Cordova Dive Blog

Tuesday, 12 March 2019

Martha and I dive the Fish Camp Rocks and the Big Coral Knoll

Sharpnose Puffer (Canthigaster rostrata)

I got up at 6:30 am to walk Mia then woke Martha up when we got back. Martha got ready quickly and we headed to the beach at 7:30 am. Parked in back of Tower 17, but in the space just North of our favorite parking space.

Bandtail Puffer (Sphoeroides spengleri)

We geared up and got in the water. Walked out a ways before we finned up and swam even longer before we descended.

Lane Snapper (Lutjanus synagris)

 A vessel buoy is missing from the buoy line and it was the buoy I used to gauge when we should descend. We descended at 8:38 am and came down at the start of the gun-sight, well beyond the blocks.

Balloonfish (Diodon holocanthus)

Swam East right to the Gray Mid-way Rock, then to the Fish Camp Rocks, where we found lots of the usual reef fish.

Post Larval Porkfish (Anisotremus virginicus)

Swam over to the Big Coral Knoll and found two post larval Porkfish.

Juvenile Creole Wrasse (Clepticus parrae)

Got a few good pictures at the Big Coral Knoll, including the picture of a Spotted Cleaner Shrimp on a Giant Anemone. (right)  I didn't see the shrimp until I edited the photo several hours after the dive.







We explored the Big Coral Knoll for a while then headed back to the Fish Camp Rocks for a few more shots of a juvenile Creole Wrasse (left)

Squirrelfish (Hollocentrus adscensionis)

I turned the dive at 1200 psi, and we headed back to the beach. Got out just fine.

Dive time was 106 minutes, maximum depth was 20.8 feet and the bottom temperature was 77 degrees.  My SAC was 17.06 psi per minute and my RMV was 0.44 cubic feet per minute. No turtles. No large fish. No Nurse sharks. But still a nice dive.

Check out all of my photos from this dive at the
following link:  12 March 2019_Fish Camp Rocks