This past week I had the pleasure of scuba diving on the island of Curaçao, a small Dutch island about 45 miles off the coast of Venezula. In the southern Carribean, the island is below the “hurricane belt” and the weather is usually dry and mild. The Dive Bus is my “go to” dive shop as I think it is the best on the island. The staff are friendly and personable, safety focused, and always fun to hang out with and dive.
With good friends and dive buddies, Tim Schaeffer and Deborah Potts-Ragan, we spent a week on Curaçao and enjoyed five days of diving in addition to some really fine dining. As always, it was an adventure.
Hanging out at Kokomo…
Diving on Curaçao is shore diving. So each day we loaded our gear and tanks into The Dive Bus and the Divemaster drove us out to different spots on the island: Kokomo Beach, Cao Abao, Snake Bay, and Playa Porto Mari–which, by the way, has wild pigs roaming around the beach–and of course The Dive Bus House Reef. Below is a link to some of the better shots from each day/dive site. They are shared from my Google Drive so the quality is better than this website allows. Enjoy. Turn your sound on !
Some highlights from my last day of diving on this trip to Cozumel with Blue World Adventures and friends. Some nice video of a Green Moray out for a swim (usually found in holes during the day), a Spotted Moray, a Spotted Eagle Ray (graceful, majestic creatures–water is a bit cloudy on this one so you can’t see the full beauty of it), a three-rowed sea cucumber with spots that look like it’s covered in chocolate chips! A few fishes and a pair of barracuda up close and personal along with a scorpion fish lying in wait. Enjoy.
No time to write anything. Heading out for another diving day. Enjoy the pictures–click on the link. Nice video of a fairly large Green Moray and a Triggerfish along with a few pictures. Not sure what the thingy is that we lit up with a flashlight and you see the red dots glowing…I think it’s part of the jellyfish family but I’ll have to look it up for sure. But…pretty cool even without a name !!! Enjoy.
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)
It’s spring break time for Thomas and what could possibly be better than a more than six hour drive to Point Pleasant, West Virginia (population 4,146), site of the mysterious Mothman Prophecies — who wouldn’t rather come here than go to some boring tropical island with white sand beaches and sunny skies, right? Thomas and I hit the road last week and made the trek to discover once and for all time whether The Mothman actually exists as the book The Mothman Prophecies by John A. Keel (1975) and local newspapers of the time would have your believe. Because of road construction, it took us almost seven hours to get there. We were wiped out when we finally arrived at the hotel (Port Pleasant is not a hotel hotspot so we traveled across the river into Ohio to find a Hampton Inn!). We had a nice dinner at a very local restaurant. For readers who may not know, Port Pleasant, West Virginia became famous in November 1966 when strange things began to occur in this small town. A couple reported “seeing a large flying man with ten-foot wings” following their car near the site of the former World War II munitions plant. Others reported similar sightings. It was reported as “a large bird with red eyes” by two volunteer fireman. On December 15, 1967, the “Silver Bridge” spanning the Ohio River collapsed killing 46 people. People claimed to have seen strange lights in the skies, mysterious men in black, and a flying, red-eyed creature later called “Mothman“and believe the collapse of the bridge had something to do with The Mothman.
Now I’m not much into the “supernatural.” I have enough on my hands figuring out the “natural.” But, according to a headline in the Athens, Ohio newspaper published on November 18, 1966, “Monster No Joke For Those Who Saw It”. Fittingly, given where we were at and why we were there, Thomas and I spent the evening channel surfing at the hotel after dinner ultimately watching “The Unexplained” with William Shatner on the History Channel just to get into the “spirit” of our adventure.
We intended to authoritatively lay the controversy to rest. So, we visited the WORLD’S ONLY MOTHMAN MUSEUM — surely the most authoritative source of information that can be had anywhere. The “museum” is actually an old store front on Main Street next to the Mothman Sculpture — location, location, location. For the “mere” price of $4.50 per head (plus tax), we were permitted into the museum and could see first hand the actual “artifacts”. I call them artifacts only because it seems the right term when you’re in an authentic museum. What is actually inside is a collection of movie memorabilia from the movie (The Mothman Prophecies starring Richard Gere, Laura Linney, and Debra Messing circa 2000) and other assorted junk…eh, artifacts.
Blanket “touched” by Richard Gere and Debra Messing
Now, I’m no museum curator but the blanket that “Richard Gere and Debra Messing both touched in the motel scene” may not be high on my list of things worthy of “museum” status. The police uniform Laura Linney wore and the paint can that was “one of three carried out of the paint store by Will Patton (Gordon) when Richard Gere talked to him from the sidewalk” may not rise to a very high threshold either. In fact, the entire suit worn by the author (John Keel) to the dedication of the Mothman Sculpture on September 13, 2003 is probably, just probably, in that category also. That being said, however, the newspaper clippings from the front pages of the local newspapers suggest something other worldly was happening that day. The movie provides one view of why the Silver Bridge (so named because it was the first bridge in the country to have been painted with aluminum paint) collapsed over the Ohio River that day.
The Point Pleasant Register headline on November 16, 1966 said, “Couples See Man-Sized Bird…Creature…Something.” Soon it was in the national press. Following the collapse of the Silver Bridge on December 15, 1967 the story sprang to mythical proportions and was picked up nationally. The myth grew to epic proportions.
On the way out, Thomas and I stopped at the tourist shop in the museum. We got two T-shirts, five beer coasters, two guitar picks, and a tiny stuffed Mothman… $100.70! Since we spent over $100 the guy through in a “free” tote bag. There’s a sucker born every minute.
In the end, we can’t definitively say The Mothman was there those November and December nights in 1966-67. In truth, the trip was more about being able to spend time with my favorite (and only) grandson. In the seven hour car ride, we talked, we laughed, we listened to tunes he’d downloaded to his phone, he told me about school, we talked about life. At 14, he is growing up way too fast and I cherish every minute I get to spend with him.
Yes, the museum was a rip-off and the displays corny. The people of Point Pleasant we met along the way were warm and friendly, but time spent with Thomas: PRICELESS !
For the record, Thomas and I weren’t convinced of the existence of a “Mothman.”
The Athens Messenger Headline…
Thomas with The Men in BlackThe Collapsed Silver BridgeOne of three paints cans…Suit worn by John Keel at the Dedication of the Mothman Sculpture
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 !
This past week I had the pleasure of scuba diving on the island of Curaçao, a small Dutch island about 45 miles off the coast of Venezula. In the southern Carribean, the island is below the “hurricane belt” and the weather is usually dry and mild. The Dive Bus is my “go to” dive shop as I think it is the best on the island. The staff are friendly and personable, safety focused, and always fun to hang out with and dive.
