Boxfish

Sean Edwards Log Book

Submitted by Sunken Dreams on Wed, 04/11/2009 - 17:20
Dive No: 
1
Date: 
Sun, 18/10/2009 - 11:03
Location: 
Bay Islands, Honduras
Dive Site Name: 
Ted's Point
Visibility (metres): 
30 metres
Dive Mission: 
Fun Dive!
Weighting (lbs): 
4.0
S.I.: 
00:00
P.G. (Start): 
A
Depth (metres): 
25
Bottom Time (mins): 
30
P.G. (Finish): 
P
Safety Stop: 
Yes
RNT : 
0
ABT: 
30
TBT: 
30
Bar/PSI (Start - Finish): 
3000
1200
Time In: 
12:30
Time Out: 
13:00
Species Discovered: 
Trumpetfish, Spotted LEaf Scorpion Fish, Queen Conch, Black Margates, Spotted Eagle Ray, Garden Eels, Giant Brain Coral.
Dive Highlights: 
Alex, Val and I went to Ted's Point for a fun dive where we saw Ted's Wreck and the famous BBQ, sunk by Ecomarine Divers in 2005. As I was looking inside the wreck Val saw a Spotted Eagle Ray come past us and we followed it until we came to the sand patch famous for Garden Eels and beautiful Queen Conch. There was no current which meant we could drift along the wall to Airport Caves and we went through the copious amount of shallow swim-throughs. Whilst we were doing our safety stop I also discovered a Spotted Leaf Scorpion Fish laying passively near the dive buoy.
Dive Buddies: 
Alex Cresswell, Val Edwards
Verification: 
Dive Buddy
Diver Cert. No: 
6112
Dive Log Template: 
Black Hills
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Location
Utila, North East
Highlights
Giant Sea Mound, pelagics, cleaning station teaming with life
Visibility
19metres
Currents
Caribbean Light to Roller Coaster Rush
Site Depth
14metres
Difficulty
Easy to Advanced (Advanced Open Water)
Duration
18minutes
Sight-seeing
Green Moray, Horse Eye Jacks, Wahoo, Graysbys, Smooth Trunkfish, Whitespotted File Fish, Yellow Tube Sponges, Honeycomb Trunkfish, Lettuce Sea Slugs.
Hotspot Watch
Smooth Trunkfish (Gold Variation), Crevalle Jack, Queen Angelfish

DIVE BRIEF: Black Hills is undeniably one of Utila’s most interesting sites because of it’s huge variety of marine life. It takes the form of a semi-circular sea mound, its highest part at 10 metres and going deeper than 45 metres. Because Black Hills is 2 miles off the coast it’s important that the sea be calm in order to dive safely. Here a diver will see schools of Horse Eye Jacks, Atlantic Spade Fish, and Sennets. If you pay careful attention you can find the Spotted Scorpion Fish and Lettuce Sea Slugs.

Black Coral Wall
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Location
Utila, South
Highlights
Black Coral, labyrinth of sand channels
Visibility
23metres
Currents
Still to Caribbean Light
Site Depth
7metres
Difficulty
Easy (Open Water)
Duration
9minutes
Sight-seeing
Decorator (Neck) Crabs, Blue Chromis, Gray Angel Fish, Harlequin Bass, Honeycomb Cowfish, Rock Beauty, Red Boring Sponges, Moon Jelly, Mutton Snapper, Black Corals.
Hotspot Watch
Elkhorn Coral, Smooth Trunkfish (Gold Variation), Yellowtail Snapper

DIVE BRIEF: Black Coral Wall offers a lot of options for your dives. In its shallowest part (5-7 metres) there are sand patches and sand channels full of aquatic life and due to its depth the natural light is ideal for underwater photography. The reef wall runs parallel to the shore and descends to 24 metres where it meets the sandy bottom and continues its gradual descent. The site is named after the Black Coral found East of the bouy.

Scott's Head Drop Off
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Location
Scott's Head Marine Reserve
Highlights
Vast drop off wall teaming with sea life at the bottom point of the island
Visibility
24metres
Currents
Caribbean Light to Roller Coaster Rush
Site Depth
3metres
Difficulty
Easy to Advanced (Advanced Open Water)
Duration
50minutes
Sight-seeing
Secretary Blenny, Spotted Eagle Ray, Bluestriped Lizardfish, Red Banded Hermit, Batwing Coral Crab, Christmas Tree Worms, Dark Mantis, Caribbean Reef Octopus, Swimming Crinoid, Giant Basket Star
Hotspot Watch
Longsnout Sea Horse, Trumpetfish, Scrawled Cowfish

DIVE BRIEF: This is the last dive site within the protected confines of the bay and therefore can be exposed to strong currents, but for the most part it is an easy dive. Scotts Head Drop Off is a World Class Dive Site: huge splotches of encrusting sponges cover the wall with blues, reds, oranges, whites and purples, all fighting to possess the rare piece of exposed rock face. Creatures live in every crevasse, sometimes 5 different spercies of shrimp can be found. Seahorses and frogfish are common, and lobsters and crabs are hiding everywhere.

Rose Garden
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Location
Douglas Bay
Highlights
Pristine Coral Topography
Visibility
25metres
Currents
Still to Caribbean Light
Site Depth
8metres
Difficulty
Easy (Open Water)
Duration
10minutes
Sight-seeing
Threespot Damselfish, Thin Leaf Lettuce Corals, Yellowfin Grouper, Upside Down Jelly, Large Eye Toadfish, Yellowline Goby, Bar Jacks, Flat Tree Oysters, Venus Sea Fans, Caribbean Two-spot Octopus
Hotspot Watch
Scrawled Cowfish, Common Octopus, Spotfin Butterfly fish, Long-Spined Sea Urchin

DIVE BRIEF: As the name suggests a beautiful dive over beautiful reef. Glide gently over the wonderful coral-scape. A great dive to start your vacation with.

Scrawled Cowfish
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Size
46.00cm
Genus
Acanthostracion quadricornis
Avg. Size
20.0cm
Depth
1.0metres
Endangered?
Low
Local Hotspots
Dominica: Rose Garden, Scott's Head Drop Off - Pinnacle
Diver Interaction
Wary; An indirect approach for a close view is the best advice. They remain motionless apparently relying on camouflage, but when aware they have company, quickly rereat.!!
Habitat & Lifestyle
They live in a wide range of habitats, from grass beds to walls, and have the added advantage of changing their colouring to blend in with their background. This gives them added protection and added security.
Distribution
Common to occasional Florida and Bahamas; occasional to uncommon Caribbean; also Gulf of Mexico, north to Massachusetts, Bermuda and south to Brazil.
Unique Physique
1. Scrawled pattern of bluish markings cover body. 2. Blue line runs from snout to anal fin. 3. A sharp spine above each eye (distinguishes cowfishes from trunkfishes).
Abundance
Common - Sighting as are frequent, but not necessarily on every dive.
Smooth Trunkfish (& Golden Variation)
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Size
31.00cm
Genus
Lactophrys triqueter
Avg. Size
15.0cm
Depth
4.0metres
Endangered?
Local Hotspots
Black Coral Wall - Silver Garden, Black Hills
Diver Interaction
Unconcerned; usually allow a close approach.
Habitat & Lifestyle
In general they are solitary, but occasionally swim in groups. Swim over sand and sometimes over reefs.
Distribution
Common to occasional Florida, Bahamas, Caribbean; also Gulf of Mexico, north of Massachusetts, Bermuda and south to Brazil. GOLDEN VARIATION: Only been reported from the western Gulf of Mexico and the Gulf of Honduras.
Unique Physique
1. Dark body covered with white spots (Golden Variation: Yellow body and golden spots). 2. Area of pale honeycomb markings on central midbody. Only members of family without a spine above eye and/or near anal fin. JUVENILE: 3. Dark body covered with large yellow to pale yellow spots.
Abundance
Common - Sighting as are frequent, but not necessarily on every dive.
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