Skink
Not only FISH turn their backs on me!
Jim & Ann T
Jim fell yesterday at the dive shop and hurt his back severely -
possibly cracked a rib! No diving for him Thursday or Friday.
Foreground: Bob & Sandy M;
background: Jamie Ltalking with Brian V
Between Bob & Sandy is Mike M. Two people are blocked by Sandy, then Ryan && Kendra K.
Seated back against the pole, in white hat, is Dr. Jerry who teaches marine biology at a university in Nebraska
More from in front of dive shop. L to r: Sandy, Mimie M talking to John C, Mike M, Jaimie L & Brian V, Jim T
Almost whole crew waits for gear to be moved on boats
The reason Pacific Ocean diving is wonderful is that the reefs are more pristine
and have a greater variety of reef life.
Many Caribbean reefs are suffering the effects of human interaction,
such as the impact of divers and boats actually hitting the reef
and the amount of cruise boats sending effluvia into the ocean.
Here is a colorful example. (I'll have to see if I can ID some of these today there are Keys at the dive shop.
This is a damsel fish; don't know the exact name (yet)
Barracuda
Mimie & I did only two dives together. We were in other groups until today.
We had asked to buddy up and it was possible because so many dropped out.
Crown jellyfish [Netrostoma setouchina]
They have no "stingers" as they feed on zooplankton.
Jellyfish are 95% water and have no heart, brain, blood, or gills.
The body of the jellyfish is called a bell.
They do have a mouth, tentacles and arms around their mouth.
They use the arms around their mouth to help
sense and find food that ends up inside their mouth.
AKA: Sea Jellies, True Jellyfish, Transparent Crown Jellyfish, Crown Sea Jelly.
(Video coming soon)
Healthy Tridachna Gigantis
Longnose Filefish
Large brain coral
Regal Angelfish. These beauties are very shy -
darting in and out of the coral formations.
I have lots of missed attempts but here is a successful one.
Lars R needs a new BC; Donna G said when they get back home either he picks out a new one or she will do it for him.
Donna G started her ocean diving history this trip;
she snorkeled in Honduras last spring and became certified last summer in quarries.
So post certification, she will have about12 dives.
Latticed Butterfly fish
We had a barbecue on the beach by the dive shop
THE TIKI BAR IS OPEN!
L-r: Brian, Laurie, Mimie (standing), Kendra (in blue), waiter;
Lori, Jamie, Bob, Sandi, Mike M, and walking into photo is Mike C
There's a band here that reminds me of the opening of Jimmy Buffett's
Altered Boy; we had fun with them. Also Margaritaville (Mark's a Parrothead, too).
Theresa & Mark
Tables on the beach, chairs in the sand, Buffett by the dive shop
Two non-trip members. L-r:
Julia (intern Dive Master at shop, from Hawaii; her father is a marine biologist (blond hair, green shirt)
Dr. Jerry is here scouting for places to take former students) (white hair, violet shirt)
John C (green shirt) looking towards Trevor Wise, Dive Shop Manager
Way around table now on left: Dan H seated this side of Brian
Ann & Jim Toniolo with Mark & Theresa
Birds of Fiji
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