BVI SCUBA diving

We have all noticed a lot of seaweed piling up around the shores and waters of the BVI. Apparently it is natural, although the first time I have seen it to this extent here.. I took this picture of it yesterday afternoon at Salt Island..


Chief Conservation and Fisheries Officer Mr. Bertrand Lettsome is confirming reports of an abundance of Sargassum in the Territory’s waters, but assures residents there is no cause for alarm.

Defining the natural substance, the Chief Conservation and Fisheries Officer said, “Sargassum is the large brown patches of seaweed seen floating on the water surface. This is abundant in the North Atlantic in an area known as the Sargasso Sea.”

He added, “When I was a child this was something that happened every year and with the sargassum came young turtles and juvenile fish. It is natural and good for the environment. It is very rich in nutrients and makes good fertilizer when washed on shore.”

The Chief Conservation and Fisheries Officer added, “Sargassum is distributed throughout oceans worldwide by prevailing winds, storms and ocean currents and that can be a probable cause of its abundance in the Virgin Islands at this time. This is a natural occurrence and is no cause for concern.”

He added that sargassum also serves as an important pelagic habitat for numerous species of marine life and is adapted to the tropical environment.

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I also had decided that Bazza wanted to come diving with me their to collect some Lion Fish for REEF GUARDIANS. He was not as convinced as me, but since I have been feeling blue lately, he decided that it was a good idea.



We killed 8 here a couple weeks ago. We added another 4 today. There was one small one that kept on sliding off the tip still there, and I am sure many more.


Bazza thinks he wants to keep a live one in a fish tank this fall on the boat. I wondered if I could get guests I did not like to put their hands in the tank to feed it!

We took Buoy Boy out diving this weekend...Well, that is until it blew the transmission! Welcome to the world of boats one more time. I know it is time to go do something else when I look at the boats with loathing!


A few other mishaps...like deciding I was bored with my wide angle lens and putting on the 60mm. And then remembering the exact same thing I think every time I change from a wide angle underwater. That I hate them.
You can ask why, I know lots of people love them and you can get great close pictures of fish...which is great if you are doing a fish ID book! I just don't see how people tell a story though with them. These are about the worlds most boring fish pictures here in my eyes...No sky, background, divers...you get the picture..








Hey, I saw another couple black reef sharks. You can tell he was fairly far away for me to be able to capture him with a 60mm!!!


******

The eyes and cameras and photoshop fool you. I was playing around last night taking pictures of the sunset at a couple different stages with two different cameras and two different lens. These were all shot at the same place at different focal lengths and different settings. You would think they were different places wouldn't you?

But it is funny...

I don't dive the Chimney much on the Dogs, and once before I took my guests through the "wrong" chimney. On yesterdays dive there I was very careful thinking the entire time "don't go to the wrong place"



I realized one more time when my guests and I had to turn sideways to get through the exit that I had gone to the wrong place again!


No, I did not tell the guests that I f*** up...

I must be the only dive master (and especially who has been here as many years as I have!) who cannot find the damn chimney!

Glad I can give everyone a chuckle for the day

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