Found a Large Plow Anchor While Night Diving off Catamaran Beach

Got to the beach early. Geared up and got in the water. I descended while still over the white sand in about 8 ft of water. Slowly made my way East to the swim buoy, but the current set me to the North. Swam more or less to the NE.


I got into some interesting topography with lots of fish. In one area the formations had eroded into squares, like brownies shaken up in the baking pan. I spotted an interesting pile of either thick snakes or rope and went to investigate.


Turned out to be a plow anchor, its chain rode and a fair amount of anchor line. I thought about marking it with my SMB, but that seemed like a bad idea at night, so I decided to surface and try to get my bearings. I had been set way North and seemed straight out from the Marriot Courtyard. Probably no more than 30 minute out from the beach. I hoped I would be able to find it again, maybe bringing my lift bag.


Bottom temperature was 75 degrees; dive time was 44 minutes; consumption rate was 23.20 psi/minute and my SAC rate was 15.32 psi/minute.


After my 6 minute surface interval, I dropped down and already I could not find the anchor. I spent 10 minutes looking, and getting no where. I was now in 23 feet of water, whereas the anchor was in less than 20 feet. I kept

heading East and exploring.



Spotted this Scrawled Filefish and got this shot.  Look at those teeth.

Also found and photographed this Hogfish.

Then I was on a large field of sand. At about 1400 psi, I turned the dive and began swimming West, back to the beach.




Bottom temperature was 75 degrees; dive time was 40 minutes; consumption was 22.83 psi/minute at an average depth of 19 feet and my SAC rate had dropped to 14.50 psi/minute on an aluminum 80.


After another 6 minute surface interval, I descended to 20 feet and continued making my way West towards the beach. The sun was rising and I was enjoying watching the Sailfin Bennys pop out of their burrows and do their dance. Maybe when it is warmer and I don't need hours between dives to warm up, I'll come out and just shoot pictures of the Blennies.
I got this shot of a White Grunt trying to get a Bluehead to clean its mouth.

Also got this shot of a Smooth Trunkfish searching for its next meal.


I ended up at a swim buoy as I got to the white sand beach, but it was the swim buoy off Tower 2, not the one off Tower 4. I surfaced and then swam on the surface back to Tower 4.

Bottom temperature was 76 degrees; Dive time was 44 minutes; consumption rate was down to 20.91 psi/minute at an averate depth of 18 feet and my SAC rate was at 13.53 psi/minute on an aluminum 80.