Scuba!

Ok, after being on the island for way to long, I finally had an opportunity to go diving the last couple of days.

Those that really know me, know it s true passion of mine. I have been diving since 1976... yea, I'm giving hints about my age, but I was really young when I started.

With life always changing, and the lack of opportunity to do much diving around Kansas, it has been way to long since I have been active in the scuba world.

That has changed. I have only been out of the water a few hours now, and already wondering if I will have an opportunity to dive here in 2009. We can always hope that its works out.

Please send your Charlie Diving fund to....

Over the last 2 days I have made 4 different dives. Two each day both days from the Tranquility Bay dive boat.

They range from a depth of 40 - 120 feet, with a maximum bottom time of 43 minutes.

One could never explain the experience in full detail, especially to a non diver. The colors, the current, the fish, the sea life, its all over powering.

My first dive of the trip was to some of the coral canons, not really coral heads, as these are more like coral ridges and bluffs.

You will have a big stretch of coral, inter mixed with what appear to be sand paved roads in between these ridges and bluffs.

If these bluffs were out of water and you stood on the edge of them and dropped down the bottom of the crevices would be 30-40 feet. And this is in water that is 80 plus feet already.

These crevasses are like super hiways for the marine life., all with little ledges, pockets, etc along both sides.

Because these are "open" i.e. no coral in them, the current flows more intensely between them. I dropped over a ledge and looked below me, only to see a seven foot shark, "sleeping."

I don't believe that they can really sleep, but it is my understanding that they like these places, as they can let the water free flow over the gills and get oxygen while not moving.

The dives have all been really amazing, not a lot of big fish, but lots of coral. I few big grey angels and one queen angel, one of my favorite fish.

We also dropped right about 3 huge lobster. I believe that one of the others on the dive got a picture, I'll try to get a copy and post here.

Saw a couple of big manta rays, one I was right above, and he took off behind me, before I could get turned around, he was outta sight... talk about fast!

I have more dives scheduled for Thanksgiving day, so look for another report.