Newsletter Extra

April 2007

Feature Story Manta Ray Finally after 2000+ dives on this island, I was finally blessed with my first Manta Ray sighting. We were diving just outside of Hanauma Bay when I heard Stu (other instructor) give his famous underwater attention call (a high pitch chortle). I knew it must be good cause he was frantically pointing over the reef. I tried to swim in front of it, but as you can see it crossed just in front of me. The Manta was about 5-6 ft across (small size), but conditions made for SPECTACULAR HD FOOTAGE! Not only was it crystal clear, but also we happened to be over some of the healthiest coral I've ever seen around this island! Check it out! Play movie

Creature Feature Trumpetfish In the last 5 yrs of diving Oahu, I have noticed that the Trumpetfish is often a fan-favorite of divers. Ranging in color from bright yellow to a striped camouflage appearance, they can often be seen hovering vertically over the reef, or hiding under ledges. Their jaws are hinged so their mouths can open and expand to twice the diameter of the body resembling a trumpet…hence the name. Trumpetfish will travel solo or in small groups often following an eel in hopes of free food or even hiding out in a school of manini (convict tangs). They can be found in almost all dive depths and locations, it is fun to watch them maneuver their inflexible bodies using just the small tail and pectoral fins. Trumpet fish are one of the few fish in the sea that can actually swim backwards. Play movie of Trumpetfish

Dive Site of the month The Sea Tiger This 168-foot vessel was sunk in 1999 as an artificial reef for a submarine tourist company. Unfortunately they went belly up after 9-11, leaving the wreck as an excellent dive site. The ship sits in 120 ft of water with the main deck level being 100 ft, making for a great multi-level dive! Penetration of this wreck is available in many areas and ranges from short easy swim-thru's on the top structure to "expert only" technical penetration in the lower decks. Please dive within your training and limits!!! Sea life on the wreck is abundant, with spotted eagle rays, turtles, schools of fish, eels, octopus, nudibranches and occasional whitetip reef sharks, there is a lot to see at this site. Don't forget to scan the water around the ship for pelagic open water marine life such as manta rays, whales (in season) and big game fish. Be sure to check your gauges early and often when diving this site…it easy to loose track of time on this wreck. Play movie of Sea Tiger

Just for fun Cornetfish A relative to the Trumpetfish, the Cornetfish has the same hinged jaw, however the Cornetfish has some distinct differences. First, they have a longer pointed tail and swim using a fluid body movement like an eel. Second, they are silvery blue or green and have a flatter body than the trumpetfish. Cornetfish can be found hunting the reef as they glide stealth like just above the coral or they can be found swimming mid water in groups. As the video shows they become quite passive at night due to the bright lights. I have had them bump into me on a night dive before…or maybe it was me bumping into them!?!? Play movie of Cornetfish

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