Hard Road

You know it's going to be an interesting dive when you see the fish struggling against the current. Conditions at the surface were as good as you could expect them to be with a 2-3 knots NE at the surface, relatively flat with good viz. 

Under the water was a different matter with a ripping Northerly current that was a challenge and a half to work against. But then we were in the throws of tropical storm Harvey passing us down South which would later bring torrential rain and thunderstorms.

A lot of the dive was spent in the shelter of the Nicholson as there really wasn't anywhere else we could go. I had to dump all my air, dig my heels into the sand and lean back as far as I could into the current to keep steady and Jill had to swim like a mad bugger to stay in frame. Who said underwater photography was all fun and glamour? Spot and Brutus came to hang out with us for a while, which was nice but I think even they got tired out.

We went out to the main wall to check things out but is was exactly as expected, complete washout so we came back to the Nicholson for some more shots from the interior with a few more friends..

Not much bottom time to be had today, which was a real shame but that's the way things go. There's always another day for a dive. If next weekend has currents like this, I'll need some concrete fins to keep me in place!......

Oh, and there's some random video of the dive below from my Youtube channel if anyone is interested.......

Link: HERE

Killing in the name of

Link: HERE

Captain Nige makes headlines, and for all the right reasons this time (we don't talk about that incident involving 6 gallons of cider, 3 ferrets and a combine harvester).

Well done Nige, a grand achievement and something that all the cullers can aspire to.

"Last weekend, East End dive instructor Nigel Coles killed his 10,000 lionfish since the spcies was first spotted in the Caymans, That is an average of 3.5 lionfish a day sin September 2009."

"This weekend he took his tally past the 10,000 mark – an achievement that has not only helped protect East End reefs, but has also paid for his boat.
Mr. Coles, who dives with his wife and “spotter” Deby, sells his catch to chefs at Morritt’s Tortuga Club and the Rum Point restaurant, which serve them to tourists."

Silver & Gold

Been a few years since we were last at Devil's Grotto, but then there's never any real reason to dive there unless the silversides are out. It now was the time for the Silversides. There's nothing quite like squirming through the narrow tunnels and swimthroughs whilst surrounded by thousands of silversides with the occasional  squadron of tarpons cruising past for a feed.

And seeing as it was a Saturday ( are time for me to be off) Miss Sarah was able to come along for the odd pose or two in front of the camera.

The Silversides have been absent the last couple of years and even this year, there hasn't been nearly as may as previously but it was still good to have a dive in amongst them. And I still haven't lost my sense of direction either........

So we twatted around in the Grotto for awhile before me moved over to have a swim through Eden Rock.

I'll tell you what though, the swim through under Eden Rock was a sh*t load narrower than I remember it. And it certainly didn't help with having to fight the local residents to get some elbow room. Or maybe its just that I have longer arms on my camera these days.......

But anyways, the silversides have come and gone now, and maybe we'll see them again next year. Oh, and there's a little video below as well. Not the greatest as video is never a priority when I've got the camera in the water but you get the idea. Till next time.