Where was I?

So camping on Carmen was a success and we’re gearing up to head there again. The first time we went I was so bummed I dropped my slate (my board that carries my data sheets). I had been doing fish counts and then writing spawning behavior observations and when I got back to the boat it wasn’t attached to my BC, which is weird because I’ve had that thing for over 6 years and I’ve NEVER lost it, i’m so anal about it. So I was sad and the weather kept getting assy so we never got back out there to see spawning so we left and my poor slate was somewhere on the bottom of the ocean. I had asked Rafa if he’d been to punta lobos since then and if he’d seen it but he said no. =(

So this last time we went I was cruising around and thought, I’m going to try to do the same route I did last time when I lost my slate and VOILA! I can’t believe I found it! I was so happy, i did a little underwater dance. And of course, i took pictures because it was getting so fouled that a nudibranch was having a little meal and the otherside were lots of nudibranch eggs. I felt bad i had to wipe those off but i tried to put them back in the rocks (yeah, i know it probably didn’t matter…shuddup).

speaking of spawning, they are TOTALLY doing it!

After the island, we decided to do a “leisure” dive since we’d been doing all work dives and went to a wreck that was sunk purposely out of Puerto Escondido. The last time Brad was there a year ago or so he said he just saw lots of grunts and some octopus but nothing major was there. then a week or so ago Rafa told us that he dove the wreck and that he saw about 30 juvenile garropas. I was so excited. The garropa are GIANT grouper, Mycteroperca jordani, and the ones I’ve seen are easily a meter and a half in length and they are fairly rare. We know there are four large ones at Punta lobos and one or two more in other places in the park, but it’s a concern that you don’t see many because perhaps there are not enough of them to constitute a breeding population. To know there are JUVENILE garropa means that they must be. I realize half of you reading this just dozed off…BUT IT’S VERY EXCITING!

We went to the wreck and Brad was right the thing is just LEAKING grunts from every window/porthole/doorway.
And then I saw the garropas and they’re so SMALL compared to the adults. Most were about 30-40 cm in length and just so cool. Of course taking pictures of them was hard they were a bit skittish and the vis wasn’t so great so you couldn’t get a shot from a distance. So i just went about playing with my new camera and housing and strobe and was trying to set up some cool shots throught this porthole

Of course, since I was now ignoring the garropa they were coming to check me out



Two days after we got back from the island, Jeff had to leave so we took him out. We started at Mike’s Bar for margaritas and dinner.

Word of warning about the margaritas: DANGER! They totally don’t even taste like they have any alcohol in them, so of course I had two. After that we went to Millenium which is a club. We got there and they were playing cool music but it was empty. But we chilled had a few beers and hung out. Then we went to Vicente's Sports bar and then home. Well, I was feeling it and so the next morning was painful. But I had to rally and so we went to Cafe Ole for food. Here I present the breakfast of champions: hair of the dog (pacifico), some caffeine (tummy too rotten for coffee), and HUEVOS CON CHILAQUILES. yum!


so for my birthday we went out to a nice dinner at La Terraza and then to Vicente's to chill. Then I said, hey it's friday let's check out Millenium, i figured Friday maybe it would be more club like and i could DANCE! hee. so we get there and notice that it's packed but i realize it's just men. and i think nothing of it at first and the bartender is all cool and buys our first round of drinks when all of a sudden the cool dance music turns into MOTLEY CRUE and this half naked chick comes out of a side door and straight to the pole in the middle of the floor. i was dying because i thought how the hell could i miss that pole!!?? and then i was laughing because every guy in there moved their chairs from their tables and lined up next to the dance floor.

it was quite an entertaining birthday!

Now, comes your favorite part, purty pictures!




well, we're headed off today to do some afternoon dives. we found another nearshore spot that had LOTS of grouper (compared to some other spots) so we're going to see if they are spawning there as well. hasta luego!