The Boynton Dive Chronicles (new and improved)

[fisheyeview]

I need help with the recovery. I may have put the kiss of death on the thing though, I accidentally loaded it back into the camera and took a picture.

I have a bunch of pictures and a bunch of reports from the weekend that I'll try to post later on today and tonight.

If you re-used the card then you will have written over as many pictures as you have taken the most recent time you used it. If you took more pictures this time than the time you had a problem, then there is no hope.

 

[Scubakevdm]

If you re-used the card then you will have written over as many pictures as you have taken the most recent time you used it. If you took more pictures this time than the time you had a problem, then there is no hope.

Doh! I can't stop deleting stuff!!! I just spent an hour writing this and then closed IE without posting it. Oh well, it will be easier the second time around.

I only took one photo on the card, so maybe there's still hope for Thursday's pics, or at least some of them. I don't remember very much about the trips beyond that it was kinda rough, slight south current, 70-80' vis and odd pufferfish behavior that I got pics of. Maybe if Fish can salvage the card it'll jog my memory.

I do have the pics from Friday though... well half of them. We did the Castor and the Tony, but I accidentally deleted the Castor pics. I was using a borrowed camera... nicer than mine, a 7070 in a Subal housing. It was awesome, but it took me a while to get used to the different strobes.

Seas were pretty rough, an honest 3-5' with occasional 7 footers popping up, but it wasn't too pointy so it was bearable.

It was kinda rough.

I saw a nice sized bull shark cruising along the bottom with a pair of cobias in tow when I tied off, but he didn't stick around. The current was moderate and to the north, vis was about 50'. It was a good dive, but not spectacular. The goliath groupers were out and about, as usual, but it seemd as though there was less activity on the Castor than there usually is.

The Tony, on the other hand was very active. Again, I saw a shark while tying off, this time a tiger shark, just about level with me, and maybe 35' to the east of the wreck. He was headed south, and just kept on going as far as I know. There were a fair number of permit hanging out, and some crevalle jacks too. The resident goliath groupers were there as well. Towards the end of the dive, every surface of the wreck started smoking as an invertebrate orgy kicked off. Visablity started to drop off inside the cargo hold because of this. We all ended the dive together, and untied the wreck buoy. As I was unhooking, Garnet signalled that there was a shark out off the west side of the stern. I though it might have been the tiger shark again, but it was a medium sized bull shark, about 6 feet. I tried to get a shot of it, but by the time I could get over to it, it was already ahead of me, so no pic.

Terri thinking about jumping down in the front compartments. Sometimes the goliath groupers hide out in there.

One of the goliath groupers considers which is the best route to avoid the guy with the yellow rope. They always look up at me when I'm dropping down to tied off as if they're thinking "Great. The guy with the yellow rope. I was planning on milling around in the cargo hold today, but I can see now that's not gonna happen." Sorry!

The ship started to smoke. I tried to get a picture of it, which kinda worked, and kinda didn't.

 

[Scubakevdm]

Saturday was also kinda rough, but bearable. Oops! The pic I posted for Friday's roughness was actually from Saturday. FWIW, I think that Friday was a little bit rougher than Saturday, but they were both kinda rough. Anyway, refer to my last post for Saturday's roughness. They water was still on the chilly side at 78 degrees or so, but it had been warmer earlier in the week. The vis was still a bit off, with blue water, but kinda cloudy maybe 45'. I don't think that there was alot of current, and I'm pretty sure it was heading north. We did Black Condo, followed by Gazebo in the morning and Gulfstream followed by Tabletops in the afternoon.

Most notable was the big male loggerhead turtle with the growth on his neck and the scary black eyes. I couldn't get close enough to him to get a good picture, but I got a couple where you can see what I'm talking about.

The lump is on the left side of his neck.

It's easier to see his maniacal eye here. Clearly he is possesed.

I've seen big male turtles with scary eyes before, but none with neck lumps. I didn't realize it at the time, but the consequenses of the neck lump would have an affect on me the next day. Stay tuned for that report.

Deepstops was a very good model. In fact, he was super! He's a super model.

The Video Dude was along too, documenting the dive.

 

[Scubakevdm]

Sunday turned out to be a beautiful day. Seas were right around 2'. The water was still a bit cloudy and I did see a barrel sponge egging all over the reef. Viz was aboout 50' or so. The water temps seemed top be inching their way back up, but my machine still showed 78º. I'm afraid I don't remember which dives we did, I know Lynn's was one of them though, maybe Clubhouse was the other? Maybe someone can help me out here. I'm pretty sure the pm trip we did Black Condo and Gulfstream. The current picked up a bit, and was moderate to strong, and to the north.

The big story for the morning trip started yesterday, with the male loggerhead with the neck lump. Apparently, the neck lump is not big with the chick turtles, who now find me irresistable. One she turtle in particular gazed upon my turtlicious self after I ahd passed her on the reef and shot out at me with such determination that the diver who was with me thought that she was defending her section of the ledge. She got all up in my face, so close that I had to move away to get a picture. Then, she showed me her butt. Then, she swam towards me again. Every time I tripped the shutter, she would spin around during the considerable shutter lag that my camera imposes and by the time the thing would take a picture, it would be a butt shot. I circled around to the her head and took another shot, and she spun around and chucked a moon. We continued this dance, spinning round and round like a dog chasing his tail, as she ascended towards the surface. Clearly excited by the prospect of what the surface had in store, she ascended a bit more quickly then I wanted to. When I didn't follow, she took a quick breath and came back down to me, cirling, butting. Eventually, we sufaced, and I was very excited about getting a close up shot of her head out of the water, but somehow I lost her.

The first butt.

I did manage to get one shot of her face that was good enough to ID her by the dark stripe on her beak.

The second butt. By this time I was starting to realize her intentions.

I was very surprized to see her come back down after me.

We spun around for a while while I did my safety stop.

She followed me up, but then, she disappeared before I could get the money shot. Oh well. Anyway, chances are she would have been facing the wrong way anyway.

The afternoon trip had more turtle adventures, but not as fun as the morning trip. We found a hawksbill turtle poking around on top of the reef. He didn't seem to care, as is the case with most hawksbill turtles, that we were there one way or the other.

Hawksbills tend to just do their thing, with or without us there.

 

[deepstops]

That's some mighty fine Chronic(icle)

Deepstops, The Super Model

 

[BHB ScubaTroll]

The afternoon trip had more turtle adventures, but not as fun as the morning trip. We found a hawksbill turtle poking around on top of the reef. He didn't seem to care, as is the case with most hawksbill turtles, that we were there one way or the other.

Hawksbills tend to just do their thing, with or without us there.

That one sure did... every time we tried to herd him over to you, he'd turn on us. He was some of my best video footage of the dive (The feeding Angel was another good period of footage)...

Thanks for an excellent time Kev! Always great diving with you and Underwater Explorers!

 

[Tom Winters]

...

I've seen big male turtles with scary eyes before, but none with neck lumps. I didn't realize it at the time, but the consequenses of the neck lump would have an affect on me the next day. Stay tuned for that report.

]

I hate to to have to be the one to point it out, but that is a picture of Brian and not a turtle.

 

[Scubakevdm]

Hey, he's no turtle. He's a Supermodel.

And now for something completely different:

We did lots of diving over the weekend, however, I was without camera. Fortunately Tiggr was along the entire time and is able to provide photodocumentation of the trips. I will provide the basics regarding conditions, and the names of the divesites, she will provdie the pics and brief narratives. For those of you who don't remember, Tiggr was diving Boynton about a month ago and did a great job with the report and pics a few pages back. So without further adou, the report...

May 10 am. Capt. Tony/Briney Breezes
pm. Clubhouse/Black Condo

May 11 am. Gulfstream/Gazebo
pm. Budwieser Bar/Tabletops

Conditions throughout May 10th were seas flat, water temp 78º Viz 40-45' and kinda green.

Conditions on May 11th were seas flat inthe am and less than two feet in the pm. Viz was 50-60 and blue, except on the Budwieser Bar wher I counted ten visable frame bays, which I believe amounts to 100'. There was a strong north current all weekend but predictibly, was the strongest on the Bud.

 

[tiggrr]

First of all, this weekend was amazing. I love diving with Underwater Explorers. The only bummer is when I dive with other charters, I realize how much Kev and crew spoil us.

The Captain Tony never ceases to amaze me. We found 2 scorpian fish in odd spots. The first was in some 'pillar-type' sponge.

And the other was in a lovely barrel sponge.

At Briney Breezes, there was a fun Angelfish who stopped to play with our bubbles.

 

[tiggrr]

Also, I finially saw my 1st gigantour Goliath Grouper on the Captain Tony. Sorry I blew by you Pickens and you missed it by 2 seconds. I feel bad every time I look at this pic.