Baby, you're beautiful!
Baby, you're beautiful!
This morning I headed to Keystone on the premise of going boat diving with Karl and Pete. The boat proved unwilling to accommodate these plans, so we scrapped that plan and headed up the beach to Driftwood. The tide charts suggested that the current would be rip-roaring, and sure enough, just putting my fins on involved bracing against being swept downstream. Set up, I headed downslope. The current pushed me past the first set of tires before I got to the floor, so I spent some time looking at nothing whatsoever, and vaguely thinking 'where the heck am I?' The water was fifty degrees. I had to check that because it occurred to me, gee this isn't so bad, wonder what the temp is. From 55 last summer, to 44 over the winter, and right in the middle put me at not freezing immediately. Bonus!
After some time of mud, clamshells, starfish, and nothing else, I came upon a tire laying on the ground. Dutifully, I shone my light upon it, and wow! there's a little head sticking out! I swung around in the current and frantically kicked to the tire to get some serious gaze time in. My little baby kept looking at me, without pulling in to hide. I was very pleased. Then he started to come out, and I felt both excited and guilty. Excited because I got to see all of him, and guilty because I'd scared him away from his tire. Imagine my surprise when he left the tire, went to the mud, and began posing for me. He was just adorable! I have several pictures but here's one of my favorites. Not wanting to terrorize him, we left, and drifted boatward. I saw a cute helmet crab and cruised in for a closer look (they are having a mating season, by the way), but as I came in, a moonsnail shell started moving away. It contained the most biggest hermit crab I've ever seen! This guy made me laugh and laugh, and I ended up taking lots more pictures than I intended to, simply because he would stick his head out and let me take a picture, then the flash would make him vanish, only to reappear a moment later and pose again. Before we left, I extended a finger to see if he wanted to shake on it, but he only hid from me. Slamming up against the sunken boat (literally), we paused to investigate it. I didn't see any monster octopus underneath, but while peering at the interior, another small orange head poked out! I was glad that Pete got to see one, since he hadn't seen the first eel. There was a very handsome (yellow) Irish Lord crammed up in the prow. He had his body all fluffed out to fill that little hollow where the deck comes together with the sides and begins to be the prow. I found it amusing. Karl got my attention that there was one wee octopus sitting on the ground below me. He was doing such a fine job of rock imitation that I had passed right over him. Karl said up top that he wouldn't have seen it except that the current jostled the octo at just the right time. Looking at gauges, we began heading up slope. This is where my :angry: fins, plus camera catching the current, plus, well, I'm plus size, worked against me; by the time I got done with my safety stop, I was a good fifty yards downcurrent of Pete and Karl. Oh well. I enjoyed the trudge back upstream, just looking at the gorgeous day, and peering to see if there were any fishies to look at in three feet of water. Amusingly, I saw a wee bitty flounder, maybe an inch long, swimming away from the monster walking toward him. Pete headed home after one dive, but Karl and I stuck around to do another. By this time, near noon, the currents were done ebbing and we actually had a wonderful current-free dive. Karl brought a broken mason jar, with an outraged octopus attached. After being set back down, the octo was very pleasant, and brave. I love some of the octopus eye shots that I've seen on this board, and wanted one for myself. This isn't perfect, but it will do Swimming to one of the tire bundles, what to my wondering eyes should appear?? A fourth eel! (there was a previous snout not mentioned) and what does he do?? He comes out! and poses! This is my lucky day, and I spent the rest of my dive following this guy around. Apparently he was hungry, because I saw him pick up a hermit crab, before waving kelp obscured my view. When I moved the kelp, he dropped the crab. Oops. He didn't seen to mind me following him around for probably twenty minutes. I was enchanted, since I haven't seen an eel on the hunt before. After a while though, he began to put more effort into avoiding me, and I decided it was time to go. This guy's mottled coloration was also very new to me. He was just coming into his grey, although he still had a lot of eye spots and some orange visible. Way cool diving today. Thanks for going with me, Pete and Karl!
After some time of mud, clamshells, starfish, and nothing else, I came upon a tire laying on the ground. Dutifully, I shone my light upon it, and wow! there's a little head sticking out! I swung around in the current and frantically kicked to the tire to get some serious gaze time in. My little baby kept looking at me, without pulling in to hide. I was very pleased. Then he started to come out, and I felt both excited and guilty. Excited because I got to see all of him, and guilty because I'd scared him away from his tire. Imagine my surprise when he left the tire, went to the mud, and began posing for me. He was just adorable! I have several pictures but here's one of my favorites. Not wanting to terrorize him, we left, and drifted boatward. I saw a cute helmet crab and cruised in for a closer look (they are having a mating season, by the way), but as I came in, a moonsnail shell started moving away. It contained the most biggest hermit crab I've ever seen! This guy made me laugh and laugh, and I ended up taking lots more pictures than I intended to, simply because he would stick his head out and let me take a picture, then the flash would make him vanish, only to reappear a moment later and pose again. Before we left, I extended a finger to see if he wanted to shake on it, but he only hid from me. Slamming up against the sunken boat (literally), we paused to investigate it. I didn't see any monster octopus underneath, but while peering at the interior, another small orange head poked out! I was glad that Pete got to see one, since he hadn't seen the first eel. There was a very handsome (yellow) Irish Lord crammed up in the prow. He had his body all fluffed out to fill that little hollow where the deck comes together with the sides and begins to be the prow. I found it amusing. Karl got my attention that there was one wee octopus sitting on the ground below me. He was doing such a fine job of rock imitation that I had passed right over him. Karl said up top that he wouldn't have seen it except that the current jostled the octo at just the right time. Looking at gauges, we began heading up slope. This is where my :angry: fins, plus camera catching the current, plus, well, I'm plus size, worked against me; by the time I got done with my safety stop, I was a good fifty yards downcurrent of Pete and Karl. Oh well. I enjoyed the trudge back upstream, just looking at the gorgeous day, and peering to see if there were any fishies to look at in three feet of water. Amusingly, I saw a wee bitty flounder, maybe an inch long, swimming away from the monster walking toward him. Pete headed home after one dive, but Karl and I stuck around to do another. By this time, near noon, the currents were done ebbing and we actually had a wonderful current-free dive. Karl brought a broken mason jar, with an outraged octopus attached. After being set back down, the octo was very pleasant, and brave. I love some of the octopus eye shots that I've seen on this board, and wanted one for myself. This isn't perfect, but it will do Swimming to one of the tire bundles, what to my wondering eyes should appear?? A fourth eel! (there was a previous snout not mentioned) and what does he do?? He comes out! and poses! This is my lucky day, and I spent the rest of my dive following this guy around. Apparently he was hungry, because I saw him pick up a hermit crab, before waving kelp obscured my view. When I moved the kelp, he dropped the crab. Oops. He didn't seen to mind me following him around for probably twenty minutes. I was enchanted, since I haven't seen an eel on the hunt before. After a while though, he began to put more effort into avoiding me, and I decided it was time to go. This guy's mottled coloration was also very new to me. He was just coming into his grey, although he still had a lot of eye spots and some orange visible. Way cool diving today. Thanks for going with me, Pete and Karl!
The student was ready.
it's nice to have low expectations, sometimes - lcf
I said keep going, not start whining -airsix
it's nice to have low expectations, sometimes - lcf
I said keep going, not start whining -airsix
Re: Baby, you're beautiful!
I was there too !! At fort casey
NWDC Rule #2 Pictures Or it didn't Happen
Re: Baby, you're beautiful!
and you didn't say hi?
I'm hurt
(let's go diving)
I'm hurt
(let's go diving)
The student was ready.
it's nice to have low expectations, sometimes - lcf
I said keep going, not start whining -airsix
it's nice to have low expectations, sometimes - lcf
I said keep going, not start whining -airsix
Re: Baby, you're beautiful!
I just love that first pic.
"Well as much as this pains me I am gonna have to pull out" - pogiguy05
- archaeofish
- Aquaphile
- Posts: 122
- Joined: Thu Dec 11, 2008 6:03 am
Re: Baby, you're beautiful!
Yay! I'm glad to read that you're back in the water. Keep the great reports and photos coming!
Ross
Ross
While it's generally acknowledged that wetsuit divers are a shade or two crazier than the rest of us, we're all special idiots for voluntarily diving in dark, cold, water! - scottsax
- Joshua Smith
- I've Got Gills
- Posts: 10250
- Joined: Mon Apr 03, 2006 9:32 pm
Re: Baby, you're beautiful!
Glad you're diving again, Blaiz! I love the pics, too. I'm a little jealous- with hundreds of dives under my weight belt, I've only seen a juvenile wolf eel once- consider yourself lucky!
Maritime Documentation Society
"To venture into the terrible loneliness, one must have something greater than greed. Love. One needs love for life, for intrigue, for mystery."
"To venture into the terrible loneliness, one must have something greater than greed. Love. One needs love for life, for intrigue, for mystery."
Re: Baby, you're beautiful!
Here ya go Blaiz, I made him a bit prettier for ya.
http://dustys-lights.com/, An awesome light at an unbelievably low price
Dusty's Lights on facebook
http://underthesound.smugmug.com/
Dusty's Lights on facebook
http://underthesound.smugmug.com/
Re: Baby, you're beautiful!
That's excellent, thanks Dusty! Did you use a "sharpen" command? I never seem to be happy when I use that; I probably go too far when I do it.
Thanks all for your kind words. I AM very excited to be back!
Thanks all for your kind words. I AM very excited to be back!
The student was ready.
it's nice to have low expectations, sometimes - lcf
I said keep going, not start whining -airsix
it's nice to have low expectations, sometimes - lcf
I said keep going, not start whining -airsix
Re: Baby, you're beautiful!
I used a couple different commands but they will do you no good. I use Paint Shop Pro XII not photoshop It has some cool features that are different from photoshop. I would imagine you could do the same in photoshop but I am not a user of that program so I couldn't tell you what to use. You need to play with sharpen to figure how much you need. I'm sure there is an adjustment in there somewhere but you need to talk to a PS user.
http://dustys-lights.com/, An awesome light at an unbelievably low price
Dusty's Lights on facebook
http://underthesound.smugmug.com/
Dusty's Lights on facebook
http://underthesound.smugmug.com/
- pensacoladiver
- I've Got Gills
- Posts: 1350
- Joined: Tue Aug 26, 2008 5:00 pm
Re: Baby, you're beautiful!
Awesome pics. that is a great dive, especially if you have 2 vehicles and can drift for a longgggg ways.
Whose boat were you supposed to take out? Karls? what happened to prevent it from departing?
Whose boat were you supposed to take out? Karls? what happened to prevent it from departing?
Re: Baby, you're beautiful!
Oh, so much fun to have your dive reports back, Blaiz!
I'm jealous of the dive, though. I have only seen two wolfies in the open, and one of them was a drive-by eeling as one went flying past me down Waterman's Wall :-)
I'm jealous of the dive, though. I have only seen two wolfies in the open, and one of them was a drive-by eeling as one went flying past me down Waterman's Wall :-)
"Sometimes, when your world is going sideways, the second best thing to everything working out right, is knowing you are loved..." ljjames
Re: Baby, you're beautiful!
you'd have to ask Karl about the specifics, but basically we got the boat in the water, but the motor wouldnt stay running. it sputtered out and died five or six times, and finally pete got nervous that we would be stranded if we continued on that path.
i confess that i'd had a mental picture that every other puget sound diver frolics with wolf eels in great vis on any dive where i'm not there. kind of the same image a single person sitting at home on friday night has that every other single person is out on dates having a great time. not that i've ever been there. out on a date having a great time on friday night, i mean. but i'm sure everyone else is *grin*
i confess that i'd had a mental picture that every other puget sound diver frolics with wolf eels in great vis on any dive where i'm not there. kind of the same image a single person sitting at home on friday night has that every other single person is out on dates having a great time. not that i've ever been there. out on a date having a great time on friday night, i mean. but i'm sure everyone else is *grin*
The student was ready.
it's nice to have low expectations, sometimes - lcf
I said keep going, not start whining -airsix
it's nice to have low expectations, sometimes - lcf
I said keep going, not start whining -airsix
Re: Baby, you're beautiful!
I really enjoyed the dives, Kris, it's good to have you back. Great pictures. Sorry abt the boat. After $450 (only $41.88 in parts) I've got the boat back and running. Water in the fuel, with a fouled filter. Looking fwd to trying again.
- pensacoladiver
- I've Got Gills
- Posts: 1350
- Joined: Tue Aug 26, 2008 5:00 pm
Re: Baby, you're beautiful!
Ouch, I know the feeling. Mine is currently in the shop for $2090.00 worth of work. I can't complain too much though. 9 years worth of use and this is the first major problem with the engine.kagey747 wrote:I really enjoyed the dives, Kris, it's good to have you back. Great pictures. Sorry abt the boat. After $450 (only $41.88 in parts) I've got the boat back and running. Water in the fuel, with a fouled filter. Looking fwd to trying again.