We did a lot of diving at Osprey Reef, but the best dive was a shark feed. We all got settled under water against a wall, and a metal trash can filled with fish was secured to a rock. The lid was removed by tugging a string, and for the duration of the feed we were all instructed to remain against the wall. The feed lasted 5-6 minutes, and it was definitely cool to see the sharks eating up close. The power behind their bite is amazing to see, and I don't think the many tv shows which have filmed it really do the sharks justice. Sharks are really far more impressive and majestic in person, and if you ever get the chance to swim with them or watch a feed, do it.
Scott and I felt very safe during the feed, and the sharks all ignored the divers. The sharks we saw ranged in size from 3 feet to 12 feet. A massive 200 pound potato cod also fought his way into the center of the feed, and managed to hold his own against the sharks. When the dive crew was assembling the feeding apparatus, the cod kept wedging itself between them and the bait, and it swam right in between Scott and I as well. Actually, I was startled more by that cod appearing 5 inches from my mask than I was by any sharks.
We had waves twice as bad on the steam back from Osprey Reef. They were so bad Scott and I had to lay sideways on the bed so we could brace ourselves against the furniture. Scott was thrown from the bed at one point, but the recoil threw him back into bed. Now, I love boats, but you have to imagine what it is like to have to go about your day with 8-10 foot seas. You get occasional lulls every 4-6 waves, but about every 5 seconds the boat tips. Your dishes slide off the table, you fall over when you walk, and liquids pour sideways. That includes urine. Our toilet also happened to have a leaky fill tank, so every time the ship rolled to starboard a stream of water sprayed the bathroom, soaking the toilet paper. The result of this is that when I used the toilet I had to grab toilet paper from the room where we kept it dry, wait until a lull happened, quickly flush to empty the fill tank, and try to pee before the tank filled and sprayed me, all while bracing against the wall hoping not to be dislodged by a wave. It was a serious undertaking to say the least.
I think it's safe to say that we have much more respect for the guys on the crab boats in Alaska. The seas they work in are four times as bad as what we saw, and they have to be on deck.
I don't want you to get the wrong impression about the boat though, it was very nice. The food was good, and there was a sun deck and movie room. The staff was very amiable, and they even made Scott a cake for his birthday. The other passengers were also wonderful, and we made more new friends than I expected. Live-aboard boats are definitely a great way to see the Great Barrier Reef. -Anna
I wanted to talk a little bit about the night dive. Anna has done a few and said I should try it. I thought it might be creepy, but I figured I'd give it a go.
I got in the water with one of the dive staff just after sunset. We were all given a flashlight, and had neon glow sticks attached to our tanks. It was a little strange being in the water at night. The boat gave off enough ambient light that it wasn't pitch black, but it was still pretty dim. Things come much closer to you at night than they do during the day, and most of them are predators. We saw a couple of sharks while we were down; they move much faster at night when they're hunting, but the most startling things were the Trevaly. They wait over your shoulder where you can't see them and wait for your light to illuminate a small fish. As soon as it does, they come flying in and eat the fish. Essentially, we were helping them hunt. It makes you jump when a four foot long fish comes flashing past your face in the dark.
During the dive, I followed my guide, Lucy, around. At one point she stopped and signalled me to look, then she waved her hand around. At first, I couldn't tell what she was doing. Then I looked at her hand. There were neon green sparks flying off her hand. It is called bioluminesence. It is tiny micro-organisms, like plankton, that glow when they are stirred up. It looks like your hand is turned into a sparkler on the fourth of July. Pretty cool. Looking around we could see other people's flashlights off in the distance, along with their bubbles.
It is hard to describe what diving is like. To me, it is like flying along a cliff, or inside a cathedral as the bubbles of your dive buddies rise around you. It is an amazing, and addicting feeling. You feel privlaged to be able to enter this submarine world. Even more so at night, when a lot of the action is happening. On the boat trip, that night dive was my favorite. - Scott
No comments:
Post a Comment