Status Member
Joined: 15 May 2006
Posts: 551
Location: Mississippi
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 Posted: Tue May 13, 2008 11:14 am Post subject: |
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Thanks brakker1, I sure envy you!.....Livin' a dream is right!
Always a pleasure to hear from you scubachar, I did meet Ollen, very nice fellow, when I returned from the dive, I noticed he was in heavy conversation with one of the Aggressor crew, from his age I would guess the Captain.
I did not get to dive with Donny, but my guide was knowledgable none the less.
Glad you are enjoying the pics Daboss777,there will be plenty more.....
Day 3:
Morning and afternoon dives scheduled today?1st up Jack McKenny?s Wall, I dove this last year and glad I got another dive there, really spectacular wall dive with tunnels swim thrus, do not forget your flashlight! Look for the resident Moray, and large pelagics cruising beside and on the tops of the wall.
Next up is Kelly?s Cavers, and rightly named, could very easily get disoriented if you are not careful, recommend going guided on this one to see the most interesting parts of the dive. One cavern was loaded with silversides, really awesome when lit up by dive light.
Then after a light lunch it was once again out for more boat diving.. Really got excited when we started heading North and around the Reef Resort..... 2 sites I was hoping I would get to one of was on my wish list! Off in the distance I saw a 3 decked vessel, thought for a moment and thought it could very well be the Cayman Aggressor, I happened to see some of the Crew speaking with Ollen over at the Turtle Reef site the Day before. Sure enough it was, the sad part was it was moored over the Babylon site, of course one of the wish list dives I hoped to get to. My minor inconvenience was obliterated after seeing the Dive Master drawing the site map on the white board , Julies Wall.. Mooring depth is approx 50 ft. The really cool part of this dive is when approaching the edge of the wall it just plummets into the depths as the wall is inverted at an angle going back to shore, spectacular overhangs. No caverns or swim thru's here just cruise the massive wall for ? a tank and turn around and head back to the boat.
above is a decorator crab....a master of disguise!
Next up Black Rock Reef, which I have dove before and saw something I have never seen, Pillar Coral. The only coral that feeds during the day, meaning the polyps are out , it is also one of the slowest growing corals at the rate of approximately ? inch a year, this one was about 9 to 10 feet in height, with a smaller ones off to the sides, nice light bronze color with tiny hair-like fingers waving to passers by..
pillar coral
more pillar coral, must be tasty as it seems somethings been munching on it????
still more...bored yet??
Now tired and hungry, decide to get a good shower , dressed and venture into Georgetown and find a fine meal . On the way in I stopped at Hurley?s to get more croissants . Once I Georgetown, parked in my little spot just North of Eden Rock, amazing right across the street was a place Joe spoke about that opened up since my last visit, Guy Harvey?s, did not think twice, crossed the street and went up the stairs and found a great table with the perfect ocean view. Ordered a Pain Killer (frozen drink LOL?.: ) , and Bottled water.
Tried the Crab Cakes, they were not bad however, not like the lump crab one gets in Charleston, but tasty non the less (nice dipping sauce). After the appetizer my mouth was anxiously awaiting the Lobster Caribbean dish. A light and sweet and spicy tomato sauce with red and green peppers , pineapple served with riced, and asparagus. Finally for dessert was a Chocolate-Raspberry Truffle Cake and coffee. Very nice place.
Day 4:
Scheduled morning and after noon dives today, 1st up Pats Wall, another fantastic Dive site a favorite of many dive masters, again as usual look for large pelagics cruising the wall, I was again graced with the presence of a spotted eagle ray as well as a curious turtle.
I waited at the mooring pin and used up almost 500 PSI waiting for the last 2 divers to come down along with the dive master, not to worry as I would not have seen the ray or turtle if they did not have some difficulty, so there is a lesson there, with patience comes great things. I did however hear the other group , (2 groups of 6 divers ea,) saw another reef shark, when I mentioned the ray you should have seen the disappointment in there faces : (.
After a nice surface interval it was time to check out Playing fields a 55ft site which has loads of reef and coral heads to explore.
After a short break in the room to download pictures and change batteries, and grab a quick bite it was once again time to explore the depths below. The Maze is a wonderful place, with the wind direction blowing out of the North, the boat was hanging over the deep depths, we actually had to descend while heading North as we were diving the South side, erie feeling taking the giant stride and looking down and not seeing anything but vast blue into dark depths, but as sure a the dive master said the wall was a short kick north, the maze has several large pillars that stand away from the wall and some interesting trenches that lead out to the wall, so i see could be easy if you are not careful to get turned around here.
Last dive of the Day was Maggies Maze, certainly an afternoon of mazes, no complaints from I loved them,, along with great swim thrus and tunnels one rather long I must say, but very beautiful, load of interesting thing here on this reef dive, Saw my first juvenile Spotted Drum certainly a favorite of mine.
Now time to revisit another favorite of mine, but this one is a spot to get a great meal, the Wharf. I found my seat in the North east part of the restaurant just out from under the tarps saw great views of the harbour and star lit sky off away from most of the customers. Just Iced tea and water to drink, the warm rolls are great here, for an appetizer I had the crab cakes, lump crab meat and king crag leg trio, came with delicious sauces for each one, main course was familiar, surf and turf, and for dessert I was saddened to hear they did not have the white chocolate mousse with meringue and drizzled with a raspberry sauce, so I opted of the chefs suggestion of a banana creme brule', topped with roasted nuts and fresh berries, I was in heaven, and the coffee as good as ever.
A couple who sat at the table next to me saw the main course and commented on the lobster asking how it was , the smile on my face said it all, after paying the check I said goodnight and asked how their see bass was , of course excellent, they commented they moved 2 times already looking for a table out of the way, and found it here, saying her husbands birthday was today and their anniversary was tomorrow and they were staying at the Ritz, asking me if there were any other good places to eat and things to do, I congratulated them and excused myself for a moment, out to the reception area, and picked up a copy of the Cayman Activity Guide off the table as you walk in and returned to deliver it to the anxious couple, I merely stated upon leaving this helped me a great deal and I was am sure it will do the same for you.
Once Again the ride back was uneventful, just a leisurely drive along the coast, to my quiet little hideaway.
More to come later................ |
Edited By : Ravenchylde Tue, 13 May 2008 12:52:32 -0400
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FAQ
??did manage to whittle it down to 1 checked and carry on bag this year. Customs were virtually a ghost town, breezed right thru even though there was a trainee in the line I was in.
Managed to cross the street without incident, got the rental and headed straight up to West Bay, can you guess where I'm headed???? 
unbelievable all the new construction I witnessed just from the Airport to Cemetery Beach. Not to mention all the way out East. 
, after that I had to have some Conch fritters (and a cold beer!) from the Cracked Conch.
?..really need to go back and try the Brick Oven Pizza Parlor as the ad in the guide did look appetizing. After checking in and signing the required waivers, went to the pool to check out the gear and get the my buoyancy tuned. Before I knew it I was back in the rental car and headed toward Kaibo for a walk on the beach in search of huge starfish, which I was unable to locate 
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there for a while I noticed most everyone had left, had the whole place almost to myself, very quiet and serene.
??Thanks
.....At around 110 feet you can see black coral, however it does not look black down there, more of a tan-ish brown.
once the designated feeder got in the water, swarmed by the rays and fish, I sat back and enjoyed the show, until I felt something bump me, I turned to see one of the dive masters swim around me and wave, not 10 seconds later I was swarmed by stingrays gliding over my head, unbelievable how soft they are, some of the divers got good pictures of me with a stingray hat....LOL. I knew something was going on, later found out the dive master put some squid in by BCD and that is what attracted the hungry fellows. 
after we were motioned to explore in out buddy pairs the surrounding coral heads for 10 minutes. I must say in the breifing they told us about a moray that had caterax, and if he comes around do not stick you hands out but keep then wrapped around you,as he might think your hand is a fish.....lol sure enough I found him.
had a nice visit and spoke for some time and looked at some pics. After they had left I did some laundry before the evenings festivities which included a Barbecue and trivia night , those who attended were grouped up into teams and the winning team won ? price on an upcoming night dive, which by the way we were fortunate to have won.
When I return home again I will continue the trip report, I am back in the big truck moving a crane to Atlanta Ga. Hope to back for the upcoming long weekend next week.
LIVE each day the the fullest... LAUGH until your sides hurt... LOVE like you've never loved before...