Oh, this dive broke records. For the first time I had 3+ hrs of a dive in New England, usually we run out of air around 2-2:30 hrs or the body cannot handle the cold anymore. But Fort Wetherill in September is just perfect, the water is so warm, and there is so much stuff in the shallows before you know it you have been breathing underwater for over 3 hours.
The dive was full of critters. One of my buddies wanted to see a seahorse, since I am lucky to find one or two in a dive I feel I need to find one for them and until I find one I can’t get peace during the dive. And, luckily, I have been finding them quite early in the dive so I enjoy the rest of the dive.
This dive there were so many cool creature. I swear I have been thinking about the scallops and how I haven’t seen one for a while there and there it was with its bazillion eyes, looking at me. I try to get some photos, but you need patience as they are very shy. Little movement and they closeup and you have to wait motionless for them to get back their confidence and open their eyes. But once they open up it is one of the prettiest photo subjects with the electric blue eyes, flashy lashes and variegated mantle.
From then on the dive kept getting better. The squids all around but there were better excitements. There was a mud shrimp. Funny how you see something for the first time and soon again you see it again, after all those years of diving and not seeing any.
There was a moon fish. This is one of the tropical fish we get to see here, but I rarely see them, maybe because they are two dimensional. They are so thin, that if you are looking from the wrong angle you would totally miss them. When you want to chase them for a photo-op they keep rising in the water column and if you do not pay attention you may find yourself on the surface.
And then there was the sea spider trying to swim in the water column. It was small and it really had no drag in the water, it was frantically moving its legs but i am not sure if it as getting anywhere. It was so cool to see one, I have seen one of these things maybe the first time I dove at Fort Wetherill years ago and I don’t think any ever since. So, it was a totally cool find.
And finally there was a hermit crab which made a home out of something different, maybe a worm casing? It looked like a cone made out of perfectly lined sand particles. It was just resting on an eel grass.
A whole group of amazing creatures and lots of bottom time. Now that’s worth the drive.
#436: 180+min, 18ft, 65F.
Buddies: Tom G., Kim M.
