17 Feb--Whale Shark Boat & Snorkel

Fri, 17 Feb -- Whale Shark Encounter Trip Day i woke up to my own music at 5:30am and walked up the hill to meet John. we didn't have much time, he was a little late, she was a little slower than 'normal' ... we had to scarf our food down and leave. ....too bad too, because it was French Toast with really wonderful organic bread piled high with all kinds of fresh fruits ! ...i would have liked to enjoy it ... but off we went ... and the day started ... i quickly fed Shark Bait .... we got everything on the boat ... it was very unusual to be able to see the mountains on the mainland ... it was a clear day ! and this day only, we picked up our customers at an all inclusive resort called Utopia, which was about a 20min boat ride towards the west. this is John and i (usually he's more smiley than this) and the 3 girls, Ashley, Laura, and Kelly, from BICD, The Bay Island College of Diving, which 'supports' the Whale Shark organization ...i've never been to "Utopia" before :) .... it's too 'rich for my blood' ... but the people were very nice and they all liked it there. we had 9 Guests, and 4 of us. first we had to get them all to sign 'liability release' forms; which is usually done ahead of time, but since they never came to our office, it had to be done there, on the dock. i should have brought more pens!!!!!!! paperwork filled out, then they had to do a 'swim test', ....this is new this year. the Dive Masters feel it is important to make sure that our Guests can swim, ...duh.... if we get in the water with the Whale Shark, he will continue to swim, and since we will be following him, we could potentially end up a ways from the boat ... in 3,000ft of water. .... we want to make sure everyone can get back without panic. ...we also ask that they wear inflatable snorkel vests. most of our Guests are experienced divers or at least snorkelers; ... so this is not a popular requirement. generally they don't like to have their skills challenged. and i have to agree, it seems silly .. but i'm not making the rules ... nor am i responsible for 'saving their lives'. but there was no problem with this group. swim was accomplished and we were off. there were high waves and it was a rough ride ... no one was dry, but no one complained. it was a hot sunny day, so at least no one was cold. we were out there for about 2 hrs and still saw nothing; so we went to a dive sight and snorkeled for about a 1/2 hr. someone has to stay in the boat, so John and i i took turns. i got a few photos. when i got in the water there were a lot of Black Durgons swimming around ... they are also called the Black Triggerfish ... and in Hawaii it is called Humuhumu'ele'ele. ...When in the water, it appears to be completely black. ...but, if it is taken out and exposed to bright light, it is actually dark-blue/green. more coral this is a large brain coral with lots of those Christmas Tree Worms on it on our way back in, we ended up towing one of the boats from another dive shop that was having trouble .... i mean, how often do you get to rescue ZORRO ! ..that is the name on the boat ... we had to take them to the other end of the bay, so we got back to the dock later than normal ... barely enough time to clean up the boat, and reload it again for the afternoon group of people. i quickly ran home and finished off my tuna salad from yesterday; then back to the boat. my goal is to get this activity organized ...but i have a long way to go ... and today confirmed that ! we had a group of 7 'kids' that signed up ... we got all their paperwork done and went to the dock to do the swim test. hummmmmm ... in the boat were 6 more people .... from the 'Utila Lodge' ... elite people ... or at least in their minds. i didn't know they were coming, and no paperwork had been done on them!!!!!!!!!!!!!! .....they weren't happy with the Release Forms we wanted them to sign, weren't happy that they had to do a 'swim test'; weren't happy they had to wear a snorkel vest ... yada yada yada yada .... but in the end, they complied and we were off .... 13 paying customers ... that's HUGE ! .... we didn't see any Whale Sharks on this trip either :( ... so at the end we did another snorkel stop ... but only for about 20min .... got just a few photos .. a Caribbean Reef Squid swam by me; but wasn't very cooperative i chased him for awhile you usually get photos of the French Angel Fish ..... swimming away from you !!!!!!!!!!! elkhorn coral that was a BIG day for the Whale Shark organization. we need 5 paying guests to break even on the gas ... so,we made some money today ... both in the morning and the afternoon !!!!!! i feel kinda bad that people pay US$60 and there is no guarantee; of course they know that up front. but i expressed that to one customer who said ... it's no different than going gambling or buying lottery tickets ... or going fishing or lots of other things in life. they do get a 4 hr boat ride and get to see the other side of the island, and some snorkeling though :) after cleaning up and putting things away, i went back home, showered, me and all my gear; and laid down .. slept for 2 hrs. that's a long day in the sun and wind, and being 'in charge'. then i was hungry, and the restaurants were all finished serving. i found some food from the 'street vendors', then a Banana Milk Shake at a bar close to home ... it hit the spot.