The captain and crew all know my name. I feel like that’s not good. They use it freely with discussion, questions, instructions, and corrections. All. The. Time. It has me worried. I’ve only been here a couple of days, so I don’t like my name being used that often. It’s not a good sign. Anonymity is much preferred at this point in the voyage.
Today we started with a dive at Smuggler’s Plane. There isn’t a lot of wreck diving in the Bahamas, but these are the remains of a DC-3 that once smuggled drugs in the 80’s, probably for Pablo Escobar. I don’t know how they know this, because I’m fairly certain nobody filed a flight plan.
There were lots of little things on the sands leading up to the remains of the aircraft. Such as this adorable little tunicate.
The plane now lacks a fuselage, although the wings and engines are still recognizable.
The structure is now becoming home to innumerable little animals.
Such as these Christmas tree worms.
These snails.
And this anemone.
This wasn’t a particularly deep dive, and that’s OK. It was a great first dive, and that also meant great light for photos.
We then sailed for 5 hours to our next location. Our goal was 4 dives per day, so after the long sail, the plan was 3 dives in relatively short succession. First thing on arrival in the lee of Eleuthera Island, we quickly dove at Ike’s Reef.
With these feather duster worms.
This guy.
And this coral. My camera has a microscope mode for super-close ups, so I’m able to get things like this, and the detail is stunning. I don’t know if I really used it during my trip to Cozumel, but it’s fun.
Seriously. Look at this. It’s breathtaking.
But I still love this photo of a Nassau grouper.
After 5 hours heaving to and fro, three dives in short succession felt like a lot, so I decided to skip the late afternoon dive, instead deciding to go with the night dive. Both were at Split Coral Head.
Because of little jellyfish in the water here that are attracted to our lights, the entry for the night dive was to be a “negative entry” in which we jump in and go immediately under, whereas we usually signal our well being. In the end I failed at the entry and bobbed around like an apple. Fortunately no stings, though.
Notwithstanding the failed entry, the night dive was fun, as always. They pretty much let us range on our own, but my personal highlight was a tiny little squid that played in the glow from my flashlight. (Sorry, no photos this time. I decided it would be too much to coordinate for the night dive.)
After surfacing we were all happy to get on board, dry off, and enjoy a drink before some well needed sleep.
Diving is exhausting.
butterblogger 
Sometimes sea sickness sneaks up on you.