If only I had known how much fun scuba diving would be, and had the time (that “work” thing got in the way), I would have started years ago. As things turned out, I only began in 2020 and in the ensuing three years, I have managed to pack 200+ dives into my log book. I got my first certification as an Open Water Diver in January 2020 with Donna and Nick Barrett as my instructors from Stuart Scuba in West Palm Beach, Florida. In February 2020, I completed the requirements for certification as an Advanced Open Water Diver in Costa Rica with just 14 dives under my fins. My first “real” dive trip was with Tim Schaeffer in Cozumel in December 2020 and I’ve gone on to complete a number of specialty certifications including Emergency First Responder and Rescue Diver. In the past three years, I’ve done multiple dive trips to other locations too such as Bonaire, Costa Rica, and Curacao with more planned in the coming months..
As it turns out, I have 52-weeks vacation each year. If I don’t use them, I lose them. Consequently, I’ve been able to pack a lot of diving into a short period of time. My most recent excursion was a two-week stint back to Cozumel to enjoy the warm waters, beautiful reefs, and amazing sea life.
It goes without saying that you need to have a great dive shop, Blue World Scuba, and a terrific divemaster (Christina DeCecco) who is a Master Scuba Diver Instructor (MSDT). Christina is also owner of Blue World Adventures, a travel service that can hook you up with all kinds of unique experiences both in Cozumel and around the world.
Some of the highlights of my latest trip can be found HERE if you are inclined to spend a few minutes with me underwater. I promise not to shut your air off. Enjoy.
I was fortunate enough to spend 28 days in Cozumel, Mexico scuba diving. Just a quick post today to share the highlight photos and videos of my trip. When in Cozumel, I dive with Blue World Scuba and Christina DeCecco is my regular divemaster. She is also a PADI certified instructor and several of our dives included her students who were getting their own certification. If you’re diving in Cozumel, be sure to look her up. She is extremely competent, fun to dive with, finds the tiniest critters for your viewing pleasure, and is always watching out for the safety of all divers in her charge.
Click HERE to see a sample of what it’s like to dive in Cozumel. I hope you enjoy the show.
Next up is Bonaire for two weeks in May. More picture to come…
Another dive trip is in the books. I traveled to Bonaire via American Airlines through Miami (Dante’s 10th Circle of Hell) without a glitch for the first time in several trips over the past few years. It is always nice to travel with great friends and share the diving and island experience (Tim Schaeffer, Deborah Potts-Ragan, and Brenda Yorke). Bonaire is part of the Dutch Territories in the Lesser Antilles in the southern Caribbean and is about 40 miles or so off the coast of Venezuela.
The Three Amigos (Deb, Me, and Tim)
I want to share some of the photos I took and some pictures of my friends I shared time with. Tim and I were scuba diving, Deb was snorkeling but also did a Discovery Dive (odds are she’s hooked on scuba and probably setting up scuba lessons for her first certification as I write this).
Tim and I did a couple of shore dives to check equipment before embarking on the boat dives. As usual, the waters were calm, clear, and brimming with sea life. On our boat dives (usually two a day), we saw flying fish most days as we headed out to our dive mooring. One day a pod of dolphins were playing a good distance from our boat but we were still able to see them breach — nothing dramatic like jumping out of the water but rather merely surfacing for air as the scooted along. Still a thrill.
Deb seemed to quickly become addicted to snorkeling as the shallow waters were quite clear and sea life abundant. A few times she was snorkeling above while watching the dive group ascending to our safety stop depth. At one point, as I was ascending, I looked up to see Deb enthusiastically pointing at something below. At first all I saw was a coral formation but as she kept pointing excitedly, I finally saw what she was trying to tell me. This little turtle was hiding out around the other side of the coral formation. I got some nice closeups of it.
Tim trying to sneak up on Deb snorkeling on the surface… but she caught him at the last second !
Lion fish are an invasive species in the Caribbean with no natural predators. As a result, their presence has decimated some of the fish population. Consequently, many islands allow hunting them to thin the population and lessen their impact on the reef ecosystem. The last time I was on Bonaire, we saw dozens of Lion Fish all over. This time, the hunts have obviously been successful as I only saw a total of three the entire time I was there. Now, they are wiley (not quite like Wile E. Coyote) and learn so it could be that they were just hiding better in the nooks and crannies in the reef until nighttime feeding but I believe Bonaire has been successful in reducing the population. Although they are supposedly good eating (for humans), but you can see from the picture why it would be difficult for a predator to swallow this critter.
Below is me exiting the water (courtesy of Tim Schaeffer). I hand up my fins first, then the weights (no sense carrying them around), and then straight up the ladder and walk forward on deck to take my gear off. Pretty nice hat, eh? Nice shot Tim !!! Thanks.
Enough description. Enjoy some of the shots I took underwater on this trip with identification of what they are… I’m still working on some of the videos I took that show, among other critters, HUGE tarpon that went for a swim with us…those will come in the next post.
Caribbean Lobster (species in black is not in the Caribbean Life Field Guide)Coronet Fish — About 4-6 feet long!Coronet Fish Head As Long As My ForearmGoldentail MorayDeb’s Green Sea TurtleAnother Shot of Deb’s Green Sea TurtleSpotted TrunkfishScorpion Fish Lurking on the Bottom (not the yellow tail)Another View of Deb’s Green Sea TurtleSpotted Moray EelTrumpet FishSharptail Eel
Queen Angel FishFrench Angel Fish–Looks similar to Queen Angel Fish but without the yellow tail and trim.
Peacock Flounder Hidden in the Sand Lying in WaitPeacock Flounder NOT Buried In The Sand and On The Move (didn’t like me!)…ZOOM inLong Spined Sea UrchinBlack Durgon aka Black Trigger FishLizard Fish (another lying in wait)
While enjoying an evening of live music and food outdoors at the Divers Diner on the island of Bonaire with friends, I happened to spot a bottle on the shelf behind the bar that certainly looked strange. It was filled with wood chips — it looked like the kind you’d use for mulch in your flower bed or shrubbery ! Needless to say, I was curious and asked the barmaid what it was. She told me it is a combination of rum, red wine, honey, tree bark and herbs. And, with a wink and a smile, she said, “It is thought to be an aphrodisiac! You should try it.” She had me at “Hello!” Okay, I admit that visions of strong desire coursing through my veins while surrounded by beautiful island women flashed through my mind. I thought it at least worth a try, right?
Mamajuana is about 30% alcohol and is high in antioxidants. It, supposedly, increases vitality, energy, and blood circulation in addition to relieving congestion and flu symptoms. The jury is still out on whether it cures or prevents COVID. It purportedly is also a tonic for your kidneys and liver. Sounds more like something you would buy from a huckster at a carnival tent!
The Magical Anụnụebe Tree
The concoction also contains star anise, basil, local cinnamon, along with roots, sticks and leaves from the cat claw tree, brazilwood, cissus plant, and canelilla. In addition, the bark from the Anụnụebe tree, thought to have “magical” properties, is also added.
A product originally from the Dominican Republic, I could not find any evidence that its claims have been evaluated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or recommended by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). With the lack thereof, indeed, it could be a slippery slope to go down that path.
Nevertheless, I thought, “What the hell… line me up with a shot!” I took a slight sip at first to make sure my liver and kidneys didn’t explode and to make sure it wasn’t some kind of substitute for napalm, then threw the rest of the shot down my throat.
I waited…
It didn’t taste awful; I felt no change in my liver and kidneys. I had no uncontrollable urges and, sadly, no beautiful island women appeared. The only logical explanation must be that one shot is not enough. So, being the rational sort that I am, I asked for another and immediately slugged it down.
I waited…
Now, in fairness, the bottle does not have any indication of what the actual therapeutic dose for adults might be so I can make no claims of false advertising.
I was on my way to Cozumel, Mexico to do some drift diving and add some additional PADI certifications to my growing list. Drift diving is where you jump off a perfectly good boat, and enjoy a wonderful ride provided by Mother Nature. You are weightless (if your buoyancy is balanced properly) and ride along with the current effortlessly. If you’re lucky, the boat finds you and picks you up when the ride is over (e.g., you’re running out of air!).
Many of the people on the plane to such dive destinations are fellow scuba divers. However, there was an older couple sitting across the aisle from me and we struck up a conversation about the book she was reading, the weather, the island of Cozumel, and, eventually, scuba diving. As it turned out, he has been scuba diving for years.
Naturally then, the conversation turned to the great drift diving on the west side of the island of Cozumel. Stories were swapped. After a few he said, “Hey, how do you like my hat?” His question was the only segue he needed to launch into the story he was dying to tell me.
I said, “Now THAT is a truly fine hat.” And it was. And thus his story began.
It was a straw Panama hat in great shape that looked quite sporty on him. The “Panama” hat is actually a misnomer as the hats originated in Ecuador and are still produced there. They were imported into Panama and became popular during the 19th century as they kept the head shielded from the sun and cool during the construction of the Panama Canal. Even Teddy Roosevelt wore one during his visit to the Panama Canal.
However, my new-found friend’s story is more interesting. Despite his apparent age, he is an avid scuba diver who dives frequently in Cozumel. He was scuba diving along the reef and spotted something that didn’t belong… about 60-70 feet down. He descended to investigate and, lo and behold, it was a Panama hat that likely blew off a tourist boat. He picked it up and when he eventually came back to the surface, rinsed the salt water out of it and gave it a thorough cleaning. He’s been wearing it ever since and, I suppose, has enjoyed telling the story many times over.
You meet the nicest people when you travel.
Travel is the only thing you can buy that makes you richer.
As I travel over the years, I collect flags from each country where I have actually stayed–just passing through an airport to make a connection doesn’t count! I’ve added another flag June 19-27, the Dutch Island of Curaçao in the southern Caribbean. All of the native Antillian inhabitants we encountered were happy to see us, pleasant, always ready to laugh, and provided excellent service. No request was too much trouble for them and their laid back lifestyle might be a model for a less stress-filled life. Never in a hurry. We were on “island time.” Simply relax and enjoy. We had the advantage of spending eight days on the island and met great folks from all over the United States and Canada in addition to a few folks from the Netherlands. Our dive hosts (The Dive Bus) were Brits. Wonderful people all.
Tim and Me on Curacao 2021
This was yet another dive trip to a spectacularly beautiful diving location. With crystal clear waters, very friendly native inhabitants of the island, and beautiful weather and water temperatures (85 degreesF and 80 degreesF+ respectively), Tim Schaeffer and I did 15 dives, including my first night dive, with The Dive Bus dive shop in Willemstad. Tim, having spent a year working and diving on the island a few years back, was familiar with the dive shop owners and arranged for different dive locations he was familiar with around the island so that I would experience the full beauty and culture of Curaçao and different dive conditions. It was beyond thoughtful of him to plan it as he did and I am forever grateful for yet another lifetime experience.
Immature Lionfish
One of the dives we did was a night dive. As a relatively new diver with but 42 dives in my log book, my first night drive was initially unsettling but it took but a few moments for me to get into the experience. Although there were five divers in the group, each with very bright flashlights (or as the Brits say, torches), we were surrounded by darkness where who knew what lurked beyond our light beams. However, the advantage to night dives is that you see nocturnal sea critters that aren’t out during the day. It was an exciting experience. I saw a relatively large Caribbean lobster (no claws like New England lobsters) the locals call “bugs.” The highlight, though, had to be an up close look at an octopus. They are amazing creatures. If you’ve never watched the Netflix movie My Octopus Teacher, it is a fascinating documentary of one diver’s relationship with an octopus over the course of daily dives for a year. It is an eye-opener regarding how highly intelligent these creatures are.
On another dive, we encountered both baby and adult sea turtles. The dive spot we went to included a fishermen’s dock. When the fishermen come in with their catch and tie up along the dock, they gut the fish and prepare them for market right there at the dock. The unwanted parts (aka, entrails) go overboard. As the fishermen do so, they start banging on the dock. The sound carries in the water and the turtles know this is the signal that food is available and they start to appear seemingly out of nowhere. Suddenly, as we were diving just off shore, we were surrounded by about 8-10 turtles of various sizes. One large adult started swimming straight at me. I remained motionless so as to not spook him (or her). The turtle got within two feet of me and stopped eye-to-eye. Stared at me for a bit, cocked his head sideways as if to say, “What the hell are you doing in my living room?” and then peacefully swam off. It was the highlight of that dive.
Another dive location, named “Tug Boat” for good reason, was a relatively shallow dive that ended at the sunken wreck of a tugboat. The boat rested in but 15 feet of water so we had plenty of time (and remaining air) to explore around the outside of the tug. It had a fairly large hole in its hull that likely was the cause of its demise. Extremely rusted with the rudder and pilot house practically gone because of rust, it was fascinating yet eerie to imagine what had happened here. Although I’m sure the locals know the story behind it, I never found it out.
(I have blue sleeves, orange fins and mask in the video)
Diving has opened up a whole new world to me full of camaraderie with other divers, the challenge of continuing my education and training to dive safely and expand my capabilities, along with an indescribable excitement sprinkled with a little danger. The moment I enter the water, I am struck by how insignificant we humans are in that strange new environment. We are but guests in a world filled with wonder that is not our own and where we are not the apex predator. I am responsible for myself in terms of safety, knowledge, and troubleshooting in a foreign environment, but am dependent upon my dive buddy for critical help in case of an emergency. It is like nothing I’ve ever experienced before and I can’t wait to do it again!
Next dive trip is back to Cozumel in November to complete the required dives for PADI specialty certification in (1) Drift Diving, (2) Underwater Navigation, and (3) Underwater Digital Photography. I already have Advanced Open Water Diver certification, and specialty certification in Peak Performance Buoyancy and Enriched Air Nitrox (higher oxygen content). With five specialty dives under my belt, I will soon qualify to attempt the Rescue Diver certification (perhaps the toughest of all) and, ultimately, Master Scuba Diver–the highest level of certification and recognition a recreational diver can achieve. That one will hang right next to my diplomas !
When I left you I was but the learner. Now, I am the master! …Tim Schaeffer (actually, Darth Vader said it, but it applies here !)
I recently had an extraordinary experience that I suppose few former teachers can boast. As many of you know, I started my career as a 4th grade classroom teacher in the public schools before heading to the university for many years. My first ten years as an educator were spent teaching 10-year olds, a simply delightful age where children are really fun to be around and they are consumed with curiosity about everything. Elementary teachers play an important role in a child’s development but, typically, as students go through their school years, the teachers they remember most as adults are their high school teachers. It’s only natural to remember the most recent rather than someone from your early years.
I am quite pleased to be “friends” with a number of my former elementary students on Facebook and gladly welcome more. It’s always interesting to see how they are doing, what careers they chose, find out about their families, where they settled, etc. I enjoy hearing from them directly and reading about their current lives on Facebook posts.
Over the past year or so I have taken up scuba diving and have earned my Advanced Open Water certification. As it turns out, one of my former elementary students, Tim Schaeffer, is a scuba diver with hundreds of dives under his belt and has earned the very difficult certification level of Rescue Diver. With more than 200 dives under his belt, he is far more advanced than I (see quote above !). We are friends on Facebook so I asked him for some advice on what equipment I should consider buying. Keep in mind the last time I saw Tim he was knee high to a grasshopper and but 10-years old. In short, it had been over 40 years since I talked to him last !!! As a member of the scuba diving community, he understood my excitement at being able to explore the last frontier on planet Earth. He was very forthcoming about the good, the bad, and the ugly of scuba equipment and I was glad for the advice.
More so, however, I was thrilled at his invitation to dive with him and we made plans to go to Cozumel, Mexico and scuba dive some of the beautiful waters and coral reefs there. Imagine for a moment all your past elementary school teachers. Is there any one of them you would imagine scuba diving with–or doing any other such activity for that matter? Needless to say, I was flattered. We made plans, coordinated our flights such that we’d meet in Miami and fly together from Miami to Cozumel. We rented a condo on AirBnB (it was really, really nice, spotlessly clean, and centrally located within walking distance of everything downtown).
So the first time in more than 40 years, I saw Tim was in an airport bar in Miami ! My how he’d grown … We started chatting with the ease of old friends in spite of the 40 years that had gone by, our difference in age, and that I had been his teacher. We took a few trips down memory lane and caught up on each other’s lives in the intervening years. I didn’t feel it was awkward in the least. The conversation was with an ease as if we had been good friends and talked regularly over the years.
While diving, I had a bit of a mishap that required some medical attention. Tim simply took over and took care of all of the arrangements making sure that I was well taken care of and contacted my son and wife. I will be forever grateful beyond words. (You’ll need to share a six-pack with me to hear the whole story). In spite of this little episode, the week in Cozumel was beyond description. We ate, we drank, we partied, we talked, we laughed. I couldn’t have asked for a better experience. Amazingly, in spite of my medical diversion, he wants to do it again! We are planning a dive trip to the Dutch island of Bonaire in the southern Caribbean for the end of February/early March (assuming Bonaire lets USA citizens in at that time). Bonaire is a diver’s paradise with stunning dive opportunity and will be a beautiful place for me to dive and improve my skill levels.
I am touched that Tim wants to do it again even though I am many years his senior. I still picture the little 10-year old boy I had in my classroom. He has the same mischievous smile and fun-loving attitude. I thoroughly enjoyed having him as a student. As an adult, he is a caring, gentle soul and I am proud of the man he has become. I feel privileged to have spent time with him and look forward to more such trips in the future.
I spent part of my time here in Costa Rica SCUBA diving. When I started talking about getting certified to SCUBA dive, my wife was less than enthused. She said something to the effect of, “Are you nuts? You’re going to be 70 years old in a couple of years.” I said, “I hate to break the news, but I’m going to be 70 years old in a couple of years whether I SCUBA dive or not !” I was extremely careful about seeing our family doctor and every medical specialist I routinely see to make sure they saw no issues. They proclaimed me a picture of health. I did not see my dentist (sorry, Hugh). All gave me the green light health-wise and saw no reason I couldn’t SCUBA dive. So…
I did the online classroom work and the initial pool classes/dives back Virginia in September. I did the required four open water dives in West Palm Beach, Florida at the Blue Heron Bridge to complete my PADI Open Water Diver Certification under the watchful eyes of Donna and Dick Barret, certified instructors, and received my PADI Open Water card. But since I was coming to Costa Rica anyway to escape the colder north, I decided to bring my dive gear along and made arrangements to complete the Advanaced Open Water dives here in the warmer waters of the Pacific. As before, I did the classroom requirements online, provided the statements from my doctors, and off we went into the Pacific Ocean with Rich Coast Diving in Playas del Coco under the watchful eye of Samantha Waters, instructor extraordinaire. I learned so much from Donna, Dick and Samantha and will be forever grateful for their guidance and patience.
The Advanced Open Water consists of five required dives which I explained in a previous post (Underwater Navigation, Deep Dive–100 feet), and three electives. I’ve always been a water rat and SCUBA was an itch I had to scratch before I reached the point in life where I had to dive using a walker !!!
I took a few pictures during one of the elective dives (Underwater Digital Photography) and I have much yet to learn about taking good pictures underwater. Totally different circumstances for good shots underwater than on dry land. My dive buddy, George Kieffer, and my instructor (Samantha) also took some photos with my camera. So, make no mistake, the good shots were taken by them !
Here’s a few pictures to give you a taste of my dives. Surprisingly, because it was very windy, the visibility was only about 15-20 feet. Also, the area we were diving in is volcanic so much of the background is volcanic black rock instead of colorful coral reefs. Nonetheless, I learned a lot, met new people from around the world (England, Germany, and Los Angeles–that’s a different country, right?) and had a ball.
I will be diving again in the Bahamas in April and will spend nine days in Cozumel in May with two dives a day from the boat and unlimited shore dives (i.e., waddle into the water like a penguin from shore).
Enjoy the pics … going from left to right, that’s me, me ascending from the depths, a puffer fish with me way in the background, a less than friendly eel that wasn’t too happy to see us, sea urchins, and a round ray lying in wait.
If only I had known how much fun scuba diving would be, and had the time (that “work” thing got in the way), I would have started years ago. As things turned out, I only began in 2020 and in the ensuing three years, I have managed to pack 200+ dives into my log book. I got my first certification as an Open Water Diver in January 2020 with Donna and Nick Barrett as my instructors from Stuart Scuba in West Palm Beach, Florida. In February 2020, I completed the requirements for certification as an Advanced Open Water Diver in Costa Rica with just 14 dives under my fins. My first “real” dive trip was with Tim Schaeffer in Cozumel in December 2020 and I’ve gone on to complete a number of specialty certifications including Emergency First Responder and Rescue Diver. In the past three years, I’ve done multiple dive trips to other locations too such as Bonaire, Costa Rica, and Curacao with more planned in the coming months..
It goes without saying that you need to have a great dive shop, Blue World Scuba, and a terrific divemaster (Christina DeCecco) who is a Master Scuba Diver Instructor (MSDT). Christina is also owner of Blue World Adventures, a travel service that can hook you up with all kinds of unique experiences both in Cozumel and around the world.
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