Underwater Helmet Dive and underwater pics (56K!!!)

[Leopardess]

I didn't want to add these to the other honeymoon pics thread because then you'd have to load all the others just to see these.

We got our underwater cameras back. And well – most of the pictures stunk. Go figure. Here are a few that are worth saving.

So, here is a 30ft drop off at the edge of the hotel. All rock and corals as far as you can see down. It was cloudy that day…I wish I had waited to take pictures:

http://members.aol.com/chris420529/30ftdrop.JPG

Here is the eel chris saw at another place while snorkeling. They had to dive down to see this one, though; it was in 30ft of open ocean outside the reefs.

http://members.aol.com/chris420529/eel.JPG

Rays and fish:

http://members.aol.com/chris420529/ooh.JPG

http://members.aol.com/chris420529/ray.JPG

[Leopardess]

Blacktipped reef shark. These things were actually a little scary when they’re brushing up against your legs! (Wish I knew what that black thing was)

http://members.aol.com/chris420529/sharkblack.JPG

A lot of fish!

http://members.aol.com/chris420529/alotoffish.JPG

In open ocean again, near a coral garden. The bottom left slightly green thing is an anemone…there are two clownfish in there somewhere.

http://members.aol.com/chris420529/anemoneclown.JPG

Under/around our hotel…live rock as far as you can see…our room was an overwater bungalow that had a window cutout in the floor (equipped with lights for night!) and fish would swim under it all the time!

http://members.aol.com/chris420529/fishandrock.JPG

Back to the sharks. That’s our guide. He was wearing a man thong. It wasn’t pretty from the back.

http://members.aol.com/chris420529/sharkbutt.JPG

[Leopardess]

His feet?

http://members.aol.com/chris420529/sharkmanfeet.JPG

Sting rays again.

http://members.aol.com/chris420529/stingrays.JPG

I believe this was a titan trigger. He was living under our hut and he was a mean stinker. He lived in that hole that he’s starting to come out of. He chased me shortly after that picture!

http://members.aol.com/chris420529/titantrigger.JPG

Shark and a sucker fish. As well as some weird fish that I can’t remember the name of. It’s underneath the shark and sucker; it has four fins on front, two go up, two go down. Anyone know?

http://members.aol.com/chris420529/sharkandsucker.JPG

[Leopardess]

The rest of these are photos from a CD we bought from our underwater helmet dive. These are pictures from the camera they brought around...we had our own underwater disposable camera but chris was so excited he forgot to take any. They even had our dive on DVD...but it was 110 USD, so we passed. We went with one other couple.

We went between 6-18ft. The pressure bothered everyone's ears - even at only six feet under water. The day we went, the water was so clear...much much clearer than it appears on film. At under 12 ft, you wouldn't have even known you were underwater if you weren't wet!

Here is us, looking goofy:

http://members.aol.com/chris420529/kcunderwater

http://members.aol.com/chris420529/kcunderwater2.JPG

Here is a picasso trigger. These things are like flies over there - they are everywhere. You would see dozens and dozens without even trying. They were swimming under our bungalow, in the lagoon, in the deeper waters...just everywhere. And I can honestly say they are the most aggressive fish I encountered. I had a 1 foot long trigger literally chasing me near our bungalow. It would not back down. Mouth open, fins flared. Down right aggressive. There were so many kinds of triggers, too. I wish I knew more of the names.

http://members.aol.com/chris420529/picassotrigger.JPG

Here is Javonaise eel (moray). They usually hang out a bit deeper (Chris saw one when he was swimming with the sharks in 30ft water...the mate said it was at least 9 feet long):

http://members.aol.com/chris420529/eel.JPG

[Leopardess]

Here is what I considered an unwelcomed guest on our dive. Another one came at the end of our dive and later we asked if they got much bigger (because it was huggge) and the guide said it was the biggest barracuda he's ever seen on any trip! :eek: ): They say that they’re harmless. But anything with a mouth and teeth that big can’t be completely harmless.

http://members.aol.com/chris420529/barracuda.JPG.


Fish and a ray. We had 17 rays at one of our locations. They are not at all timid.

http://members.aol.com/chris420529/triggerray.JPG

And a trumpet fish. We saw a few different kinds of these near our hotel, too, that I thought were much prettier.

http://members.aol.com/chris420529/trumpet.JPG

http://members.aol.com/chris420529/everybody.JPG

These things are creepy - and deadly to boot! (Stonefish):

http://members.aol.com/chris420529/stone.JPG


I think that’s mostly it:D Hope you liked.

[Timmain42]

http://members.aol.com/chris420529/stone.JPG
Rockfish scare me poopless. I used to have to clean a 200G FOWLR tank at a local high school, and they had a pumice-colored rockfish in the tank.

Worst part? The only real decorations in the tank were pumice rocks, all about the same size as the fish!

Best part? The guy who fed the fish was trying to train the rockfish to eat thawed silverfish... from his fingers. I told him one day that if that fish decided to bite him, he'd be dead before he took two steps backwards. He looked at me like I'd lost my mind, so I had to explain to him exactly what kind of fish he'd ordered and put in his tank, and why I refused to put my hands in there until I found that rockfish. He didn't realize he'd purchased a highly venomous fish! Thankfully (and I don't say this often), the rockfish died from malnutrition about 3 weeks after that. Poor thing, shoulda never been in that tank to begin with.

Rockfish, lionfish and moral eels, OH MY! :D

[Holly9937]

wow, those are awesome fish pictures!!!! We had considered going there for our honeymoon a couple of years ago, I may be convinced to visit someday yet!!!

[125gJoe]

Thanks for posting the pics!

Also, thanks for leaving out the 'back end' of the tour guide..

What kind of camera did you use? Very nice pics...!

[nursie]

Thanks for posting the pics!

Also, thanks for leaving out the 'back end' of the tour guide..

What kind of camera did you use? Very nice pics...!


DItto...especially the back end of the guide part!! The front was almost TMI for me!

[Lila]

Great pics. My son was sitting here telling me what the fish were without even reading what you wrote. He loves fish. Especially the barracuda.

Thanks for sharing.

Lila

[Watcher74]

Wow, I'm jealous. Great pics!!!

[slipknottin]

Blacktipped reef shark. These things were actually a little scary when they’re brushing up against your legs! (Wish I knew what that black thing was)

Yea, Ive seen black tips bite people on their calves too. They can get quite crazy when they get some food. Though if they go diving here often the sharks are probably decently tame.

Barracuda take off fingers occasionally, thinking its a fish.

[Tuolumne]

INCREDIBLE pictures. Wow I bet you had a blast!

[Raskolnikov]

Shark and a sucker fish. As well as some weird fish that I can’t remember the name of. It’s underneath the shark and sucker; it has four fins on front, two go up, two go down. Anyone know?

It looks like a remora.


Nice photos; it looks like you had a great time.

[Leopardess]

It looks like a remora.


Nice photos; it looks like you had a great time.


Thanks, rask!:) I think that's it. It did look like this:

http://www.awoosh.com/%20Cay%20Lobos%20Gallery/large%20images/full%20body%

Also, can someone SW knowledgeable just let me know what would happen if you touched a big old sea cucumber? They were everywhere, and on our dive, the guide (who was scubadiving while we helmet dived, and was wearing heavy duty gloves) picked up a blackish/maroon one about a foot long, and "tickled" it until white anemone looking things came out of a hole on one end. He motioned to never ever touch one of those or step on one. Would it just really hurt or are they really toxic? Those things are just lying around everywhere. We saw some (and I have a horrible pic of one) that were like 1.5 feet long and leopard print!

[kveeti]

Here is what I considered an unwelcomed guest on our dive. Another one came at the end of our dive and later we asked if they got much bigger (because it was huggge) and the guide said it was the biggest barracuda he's ever seen on any trip! :eek: ): They say that they’re harmless. But anything with a mouth and teeth that big can’t be completely harmless.

http://members.aol.com/chris420529/barracuda.JPG.



But he takes a darn good picture!

[Matak]

Very entertaining Thank you as well for NOT showing any more of the guide. BTW, the last photo-link doesn't work. Try this one: http://www.awoosh.com/%20Cay%20Lobos%20Gallery/large%20images/full%20body%20remora.JPG

[Kasakato]

Were there any kids on that thing? There should be a minimum clothes note/rule :D