Diving the Little Coral Knoll with Leo and Luis

So different this morning from two weeks ago when Luis, Finn, Jerry and I tried to get through a navigation dive, but had to call that dive because we couldn't see one another. Today the ocean is calm and the water is clear. Leo (to the right), Luis (below) and I met in the parking lot, geared up hiked down the hill to the beach.

We got in the water and swam on the surface past the
swim buoy and descended by the Big Rock.

Got this picture of one of the two Lionfish we found on the Big Rock.

We then moved South to the smaller rock and then 120 degrees past the knee-high coral, the two sea rods, and across the sand sea. Made a little jog to the South to the counter-weight and then 120 degrees again pas the sea rod by the sand, the gateway rock and the green star coral with the red-boring sponge to the the little coral knoll.

 Hung around the knoll taking pictures of fish, including this picture of a Barred Hamlet

and this shot of a Butter Hamlet.









We then headed off to the Porthole Rocks, where Leo photographed an octopus, found a huge Gaudy Natica



and I photographed a Nurse Shark.

Then we swam back to the Knoll and explored the area to the East a bit until we got down to 1200 psi and headed back to the beach.



Water temperature was 75 degrees, dive time was 109 minutes; consumption rate was 26.09 psi/minute at an average depth of 18 feet; SAC rate was 16.88 psi/minute on an aluminum 80.



Luis and I made a second dive after almost a one-hour surface interval. We swam out to the buoy line and descended, missed the smaller rock, but found the 3 dead sea rods and the counter-weight. Made to past the sea rod by the sand, but never found the Green Star Coral with the Red-Boring Sponge. Ended up swimming as far South as Tower 14 and East out the the Ledge.

 On the way back, we swam right to the knoll, where I got this shot of a Red Hind.

I also got this shot of a Redband Parrotfish,

 This shot of a Rock Beauty,

and this shot of several Yellow Jacks.

We left the knoll when Luis hit 1000 psi, and swam straight to the beach.


Water Temperature was 75 degrees; dive time was 106 minutes; consumption was 22.75 psi/minute at an average depth of 17 feet; my SAC rate was 15.01 psi/minute on an aluminum 80.