January 19 Video Project

January 19th found us sailing our way to the "Ancient Mariner" once again with our friends at Parrot Island Scuba Adventures. There was quite a mixture of diver experience onboard - everything from first dives since certification to tech diver students doing checkout dives. Made for an interesting trip to say the least.

After dropping down the line to the "Mariner", I immediately spotted a nice-sized green moray hiding out in some wreck rubble near the hull. got some nice "up close and personal" footage of it, then through a porthole, saw a Goliath Grouper inside the wreck! They aren't seen on this wreck very often, so this was a unique experience for video. Unfortunately, some of the other non-tech divers spooked it and it "boomed" out a couple of times then disappeared. They're right when they say the sound hits you in the chest hard. I was a distance away and STILL felt it! Also on the wreck was a nice school of Midnight Parrotfish. They were doing their hunt-for-algae-thing and I was able to get some nice close-up footage of them as well. Of course there were the usual masses of grunts and snappers in the wheelhouse, and a sprinkling of angelfish to top off the mix.

After the wreck, it was a drift dive on "Turtle Ledge". This is one of the more active reefs around and I enjoy it every time I dive on it. I dove with a nice couple - the woman was on her first dive since certification - and we saw some interesting things. They found a 6-foot Nurse Shark under a small ledge! Add to the mix some big Burrfish, lots of Blue Chromis, and interesting High Hats and you have an excellent drift dive.

Continuing to wonder if this can be called "work",

The Video Dude