Encounters2: Redux

I have republished this video with the divx codec - wasn't happy with Google compression.


Video includes a Turbot, Spanish Shawl, Porter's Chromodorid and Sea Lions...Enjoy!

Dive # 353

Date: September 29, 2007
Time: 8:10pm
Location: No-Say Beach
Depth (feet): 25
Dive Time (minutes): 85
Surf (feet): 1+
Surge (feet): 1-2
Water Temp (fahrenheit): 64
Visibility (feet): 5-12
Visibility Description: mostly murky
Notes and Highlights: Dove with Josh - 3 bugs - HEAVY current at the point and beyond, so we turned back earlier than we planned. Lots of Spanish Shawl (especially in the heavy current, scorpionfish, a few octopus, and bunches of stingrays. 3 bugs aquired - first of the season - season total starts at 3.

Bula! - Fiji 2006: Redux

While I was "off-line" for a few months, I had the opportunity to re-visit my Fiji footage, and here is the result. Special thanks again to Alain Lecante and Mangrove Productions for the permission to use the wonderful music of Black Rose for the soundtrack. Their website is www.mangrove.ws, and is a great place to experience some of the incredible sounds of the South Pacific. The embedded video will require the Divx codec. Enjoy!


Scuba diving in Nadi Fiji, and several dive sites by the Jean-Michel Cousteau Resort near Savusavu, Fiji. Video includes sharks, lion fish, octopus, beautiful coral and much more. Footage was shot during day and night dives.

Dive # 352 - I'm back!

Date: September 19, 2007
Time: 5:15pm
Location: Shaw's Cove
Depth (feet): 33
Dive Time (minutes): 60
Surf (feet): 1-3+
Surge (feet): 2-5
Water Temp (fahrenheit): 64
Visibility (feet): 15-20
Visibility Description: nice - clear
Notes and Highlights: Dove with Josh - first dive in over 2 months! Herniated a disk in my back 2 months ago, and along the way we also welcomed our new daughter, Samantha, (kid #2). That combined with other, lesser events, caused my hiatus. Very good to be back, and from the looks of the storm forecast - good timing as well. Eventful pre-dive - everything from a slow leaking valve on the tank I let Josh use, to my significantly worse, and non-field-expedient fixable first stage. I ended up renting a reg setup from LSS just as they were closing. So back to gear setup, and heading to the water...

Pretty easy in - there were 1-2's with sets that got bigger - but no issues. Dropped down pretty quickly - shallow and well before the Arch. Very nice, clear water. Within only a couple of minutes, we came across a medium-sized bat ray which was eating something (never did see what) in the sand/kelp next to the reef. It was not spooked or concerned with our presence, and switching to video mode, I was able to get a nice clip (see below). I've got a soft spot (ok - lots of soft spots) for bat rays in particular, and this was truly a wonderful welcome back gift.

We spent the rest of the dive heading out on the reef - turning around just short of Turn-Around. The rest of the dive was relaxing - surge was intense near the spanish shawls - and octopi, garibaldi, a couple of Cockerell's Dorids which still manage to elude my macro lens. and the rest of the usual suspects rounded out the animal sightings. Easy out after letting a larger set pass, and overall a good time had by all...Great to be back!



Bat Ray

Spanish Shawl

California Spiny Lobster

Juvenile Garibaldi

Two-spot Octopus