24 Day Three More Whale Sharks
The boat departed early today and we sped out to find the Whale Sharks.
On the way we stopped to spy on a couple of large Green Sea Turtles mating on the surface. Unfortunately the couple split once we got close.
We found the Whale Sharks much closer to Holbox this morning. We had several of the sharks to ourselves before the rest of the fleet showed up!
It was a banner day. Nice calm seas, lots of sharks, and good visibility. Once again we were exhausted by the time we left. The group had dinner at the Faro Viejo Hotel restaurant right on the beach tonight. There was some thunder in the distance as squalls passed near the island.
July 25 Day Four Last chance at the Whale Sharks
One in the group opted to stay onshore when she noticed storm clouds to the southeast of the island. The rest of the intrepid snorkelers went for it!
We stopped near one of the lagoon channels to wait for the weather to pass us by. While there we cruised thru the channel to view some of the bird life in the mangroves. It was very interesting with Great Blue Herons, Egrits, Brown Pelicans, Frigate Birds, and Spoonbills working the sand banks. Once the weather cleared we headed out to sea. It was a bumpy ride once again and we had a hard time spotting the Whale Sharks in the choppy seas. We finally got a radio call telling us there were sharks up ahead about 20 minutes away. We finally found the sharks around 11:30. This is pretty late but there were lots of animals and not a lot of boats so we had a good time swimming with the sharks. Most of the other boats had to leave while we were still able to work with the sharks. We were almost the last boat to leave for home today. We said out good-byes to the crew and thanked them for their hard work. We all met at one of my favorite island resturants, Los Pelicanos. It is run by a gracious lady from Argentina and her Mexican husband. They have some great steaks here and strong drinks! Rod Sidney, the Minister of Tourism for Isla Holbox and my contact on the island and his family joined us.Everyone had a fun time.
July 26 Day Five Heading home
Half of the group was picked up in the morning with the rest taking a later van to the airport in Cancun. The flight home was one easy hop thru Houston then San Diego. Those going back to New Jersey and Florida had even easier flights. Another fun Whale Shark expedition in the books!
Mar 1-14, 2010
The Southern Atolls
Feb 27-Mar1: The transit:
The regional jet flight from San Diego To San Francisco to connect with my Singapore Airlines flight into Singapore was uneventful. I hooked up with Chris Huss, a professional photographer from Seattle, who had been in the Maldives with me back in 1994. That was a memorable trip on the old Koi Mala.
It is a long flight across the Pacific using the great polar route with a short stop in Hong Kong. This flight sometimes messes with your mind because you are leaving around midnight from the west coast of the US and getting into Singapore two calendar days later. The Changi International Airport in Singapore has been rated the top airport in the world several times and is actually a pleasure to wander around in. There are lots of well kept shops with the latest goods from around the world, good restaurants and bars and even sports two hotels, a rooftop pool, a gym and couple of places to get a much needed massage to work out those knots from that long flight. We arrived into Male International on the airport island of Hululi and were met by the owner of the Orion, Alex Bryant. We quickly moved to the waiting dhoni and were transported to the Orion at anchor in the lagoon. After a quick boat orientation we were shown to our rooms and bedded down for the night, We would start diving early the next day as we make our way down to the southern end of the Maldivian atolls. This is an area that I have wanted to see for years and now there are vessels with the range to get us there. I’m anxious to see what the diving is like. I’ve heard that there are a lot more sharks to be seen at these southern dive sites. That would suit me just fine!
Mar 2 Day One
Banana Reef was the checkout dive to start the trip. Only four of the ten passengers aboard made this first dive. The rest of the passengers opted to sleep in. There was a good current running this morning, which was good for viewing some of the pelagics. There were two turtles on the reef. Unfortunately one of them was found dead with fishing line wrapped around it and one of the coral heads so it looked as though the animal had drowned. The Orion upped anchor and began the transit over to Ari Atoll where we would make an afternoon dive at Bathtila.
There was a fair current on the finger reef and a few Grey Reef Sharks cruising in the blue and White Tip reef Sharks resting in the sand. I did see the largest Napoleon Wrasse I have ever seen in the Maldives. The fish might have tipped the scales at around 200 lbs.
Mar 3 Day Two
We continued motoring south thru Air Atoll diving along the way. One of my favorite dives was at Donkalo where we saw up to 20 mantas as they came into the cleaning stations to be serviced by several species of cleaner fishes. It was fascinating to see how the mantas seamed to hover over certain coral outcroppings as they were cleaned.
The last dive of the day was at Rah Digga Tila. We searched for sharks at the bottom of the tila but there were none today. As I worked my way up the reef I did spot a school of Sergeant Barracuda as they paraded back and forth then would morph into a circle. On top of the tila was a beautiful field of huge table corals.
Mar 4 Day Three
We were up at 0600 to try and beat some of the other boats
to Rangali Manta Pt.
Unfortunately there was a battery problem with the dive dhoni so we didn’t get
to the site until later than planned and there were already four boats
jockeying for position. The site is a long reef abutting the channel. We
sighted two Leaf fish a couple of small Mobula Rays cruising the reef break.
Then we came upon a Manta at one of the cleaning stations. I used my reef hook
to maintain my position while freeing my hands to operate my video camera. We
had the Manta to ourselves for about five minutes before two other dive groups
bullied here way onto the viewing area. Time to leave. During the safety stop
we spotted a group of 5 mobulas swimming just under the surface in a diamond
formation-really cool!
Mar 5, 2010 Day 5
Miyaru Kandahar
is a channel dive with a couple of tiles in the middle at 70 ft. Te visibility
was spectacular this morning. It had to be 150 ft and the surface was flat
calm. No large pelagics this morning, but a beautiful
dive anyway.
The southern
atolls are all about channel diving. Making 3 deep dives a day in strong
current isn’t for the faint of heart or inexperienced divers. This is where you
can view large pelagics such as sharks, mobulas, and tuna cruising in the current.
It wasn’t
until the Orion transited up to South Male Atoll when we once again were able
to dive on Giris (pinnacles that came within 5 meters of the surface). Of
course this is where divers see the smaller animals like Frogfish, Mantis
Shrimps, and Leaf Fish.
After this, my 19th trip to the country, the Maldives still remains one of my favorite overall dive destinations.