We had great fun his week with an Advanced/ Nitrox course with Claudia and Kimberly. Starting with a drift dive at Herbies place ”nice dive” followed by Navigation and Night dive. The best saved until last Deep and wreck combined with a Nitrox course gave us the extra bottom time to enjoy the dives even more.
The climax was our last dive on the El Aguila. The perfect dive at 100ft for the green and yellow tanks we were using. As the wreck sits at its deepest point at 100ft EANX 32 is the best mix for extended bottom time and depth. For me teaching this dive I like an extended fun dive. Thanks ladies for a great week.
Just check out the snap shot... Looks cool hey!
Thursday, July 07, 2005
Seahorse Mission
7th July 2005 Late afternoon
After our lucky encounter with the pod of dolphins in the morning we were now planning a ‘seahorse mission’ for the afternoon dive. We had heard from other divers in West End that one had been spotted recently on Lighthouse Reef and were given pretty good directions to where it was meant to be hiding. Still, we kept our fingers crossed for good luck as seahorses don’t really stick around in the same spot for too long. After a short swim along the wall we see the three sponges marking the location and straight away everyone is scanning the coral for the seahorse. ‘It’s right by the bright blue sponges’ I remembered Maxine saying, so I concentrate on that area… nothing. I start to look a bit further a field… still nothing. ‘Well, it must have moved then’ says Andrea’s shrug… we’ll never find it now, it could be anywhere. So we start to group together to continue the dive. Maybe another time.
Suddenly Andrea points down to a patch of Finger Coral she’s been hovering over and gives the ok signal. She’s found it! We all rush over to have a good look… and Steve and I take as many pictures as we can manage without boring everyone else to death. Brilliant! What a great end to a great day’s diving as we all chat excitedly on the short boat trip back to Luna Beach.
After our lucky encounter with the pod of dolphins in the morning we were now planning a ‘seahorse mission’ for the afternoon dive. We had heard from other divers in West End that one had been spotted recently on Lighthouse Reef and were given pretty good directions to where it was meant to be hiding. Still, we kept our fingers crossed for good luck as seahorses don’t really stick around in the same spot for too long. After a short swim along the wall we see the three sponges marking the location and straight away everyone is scanning the coral for the seahorse. ‘It’s right by the bright blue sponges’ I remembered Maxine saying, so I concentrate on that area… nothing. I start to look a bit further a field… still nothing. ‘Well, it must have moved then’ says Andrea’s shrug… we’ll never find it now, it could be anywhere. So we start to group together to continue the dive. Maybe another time.
Suddenly Andrea points down to a patch of Finger Coral she’s been hovering over and gives the ok signal. She’s found it! We all rush over to have a good look… and Steve and I take as many pictures as we can manage without boring everyone else to death. Brilliant! What a great end to a great day’s diving as we all chat excitedly on the short boat trip back to Luna Beach.
Coral Reef Project "Please Help"
The dive team and the rest of the dive centers along the West End area would first like to thank everyone that has dived with us and supported the Westend & Sandy Bay Marine Reserve project.
In the last couple of months we at Luna Beach have raised $300, by your donations.
Which is great but we need to raise more.
The marine park project is only supported by the dive center donations and the donations made by our divers. The marine parks are a delicate and fragile area that needs our constant attention and the patrol for legal poaching. So running an office and two patrol boats with captions and police, inclusive of many other recourses need to run the boats and keep up the awareness of what we are trying to do to keep this island a fantastic place to visit and dive, this needs our support. A lot of the work is done by members of the dive community voluntary. The running of the project and some work shops carried out in the local school to educate the kids to clean up and look after Roatan natural beauty.... So Hats off to them...
If you would like more information just drop us a line at the dive center by e-mail or drop by if you are in Roatan and we would be glad to talk to you.
For donations if you are on Roatan drop by the dive shop. If not and you are as passionate about our diving environment and would like to help contact our reservations dept' for detail on how you can make a donation.
In the last couple of months we at Luna Beach have raised $300, by your donations.
Which is great but we need to raise more.
The marine park project is only supported by the dive center donations and the donations made by our divers. The marine parks are a delicate and fragile area that needs our constant attention and the patrol for legal poaching. So running an office and two patrol boats with captions and police, inclusive of many other recourses need to run the boats and keep up the awareness of what we are trying to do to keep this island a fantastic place to visit and dive, this needs our support. A lot of the work is done by members of the dive community voluntary. The running of the project and some work shops carried out in the local school to educate the kids to clean up and look after Roatan natural beauty.... So Hats off to them...
If you would like more information just drop us a line at the dive center by e-mail or drop by if you are in Roatan and we would be glad to talk to you.
For donations if you are on Roatan drop by the dive shop. If not and you are as passionate about our diving environment and would like to help contact our reservations dept' for detail on how you can make a donation.
Dolphin encounter on the way to the wreck.
Excitement was running high as we have been planning this trip to the ‘El Aguila’ for the past couple of days. What to expect to see and how the visibility would be.
So we set out with a small group in our speed boat. After passing Half moon bay we all saw a couple of fins show above the surface.
A shout went out from almost all: DOLPHINS!!!
For the next 20 minutes they played around the boat, ducking and diving around us. The camera came out along with the ooo’s and ahhhh’s.
Andrea and Nicole jumped in with a couple of guests and caught a brief but very close encounter with the pod of about 7, including a couple of youngsters.
A wave to the magnificent mammals that were heading south and we were off to the wreck, only one other boat when we arrived. Great timing and a great dive. Snappers and the large black groupers that are always around at new moon as well as a free swimming Green Moray Eel and a Giant Hermit Crab. Fairly good vizz followed during the shallow part of the dive on the reef where a lot of king crabs have been hanging out recently.
What a morning and first dive.
What’s next????
The girls’ sea horse on the 2pm dive…
So we set out with a small group in our speed boat. After passing Half moon bay we all saw a couple of fins show above the surface.
A shout went out from almost all: DOLPHINS!!!
For the next 20 minutes they played around the boat, ducking and diving around us. The camera came out along with the ooo’s and ahhhh’s.
Andrea and Nicole jumped in with a couple of guests and caught a brief but very close encounter with the pod of about 7, including a couple of youngsters.
A wave to the magnificent mammals that were heading south and we were off to the wreck, only one other boat when we arrived. Great timing and a great dive. Snappers and the large black groupers that are always around at new moon as well as a free swimming Green Moray Eel and a Giant Hermit Crab. Fairly good vizz followed during the shallow part of the dive on the reef where a lot of king crabs have been hanging out recently.
What a morning and first dive.
What’s next????
The girls’ sea horse on the 2pm dive…
Monday, July 04, 2005
Monday Morning 4th July
It a normal monday here at Luna Beach, no holidays for the europeans.....
Its a hot sunny day here a forcast for rain as for the past couple of days too.....
But not a drop clearm skys and flat seas makes for some great diving this week.
Hopefully the pod of dolphins that were hanging out last week will bless us with their pressence this week.
Well we are looking forward to a great week.
So all that remains to be said is
Happy 4th July USA
Luna Dive Team
Its a hot sunny day here a forcast for rain as for the past couple of days too.....
But not a drop clearm skys and flat seas makes for some great diving this week.
Hopefully the pod of dolphins that were hanging out last week will bless us with their pressence this week.
Well we are looking forward to a great week.
So all that remains to be said is
Happy 4th July USA
Luna Dive Team
