June 26, 2000
view from the cabana
After we have our usual breakfast, we meet Deborah and Bill, the dive master, Martin, and his assistant, David, at the dock. Martin and David are from Patojo's Dive Center, in San Pedro. They have already picked up Jeff, the fifth diver. We make a short stop inside the reef by Hol Chan for a dive brief, then head outside the reef. Once we stop to suit up and dive, Noga gets seasick, but comes on the dive regardless. The guides do everything for you - put on your B.C., fins, clean and help you put your mask on, check everything, wipe the hair from inside your mask if need be. Once in the water, things are great. The reef is amazing at 70 feet down. Fish of all sorts are all around us. We drift dive across canyons with an average depth of 60 feet, for about 35 minutes. Then Martin signals time to ascend, and after a decompression stop at 15 feet, we surface. The boat is right there, and David starts bringing people in. Martin helps remove weight belts, B.C.'s, and fins, and all we have to do is climb aboard. Noga got sick once she reached the ladder, and was looking mighty green when I made it to the boat. On the way back to the dock, one of the outboards cuts out, so we 'limp' the rest of the way back. About an hour on the dock to rest, and for the guides to fix the engine, and we head to Captain Morgan's, to drop off Noga. Jeff has also elected not to come on the second dive, citing seasickness also. So, five of us dive "Captain Morgan's Canyons" for about 35 minutes at 60 feet down. Here the sea swells aren't as bad as at the other site. Underwater, a nice grouper and some yellowtail snappers follow us the entire dive, snatching up the occasional sardine martin tosses their way. At one point, while hovering above a canyon floor, a school of blue wrasse swam direcly under my fins. Quite a site, the dozens of blue bodies silhouetted against the white sand of the canyon's floor. Saw some permit, angelfish, triggerfish, a trumpetfish, and so many others, big and small. After the dive, it was a short ride back to Captain Morgan's and I was off to see how Noga was doing. Apparantly, she found Lilly and was getting her hair braided on our cabana porch, with Morgan watching. it came out very nicely, and we will send Lilly some pictures after we return home. We have the leftover fish and chips from last night for lunch, then hang out a bit. (continued)
heading out again
rinsing
Noga getting braids
in the hammock