20201011_Fish Camp Rocks

The view from the water

 Martha and I left the apartment at 7:00 am and got to Tower 17 at 7:15 am. We spent some time trading up to a better parking space while we waited for Luis and Leo. Luis arrived first at 8:00. 

Leo arrived with his two students at 8:15. They took longer to gear up and then headed to the Ledge to do their OW ascents.

Spotted Moray Eel (Gymnothorax moringa)

 

 

Luis, Martha and I geared up and got in the water at 8:30. We waded through 2-3 feet of water to get past the sand bar and to swim to the blocks where we descended at 8:44 am. We headed East to the Gray Mid-Way Rock.

 Red Grouper (Epinephelus morio)

 About 20 minutes into the dive we watched a Red Grouper hunting with or at least watching a Spotted Moray Eel.

 

 French Grunt (Haemulon flavolineatum)

 The wind was out of the South between 5 and 9 mph. There was a moderate South current throughout the dive. Visibility was 12 to 15 ft and hazy. We turned North at the Gray Mid-Way Rock and swam to the Perpendicular Rocks, the Swept Rock and the Big Coral Knoll.

 

 Stoplight Parrotfish (Sparisoma vinde)

  There were lots of young French Grunts, a Spotlight Parrotfish, some Ballyhoo, several Gray Snappers 

Ballyhoo (Hemiramphus brasiliensis) 

Gray Snapper (Lutjanus griseus) 

   

and a Yellowtail Damselfish but no turtles, eels or other exceptional sea life.

Yellowtail Damselfish (Micropathodon chrysurus)

 We came off the Knoll after one lap and headed South to the Fish Camp Rocks

 

 Spanish Grunt (Haemulon macrostomum)

I got some photographs of Spanish, White and Bluestriped  Grunts.

White Grunt (Haemulon plumierii) 

 Bluestriped Grunt (Haemulon sciurus) 

Dusky Damselfish (Stegastes adjustus) 

   

      I also spotted and photographed a Juvenile                    Dusky Damselfish. 

Martha and I headed South to what is left of the Columnar Coral. I took some pictures, but was using a 100 mm macro lens so the shots were not very good. Need to use a 50 mm lens to capture the larger scale. 

Atlantic Spadefish (Chaetodipterus faber)

On the way back to the Fish Camp Rocks, I spotted a couple of smaller Atlantic Spadefish and got some really nice shots. 

We met up with Luis, who had remained on the Fish Camp Rocks and we swam through the bubble rocks for a last look at the Big Coral Knoll before we  turned the dive. 

 Mahogany Snapper (Lutfanus mahogoni) 

 Got some shots of what I think was a Mahogany  Snapper, a Spotted Scorpionfish and a Juvenile         Cocoa Damselfish. 

Spotted Scorpionfish (Scorpaena plumieri) 

Juvenile Cocoa Damselfish (Stegastes variabilis)

 Fingerprint Cyphoma (Cyphoma signatum) 

We swam South to the Gray Mid-Way Rock then turned West to the beach. I found a Fingerprint Cyphoma as we left the reef and got over the sand. 

Getting out was much easier with Luis helping me 

get over a rather steep step. Martha got out under 

her own power.

Our dive time was 2 hours exactly at a maximum depth of 19.4 feet.  My AC was 23.64 psi/minute; 

my SAC was 16.25 psi/minute and the RMV was 

.42 cubic feet per minute.  

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