CALYPS3O
2008 Journal
Indiana
School for the Deaf
Indian Creek High School
Day
5, Saturday, June 7, 2008
Tom Atnip (ICHS)
"Dive
Day One" has finally arrived and this will be our first salt
water dive. For our departure time, we had to leave at 7:30 a.m. When
we arrived at the Dive Center, we met Greg, who will be our captain
for the rest of our dives. The first thing we did was put our stuff
on the boat, get our tanks, and get our weights. Once we were set,
Captain Greg gave us a safety briefing. He told us the rules for the
boat, how to get in the water, and how to get out of the water. Once
we started out, a few of us decided to sit up on the top deck and
be with the Captain. Captain Greg is so much fun! The water was rather
choppy today, but it was not too bad. A few people did get sick, but
once we got into the water, they started to feel better. The current
below the surface was very strong and it gave everyone trouble. We
did see some small fish, some corals, a sea turtle, and a barracuda.
Everyone had trouble getting back to the boat, but we eventually got
everyone back on the boat, then set out to our next location. The
second reef we went to was named Horseshoe Reef. We explored the sandy
bottom and reef ledges. The current and surge of the tide was also
very strong but it was not as bad as our first dive. It was very beautiful
scenery, with lots of fish floating with the current. There were all
types of fish from the very ugly to the very colorful, bright, and
shiny. My group saw a moray eel. It came out to say hi, and then it
it swam away into another hole. After that we went back to shore,
and then most everyone took a nap, probably dreaming about tomorrow
morning's dives!
Janna DiBiase (ISD)
The
time finally came --- "about time" could be seen on everyone's
faces. Usually we all would groan when our teachers told us that we
had to get up fairly early but not today, we all were excited for
this new experience. We met Greg, who would be our captain for all
the dives this week. After loading the equipment and watching his
safety briefing, we set out for the ocean! Some fared well with the
choppy seas and some did not. A couple faces were actually turning
green (hulk-like!), but when the time came for us to deploy into the
water, we all perked up and got into our gear and took giant strides
one after another into a whole new world. Earlier, I had envisioned
what I thought I would see in the ocean, but my first peek was nothing
like what I thought it would be like. My very first fish I saw was
a barracuda sniffing at a fallen watch from one of the divers in front
of my group. I was dumbfounded for a while because I knew it was a
fish nobody should attempt to mess with due to its sharp teeth and
I was fascinated by it too. The scenery down there is really amazing!
I can't fully describe it to you all, you have to be there to understand
what we saw and how we felt when we saw it, especially after all those
classes in a normal pool and that filthy, ice-cold 'lake'. I saw a
variety of fish, and corals, too. A few of the kinds of fish I saw
were Angelfish, Spanish Hogfish, and Grunts. This dive was not all
about seeing what was down there, it was more of getting used to diving
in salt water, the current, and the environment. As we surfaced, we
were overwhelmed with the waves, which were about four to six feet.
My group and a few in the other groups got on the boat okay. Two groups,
we needed to pick up because they were too far from the boat to swim
over. Between this and the next spot, a good number of us heaved our
breakfast (and maybe the dinner/ snack from the day before) for the
fish to enjoy. All of us had to switch to a new tank because our first
tanks were running low on air. For those who weren't feeding the fish
their digested food, they either lounged on the bottom of the boat
or the top deck and enjoyed the view and the breeze as the captain
made his way to the next spot. As soon as we were at the next spot,
all of us were ready to go, even those who looked green. I applaud
those who weren't feeling well because they did not refuse to go into
the water. This time around was different, the surge was pretty strong.
For us inexperienced ones, we were not used to it and it took some
time getting used to moving around between surges. The second dive
was at a Horse Shoe Reef, which was a much more bigger reef than the
first one and had a lot more fish swimming around. Some of us saw
a nurse shark, a sea turtle, and a green moray eel. I also spotted
a yellowtail damsel fish, squirrelfish, more grunts, and angelfishes.
The view down there is truly spectacular. Most of us were worn out
after the second dive, and took a nap as soon as we got back to the
hotel suites. Others watched tv, or went to the pool. As I am typing
this, most are already off getting ready for bed and looking forward
to dive number three and four tomorrow morning. I am very curious
about what awaits us down there tomorrow! A great white shark I hope!
:) Goodnight from sunny, not rainy, Florida!
We
had to wait for the other boat to get out of the way, so we could
get our gear organized.
Our boat,
the "Big Dipper", at the Florida Keys Dive Center
Some
of us rode up on the top deck of the boat, while others just stayed
down below to help get gear organized.
It was
windy riding on the top deck of the boat!
