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Trip trivia: Why is the water in Galapagos so cold (65F/18C)? It comes from the north, the south, east and west, but it's on the equator. Wouldn't it have had enough time to warm up? Actually, some of the water comes from Antartica, from deep down. As it gets to Galapagos, it's pushed up the shelf and comes to the surface. That water never had a chance to warm up by the sun. It does, however, make this a very nutrient-rich environment. It doesn't just bring plankton to area; it brings the particles that plankton feeds on to the area. That's why marine life thrives so well here.
Today more scuba. We did amongst the most challenging dives here: Gordon Rock. The current and surge were significant, and the seas getting there (45m) and back (1:15) were about 5-6 ft (Cantonis has a good story about how I deal with 6ft waves on a small boat). Visibility was bad, and a few of the divers were nervous. So, let's get down to it!
The first dive we hit schools of fish, not too much else. We hung on to the wall for a little while to see if sharks would come and visit, given that my friend and dive master Paulo gave the group an 80% guarantee, but it didn't happen. We did see a few mobulas (like dwarf manta rays) and a school of spotted eagle rays. I also decided to swim away from the crowd a little (3-5 feet) so I could get a little more in my own rhythm. When I turned to look away from the wall, a college (school didn't do the size justice) of barracudas happened to just be hanging out, 3 feet away. Had I pointed I would have lost a finger. So, tail between my legs, I backtracked carefully and slowly, trying to not raise any suspicion with the cudas or upset them in anyway. Good cuda.
Second dive (same spot) was a little harder. Seas were higher, and surge was stronger. Turtle dropped by. Moon fish dropped by (this is a weird looking fish, almost like they are biologically incomplete, and they're a good size, too). See videos for footage. We did the hammerhead calling on the surface (fists to the side of the head), and I did another one for good measure under water. And again Paolo frantically pointed at something out, away from the wall. He claimed a school of hammerheads. Because I was 6 feet behind him, and because visibility was about 20 feet, I didn't see what he saw, but this time he did shoot some footage that leaves the possibility open that there are indeed hammer heads in these waters.
Towards the end of that dive, we were joined by a sea lion who was either hungry or playful (or both). It nibbled on Sandra's (second dive master) fins, which is a good thing, because I think some of the others may have freaked out. Again, see video (get the hint? Yeah you do).
About our team today: this was a tough dive. All had a good number of dives (50+), and decent to great recency in dives, but currents and surges are hard to prepare for if you haven't dealt with it before. Being at the end of the line (or: the school of divers), I was watching out for my buddy, the unpredictable moves the people in front of me made (sudden stops and ascends, cameras will do that to you under water) the surge and the wall next to me (trying not to crash into it), the dive master (stay at his level, try to see what he sees), and what all was swimming around us. It wasn't easy, to say the least, and nobody was inexperienced. It just goes to show there's more to being a dive master and guide then meets the eye. It's a real skill to keep a group of even only 6 together like Paolo's doing. Head's off (or is it hat's off? I'm somewhat obsessed by these hammerheads I don't see).
I dropped a bunch of underwater pictures and some videos accompanied by applicable mystery music in the Photos and the Videos links, so check those out for more of a feeling of what was going on today.
We had an international team from close to my stumping grounds today. A couple from France decided to take 11 months to travel the world (they already did SE Asia and the US, and will continue down the west coast of South America next). Wait a minute - that's two days in a row that I meet someone like that. Maybe someone's trying to tell me something here.
A couple from Germany whom used to diving in the local lakes. Tony, they dive 42 degrees at 60ft with a wetsuit. Time to man up, my Minnesota friend :).
A girl from Washington who just finished a doctor's trip with a group of surgeons and nurses who provided reconstructive facial surgery for children in Ecuador. Now that provides perspective to what all of us are doing for a living...
When you travel outside of resorts, you meet some really interesting people, who have fascinating stories to share. The journey is so much richer with these people and their stories in it. I'm soaking it up like a marine iguana soaks up the morning sun (more on that a different day).
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