<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=5 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=dclite noWrap>
</TD><TD class=dclite width="100%">Well since i have not been out locally in long time, and have had very little to post about, I thought I would share my dive trip over the holiday.
The plan was to dive the Island of Cozumel, but the weather was pretty poor, so I scrubbed the Island, and dove the local reefs near the resort. The first dive was nice, not real impressive, but the second dive had some great coral formations.
Water temp was 78, air temp in the mornings were 60-64...mid day 75-78, evening 58-60...not typical weather for Cancun....just my luck.
The first three days the weather sucked...cold and cloudy, and windy..felt like I was back home.
I was a little disappointed in the amount of fish (pictured large schools of atlantic blue tangs and butterfly, but the coral species were plentiful....
My son and i also did some snorkeling from the beach and saw three species of rays, a nice 15 -20 pound Atlantic barracuda, groupers, snappers, angels, butterfly fish, tangs, parrot fish, blennies and gobies, and these needle nose looking fish that are often used as bait for offshore trolling....mixed in were large grunts and a few puffers...I never took the camera on the snorkel trips...but I should have. Even saw a nice large anemone, but missing the clown fish
nice large grooved brain coral surrounded by a forest of sea fans, sea whips, and gorgonian corals
a beautiful wall of sea fans and other corals
This formation is covered in a perfect cluster of sea fans, gorgonians, brain coral and a tube sponge....reminds of a Wyland painting.
a nice soldier or squirrlefish hugging the wall...the flash and angle were perfect to capture the reds that are seen underwater with out good lighting.
I believe this fish is some type of Serranus Bass
Not sure what type of fish these were....
Nice cluster of Melithaea Sea Fans (I think). Mixed in with Halimeda Algae
I think this was a small Rock Beauty Angel hiding in a crevice of coraline algae encrusted rock and Halimeda
A large Jewel Damsel fish that resembles our juvenile Garibaldi's...which is also in the damsel family (I think). This little booger would chase me away every time i tried to get a close up pic.
Got lucky with the flash again. really captured some color.
overhead shot of a Brain Coral Species
Yours Truly...my dive buddy was nice enough to use my camera to capture this beautiful coral formation in the background
Just an Awesome sight no matter how often you see them...this beautiful Green moray gave us a nice show...lucky to see these guys in the daytime in such bright conditions
another soldier fish or squirrelfish
huge sea fan with my dive buddy in the background. his name was Mike from Michigan...had lots of cold water wreck dive experience...nice guy.
Chaetodon Butterfly fish
I think this was a wrasse.
I love diving..cold or warm waters..there is so much to see. Can't wait to get a dive in at the Island.
Sorry if this doesn't fit here on this board...but I have been dying to post something worth reading. Hope you enjoyed the pics.
Mike
Blackfish (BBB)
"Teach a kid to fish, and they will never forget you"
from this
to this
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
Linear Mode
