Diving with a Reef Squid and Striped Burrfish off Catamarand Beach

I got up early, fixed coffee and shaved, then walked the dog. I still wasted time and left the apartment a little after 5:00 am instead of 4:45 am. I got to the beach and the parking on the East side of the lot was blocked off. I parked under a street light on the West side of the street but just across from the entrance where I usually park. I geared up, checked my lights and got in the water. Swam on the surface to the swim buoy and descended. Went over the blocks and then headed East.








No Anemones this morning, but lots of shots of shrimp. I also found a large Caribbean Reef Squid who was stunned by the light and let me get quite close to take pictures.

Kept going East to deep water at 25.5 feet. Hit 60 minutes and ascended for a short surface interval.

Bottom temperature was 80 degrees; maximum depth was 26 feet; dive time was 1 hour and my SAC rate was 18.66 psi/minute on an aluminum 80.


On the surface I was East of the condo or apartment building just North of Bahia Mar. Figured I had enough gas to go North and explore at least to the umbrella stands off the Marriott, but had to rethink that analysis as I was huffing against the current to get back. Followed the Swiss Cheese Reef North and then back South, so I got lots of pictures, Found a Spotted Trunkfish and got a shot.








I turned West and crossed the dark sand patch, the reef and got to white sand. Surfaced at 8 feet to secure the flagline. Had some trouble getting out, but it was all balance and waves.

Bottom temperature 78 degrees; maximum depth was 26 feet; dive time was 53 minutes and my SAC rate was 16.35 psi/minute on an aluminum 80.




I got out and was warming up when Luis got to the parking lot. He was eager to get in the water so I pushed it a little, but I had finished my coffee and was getting reasonably warm. Luis took the flag and we both took our cameras. Descended at the swim buoy and headed East. Went slowly and looked at everything. Got into the staghorn coral and then the Swiss Cheese Reef, where we turned North and went with the current.






Lots of fish, lots of swim throughs. It was very enjoyable, but I was getting cold by 60 minutes and eager to get out when we did, even though I had a good deal of gas left. Stopped to talk to the lifeguard, although I did not recognize him. He acted like we were old pals. He could have been the surfer dude who chewed us out about swimming through the swim area.


Bottom temperature 80 degrees; maximum depth was 20 feet; dive time was 108 minutes and my SAC was 16.0 psi/minute on an aluminum 80.


I wanted to explore the area along the buoy line to the North, but it just wasn't a good idea today: too much sand in the water and too shallow. I did get a nice shot of this Hogfish, however.











 So we went NE up to the Swiss Cheese Reef and again turned North. Got this shot of a Smooth Trunkfish pretending to be a hummingbird.


I started worrying about fighting the current and turned the dive at 60 minutes. We we South, then Southwest. and finally just turned West  to get into the beach.

Bottom temperature was 78 degrees; maximum depth was only 23 feet; dive time was 89 minutes and my SAC rate was 15.59 psi/minute on an aluminum 80.

Diving with a Small Stingray and a Spanish Lobster off Catamaran Beach

Left for the beach at 5:10 am. Parked, geared up and got in the water. Swam on the surface to the swim buoy and descended. Headed East from there, but the current set me to the North some.

I took the Cree light with a new battery. The bright light attracted the little Southern Atlantic Stingray and I hope I got pictures. Got some other shots, as well. Then it was 40 minutes and I surfaced.

Bottom temperature was 78 degrees; maximum depth was 24 ft; dive time was 40 minutes and my SAC rate was 19.15 psi/minute on an aluminum 80.


Swam South during the surface interval, then descended to 24 feet and swam to almost 26 feet. Decided to find the Swiss Cheese Reef and get some pictures. Had to go farther West than I expected, but I got there. Floated along shooting the fish and looking for Fighting Grunts, but didn't see any.

I did see this Scrawled Cowfish, which was also attracted to the light. I got this shot.

I also got this shot of a little Sharpnose Puffer snuggled up on the reef.

I came up at about 1000 psi.

Bottom temperature was 78 degrees; Maximum depth was 26 feet; dive time was 35 minutes and my SAC rate was 17.50 psi/minute on an aluminum 80.




Dropped down in about 24 feet and started swimming WSW. I took some pictures but was concerned about making it inside of the swim area, so I wasn't really fussy.  I did get this shot of a Hogfish.


I swam by the Swiss Cheese Reef and then spent some time on the sand flats before crossing a small reeflet and getting to the white sand.

Bottom temperature was 78 degrees; maximum depth was 24 feet; dive time was 31 minutes and my SAC rate was 17.84 psi/minute on an aluminum 80.

Had a little challenge with my balance getting out of the water once I got to the beach. I wrung out my wetsuits and set them up to dry in the sun. I was chilled, and the wind was not helping. The sun was warm and I need about 2 hours to get ready for another dive.

I got back in the water and swam out to the swim buoy to descend. went by the blocks and let the current take me North while I swam slowly East. Took lots of pictures, including the Sand Diver to the Right and the Spanish Lobster below.

I tried to find and follow that ledge, but kept losing it. Got on the sand flat with the shells and spent some time looking for another big Gaudy Natica, but there were none to find today. Swam out to deep water and drifted back across the Swiss Cheese Reef taking pictures. Nice slow pleasant dive.

Took my time going back to the beach. Ended up South of the swim buoy off Tower 4, but not bad positioning. The undertow was strong and I had a hard time staying up between it pulling on me and the waves hitting me from behind, but I finally made it out.

Bottom temperature was 78 degrees; maximum depth was 23 feet; dive time was 142 minutes and my SAC rate was 15.08 psi/minute on an aluminum 80.

Night Diving off Catamaran Beach

Stayed home Monday and Tuesday editing pictures and catching up this blog. Monday brought thunderstorms, but Tuesday could have been a good day to dive. I just didn't want to.

Wednesday, I was late getting to the beach, but then the tank I picked held only 2500 psi, so late was not a problem. The water was warm: 80 degrees. East wind, but not terrible and only a little current. Descended at the swim buoy. Spotted a Green Sea Turtle under the ledge. No pictures, didn't bring my camera. Would the turtle have been there if I had brought the camera? Spotted a Tube Dwelling Anemone, then a Purplemouth Moray Eel and then another anemone. Then it was 40 minutes and I went up.

Bottom temperature was 80 degrees; maximum depth was 25 feet; dive time was 43 minutes and my SAC rate was 16 psi/minute on an aluminum 80.

When I ascended, I found I was North one building. Decided to head back to Tower 4 along a WSW bearing. Missed the staghorn coral, but found several moonsail shells and a little Scotch Bonnet, which I picked up but then apparently dropped from my BCD pocket. I ended up swimming over the kind of algae patch off Tower 2 and may have been close. I finally hit white sand and started pushing North. I came up in 10 feet of water North of the pedestrian bridge and even with the basketball courts. Kicked a little harder swimming in and got to the corner so I made a straight shot to the shower.

Bottom temperature was 80 degrees; maximum depth was 24 feet; dive time was 44 minutes and y SAC rate was 16.1 psi/minute.

Diving with Luis off Catamaran Beach

Luis met me at the South Beach parking lot at 8:00 am. We geared up and swam to the swim buoy off Tower 4, then descended and headed East up the reef. Luis took the flag, so I followed him.

We went North into the Staghorn Coral and then to the Swiss Cheese Reef. We headed North, taking pictures and watching fish. We continued North for a bit, then turned the dive and headed back along the reef to the staghorn coral before turning West to the beach.

We ended up in front of Tower 3, however, a bit farther South than we needed to go.





Bottom temperature was 78 degrees; maximum depth was 18 feet; dive time was 112 minutes and my SAC rate was 16.82 psi/minute on an aluminum 80.


Luis wanted to make a second dive, but also wanted to be back by 1:00 pm so he could get to the shop to fill his tanks. I took the flag. We descended just past the swim buoy off Tower 4 and headed NE.


At first we were on the small reef that starts at the swim buoy. Then we went over a sand area with lots of shells. Then we came to the Swiss Cheese Reef and went one corridor East beyond that.


Got a shot of a small school of Chub.

Then it was time to head back. I went a bit South since I knew we had come NE. I expected to find the staghorn coral, but did not, so I turned West anyway. We got to the last sand corridor before the end of the reef and the white sand and I surfaced to see that we were just North of the swim buoy off Tower 4.


Bottom temperature was 78 degrees; maximum depth was 23 feet; dive time was 102 minutes and my SAC rate was 15.78 psi/minute on an aluminum 80.