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© 2023 by Paul Hollendorfer

Scuba.

Our first dive in Cozumel, Mexico. Our dive instructor was a former colleague of mine and suggested that Cozumel would be a great place for our open water dives. He warned us that we might be spoiled by starting here. He was correct.
The scourge of most dive sites: the invasive Lionfish. As the world becomes a smaller place due to the ease of transportation, non-native fish can be introduced into environments where there are no natural predators to keep them in check. Most dive locations we visit permit and even encourage Lion Fish hunting.
A very rare daytime sighting of a large octopus. We followed it for five minutes. It must have changed colors six times as we watched. These creatures are captivating to observe and they have a beauty all their own.
A black tipped reef shark in Grand Cayman. During this particular dive, there were actually two of these sharks that hung out with us for the entire time. This particular guy was probably eight feet in length. I'm not sure why I didn't 'Swim away! Swim away!'
Caves, also known as 'swim throughs' are a favorite feature. Cozumel and Grand Cayman in particular have a wide variety of these structures. Some are fairly deep, like Devil's Throat in Cozumel, which exits at 130 feet. Intricate, spooky, and super-cool all at the same time.
One of our dive buddies Rick, swimming with the 'turts.' We see turtles at most of the diving destinations we've been to. In Hawaii, we saw more than ten during an hour long sea kayaking trip.
One of our favorite dives... We've done it twice. The Manta Ray Night Dive on the big island of Hawaii. All the divers kneel or sit on the sandy bottom around 40 feet down. The mantas come there every night to feed. Each one is identifiable by the unique markings on their underside. These creatures are magnificent.
I am proud to say I've introduced several friends to diving, all of whom are as hooked as I am. My own personal quote on the subject is: 'If all you ever did was get certified and do one open water dive, it would be worth all of the time and effort you put into it.'