Nurse Sharks and Baby Reef Squid off Catamaran Beach

Got to the beach early, but the tank I chose only had 2235 psi. I checked a couple of other tanks then decided to run with the short fill. So I geared up and got in the water.

Swam out to the buoy and descended. Went to the blocks and took some pictures like this Banded Coral Shrimp to the left. Then I headed East, or at least I tried to hold that bearing, but I know that I was getting set to the North. Spotted a little Nurse Shark and got some pictures, then it swam away.












Got this shot of a Christmas Tree worm, then spent some time moving slowly over a sand patch looking for shells.

Also got this shot of what appears to be a Bluestriped Grunt, but lacks the black tail fins.

I got up to the deep end of the pool and turned the dive at 60 minutes or so. Slowly worked my way down to the last dark sand patch and then came East again running out the tank. Came up a couple of times to see where I was, then went to the beach.

Bottom temperature was 80 degrees; maximum depth was 23 feet; dive time was 82 minutes and my RMV rate was 0.43 ft3/minute.



I met Ruth von Spalding as I was headed to the beach for my solo dive. She is a resident and had signed up with Gold Coast Scuba to do her PADI Open Water course. We spoke a bit and I let her know I would do the whole course for $200. We talked a lot and finally, I just had to get in the water. So I bid her good bye and did that, then worried that like so many others, she would not call.

Couldn't get her out of my head and felt like I was all over the place with my breathing, but I settled down and ended up doing okay. Would have liked to have done better, though. Went East from the buoy.



Never saw the Swiss Cheese Reef. Went up to 23 feet of water and turned the dive. Got some pictures of a small Nurse Shark under the reef, then saw the same shark later on the sand flats and got some more pictures.










Spotted the same tiny ink traces in the water as I had during the dive with Dennis. This time I took the time to find the baby squid and must have taken 100 pictures, of which only 2 turned out. This little guy is only about 1/2 inch long and jets about swiftly.

Its difficult to see the baby squid in these photographs, but by cropping them, it's a little easier.






I Hung out on the flats and got down to 300 psi before I went to the beach.


Bottom temperature was 80 degrees; maximum depth was 23 feet; bottom time was 141 minutes and my RMV was 0.34 ft3 / minute