On Tuesday, May 25, 2004 6:49 AM, Ray Jones wrote:

(snip)
> Made a dive on an old landing craft that I had witnessed being sunk
several
> years back but because it is a well known local dive I've just never dove
it.
> As far as dives went was an OK dive but there was a large octopus that had
set
> up homestead in the center of the dilapidated craft. Made for several
great
> pictures as it posed for the photo bugs of the group. What made the dive
for me
> was the group of garden eels that were on the perimeter of the wreck. I
was
> the only one who noticed them.

Mate!  Having thoroughly enjoyed your company on that night dive on the
aircraft in Coz - and had you point out so many critters that I otherwise
would have failed to see - this does not surprise me in the least! :-)

(Julian's got that same ability - and he doesn't even have the same quality
gear like wot I've got!) :-)

>These had a particular making that I have only
> seen once before. They had a whitish body with a bright yellow stripe down
the
> middle of their back.

In recent years, I've started to find that trying to identify all of the
critters has added to the pleasure of the dive itself - and there's nothing
like the eels that you describe in my Australian guide!  :-)

> On the second dive it was an old freighter that was sunk bout 40 years
ago.
> The visibility was great with billions of bait fish in huge balls over the
top
> of the wreck to the point that you couldn't see the wreck for them. There
were
> amberjacks and bonita that was zipping through the balls eating at will
which
> made for one of the most spectacular nature displays that I've witnessed.

Having discovered that I don't really have the patience - or the talent -
for still photography, I've been toying with the idea of U/W video - apart
from the cost, of course.<BWG>.  What you describe would be great to share
with others who weren't able to witness the event.  :-)

> A magical day. I can't understand why people say they get bored with
diving.

Me neither!  :-))

Strike