No country will accept Americans without a two-week quarantine so off to Catalina Isalnd with our necessary Fleet” of large and small boats:
Reef Madness, ZigZag and Doobie. We left Zero Grams at home since she must be towed for long-distance travel.
BIRTHDAY TRIP TO FIJI:
Ruth used up all our credit card points and booked us a free trip to Savusavu, Fiji.
Lisbon, Portugal for New Years–CALIFORNIA WITHOUT THE 40 Million people.
“Freedom”
Grand Caymans-August 30-September 8, 2018.
Back to the Caymans for some diving. It is a solid producer of some fun images. We are diving with Cayman Turtle Divers at West End until Tuesday then it is up to East End for some more extreme locations.
Sea Turtles Hatchlings Only a Few Hours Old That We Helped the Cayman Turtle Centre and Director, Tim Adam release into Sargassum Grass 2 Miles Off Grand Cayman Island.
Instinct Kicks In As the Hatchlings Face the Abyss.They Head Into the On Coming Sea.Their Goal…Thick Sargassum Grass 2 Miles Off Grand Cayman Island Found With A Little Help From Their Friends.Director Tim Adam Admires His Work. “I Remember This Guy He’s a Friend of Mom’s.Dennis Finds it Hard to Spot Hatchlings in the Thick Sargassum Grass. “What’s This Guy Looking For… “Shhhhhush! He’s Probably Hunting Wabbits!”Tim Explains Hatchling Behavior to Snorkel Diver. “I am supposed to be doing what and going where?…Okay!”Safe in the Sargassum Grass.Tucked Into Their New Home for the Next 5 Years.Hopefully to Reach Full Maturity Like Their Cousin this Hawksbill Turtle.
Turtle Munches Reef.Fire Worm.Spider Crab the Size of My Thumb NailFully Extended Garden Eel.Garden Eel Diggin’ Mr. White’s White.
Indignant Parrot FishRuth Scans ReefDrum Fish…I don’t know that’s just what they call them.Blennie Peeps Out of His Coral Home.Lunch?Rough Night.
Killer Puffer
Ruth Lights Up My Dive
December 25, 2017 – January 2, 2018. Surface Time.We went to Bordeaux, France, and neighboring towns for Christmas and New Year’s Day. Oyster capital of Europe so they say. Visited the coastal towns of Archon, Sarlat, and Saint Emilion. The food and scenery were fantastic. Even watched Star Wars in French our last night there. Pictures to follow.
DIVERS DO NOT LIVE BY DIVING ALONE! WOW THAT SOUNDS OMINOUS. I am not advocating buddy diving, I dive alone too much to do that. What I really mean is sometimes we do land trips. Below find our last two months of land excursion photos.
December 9, 2017.We always feel lucky to get overnighters with our grandkids. Saturday we got to spoil Ryan and Shane, 7 and 10 years of age respectively, for 24 hours.
First we play…and play some more.
Then we feed them breakfast.Playtime is over as Ruth briefs her assault team on their saltwater snorkel session.The ducks follow her blindly even without swim fins.Shane never tires of the lagoon just off our slip.Ruth counsels Ryan on her technique.Ruth hovers near Shane for safety.Shane poses as we did pool work in the Hyatt pool.
Shane decides Ryan can do pool work too. Clickhere.
Shane and Ryan buddy breath and were under over two minutes without a hitch.Done yet?
November 22-27, 2017.Gone to Oregon for Thanksgiving.We did the Columbia River Gorge, Hood River, Mount Hood and some Washington State. We focused on waterfall photography. I have never shot falls before and had mixed results. We got stranded in the snow on a National Forest Highway around noon on Thanksgiving Day forty miles from anywhere. A bit scary but between the help of the Elk hunters returning to civilization and the tow truck sent by 911 (who could not get close enoughto us to pull us out) we escaped.We even made it back in time for our dinner reservation at the Columbia River Gorge Hotel.
Hotel Court YardColumbia River Gorge Hotel.Looking for a Pot of Gold?Look Carefully and Find WaldoPanther Falls ClickHerefor Climb OutMount HoodClickHerefor Video
October 18-22, 2017.We decided to take my main man, ten year old Shane, on our fishing trip to Mammoth this year fishing. He was awesome, Fished in below-freezing weather, hiked into the dark up steep elevations, and was an all-around great fishing companion for Ruth and me I. Best of all he is a great photographer. Using the camera grandpa bought him for the trip he took some great shots. (See his Photo that I call “Photographer’s Eye” below.)
“Photographer’s Eye”He likes jumping……Making friends……Not so much posing...…and Climbing on Stuff.Shane and his first Trout. ClickHEREto see Shane’s Cast
WE WERE IN CATALINA ISLAND FROM AUGUST 3-13.
Went to Catalina to do a little Avalon and Two Harbors. Weather was hot for the first three days but then beautiful. Could not get GoDaddy to upload new page info until the 8th day. So here is what we have so far.
Baby Seal Circles Ruth.Snuggles Ruth’s Fin……Takes a Selfie with her GoPro, gives her a Kiss Goodbye and Leaves. Clickhereto view video.Old Diver checks out OTS Full Face Mask and Ambient Light Still Photography.
Drunks we met in Marlin Bar. The Asian Girls are Friendly There.Niece Jullie gets a ride on Doobie. I was afraid she might be “going in” the drink.Watch out Avalon.I don’t care what year it is just give me a shot glass.Beer’s good too.AvalonTwo Harbors
MAUI MAUI MAUI…WHY DO WE ALWAYS HAVE TO GO TO MAUI?
Free Swimming Tiffany-MauiWhite Tip Reef Shark-Maui
Smiley Eel-Maui
Gray Reef SharkFrogfish-Maui
Flame Dart Fish-MauiYellow Spotted Eel Portrait-MauiHawaiian Lion Fish-MauiCoris WrasseSnowflake Eel Portrait-MauiSea Hare-Maui
Niece Nikki and What’s his name.Flying Fish3mm Pygmy Squid Larva
(FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THESE DIVE LOCATIONS SEE LA JOLLA DIVER’S LOG PAGE ABOVE OR CLICK HERE)
KOH LANTA-APRIL 2017
Clown FishSchools out!Giant Oyster-no kidding!Pretty and Poisonous-Lion FishEverybody Loves a Clown.I don’t mean to be rude but is that your butt or your face?PoserIsn’t It Strange……Aren’t We a Pair……Me on the Ground……You in Midair……Send in the Clowns………There Ought to Be Clowns………Maybe Next Year.Infant Butterfly Fish-Size of a Quarter.Infant Clown Fish-Thumb Nail SizeOriental Sweet Lips Juvenile-I call her Ruth.Very Rare Ornate Ghost Pipe FishI think she was in her own movie…but I forgot.Anenome Reef
Manta Ray cruises over Molokini Crater-Click Image for Video.Baby Frog FishDive Master Dave and FriendsOld Diver and another Eel on the ReefTurtle exits cave-CLICK IMAGE FOR VIDEOEel, Ruth and Old Diver in Background50lb Trivoli Game FishFrame capture from Ruth’s GoPro video.
MALDIVES-NOVEMBER 2016.
Old Diver with Macro Rig shooting Honey Comb Eel.Got the Shot-Honey Comb Eel.Clown Anemones at Home.White Mouth Eel.Ghost Pipe Fish
GRAND CAYMAN-SEPTEMBER 2016
Cayman Island Eel on day time Cruise. CLICK IMAGE FOR HD VIDEO.Cayman Turtle PosesRuth ready for Sting Ray closeup.
MAUI-APRIL 2016
Pregnant Puffer Fish.Ruth takes aim in MauiRuth heads back to the Boat.
BIG ISLAND-APRIL 2015
Weightless or Weighs less.“Old Driver” cruises the reef. Should he still be driving?