The West-Side Story-7/5

We had a great time for our first charter aboard the South Seas II out of Waianae. Captain Mike knows all the dive sites in the area and the boat is well rigged for up to 23 divers. Since we only had 9 diving this time, there was plenty of room and we set out with calm conditions and really nice weather. First stop was the Mahi wreck at 90 ‘ with 100 ‘ visibility and a mild current. Since having the bow tilted over during a winter storm, the wreck looks a little different every time we go there. Resident Spotted Eagle Rays came cruising and the ever present Pufferfish were hanging around the mast. A Yellow Margin Moray Eel came out for a swim and lots of other fish could be seen all around.

With the tide changing and the wind up a bit, we chose Turtles for the next dive. Right outside Pokai Bay, this site has lots of beautiful reef with overhangs to hide the local critters. Ryan, Amanda, and Michael hung out with Karl, who found a bunch of old ammo. That left Ana, Max (4 days in a row?), Aaron, and Shannon to cruise the area with Me. We found another Yellow Margin Moray here, plus a friendly Longspine Porcupinefish, Stripebelly Puffer, Crowned Toby, many more Morays, and a variety of juvenile reef fish. Nice vis and summer temperatures made it a fantastic second dive.

Back on the surface, the BBQ burgers were especially good after a couple beautiful dives. Cookies, chips, and sodas rounded the end of day meal before heading back to Waianae to disembark. Mahalo to you all for making it such an awesome day of diving..

Conditions: Mahi Wreck – Depth 90ft., Vis. 100′, Temp. 77 f., Mild Current
Turtles – Depth 35ft., Vis. 60′, Temp. 77 f., No Current
Weather: Calm Seas, Wind 5-10, Temp. 82 f., Partly Cloudy
Staff: Captain Mike, Instructor Matt, Crew/DM Karl