Ocean Dives
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Date: May 9
Location: Rockport, MA
The thing you don't expect about scuba diving is how different it is then simply swimming with a mask on underwater. The ability to stay submerged for long periods of time without having to worry about how your going to breathe opens up a whole new world for exploration. Instead of the quick dive you do when snorkeling, your able to poke and prod around -- allowing you to really observe what's going on down there.
I probably saw more aquatic life in those two dives as I have in all my time in the ocean (I very long time) and I got to observe how the animals behaved. I won't bore you with the details with the actual purpose of the dives (pretty much going over how not to drown) but instead want to share with you some of the cool things I saw.
The thing that is still bothering me the most is this rock -- it almost looked like some sort of sandstone or shale with this white almost cermaic covering. It sort of looked like a door and was definitely man made but I didn't feel comfortable fidgetting with it too much (it was rather large). Though I did fidget with it enough to startle a one clawed lobster that was hiding under it to come out. I picked it up (grab just in front of the tail) and investigated it for a while.
Then I went out exploring a little more and saw a flounder. It's pretty neat watching them do their camoflauge...they're pretty dedicated to stay unnoticed... A couple crabs were literaly walking on it and it still didn't move.
I saw a tiny eel (very cool). Lots of shrimp thingys... I never did learn there name... A weird small orange crustacean that I can't find anything about (even via google!). Still curious as to what it was. It was maybe an inch and a half long and seemed to have a hard exo-skeleton. It definitely wasn't a sea worm, which a couple people suggested. I don't know... I'll have to look out for it again.
I think the coolest stuff, however, was actually just looking at how the vegetation on the ocean floor grew. The place we were diving in Rockport had really interesting sea weed. There were theses four to six length leaves that stretched across the floor like giant octopus tentacles except they never really ensnared you nor did they try to eat you...
Anyways the dives were really fun and I'd recommend taking a class and exploring the oceans a little more... It's really different from snorkling and, for the first time, I wasn't afraid of sharks! I think it had something to do with the fact that I was submerged in the ocean and was a part of it rather than simply floating on top like those gimpy fishing lures you use for trolling.
But the best part of the day had nothing to do with diving... On my way home from class I got a phone call from my sister who happily announced her engagement! I ended up driving home for a surprise visit and dinner before heading back...
It was such an awesome dinner trip. I love seeing my family and I think I really made my sister happy by going back. (But how could I not!) I brought champagne (had no idea how to pick it out) and we celebrated the wonderful occasion -- me, mom, dad, Matt, Leigh, and Brendan. Of course, being a Saturday night at Scraggy we had swordfish on the grilll and I found it rather ironic that I went from sharing the ocean with the fish, to simply eating the fish.
I can't wait for the wedding!
Location: Rockport, MA
The thing you don't expect about scuba diving is how different it is then simply swimming with a mask on underwater. The ability to stay submerged for long periods of time without having to worry about how your going to breathe opens up a whole new world for exploration. Instead of the quick dive you do when snorkeling, your able to poke and prod around -- allowing you to really observe what's going on down there.
I probably saw more aquatic life in those two dives as I have in all my time in the ocean (I very long time) and I got to observe how the animals behaved. I won't bore you with the details with the actual purpose of the dives (pretty much going over how not to drown) but instead want to share with you some of the cool things I saw.
The thing that is still bothering me the most is this rock -- it almost looked like some sort of sandstone or shale with this white almost cermaic covering. It sort of looked like a door and was definitely man made but I didn't feel comfortable fidgetting with it too much (it was rather large). Though I did fidget with it enough to startle a one clawed lobster that was hiding under it to come out. I picked it up (grab just in front of the tail) and investigated it for a while.
Then I went out exploring a little more and saw a flounder. It's pretty neat watching them do their camoflauge...they're pretty dedicated to stay unnoticed... A couple crabs were literaly walking on it and it still didn't move.
I saw a tiny eel (very cool). Lots of shrimp thingys... I never did learn there name... A weird small orange crustacean that I can't find anything about (even via google!). Still curious as to what it was. It was maybe an inch and a half long and seemed to have a hard exo-skeleton. It definitely wasn't a sea worm, which a couple people suggested. I don't know... I'll have to look out for it again.
I think the coolest stuff, however, was actually just looking at how the vegetation on the ocean floor grew. The place we were diving in Rockport had really interesting sea weed. There were theses four to six length leaves that stretched across the floor like giant octopus tentacles except they never really ensnared you nor did they try to eat you...
Anyways the dives were really fun and I'd recommend taking a class and exploring the oceans a little more... It's really different from snorkling and, for the first time, I wasn't afraid of sharks! I think it had something to do with the fact that I was submerged in the ocean and was a part of it rather than simply floating on top like those gimpy fishing lures you use for trolling.
But the best part of the day had nothing to do with diving... On my way home from class I got a phone call from my sister who happily announced her engagement! I ended up driving home for a surprise visit and dinner before heading back...
It was such an awesome dinner trip. I love seeing my family and I think I really made my sister happy by going back. (But how could I not!) I brought champagne (had no idea how to pick it out) and we celebrated the wonderful occasion -- me, mom, dad, Matt, Leigh, and Brendan. Of course, being a Saturday night at Scraggy we had swordfish on the grilll and I found it rather ironic that I went from sharing the ocean with the fish, to simply eating the fish.
I can't wait for the wedding!
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