Smokey Joe Posted June 20, 2002 Share Posted June 20, 2002 I just got back yesterday from a week of scuba diving in Grand Cayman. I can't begin to explain how amazing it is to see what we're trying to replicate in it's natural state. The life on the reef is absolutly amazing, and to the aquarist, a combination of awe inspring and depressing. I say depressing because it serves to emphasize how petty our efforts are to recreate in the home what seems commonplace and utterly simple in nature. The single most amazing thing I saw was on a cave dive in about 40ft of water. The enterence was small so you had to descend feet first into it. When I descended I looked through the 20-30 foot long cave to see probably a hundred-thousand schooling fish. On the other side of the cave there were 4-5 large tarpon which just hung out there and every so often would dart into the school to feed. If you have the oppourtunity it was a surreal experience. Well, it's good to be back. Link to comment
Smokey Joe Posted June 20, 2002 Author Share Posted June 20, 2002 Well, I thought the post would be long before I wrote it. Link to comment
Smokey Joe Posted June 20, 2002 Author Share Posted June 20, 2002 Theres a story behind that. I had some pictures from my first few dives but my buddy had a problem and ended up losing the camera. His tank wasn't tightend well enough and slipped out underwater. I guess when we were fixing it the camera slipped off his wrist and was lost. Fortunatly it was a cheap camera, unfortunatly I don't have any pictures. Link to comment
jdiver Posted June 20, 2002 Share Posted June 20, 2002 Ah, Grand Cayman, a.k.a.- My favorite place on Earth. Joe, the dive you described sounds like Tarpon Alley. Was it? What other dives did you do? My favorites are Orange Canyon, Big Tunnels, Little Tunnels, and my all-time fave- The Black Hole. Did you only dive the West side? The North side is awesome diving and more pristine with larger life (lots of Eagle Rays, sharks, etc.), but the water is usually too rough to dive it. Link to comment
Smokey Joe Posted June 20, 2002 Author Share Posted June 20, 2002 The dive I was talking about was actually a shore dive at Devil's Grotto. I also dove the west wall twice, twisted sister on the south side (I got seasick it was so rough), the Oro Verde, a night dive at the Balboa, and a few other assorted shore and boat dives I have logged but don't remember off the top of my head. Of all of them I really thought the Grotto was the best. As expensive as the island is it's hard to beat $6 per tank at a great spot. Link to comment
Leonard Posted June 20, 2002 Share Posted June 20, 2002 I know exactly what you mean. When I dive or snorkel even, what I see is infinitely better then any captive aquarium. This isn't to say I haven't seen healthy, thriving captive communities (I've seen hundreds), but rather that even at the top of our game, our reefs only provides a tiny glimpse of an entire living, breathing ecosystem. I don't get depressed when I see nature's work, but I am always humbled. Words can't decscribe how tragic it'd be to see our reefs become extinct. Link to comment
mysk Posted June 21, 2002 Share Posted June 21, 2002 Im going to Fiji For my honneymoon. Link to comment
jdiver Posted June 21, 2002 Share Posted June 21, 2002 Joe- I didn't think about the shore dives and I haven't dove Devil's Grotto for several years, but it sounds like it was good. I was in Grand Cayman diving last July and the Oro Verde had a huge school of silversides in and around it, which was quite an awesome site and very cool to swim through and watch them part around you as you swam. Dang, now I've got the itch to go diving, but have to wait another month. Link to comment
Nishant3789 Posted June 21, 2002 Share Posted June 21, 2002 Hey! I thought no one dived here because no one responded to my post in the lounge about Scuba Diveing nano-reefers! o well actually i myself just got back from key largo, diveing vcapitol of the world ( yea right! Red sea is soooooo much better!) and it wasnt bad. OF course it rained the EN|TIORE time we were there but it we still got in a couple dives. The only thing that i didnt like was that there wasnt really THAT much diversity in key largo. I have beent o grand cayman but alas, I didnt have my licence at the time, i was too young i got mine the year i became 12! a year ago.... But im sure grand cayman is good. The onething i did like about key largo was that it was awsome for snorkeling! Right of shore you could see lots of likfe suh as sps and sponges and gorgorians. Not a real reef but close enough for me i saaw a few squid and 4 or 5 baracudas. No sharks unfortunatly. well great to hear there are other divers like me here! nishant Link to comment
joh Posted June 22, 2002 Share Posted June 22, 2002 ahhhhh Cayman... Cayman... I wanna go there... I am jelous now.. Link to comment
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