Another Semi-Solo Dive on the Ledge of Turtles

Sue Chalmers got to the beach, behind Tower 20, before I did.  We geared up, got in and swam out to the reef.  I descended to the rock pile and then headed off at a 125 degree bearing.  Sue swam off due East to Shark's Rock.  I was a bit South and West of the mid-way rocks, but I spotted the round coral head and swam up to the mid-way rocks, then headed at 120 degrees to the Ledge of Turtles.


First thing I saw as I approached the Ledge was two French Grunts going mouth to mouth.  I got pretty close and they didn't seem concerned with me.  I took several pictures.  Even though they would break apart when the strobe started flashing, they went right back at it seconds later.

I also got a couple of pictures of a Smooth Trunkfish, but he did not let me get very close.

 After a few minutes, I swam over to Shark's Rock to find Sue, who was floating on the surface.  We talked about the best way to locate the Ledge of Turtles, they I went down, swam South to Nipple Rock and West to the Ledge.  She swam straight to the Ledge and got there well before me.  Along the way I took this picture of some finger coral, which was everywhere.

 I got a great picture of a Hogfish coming around the coral heads on the East end of the Ledge.

 I also got this shot of two Spanish Grunts aligned as if they are mirror images of one another.

Sue wanted me to take a picture of a long-spined urchin, which I did.  As I explained to her later, it is often difficult photographing urchins since there is often not enough light to set the aperature for a depth of field adequate to bring all of the spines into focus.  This picture came out just fine.





Sue took off again to search for lobster, but she got me to take a picture of the Sand Diver to the right. Apparently the sun had enhanced the colors on the fish.  I didn't see it at the time.

 I got pictures of Bluestriped Grunts

A Yellow variation of a Yellowtail Damselfish

 a Christmas Tree Worm,

a White Grunt imitating a sea rod

and an Arrow Crab.

As I was getting low on air, I surfaced to see if I could see Sue's flag, but I could not.  I got to the beach in time to see her walk out of the surf.