Jillapalooza

IM IN UR OCEAN. EATIN UR CARDZ.

The Elbow, Dive 74

Dive: 74
Belize Dive: 8
Date: 12/5/12
Site: The Elbow
Avg/Max Depth: 54/78
Temp: 79
TBT/CBT: 0:46/61:04
Buddies: Nick, Curtis

Our first dive in Turneffe was fantastic. The coral structures were very neat.

Apparently the marine life was scarce because the current was strong. That didn’t stop us from seeing this giant pufferfish. It took a while for me to see it when Nick first pointed it out. It took Curtis even longer, camouflaged as it was. The picture does a poor job at showing its size.

Here’s some video I took of a bunch of random little stuff.

View all of my photos from The Elbow below.

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Esmeralda, Dive 73

Dive: 73
Belize Dive: 7
Date: 12/4/12
Site: Esmeralda
Avg/Max Depth: 47/66
Temp: 79
TBT/CBT: 0:56/60:18
Buddies: Nick, Curtis

It was tough getting back in the water, knowing this dive probably wouldn’t live up to the last. Fortunately the water was less choppy the second time around. This dive site is the only one I recognize from previous years. The surge made it hard to take photographs; video really is the way to go. Below is a compilation video of the dive.

Nick spotted this turtle. It’s probably as up close and personal as I’ve been to one. I got some good photos and videos of it.

View all of my photos from Esmeralda below.

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Mosquito Canyons, Dive 72

Dive: 72
Belize Dive: 6
Date: 12/4/12
Site: Mosquito Canyons
Avg/Max Depth: 51/87
Temp: 81
TBT/CBT: 0:54/59:22
Buddies: Nick, Curtis

This may be one of the most exciting dives I’ve ever been on. Screw the eagle rays and the turtle and the shark who was obviously disgruntled by the lack of attention.

This dive had dolphins!

Here’s the amazing video that Curtis shot.

Here’s my little compilation video of the dive. The dolphins are near the end.

View all my photos from Mosquito Canyons below.

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Dos Cocos, Dive 71

Dive: 71
Belize Dive: 5
Date: 12/3/12
Site: Dos Cocos
Avg/Max Depth: 57/90
Temp: 79
TBT/CBT: 0:54/58:28
Buddies: Nick, Curtis, Kristen

The seas were rather rough today. We loaded into a big boat with 12 other people and braved the waves. I’m usually fine on rough water until we come to a stop, then the rocking gets to my belly. I masked up, donned flippers, and threw myself overboard before any seasickness could set in. I prefer putting on my gear off the boat anyway. It’s a lot less awkward.

We split into three groups. The four of us, as well as another couple, dove with Rudy. We did cross paths a few times, and each time this happens I’m reminded that I should pay better attention to what our Divemaster is wearing, because at a distance under the water, everyone looks the same.

Once about 20 feet under, the dizziness went away, but the surge was still strong. Everything is constantly in motion, so it’s hard to get photos. I did see this eel swimming next to me. It disappeared in the rocks and then my eyes were open wide trying to find where it went. It popped it’s head out a few feet in front of me. I really wanted to panic, but I figured since there was nowhere else to go at the time but forward, I should take some video. It gets kind of bouncy because I was swimming through a narrow space and my tank hit the rocks on the other side, and I was a bit jumpy at the time anyway, so…

There wasn’t too much to see on this dive, but at the end there were some lionfish to be had. Nick even speared one!

Eventually the sharks came to play. They were moving too fast to get good photos, so I turned on the video instead.

View all of my photos from Dos Cocos below.

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Paradise Canyons, Dive 70

Dive: 70
Belize Dive: 4
Date: 12/2/12
Site: Paradise Canyons
Avg/Max Depth: 50/73
Temp: 81
TBT/CBT: 0:45/57:34
Buddies: Nick, Curtis, Kristen

This dive was nice. I missed the bull shark at the beginning. #sadpanda

Kristen corralled this eagle ray for me to record.

There were sharks, an eel, a barracuda. Some lionfish were speared. It feels like there are a lot less fish on the reef than in previous years, and I wonder if the lionfish have made that much of an impact or if it’s all in my head.

View all of my photos from Paradise Canyons below.

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