Archive for year: 2016

Taking the boat out at dusk for our first dive we went to baby barge.  It was teaming with activity at the change over at sunset.  The turtles were settling in for the night but still pretty active around us.  We saw several at the wreck.  Also the sharks had woken up and were out free swimming around.  We made our way to the shark cave where Peter, our PADI Night dive Student was doing some skills.  On the way back the sunlight had all but disappeared and at this time it always makes the wreck look so eerie.  You can make out the shape of it but it still looks so big in the water.  Exploring this wreck at night makes it so different from our usual day time trips.

free swimming white tip

Now our second dive was at Angler’s Reef.  This dive site is very interesting during the day but at night it totally changes. We always get to see a variety of things here but this night we really got to see it all.  Spanish Dancers were out, an octopus that put on quite a show for us.  It stayed active on top of the reef and flashed us different colors and textures for over 5 minutes.  Eels everywhere and of course just tons of reef fish.  We got to experience the fish all nestled away for the night so the hunting predators couldn’t find them.  The anemones that showed us their colors….it was all so breath taking.  We had some first time night divers on the boat and they were quite taken by what it had to offer.  Peter finished up his PADI Night Spec also.  It was a super dive, by far one of the best so far this year!!!

Spanish Dancer on Reef

Spanish Dancer Swimming

Spanish Dancer with a rider if you look close

Slipper Lobster

Octopus

same octopus

Can you see me now?  Same Octopus

and one more of the same Octopus

Eel

Dive Sites:  Baby barge, max depth 85 feet, Dusk Dive, Wreck

Angler’s Reef, max depth 50 feet, Night Dive, Reef

Awesome Divers:  Dave, Sarah, Kevin, Mike, and Peter!

Amazing Dive Staff:  Capt Matt and Dive Instructor Mary!

Always a fun time when we get to dive the historic Corsair wreck.  This plane had to do an emergency ditch in 1948 and still sits on the sea floor today.  For being down there over 65 years it sure has held up well.  The water was clear and warm as we made our decent.  You could see the plane from almost the moment you jumped in the water.  Lots of reef fish around, and the beautiful scorpion leaf fish that have taken up residents there.  The wing in the sand and the body listing a bit to the side.  It’s always amazing to think of how many missions this plane may have flown before finding it’s final resting spot here in Maunalua Bay.  A perfect setting for many to check off bucket list dives and for Nick to do is PADI Enriched Air course dives, giving him extra time.

Corsair

In search of turtles for the next dive, Fantasy Reef was our choice.  The Hawaiian Green Sea Turtles or Honu as we know them in Hawaii were everywhere!  There are so many beautiful reef fish here, you add in eels,sharks,  turtles, and the various odd fish we get to see makes this dive one of our favorites.  The Honu were out in force today and had lots of interest in the divers.  The current for our drift dive was pretty light which made exploring more of the reef super easy.  Everyone really had a great time. This was the perfect dive for Peter to finish his PADI Drift Diving Specialty on.  Kelsey had hot minty towels for everyone to freshen up with after the dive.  It was really a Super Saturday!!

smiling white tip reef shark

Green Sea Turtle

coral

green sea turtle

hiding yellow margin moray

Green Sea Turtle and Divers

Dive Sites:  Corsair, max depth 107 feet, viz 100+, Wreck dive

Fantasy Reef, max depth 55, viz 100 feet, Drift Dive

Awesome Divers:  Bob, Dave, Eric, Sara, Tom, Kevin, Matt, Nicholas, Brian, Peter, Steven and Tim!

Congratulations Peter on your Drift Diving Spec and Nicholas on your PADI Enriched Air Spec.

Amazing Staff:  Capt Joe, Dive Instructors Mary and Matt and Fabulous Kelsey was crew!

Basking in the sun as we made our way to the historic Corsair plane wreck, all the divers were ready to go.  Making the decent to the wreck at 107 feet was fairly quick, everyone was excited to see the wreck.  We had visitors from other countries and made a few bucket lists a bit shorter today.  The wreck is still in amazing conditions in over 60 years on the sea floor.  She went down in 1948 and sat there ever since, Corsair is the only natural wreck on our island.  Today, Kristen was doing her PADI Enriched air class and there was really no better place to try it out.  We also had Thomas working on his PADI AOW certification.  My favorite little purple leaf scorpion fish was there and posed a bit for pictures.

Prop on Corsair

Fantasy reef always delivers for us on dives.  It was an awesome turtle-fest down there today and our divers really got to see them up close and personal.  Drifting west, we moved up and down over the reef.  Went through the swim thru.  Got to see more turtles and eels than you could count.  This reef is always so great because we take super good care of it.  Our divers today were no exception to that rule.  The practiced great buoyancy and had fun doing it.  All in all today was a perfect start to the weekend!  Congratulations to Kristen on completing her Nitrox and Drift Specialties.

Been seeing this turtle with odd tail a lot. 

Curious turtle extending his neck

Lazy Hono just hanging at his rock. 

Dive Sites:  Corsair, 107 max depth, 100+ viz, Wreck

Fantasy Reef, max depth 55 feet, 75 ft viz, drift.

Awesome Divers:  James, Nicole, Hope, Jessica, Kristen, Matt, Michael, Mike, Thomas, Vanessa and Shawn.

Amazing Dive Staff:  Capt. Joe, Dive Instructor Mary and Fantastic Kelsey as boat crew!