Last dive of winter
Diving
through a Loreto winter doesn’t bring the
certainty and regularity of
summer diving, however, for all the days we missed out because of rough seas,
guacamole visibility or contentious winds, we more than made up for in some
spectacular adventures unavailable in milder climes.
Interacting with three species of whales is an experience I’ll cherish for the
rest of my days. And the contact with the Coronado sea lions on our last two
dives was magnificent. I like to think that they knew I was leaving for they
put on quite the show. Frisky, curious and uncommonly bold, the encounters
were the most intimate that I had so far experienced. I was shooting with an
underwater camera for the second straight day, and the sea lions couldn’t help
but ham it up. They weaved and bobbed between us all. Rafa and I did our mimic
routine to entice them to play. They are so fast and agile, that snapping
photos was like shooting clay pigeons - I had to anticipate where they would
land in the following 2-seconds in order to make a good screen capture. The
current above was quite rough and as we came up from 74-feet onto the deck of
the reef wall, we would undulate from the movement of the rocking waves above.
All the sea fans and coral growth were swaying in the same rhythm.
Practically stumbled on a greenback turtle on the second dive. Again climbing
another coral wall and jack-knifing atop the plateau, I surprised a resting
turtle about 4-metres from my goggles. I quickly snapped a photo and he
lumbered away. As I followed him, he turned on the afterburners and left like
a shot. It was exhilarating to blunder onto such a magnificent creature. I
took some of the lead from Rafa as he attentively helped some novice divers
and in so doing, learned that marine life gives us a wide berth. Turning a
corner of a wall, I came upon an enormous giant grouper, at least 4-feet in
length. This large ancient grouper had successfully escaped poachers nets by
hightailing it at the first sight of humans, and he did the same with me. My
mouth was agape nonetheless. The plankton was in full bloom but the water
temperature had dipped to 61-degrees giving us better than normal plankton
visibility. Lots of sea life feeding seemingly oblivious to us. I finally saw
a school of surgeons, my buddies who have yellow fins like me and don’t mind
my joining the group. I finished the 46-minute final dive taking photos of the
beautiful gorgonian, sea tubes and little creatures who make diving in the Sea
of Cortez such an ever-changing adventure.
I left all my diving gear in Loreto. Pointless to bring it back as I have no
desire to dive anywhere else. I’m back for three months in July. Oh, humboldt
squid, I’ll return for you and the mating mobulas!
summer diving, however, for all the days we missed out because of rough seas,
guacamole visibility or contentious winds, we more than made up for in some
spectacular adventures unavailable in milder climes.
Interacting with three species of whales is an experience I’ll cherish for the
rest of my days. And the contact with the Coronado sea lions on our last two
dives was magnificent. I like to think that they knew I was leaving for they
put on quite the show. Frisky, curious and uncommonly bold, the encounters
were the most intimate that I had so far experienced. I was shooting with an
underwater camera for the second straight day, and the sea lions couldn’t help
but ham it up. They weaved and bobbed between us all. Rafa and I did our mimic
routine to entice them to play. They are so fast and agile, that snapping
photos was like shooting clay pigeons - I had to anticipate where they would
land in the following 2-seconds in order to make a good screen capture. The
current above was quite rough and as we came up from 74-feet onto the deck of
the reef wall, we would undulate from the movement of the rocking waves above.
All the sea fans and coral growth were swaying in the same rhythm.
Practically stumbled on a greenback turtle on the second dive. Again climbing
another coral wall and jack-knifing atop the plateau, I surprised a resting
turtle about 4-metres from my goggles. I quickly snapped a photo and he
lumbered away. As I followed him, he turned on the afterburners and left like
a shot. It was exhilarating to blunder onto such a magnificent creature. I
took some of the lead from Rafa as he attentively helped some novice divers
and in so doing, learned that marine life gives us a wide berth. Turning a
corner of a wall, I came upon an enormous giant grouper, at least 4-feet in
length. This large ancient grouper had successfully escaped poachers nets by
hightailing it at the first sight of humans, and he did the same with me. My
mouth was agape nonetheless. The plankton was in full bloom but the water
temperature had dipped to 61-degrees giving us better than normal plankton
visibility. Lots of sea life feeding seemingly oblivious to us. I finally saw
a school of surgeons, my buddies who have yellow fins like me and don’t mind
my joining the group. I finished the 46-minute final dive taking photos of the
beautiful gorgonian, sea tubes and little creatures who make diving in the Sea
of Cortez such an ever-changing adventure.
I left all my diving gear in Loreto. Pointless to bring it back as I have no
desire to dive anywhere else. I’m back for three months in July. Oh, humboldt
squid, I’ll return for you and the mating mobulas!