Diving Into Blue

While most times, you'll see Hermit Crabs on the sandy bottom, every now and then, they end up in the most interesting places.

This first one was on top of a round sponge but not too far from the bottom. How did he get here?








This second one was perched on the edge of this sponge. Yes, not too far from the bottom. But, how did he get his shell to sit so well on the thin wall of that sponge? And to think of it, how did he climb up there in the first place? We didn't see him get down...










How this third guy got where he is--that's a total mystery. He was at least 60 feet from the bottom, perched on the top of this sponge. How'd he get 60 feet from the bottom to the reef? Then, how did he get up the slope of this sponge to sit on top? I wonder how long he thinks he'll be there! It's no doubt he's king of the sponge!

Hermit crabs are pretty cool!

They carry their house everywhere they go! I would think it would be heavy and such work to carry that shell.

Sometimes, you can tell they've been traveling in the sand because you see the path they've taken. They're pretty slow but steady.

At the end of one dive, we arrived at a big sandy area. There were many hermit crabs scattered about in the sand. Great picture taking!


Sometimes, their shells are not so crusty or "dirty"--it's like they just moved in!

Sometimes, you wonder what they've been up to because their shells are quite crusty and "dirty." Sometimes, they have stuff growing on them.

But in the end, they are quite interesting creatures. If you can get a good picture, it usually includes their eyes, legs, and maybe even part of their body.

We're not the only ones affected by current--fish are too! I'm sure they get pretty tired of constantly swimming into the current.

And if they didn't swim into the current, the current would be pushing them along, heading north--probably not so good either.

So fish are pretty smart. They know to outwit the current, they need to find a little shelter. Somewhere they can rest, catch their breath, so to speak.

When fish need to rest, you'll find them close to a reef, under a ledge in the reef, or in/near any place where the current is less strong or nonexistent.

So check out this pictures as evidence of fish outwitting the current--using whatever is necessary to get out of the current.




The first two pictures are of French Grunts, hanging out close to the piece of coral. They also seem to be finding some relief as they stack up one behind the other.

The funniest pictures are the last two--we've never seen this happen before. These bar jacks are using the sponge to get some relief from the current. Whatever it takes!

• Lynnie and Bruce completed their 50th dive!
• Greg completed his 250th ocean dive!
• We did two night dives--and loved them both! We saw turtles, sharks, octopus, squid, and many other wonderful creatures!
• Bruce became a photographer! He learned it's not as easy as it looks--it takes some photography skill, great buoyancy, and awesome breathing technique to snap just one photo.
• Lynnie and Bruce held a small Trunkfish--under the watchful eye of Pingo, our Divemaster.
• Lynnie and Bruce particpated in an advanced dive--we want to our favorite spot, Cathedral.
• Lynnie hit 118 feet.
• Bruce hit 123 feet.
• Lynnie and Bruce saw their first spottoed eagle ray at Cathedral.
• Bruce used a "big boy" tank on the Cathedral dive to ensure he had enough air.
• Lynnie and Bruce are learning how to control their breathing to conserve their air on a dive.
• Leenie and Greg's longest dive lasted 69 minutes!
• Lynnie and Bruce's longest dive lasted 65 minutes!
• Bruce discovered how tasty Pina Coladas could be!
• Lynnie and Leenie enjoyed sweet strawberry Margaritas!
• For the majority of the time, the chocolate cake was yummy!
• Pingo suggested an awesome place to eat--Alberto's on the beach! We loved it! We're going there again next time!
• Pingo is our favorite Divemaster!
  
  

We've had a few rainshowers here in Cozumel during our ten days. Typically, we don't mind them so much--especially when it's a soft, easy rain. And especially when we're under the water, diving.

It doesn't matter so much if it's raining on the surface when we're diving. It's just not so much fun when we're done with the dive.

It's not a happy sight to see rain pelting the surface of the water when we're on our safety stop. Pretty much it means:

• We're gonna get wet when we surface.
• It's gonna be a cold, wet rain.
• We're gonna be cold and wet when we get on the boat.

Not so much fun. And this was what we encountered on this dive--cold, wet rain! And, of course, it stopped just as the boat arrived back at the pier!

I always enjoy looking up at the surface during a dive. It's such an awesome sight! And it's such great visibility when you can see not only
the bottom of the boat but the top of the boat as well!

Your Yellowtail Snapper picture was really hard to get this time. I mean, those guys are quite the quick swimmers!

I thought I had one just right! Then, all I get is a fin shot--a butt shot.

It was like they were all mocking me! Time after time, they would swim by in big schools--flaunting their yellow tails.

And then, the shot I came up with, again, was just a yellow tail.

Some snappers were big, some were small. But it really didn't matter. Again, all tails.

Swimming in the open, hanging out under reefs--all tails, all the time.

When would things be just right?

And then, it happened. The stars aligned, the sea gods smiled upon my picture taking skills--and here you have it! A complete Yellowtail Snapper! Enjoy!

Squirrelfish are pretty funny looking fish! Lynnie and Bruce seem to be fascinated by them.



So here's a study in Squirrelfish:



Top view: see how the eyes bulge out
Side view: see how the eye bulges out
Other side view: see how the eye bulges out