Overnight the wind picked up and the temperature dropped from 84 degrees to 56 degrees. The surf did not look bad on the webcam, so I headed to the beach. I descended over the sand, but the visibility was less than 3 feet. I headed East but there was a moderate North current and I got set quite a ways.
I ended up just West of the Swept Rock where I photographed a large Sand Diver, who let me get pretty close. Then I swam to the Big Coral Knoll and found a Hawksbill on the North Slope. I got a video of that turtle as we swam North together.
I returned to the Knoll and found another Hawksbill curled up under the Eastern Ledge. It did not seem to want to move, so I got a quick picture and moved on. Then I turned and saw it swimming away.
I kicked over to the turtle and got some action shots, but I did not try the video.
I went back to the Knoll and photographed a Juvenile Striped Parrotfish
a Yellowtail Snapper and a Blue Tang. I also found a Black Sea Bass who was really curious about me and followed me part of the way to the beach.
I was wearing the Lavacore plush skin and my vest and hood, and I was cold. I could not stop shivering. The air, though was much colder than the water, which was 65 degrees. The wind made everything worse.
Of course, today the beach was tricky. Tide was low and the water over the sand bar was very shallow. The 6-ft rollers were breaking. I walked, swam and got rolled over the sand bar to deeper water where I took off my fins and stood up.
I walked from the trench to the beach, but the beach exit was very steep. I could not get up in one step and the sand was loose.
I tried getting out and went to my knees on the beach. I backed out and tried a second time. Again, I was on my knees, so I crawled out. Very humiliating. Glad the Lifeguard was not around.
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