DIVING SABA 5 APRIL 2015
 LADDER LABYRINTH We cruised to Saba overnight and began diving . . .
TEAM MANTA descends into the ocean . . .	. . . to be greeted by a filefish . . .
Ladder Labyrinth was named for a ladder that used to be the only way up to the custom house until around 1950 when steps (a stair) was built into the side of the rock face. This site has a sandy bottom surrounding a reef, making it a good place to check out proper weighting as overweighting puts fins on the bottom. We dove it twice going in different directions each time. Always the first thing: A checkout dive and adjusting weights . . . The water is cloudy from sediment stirred up when fins get into the sand, which is volcanic and black. At the urging of Josh, our guide, we stuck our hands down into the sand to feel the warmth (much warmer than the water, which was about 79 degrees F all week). Two large predator fish . . . A barracuda; there were schooling and solo barracuda on many sites. A couple were near their maximum known size of almost seven feet long! A tarpon (Mike B provides size scale reference); there were several schooling tarpon on this site Fossil research shows that tarpon have been swimming in our oceans since prehistoric times. Tarpon can reach sizes up to eight feet and can weigh up to 280 pounds. The life span of a tarpon can be in excess of 50 years. The oldest tarpon in captivity lived to be 63 years old. Due to its majestic appearance of size and color, the tarpon is nicknamed "silver king." (And what a coincidence that our Florida house is located near Lake Tarpon [if tarpon are ocean fish, why was an inland lake named after it?]) Green sea turtle; one of several we saw during the week . . . Bristle worm . . .
	Ken J hangs on the bowline to do his safety stop. . .

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