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Elona descends off Grand Bahama
Date: 11/21/2008
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Find the Octopus!
Date: 11/21/2008
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Out in broad daylight!
Date: 11/21/2008
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Lionfish used to be rare - now they are seen on most dives
Date: 11/21/2008
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She spots something.....
Date: 11/21/2008
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!!!! This bodes well for the rest of the trip!!!!
Date: 11/21/2008
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This is a great Christmas tree
Date: 11/21/2008
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The re-compression chamber that is the namesake of the dive site
Date: 11/21/2008
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Thanks to Fred and Melinda of GBS for a great day of diving !
Date: 11/21/2008
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A night harbor view at Port Lacaya
Date: 12/14/2008
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They are just breaking out the Xmas tree
Date: 12/14/2008
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A wedding party from South Carolina takes over the island
Date: 12/17/2008
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Their party favors were cowbells!! Imagine the sounds!!
Date: 12/17/2008
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Great "Irish Bahamian" food!
Date: 12/14/2008
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Hungry after a long day of diving
Date: 12/14/2008
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Complete with Irish stew on the inside!!!!
Date: 12/14/2008
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The straw market of Port Lacaya - (not much straw, but lots of Tshirts!)
Date: 12/14/2008
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Zorba's - great greek food and outstanding breakfast!
Date: 12/14/2008
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Mark and Elona enjoy the beach while waiting for the boats to open for business at Blackbeard's
Date: 12/17/2008
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Welcome to the Pirate's Lady!
Date: 11/22/2008
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Feels like home!
Date: 11/22/2008
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As always, an outstanding Captain and crew!
Date: 11/22/2008
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We are all loaded and off to sea for a week!
Date: 12/17/2008
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Time to prepare for the first dives
Date: 12/17/2008
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Our red Dive Rite Transpacs served us well - Thanks, Andy and Wateree Dive Center!!!
Date: 12/17/2008
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Tme to gear up
Date: 12/17/2008
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Sea squirts - an animal - not a plant
Date: 11/22/2008
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did I say lionfish were everywhere?
Date: 11/22/2008
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But luckily, so are sharks!!!!!
Date: 11/23/2008
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Time for the shark feed at Shark Junction!!!!
Date: 11/23/2008
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The sharks hone in on the frozen fish ball (chum-sicle)
Date: 11/23/2008
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As does every other fish in the area!
Date: 11/23/2008
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Date: 11/23/2008
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Caught right before the bite!
Date: 11/23/2008
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Date: 11/23/2008
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Date: 11/23/2008
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It pays to look up sometimes!
Date: 11/23/2008
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These are truly beautiful and graceful creatures
Date: 11/23/2008
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This is the reef directly behind us on the same site
Date: 11/23/2008
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It is full of life and special visitors!
Date: 11/23/2008
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Elona and friend!
Date: 11/23/2008
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B&W study
Date: 11/23/2008
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After the feed, they calm down and will come closer, out of curiosity
Date: 11/23/2008
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But there are lots of other things to see in addition to sharks (great Ladybug hood!)
Date: 11/23/2008
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a Rock Beauty
Date: 11/23/2008
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Blue Chromis (hard to photograph because they never slow down!)
Date: 11/23/2008
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Blue Tang
Date: 11/23/2008
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Trumpetfish
Date: 11/23/2008
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Lobsta!
Date: 11/23/2008
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Butterfly fish
Date: 11/23/2008
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Grunt
Date: 11/24/2008
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Face view of the Trumpet fish
Date: 11/24/2008
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Hamlet
Date: 11/24/2008
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Another hard one to photograph - Yellow-head Jawfish
Date: 11/24/2008
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and a bit shy, too
Date: 11/24/2008
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A hungry French Angelfish
Date: 11/24/2008
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Tubeworms
Date: 11/24/2008
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Sponge
Date: 11/24/2008
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A Grouper protects it's nesting place
Date: 11/24/2008
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Fairy Basslet
Date: 11/24/2008
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Arrow Crab
Date: 11/24/2008
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These Damsels are very territorial
Date: 11/24/2008
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Lots of urchins due to the efforts of Bruce Purdy and others at Blackbeard's
Date: 11/24/2008
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Find the octpus redux
Date: 11/24/2008
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Southern Stingray
Date: 11/24/2008
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Flamingo Tongue
Date: 11/24/2008
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Basket Starfish (2 foot diameter!)
Date: 11/24/2008
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Puffer
Date: 11/24/2008
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Inside the Pirate's Lady - hello Texas!
Date: 12/19/2008
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Morning coffee and sunrise
Date: 12/19/2008
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First Mate Dave
Date: 12/19/2008
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Got a nice schedule for tomorrow
Date: 12/20/2008
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Time for a short getaway on an uninhabited island
Date: 12/19/2008
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hunting for shells
Date: 12/19/2008
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The Pirate's Lady
Date: 12/19/2008
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Larry & Elona!
Date: 12/19/2008
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Elona off the wall
Date: 11/25/2008
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Going deep! (105ft)
Date: 11/25/2008
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Krispy Kreme Wall
Date: 11/25/2008
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Dartfish
Date: 11/25/2008
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Surprise!!!!
Date: 11/25/2008
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Queen Angelfish - what a sight!
Date: 11/25/2008
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Sponge
Date: 11/25/2008
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Gotta love working with sunbursts (here is where the SLR camera comes in handy!)
Date: 11/25/2008
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Elona heads for the the boat
Date: 11/25/2008
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This is one of the world's largest Star Coral colonies
Date: 11/25/2008
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and it has a lot of life on and around it - the dive site is called "Big Greenie"
Date: 11/25/2008
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Yep - they are pretty
Date: 11/25/2008
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and allow lots of closeup - (don't touch the dorsal spines!)
Date: 11/25/2008
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Texbook boat entry after the dive
Date: 11/25/2008
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And now for Bimini!!!
Date: 12/23/2008
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and a hot shower at Weeches
Date: 12/23/2008
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Of course, a discussion with Sailor, the parrot (HELLO???)
Date: 11/25/2008
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The remains of the Compleat Angler - famous Ernest Hemingway hangout that tragically burned recently
Date: 11/25/2008
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The main town is a little small
Date: 11/25/2008
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the Pirate's Lady in Port at Bimini
Date: 11/25/2008
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Rules. Rules. Rules....
Date: 11/25/2008
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and another thing...
Date: 11/25/2008
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Hello, Clarice...(remember the ending scene from "Silence of the Lambs"? It was filmed here)
Date: 11/25/2008
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This ship was abandoned by owners and crew - and ended up here
Date: 11/25/2008
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an island favorite
Date: 11/25/2008
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Any song can be played "reggae-style"
Date: 12/20/2008
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familiar?
Date: 12/20/2008
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A piece of fish
Date: 11/25/2008
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and an approaching Bullshark
Date: 11/25/2008
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smack!
Date: 11/25/2008
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OK - back out to sea for more diving
Date: 12/20/2008
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We caught two tuna - which later made great sushi
Date: 12/20/2008
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The Sapona
Date: 11/26/2008
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Elona prepares to go in the wreck
Date: 11/26/2008
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A ray hangs around outside the Sapona
Date: 11/26/2008
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as do a "boatload" of fish!!!
Date: 11/26/2008
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It's a little calmer inside the wreck
Date: 11/26/2008
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Date: 11/26/2008
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Elona and dive buddy Eric explore inside
Date: 11/26/2008
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The Sapona from the topside
Date: 11/26/2008
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Boxfish at Hawksbill
Date: 11/26/2008
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I have never seen a blue-headed trumpetfish before!
Date: 11/26/2008
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30-40 rays at the wreck of the Hesperes
Date: 11/26/2008
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Always approach the rays from an angle where they can see you - you don't want to scare them and
Date: 11/26/2008
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see the business-end of a stingray
Date: 11/26/2008
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At night, the turtles come to the Hesperes to sleep (not much of a chance around us!)
Date: 11/26/2008
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No turtle was less than 2 feet long!
Date: 11/26/2008
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Each turtle also has several Remoras
Date: 11/26/2008
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Large crab
Date: 11/26/2008
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crab close-up!
Date: 11/26/2008
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I counted 8 turtles on this dive!
Date: 11/26/2008
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Remora without a turtle
Date: 11/26/2008
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Fresh Conch! (later to become conch fritters1)
Date: 12/23/2008
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Thanksgiving at sea!!
Date: 11/27/2008
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A dive briefing for Theo's wreck
Date: 12/24/2008
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Eric follows the mooring line
Date: 11/27/2008
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and says hi!
Date: 11/27/2008
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More Lionfish
Date: 11/27/2008
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Yep - they are very fat and at least 10 were on the stern
Date: 11/27/2008
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l
Date: 11/27/2008
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Parrotfish
Date: 11/27/2008
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Goatfish
Date: 11/27/2008
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Eric flies!
Date: 11/27/2008
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The end of the final dive (sigh...)
Date: 11/27/2008
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The home of the owner of the Burger King franchise on Grand Bahama (notice the blue roof)
Date: 12/24/2008
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The canals of Grand Bahama
Date: 11/27/2008
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We get off the boat and visit the beach
Date: 11/27/2008
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The day ends and we prepare for dinner and back to port
Date: 11/27/2008
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Captain Ronnie and chef Brandy !!
Date: 12/24/2008
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DiveMaster Tom - great job and expert briefings!!!
Date: 12/24/2008
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Our good friend, Rodney
Date: 12/24/2008
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Sunset in Freeport
Date: 11/27/2008
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Our bunk area
Date: 11/27/2008
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Kitchen
Date: 11/27/2008
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Shower and bathroom area
Date: 11/27/2008
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The whole gang!!!!
Date: 11/27/2008
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Turkey time!!!!!!! Great Dinner!!!! See you next year!
Date: 12/24/2008
