Hi everyone

we arrived early on Sunday morning on the CO flight,.. it was empty everywhere except 1st class {where we were sitting } I had secretly upgraded to 1st as an anniversary gift for my honey Surprised the heck out of him when I said lets go when they called out first class passengers in Houston. the flight was terrific and I am sure the people in economy will say the same.. They had whole rows to spread out on..

Got to our wonderful lodgings at LBR #13 and rested for a while....unpacked and settled in. Had a great Pizza and salad at Pasa Bon and called it a night..

On Monday we stopped by Michael's ChatnBrowse to say Hi and to deliver the goods then onto Eden to get our dive Pkg.. The bar cam is being blocked by a wooden surround and that part of the building where the camera once was is now history.. seems they are doing major renovations.. I will try to remember to take a photo of the area from the sea..and possibly sneak in for a cam pic against the wooden background.. we did our check out dive right there on Edens Rubble.. ♥ that site I never take the camera on the first dive of the vacation.. too much multitasking on that dive. We went back to the condo for me to change and then I took G back to wannadive windsock for the afternoon while I went and got some groceries..
We ended the evening with a chicken BBQ and a walk to Lighthouse beach to see the sunset.


Tuesday we dove Bari from Buddy's Dock .That site always amazes me....Always so alive !!! I had a bit of trouble with my computer in 34Ft of water.. told me that I had gone to 161ft and needed to do a deco stop for 135 minutes....good thing I had plenty of air (2000psi) The computer was SCREAMING at me...Those of you who know me,know that first of all I would not go to 161 for anything..I am a very conservative diver, and secondly I was diving on air so if I had gone that far, I believe I wouldn't be coming back up...and I would be to Narced to notice..... I decided to give it one more chance and we dove Windsock to the pier.. Nice dive, the computer settled in and I stayed at 45 feet or less.{wanted to see if it screamed at me at 34 ft again } took some photos there.






today is another day more to come...

Good Morning Freddie & Capt. George

Great Pics, Freddie

Nice surprise for Capt. George going first class!

What's up with your computer?

Had lots of rain here yesterday & some of the snow is gone but not all! More rain today & temp's in the high 30's F.

Thanks for posting - have been missing you

Enjoy your day

Hugs to you two

thanks for the report and have a wonderful time. Looking forward to living vicariously through you.

Nice report. Love to read and see pics to accompany report. Keep it up please.

Outstanding. Please keep it coming. Does the Captain have his tiara? Nice move on the first class thing Freddie.

Ahhhh, now I am living vicariously!!! Thanks MF

Glad your computer settled down. You of all people are not one to go that deep! Love the puffer Can't wait to see more pix!

Take some canned sardines with you to the water at sunset and you will be able to feed the eels that come into the rocks at LBR! We had a lot of fun with that last year when someone brought a can down with them. Pretty cool! Enjoy the accommodations...they are fabulous!

Yeah MF & PP
Thank you for the report and pics!
Love the sunset pic

thanks freddie

Great report! Thanks for Sharing.

Thanks for sharing / great report

Thanks MF a bit of summer in January.

good morning all

yesterday we dove Alice in Wonderland...G found a LF marker at 87ft and took some photos much to my dismay... I was hovering over him shaking my head.....lol he then paid for it later when he had a little Kidney stone episode,,, served him right for going so deep,,he is fine now so he says...

My computer didn't act up at all today so I think maybe it had something to do with the new battery being installed right before we came down... I am keeping my eye on it..

we came back from Alice in Wonderland and hung out for a while and then G decided to go to his fav place and do a dive...but before he left we had this beautiful site to look at... seems that ruth is not the only one to see a rainbow yesterday...

I did a little laundry while he was gone and got some more reading done I just love to relax


he found the seahorses again


found this little guy in there

also found one of these for Ruthy


and I really like this photo




when he came back from windsock/wannadive He decided to go up to eden and get a tank and go in there again... while he was doing that I ran up to Chat n Browse and helped Michael on a project,please see that thread in Local
I then went back to the beach and combed the coral rubble on the beach for glass.. I am going to do a project while I am down here {I hope}
{Deb, do you have a glue gun around here some place??}
some photos from Eden.



Went to dinner last night at Casablanca and had the mixed grill, so the left overs go into a spaghetti sauce for tonight I was actually a bit chilly last night wished I had worn a little sweater...

yesterday the water temp was a steady 81, it was a bit windy...
today no real wind and kind of sticky out. More to come Have a great day all...

Not only an adult queen, but a juvie too!!!! Thanks Freddie and George

Cool! My rainbow started in Bonaire?

I see the seahorse whisperer is back at it!

Have fun and enjoy every bubble!

Loving your on island report, Freddie! Not sure on the glue gun will check with Gregg on that one.

Really nice pis, you are quite good with the u/w camera.

Nice to come here and view your report, helps with the snow blues here in the NE.

Freddie, first off, what are you reading? Secondly, please keep us snow muttons dreaming of being warm and feeling that island breeze. The pics are wonderful. That George must teach me someday how to find a seahorse. I must be blind in one eye, and can't see out the other. OK, I must get back to getting this house together, so we can host a BT get together.
Leftover mixed grill in spaghetti sauce? I always knew you were smarter than I. Please give George my best.

Did I hear BT get together?? When and where? Did I miss something?

Kel, let's not hijack Freddie's thread on the trip. Go to CC OK?

hi freddie and george
loving every report. keep it coming
hugs

Good Friday Morning Everyone... the sun is not yet out here but I am sure it will be a glorious day... It rained a bit yesterday so I am thankful for the scuba drying room here at the condo

Yesterday morning we did two dives.. first dive was at Salt City.. the reef there is in pretty good shape once you get past the sand..There is a double reef system and after seeing a huge barracuda down by the sand we..or I decided to go to the outer reef.. Very healthy out there.. lots of fish and the coral is almost pristine.....we didn't see any LF out there.. The fish seem to be more relaxed as well.. Perhaps they don't get that many visitors out there... the top of the reef at that point is in about 60ft of water and if you go south it works up to about 56ft and ends at a channel quite abruptly... We stayed on the beach side of the reef rather than the ocean side., I want to go back with a nitrox tank and explore that a bit more...... Not too many photos today as the camera decided to fog up.. I will remedy that today with some handy dandy personal hygiene items..{boy are they cheap down here,,,lol}

the second dive was at Punt Verkant {sp} entry was a little tricky due to the wave action but we made it....that reef was also in very good condition...

I love how they change color.. some are blue some are brown and some are yellow, depending on their mood

this was something that we don't usually see.. that is a nasty damsel fish in this guys mouth.. guess he was too busy protecting his purple spot to notice this guy sneaking up on him..... Got the photo just before the tail was no longer visible.... One Big gulp and gone....



Hopefully the camera will not act up today..and there will be more photos .. maybe later rather than in the morning we will see...... have a good day everyone.. Enjoy it to the fullest.

Water 81 degrees, not too much wind yesterday, diving on the east coast still not good... Mosquitos rampant.... Bring DEET!!

Jim I am reading the Reacher novels by Lee Childs.. quick easy reads for a vacation..I think you would like him.. as we tend to like the same kind of books..... Jack Reacher is an x Military cop and he is a loner... doesn't travel with a suitcase, just the clothes on his back.. but he is a good guy and is always seeking justice

Cool picture of the Graysby eating Damsel. At the right place at the right time, nice!
And not much wind this morning either. Looks like a good day for some of the east coast. Will go to Cai this afternoon with Wally. See if we can find some more LF. Welcome to tag along... will get there close to 1PM.
Bas

Thanks for the continued trip report, Freddie! I hop on BT as soon as I can to see what highlights and pictures you have added

Hope G is feeling better. No adverse problems with stones I hope!

Hugs to you both

Excellent picture there MF. Try to minimize how much time the camera is turned On, the LCD causes heat which in turn causes fogging.

Thanks for inviting us along, vicariously, that is!

I have a brand new glue gun - should I bring it down to you?

So, how does Jack brush his teeth? Those X military guys, what are you going to do? I am reading that book written about Pat Tillman right now. My mom got it for me for Christmas. It is actually pretty damn good.

I hope Boy George is feeling better, and has no more of that.

I have always enjoyed diving that area with the double reef. Lots of good stuff there.

Ok, continue to feed us good stuff from Bonaire. Kathi and I have just started talking about April spring break. I hope we do it, as I am really jonsing to be down there again.

Looks like you are having fun! Wish I could be there...too much going on here! Thanks for the pics!

Dang Bas would have come over had I seen the post....Maybe another day

Cecil thanks for the tip but my screen turns off very shortly after I take the photo...on purpose,,, I am going to try loading it in the A/C tonight and see what happens....if nothing else it should dry out the compartment ,not that it is wet but it certainly must be damp to do that... seems to fog when I am in shallow water more than when I am deeper even though my gauge reads a steady 81 degrees.... mmmm have to put the a/c on 81 and see what happens.... G has the camera now so I cna't download this mornings dives.. but tomorrow morning they will be here....

Make sure camera/case is covered by a wet towel on your way to dive site and the sun doesn't shine on it. My camera fogged up too, and I found if I kept it covered and only opened the case in ambient temperature, the problem was resolved.

That is why I am not a photographer. Too much •••• to think about down there.

Freddie, have you tried small silica gel packs? We always put one in the bottom of the case away from the gadget area. It keeps the moisture away every time. A great trick to keep in mind!

Anytime we get a small pack, we save them and throw them in the camera bag.

Just a thought.

Freddie -- I have found that keeping the camera in the AC all night and then loading into the housing will tend to cause the housing to fog up, due to the humidity in the warm air inside the housing condensing on the inside surfaces and on the camera. Trick is to ensure that the camera and housing are at about ambient air/water temp before sealing up the housing. I usually bring the camera & housing out onto the patio while having breakfast, so that they warm up to the outside temp, then load the camera into the housing before leaving to go diving. That seems to have worked for me. I also highly agree with the suggestion above to shade your camera/housing from the sun with a towel between dives. Hope this helps. Enjoy, enjoy.

I try to keep the camera and case in ac and close the case in ac. Don't open it again. Less humidity in the case is less chance to fog.
Keeping the camera and case covered with a towel when not diving also helps.

Yesterday we went up north to Oil slick and to Witches Hut aka Webers Joy

did the jump from the rocks at OS.. even though the coral is all smashed to smithereens where it used to be lush, once you get on the reef down a bit it is wonderful.... We saw our first Ray..

Also found a NEST of Fairy Basseletts

random photos




George dove at his fav spot and found another BIG cudda and also an eel CLEANING a soapfish?
He also saw a nice Puffer..

Last evening we decided to go to the happy hours ,YES that is plural started off at Roomers, that is a really nice place and the host is a really nice guy, then stopped at Sense to check out the menus and see what was going on.. Then JUST missed the sunset at the Divi but found a place on the rocks to have another drink.. can't beat the prices there, 2 for one Happyhour.. so for 2 polars and 2 absolute vodka cran the bill was $8.25 could have really gotten in trouble there ...

Ok so that wouldnt' work either......dang..

(Message edited by modfreddie on January 22, 2011)

Morning Freddie! Been waiting for you to post...got busy here at work for a few, came back and there were the pictures I was waiting for! Keep them coming

Ken and I frequent Divi HH as well...you can get into trouble We never have...YET!

I think the eel is cleaning a Graysby...

How was the fogging issue?

Good Morning Freddie & PP

Thanks for the update & Pics Cool ray & love those puffers

Your Happy Hours sound like lots of fun!

Be seeing you soon

Hugs to you & Capt. George

love the pics. can't wait for more. keep on having fun. go ahead make us jealous. wahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

hugs

Good morning all

Saturday's Dives were Red Slave and Invisibles..

entry to both were easy, no problems in or out.. the camera behaved {I will tell you about it a little later in the report today, and the viz was pretty good... Long swim out to the bouy at Red Slave but there was not too much current for a change.. the last time we did it years ago we did a 30 minute one way and 5 back...a real fast drift.. water temp still holding at 81 degrees..
Red Slave used to be know for beautiful sea fan corals.. sadly this is no longer so... there are tons of dead sea fans on the beach washed up with every tide it seems.....
The dive was lovely and we were rewarded at the end with a turtle encounter. we were in the shallows and on our way back to the exit when we came upon this little turtle scratching his back under a log.. At first we thought he was in distress as he didn't seem to be troubled with us watching him.. he kept rubbing himself under the log, we actually thought he was tied up in some line under there..Then he turned around and we could see that was not so... He came out a few times almost as if he wanted us to scratch his back but of course we didnt' touch...WANTED TO but didn't..
he ended up swiming right under me at one point almost touching ME..



At Invisibles ,We were greeted first thing with a spotted eagle ray siteing. this guy had a really strange tail.. didn't hang out straight kind of came up from his lower back and curved down..lol maybe he wasn't happy to see us He would be easy to ID again I think so we will be watching for him. I took a movie but it won't upload to youtube for some reason....????
Also found a beautiful Blue Anemone , so brilliant even underwater..had a nice little Pederson shrimpy on it too



As I was looking through the soft corals I found this little guy peeking out of a tube sponge just sorry that it didn't come out sharper..


Ended our dive watching the sea Urchins gently move looking for food \image(seaUrchin}

George went back to his fav again and got a good photo of HIS seahorse

for those that are seeing alot of White stuff in their yard.. Please know that we are also seeing white stuff although they seems to mound it up here higher than at home.....


OK about the camera..... I had been loading it in ambient temp,covering it while traveling and was having trouble with it condensating while diving.... Yesterday I left it in the a/c overnight and loaded it in the a/c.. kept it covered while traveling and I had no problem..... I believe it is because it is so damp here and the water temp is colder than the air for a change..
I still put the hygiene products in the case but they were only a little damp, actually might have been more cold than damp, when I took them out, i am going to try the same today and hope for the same results.. time to go diving see ya all later..

Can you send some warm air up here please? It is 0 here in Springfield, MA right now! Wind chill down to -11...

Glad you got your camera issues sorted out! I've been having problems uploading to youtube recently. I think it is on their end. Hope you can get it uploaded!

Looking forward to tomorrow's report

have a great next dive and thank u

elaine

Freddie, have you folks been back to the place where we had the grilled angelfish yet?

going there tonight Tom.. just have to remember to take a toothpick this time

Thanks for the trip reports and pics, Freddie! That Graysby photo is simply amazing.
It was nice meeting you and George on the flight down, and again at the C&B.

good Morning all

Deb G. I hope your flights were good and that you are not too cold in the frozen north Central!! it was very nice meeting you two as well.. Hope you got to eat your lionfish, please tell us how it was..

Yesterday we dove Sweet Dreams and LBR dive site

Sweet Dreams is way down South between Red Slave and Vista Blue.. we had checked lighthouse and the wave action was still kind of nasty,even for us NE ocean beach divers... We will get there one way or another. But there was a gathering of Flamingos in the salinas across the road for the dive site.This is Floyd

I think SD is now my favorite site,,, The corals were in pretty good shape and the swim was not too far to the reef.. When we first got there we went to the beach ,BTW it is a nice beach,with sand and everything and there were 4 giant parrot fish playing in the waves.. every once in a while their tails would pop up and the color was amazing.. I tried to take photos while underwater but there was too much sand from the wave action..
We dove into a SMALL current, we had been warned that the current was BAD lol,obviously the people that told us didn't know what current is.. as soon as we reached the reef we saw another SE ray but he was too far out for even a video... The sea fans at this site were in pretty good shape.
and there were a lot of them


I spotted a small untagged turtle in the rocks but he was not as friendly as his bother at Red Slave.


but he did manage to pose for me a few times
Also spotted a Big ass Eel Boo!!


when we got out there was another couple going in. you could tell they lived here as I think they both put on 5/7mil wetsuits..lol and here we were in skins....

took a slow ride back to LBR and decided to do that reef.. the swim out is a long one to the reef.. We saw at least 4 Lionfish of good size.. two markers that has been there it looked like forever.. I told Deb B that I was going to rename Lighthouse Beach Resort ,Lionfish Beach Resort....


But the most amazing thing also happened, again being at the right place right time....
This super Parrot comes out of nowhere and franticly starts to chew on Sargent Major eggs.. the Sarge majors are all over this parrot.. biting his tail.etc.. Two of them protecting their purple nest..
Not only did this parrot do it once he did it again.. EVUL Parrot!!! I tired to take some photos but only got glimpses.. he came right at me at one point..


here is a bad photo of him CHEWING on the egg nest


the white marks are where he chewed..



Last night we went up north to the Caribbean Club for dinner. they have an all you can eat BBQ on Sunday evenings. the food was good and certainly enough of it... BUT guess what I met Bette !!!! she and one of the owners/managers were sitting at a table.. I though I recognised her.. I went to the bartender and asked if that gal was a resident and if her name was Bette.. the bartender said her name was Wilma and that yes she was a resident..... I remembered that was Bette's real name went over to say hello what a nice gal.. I also met Marin aka as Snorkelfish

well not sure what is in store for the day here.. Not sure where we will be diving.. Tonight we will go out to dinner again for our Anniversary I hope everyone has a good day..

Hi Freddie, it was really nice to see you again (hope you hade a good dinner).

I love your pics btw.

Freddie - AWESOME reports!!!

what a great bunch of photos - and stories--

wish we were there - but your reports do help.

very interesting about the parrot fish. good report. have a great anniversary dinner.
hugs

Freddie..Enjoy reading your ongoing trip reports!
A breath of warm air in this extreme cold weather we're experiencing in the northeast.
Enjoy the rest of your trip & your anniversary celebration. Can't wait to return.

Great pictures Freddie..how's George doing? Love the on going report! Xxoo

Another cool trick I learned to prevent your camera from fogging. I NEVER have fog in my camera, and I never turn it off underwater (although I also use the silica packs.)

Right when you are ready to close the case up, go to the air conditioner unit in your living area. Allow the AC to blow into your camera case for a few seconds and then carefully close it up with the air still blowing in. Air conditioned air is also dehumidified. So you should have almost zero moisture in the case once you do this. Like magic!

e.

You know, that does make sense. I have been perplexed by this anomaly. sometimes I fog and sometimes I don't. I never thought of the humidity in the air. I thought it was the sunlight doing it. Instead of leaving my camera case open in the warm air, I'm going to do that. Let cold air blow in the camera case, close it up and keep it covered out of sunlight. Should be alright in between dives too I hope. Thanks.

Yes. If there is no moisture in the case, there is nothing there to cause fogging. And the lower the moisture content, the cooler the temp must get in order for it to condense (called the dewpoint.) So if you reduce the moisture content below the threshold where 78 degrees will condense (since that's about as cool as water gets in Bonaire at recreational depths), there is no possible way for your case to fog (taking pressure change inside the case due to depth into account.)

e.

Eric -- great suggestion. Technically, though, there is no pressure change inside a rigid camera case (just like there's no pressure change inside your scuba tank at depth). Still, a great suggestion. Thanks.

Just out of curiosity, why don't you try this using the air from a scuba tank. I believe that's even dryer than the air coming out of an a/c unit.

Try these silica gel packs for a foggy housing. A small piece of scotch tape doubled over holds it in place, and one is good for a couple days.

http://www.preservesmart.com/products.htm

Scroll down to: 2 Gram Indicating Silica Gel Desiccant Packs

Good morning all

yesterday we dove Yellow Sub and Andrea 1

at Yellow Sub I tried to clean the camera but the gentleman in the dive shop said it was condensated on the inside.. looked great on the outside once I cleaned it..We were there around 11;30am or so....

we have noticed on all the reefs that we have been on the lack of juv jacknifes and drum fish.. but there are A LOT of adults.. just happen to catch this one yawning
This poor fish had a hitchhiker attached..

this thing really digs in and attaches

This guy came in from the blue to see what we were doing and nearly scared me to death.. he snuck up on me while I was looking at something else..
In the shallows there are plenty of juvys.. got this one just by luck. they are usually too fast for me to get a decent photo of.,
George took this photo, I have no idea what it is so need some help IDing it please.





next dive Andrea 1
what a beautiful site this used to be...sigh.....now it is still beautiful in its own way but there was a lot of damage here.. this used to be a great place to snorkel and probably still is along the shore where the coral steps down to the sand..
this fish seemed to be rather grumpy..




\image[fish face}

we came back to the condo and got ready to go out for dinner, but before dinner we met up with Meryl and Steve..no photos as we are all in a witness protection situation We met at Capt Don's and saw the great Capt. himself signing his newly published book he looks great and is still the LADIES' MAN that he has always been.. His wonderful lady and companion Janet was with him.. Hopefully we will be able to dive and share a few Margarita's with Steve and Meryl this week.. It was great seeing them again.
Off to dinner to celebrate our OMG Anniversay..doesn't seem possible that we have been married for quite this long...EGAD.. We had a wonderful dinner as usual at It Rains Fishes, overlooking the water.. IRF is open 7 days a week from 5pm for dinners only..a reservation is suggested as they get pretty busy even on a Monday night...we both had the catch of the day RAINBOW RUNNER. it is aka Spanish Jack
Very good!! I had mine grilled and G had his sauteed started with a Cerviche and some Calamari, that melted in your mouth
Ended with a Creme Brulee with a scoop of ice cream , it was delish the whole dinner..
Tonight we will stay home and BBQ, but we will have something special to try as well LIONFISH
Hope everyone has a fantastic day and I will see you all later

meant to put this one in there

Freddie, Thank you for your on island trip report. I've enjoyed every photo and reading about your adventures.

The turtle video is the highlight for me.

And a very Happy Anniversary to you two.

Freddie, thanks. It's all been great. I keep thinking of a year ago, during warmer times.

Vince, and waste good bottom time??? LOL (Plus I use that voodoo gas. Might start capturing spirit images on my film!)

e.

The hitchhiker is an isopod. Ugly critters.

The striped juvy is a French Angelfish. What a great, clear pic! Yours is younger than the one shown in Paul Humann's book.

I can't ID the little guy with the large black dot.

Thanks for the ongoing reports!
Deb

Thanks for the continued pix I am enjoying them immensely!

KOB, lol, darned if you do and darned if you don't. You're correct that any pressure change is nominal if the pressure doesn't overcome the rigidity of the case (although there is pressure being exerted on the case, and the air space inside the case is compressible so there will be some change in pressure.)

But I put that one remark there for the person that I figured would inevitably point out that the slight change in pressure inside the case would change the dewpoint and therefore change the temperature at which the camera might fog up.

Ah well.

e.

e -- lol, too. That dewpoint change would be almost indiscernible, but you're right, someone's gonna point it out.

freddie -

that little wrasse?? Its the elusive princypoo wrasse in its juvenile phase.

You BBQ'd a Lionfish. OMG how was it. Did you catch it yourself. What about those nasty spines. I can't wait to hear more.

freddie thank u so much for pictures and descriptions. hope the lion fish was great. did u clean it ur selves

please continue. we want more
hugs

Freddie,

Glad to see that you are having a great time. You are missing some good snow, though!!! :–)

I believe that George's 'princypoo' wrasse is more formally called a juvenile Puddingwife per Stokes p.81. The black spots near the tail are definitive. :–) again. Stokes '...Fishes and Sea Life...' is the best book I have found for initial id: for instance, there are 6 images each for the Puddingwife and the Creole Wrasse at various stages. They are color artist's renditions that make it easy to 'find your fish'. Lots of invertebrates et al also.

I am happy to see your comments about the still prolific fish life on the reefs. Some of the Lionfish reports make it sound as though the reef would be dead by now - and no one has commented before that I have read. I wish that C.I.E.E. would do a continuing study on the real effects of LF on the reef populations: they are in an ideal position to do that.

It would make sense that juv Spotted Drum would be vulnerable to LF since both tend to live in the sandy-bottomed nooks and crannies whereas most other species are out further into 'open water'. Jacknife Fish and Highhats would likely be vulnerable also.

Last time I was diving Bonaire (2002) one of my favorite dives was at Invisibles but not straight out toward the double reef. There was a 10' x 20' patch of broken staghorn coral about 100 yards diagonally left from the entry in 10' of water (ideal for shallow water divers, and photogs!) that was positively alive with juvies. Saw a moray about 9" long that was curious about me: came part length out of the rubble toward me the way Morays do. (No camera, of course.) A small trumpet fish was manuevering overhead, head down, trying to catch little ones. (No video, of course.) Perhaps George could find a juvie Seahorse. (Has anyone seen juvie Seahorses? Or Frogfish? I have seen the tiny black and white die that are Yellowtail Damsels-to-be but never a Sh or Ff) Give the area a try!!

And please keep up the reports on fish life. And having a good time! :–)

Freddie, great pics. Keep em' comin'

Freddie--love the pics and especially the turtle video. I think he was performing for you!

To keep my camera/housing from fogging, I keep it in the a/c overnight with the housing open and the camera out of the housing. When I install the camera in the housing before going out for the morning dives, the a/c is still on and I also put into the housing a product called "Moisture Muncher" (a tubular capsule-shaped desiccant). After I bring the camera to the truck, I put it into a 2.5 gallon zipper bag, which I brought with me but any large plastic bag will do, put a couple cups of fresh water in the bag, and seal the bag until I am ready to enter the water for a dive. I have never had any housing fogging problems.

We are really enjoying your trip report and pictures...

Good morning All
Met fellow BTer Cindi "the lion catcher" yesterday and her Hubby John They were very nice to share their LF catch with us and we had it for dinner.. more on that later

Yesterday after a late start we dove THE LAKE and WDwindsock..

Meryl and Steve told us they dove the Lake and said that it was an easy entry and OMG it was We did most of our dive on the second reef.. On our way over there we spotted this Big gal and later saw her mate but he was too far for a photo.

The site is really nice as there is kind of a horseshoe effect with the double reef.. you can swim over to it in about 55 ft and at its highest point there it is about 50 feet, so it is not too deep for most. It wraps around so you can then have a very easy swim to the first reef over some soft corals.. The corals on the outer reef are in very good condition.
On our way back we found lots of Anemones and pederson shrimp



This angel was very busy finding stuff to eat, must have been breakfast

and this juvy angel was just hanging out




in the shallows this guy showed up.. It looks like the BIGGEST knife fish I have ever seen.. can anybody ID it please.. very long body.. sorry about the angle.


I dropped G off at windsock/wd and off to the grocery I went.. also had some laundry too take care of when I got home..While there I prepared dinner for our BBQ meal.. George found the two seahorses again while diving


in the afternoon Meryl and Steve joined us for a dive and a beer at the site.
we went south after entry and had a great dive.. lots of juvy parrots looking very happy to be going home. I believe Steve got some great photos of those..

meanwhile I was luck enough to get a pretty good photo of one of the seahorses mostly out in the open.. Very easy take


We got out cleaned up our gear and had a beer and great conversation....Hope to do that again !!! SOON!!

Ok so time for the dinner report..Shrimp kabobs with peppers,onions, mushrooms. grilled yellow squash and asparagas, tomatoes,onions and mozzerella and LION FISH sauteed
The fish is VERY mild.. after George filleted it we had four nice pieces to taste.. I salt and Peppered it and put a little chili powder on it,from a recomendation of Cindi {great !!} put a little garlic butter and EVOO in a pan and Geo sauteed it while I was at the grill with the other stuff.. I must say that if there was a way to cultivate these fish there definitely would be a market...but they have to grow just a little more.might be an idea to get some big tanks going and catch the little ones and feed them something economical .George said he thought it tasted like seabass..

OK off to dive.. have a great day everyone

Morning Freddie!

That fish is a sand tile fish: http://www.picsearch.com/pictures/animals/fish/fish%20san-sn/sand%20tilefish.html

Love your report and thanks for the posting for us here on the other side!

Oh, Freddie. Your dive reports and pics are awesome. I can feel the salt breeze on my face.....almost. Keep 'em coming. I'm looking forward to tasting some lionfish too. Ok, Pat, fire up the Barbie.

Freddie and George. Another massive storm is moving right up I 95 from the Carolinas, VA , DC, we in Philadelphia, and right up into Long Island. It's a big boy. You may never find your house when you come home. I would stay until April. LOL

I am LOVING these reports !!! LOVE LOVE LOVE! We are in the 30's right now, it's a heatwave!

I'm so intrigued about trying the lionfish,I do like seabass! Yummy!

Thanks Freddie and George for doing another "flash dive" with us.. Great seahorse!

freddie thanks and keep them coming. the fish sounded yummy. the idea of cultivating them sounds fab. just do it inland so they can't get out in case of storm damage
hugs

Good morning from warm sunny Bonaire.. ohhhhhh that was very mean of me wasn't it..
Hope everyone is safe and warm where they live and if you have to get to work, please have a safe drive there and back.

Yesterday we dove Tory's reef with Meryl and Steve.. My computer acted up again and presented me with a 15 minute deco stop cause it said I dove to 175ft.. egad.. I took it to Carib inn to be looked at and Karen rebooted it by taking out the battery,., she said it might be time for a new one... we will see today what great depths I dive too,,, I do the deco stop anyway so I can at least clear the computer and it doesn't lock me out for the next time...

The camera has been working really well... I load it in the AC and it hasn't fogged at all since doing this,, water temp still hovering at about 81 degrees air temp a bit higher than that...
Still very damp down here and the mosquitoes are larger than some birds..
Here are some photos from Tory's, not particular order to them..























Next dive was in front of Meryl and Steve's condo. it is just south of Yellow Sub, not sure of the name... We went out looking for an Octopus but never found it..and the battery on the camera was not cooperating., dang I thought I changed it that morning ....



for Ruth







Dropped G off at ,you know where and came home to do some chores..

he took the camera as usual ,this time with a new battery, and had fun..







back home around 5ish ,changed and went to HH to see the sunset..photos later on that
Overlefts for dinner last night, Pasta Primavera

hope you all have a grand day.. Judy and Les made it to Curacao yesterday, out of Newark.. and will be on Bon this Sunday

happy diving
hugs

Really nice pics Freddie. Glad the camera is not fogging on you. Looks like what you're doing is working but just to make sure you realize this, when I close up my case, I'm actually holding it up to an AC unit allowing it to blow dehumidified air right into it as I close it.

Thanks for sharing!

e.

ahhh Freddie -

so many thanks from us living vicariously through your posts - dive safe.

DA&% i miss that little island.

foop.

How can it be Thursday already!!!!!!!!

Thanks Freddie

You know I love seeing my favorite angels

Enjoy the weather down there...we were CLOBBERED last night! Our town supervisor declared a state of emergency which means all private roads will be plowed by the town. YIPPEE!!! I hope your road will be accessible by the time you guys decide to return in March

Give Meryl a hug from me...someday I shall give her one in person

You Are on my list of huggable's as well! Wah....I don't wanna go home yet! I think Steve and I need to start selling candles!!!

Good morning all
Another wonderful breezy day here in Paradise

Yesterday we dove Bari Reef off of Buddy's dock and Windsock/Windsock Then G lazed around wannadive for the afternoon, reading and he dove there again

At Bari there is ALWAYS something to see ,I love that reef..







Saw the EVUL ALPHA parrot again, he/she was still on a mission! Probably looking for more purple eggs..


we visited the small wreck that is between Bari and Capt Don's , lots of color there as usual







On our way to Windsock around 11am I got hungry, It is not easy to find food when one is wet and her hair looks like a sea monster.. BUT we found this little place on the Blvd by the sea.. The gal there was very nice and the food was very good..had the Baka Stroba with fries and rice and the BEST fresh OJ on the island I am sure...




after "brunch" we dove Windsock in front of the airport..
Must have been cleaning time underwater.. this angel has a rather surprised look on her face.

like WTF are you watching..lol







also came upon a large puffer and had a chance to take a few photos of him before he went on his way







G took the camera at wannadive and took a few as well




also had a visit from the local iguana he was very happy to have his photo taken as he had just been shooshed away with a flip flop from one of the guests there..



Hope everyone has a great day..

oops.. dinner report!!! went to Patagonia and had a wonderful dinner, expensive but worth it..
G had prime rib done to perfection and I had filet mignon done just the way I like it
served with baked potato and a medley of veggies and of course the ever present rice

Nice, Freddie! Love the Tiger's Paw. See ya Sunday!

AHHHHHH....I love a good trip report w/ LOTS of pics!!!!! Oh, I guess I'll go back and read it now!!!

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHARING!!!!!

Luv yall!!

Ooh, Freddie. What great daily reports you're sending. We can't wait. Wish I had internet on island so I could reciprocate. We are enjoying yours so much. Thank you.

Just got my daily dose Now I can go continue my day

Good Morning Everyone

yesterday we dove Red Beryl and Pink Beach

the entry at Red Beryl is ok once you find it.. a couple of steps and then watch for the ridges underwater, they are real ankle twisters.. This site was actually the best yet... Lots of WHOLE Sea Fans, even a couple in the shallows...Very colorful reef.. the usual critters but somehow more colorful..

we have seen a lot of baracuda this trip and not one Squid! and not one octopi!!! those two are on the wanna see again list this year..









a couple of Moo cows





a BIG ass eel that was being cleaned but he wouldn't open his mouth a la Timmy style





Seems as if this guy was just waking up and looking out to the new day.



probably looking for a damsel for breakfast...

Found a nice Tang for Cynde loo hoo


Next dive was Pink Beach...enry there was kinda tricky as well but we got in and out fine..

DO NOT dive Red beryl and then dive Pink Beach... PB looks brown underwater in comparison to RB!!
during our SI Bob came out to play a bit I bet you didn't know he was here in his scubaskin..


we also saw a flock of Flamingos flying in from South America for the day... the pink on the horizon was a beautiful contrast to the blues of the sea




underwater I found a flower garden



and a quiver of arrows




also a file and box



2 more dives down for me....came home and had lunch and then G did his thing without the camera this time..WTF?

we planned to meet Meryl and Steve at the Divi happy hour shared the sunset with them and guess what..
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
I AM NO LONGER A GREEN FLASH VIRGIN!!! it was spectacular!!! Meryl and George saw it as well!!!! of course didn't have the camera, but I have the feeling that it wouldn't have come out anyway...and glad in a way cause I probably would have missed it with a camera up to my eyes...

We said good bye to Steve and Meryl and hope to see them both again soon... NJ and NY are neighbors after all
we ended up having dinner at Divi, up stairs overlooking the sea , all you could eat pasta..made to order if you wanted.. Yummmmmmm and very inexpensive 12.00 each plus tax.. a very good choice..

thats all for now, cleaning lady coming this am and Deb coming tomorrow morning I am going to pick her up at the airport at 0 dark hundred
out to breakfast this morning and then to the chicken lady!! see ya'll later

Good for you Freddie..Some think the green flash is something folks made up!
For those who have not seen a great one, you don't know what you're missing. Come back to Bonaire and eventually you will see one. And I can (almost) smell the chicken coming off the spit at the Carnerceria. YUM...

See you guys soon. Thanks for all the Lawng Giland hospitality! Xxxxxxxxooooooo
Please...I'll be good...I don't wanna go

I think it's an urban legend, looked for it more times than I can count, nada. Good for you, but I remain a virgin.

good morning

cecil u are not the only virgin. been looking since 1986

freddie thanks and george too. u both keep me going
hugs

hi to debbie

Sounds like just another day in paradise!

Cool on the green flash Someday we too shall experience it!

Safe home to Meryl and Steve and kitty...remember, we are only a short distance from Freddie and George...and we could all meet somewhere in between

Nice Report MF

Cecil...not an urban legend...it was real and quite a nice dark green flash.

OMG it is Monday already!!!!!!! good Morning all..

Let's see now where was I, Friday night Meryl and I at Divi Happy hour

Saturday we dove Margate Bay and Angel City, all the usual critters.. Entries were fine once we found the right spot and the dives were wonderful...
I found this little guy hundreds of feet away from any coral.. he had a long trail behind him..


this guy was about 5 feet long, I spotted his tail in a coral head.







The salt pier was busy that day, they were loading a ship... thought this was interesting and looked like a snow bank......NO I DO NOT MISS SNOW!!!!


yesterday I took the day off, but first picked Deb up at the airport...she and I had a few adventures but they are her stories to tell.. OMG EGAD!!! Judy and Les arrived safely around 2pm
George and Les did a dive at windsock while we gals chatted underneath the palms..

Dinner Saturday night, ??? LOVER'S ICE CREAM

Dinner sunday night, Lions Den with Judy and Les everything was ok..... mosquitos were bad..

water Temp still reading between 79 and 81 on my gauge.. Viz was down on Saturday to about 40 feet. Windy both days..
more hopefully later have a great day everyone.. this is our last week here so we have to get some major dives in with Les and Deb..and of course some wonderful snorkels with Judy

Thought it was about time I added my bit of well deserved praise!

Great on island reports Freddie, loving all the photos, topside too

have you made it to Lac Bay yet

Lovin' the pics, Freddie. So wish I were there to take my own.

e.

I'm really going to miss this when you head home in July, Freddie!

terrific journal!

Thanks much for your hard work. BTW You guys need to read the Reacher novels in order if you can. The 2009 one is a hanger!

Meet you at Tori's in the AM

really nice pics. freddie that is a no no.

have a fab last week

Good Morning all

another day here in Paradise.... sorry to rub it in....but this is a heck of a lot easier doing a report daily than to get home and have life get in the way....

Yesterday we dove Chocogo and Hidden beach.. OMG MORE FAVORITES!!!!!

as we got in at Chocogo, an exceptionally easy entry.. we were greeted by a large tagged turtle

the reef in places was a bit beaten up.. seemed like there were shoots that the rubble tumbled down... there is coral with lots of fish near the entry so I am sure it is a great place to snorkle..







ended the dive at Chocogo with his fellow



Hidden beach has one of the best reefs that I have seen here so far...LOTS of soft and hard corals and abundant fish life.

we found a nest with 4 lionfish and reported it to Cindi..







wonderful dive........ had a great dinner here at home with Deb.. grilled fillet mignon with grilled veggies and for dessert grilled pineapple..
today going to try to hook up with les and talk Deb into joining us for a dive.. see you all later..

Very nice! BTW I love the daily trip report.
Hope there is someone at home to pick up your mail. Hint, hint.

Trip reports done in the installment method are the way to go. They make for an easier read for us envious folks and are easier to post for the lucky person who is posting!

So far it sounds like just another grueling vacation in paradise. Be sure to pace yourself!

Keep the posts coming!
DS

My dear Freddie, I am enjoying the hell out of reading these reports, along with the pictures. They are amazing!! I only wish I was there with you and George, and going to Pachis every night.

I am sitting here in our kitchen, looking out at the frozen wasteland out back. Brrrrrrrr!!

Please remove that picture of the salt. It is too depressing. It looks like here.

Have a great last week, and enjoy every minute to the fullest. Give El Capitan my best. Do you guys want to meet up at Beneath The Sea in March?

Your pics get better every dive. Very nice S. Stingray.

e.

WAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH our last day... Tomorrow we leave for the frozen North country......
Did a whole bunch of running around this morning, said good bye to Michael and stood in front of the Eden cams before 10:30 this morning,
Also went to the Chinese Market and bought 2 MORE mosquito rackets the kids will LOVE THEM!!! better than toys
we had lunch with Deb, Judy ,Les and Janessa at Jib City today... ORDER THE CRAB SALAD!!!! I didn't and I regret it!!

I am just about finished packing and actually closed one of my suitcases.. we will return the truck tonight and then Deb will take us to the airport in the morning and also pick up her honey who will be coming in on the plane we leave on.. Sorry we missed you Gregg!!
The diving was wonderful, the company the last week was spectacular we saw two green flashes, one with Meryl and Steve (when ya coming north you two??} WOO HOO!!! We had great dinners at Divi Patagonia, It Rains Fishes.. Sunset Happy hours were fun at Divi as well, 2 4 1 drinks
We are looking forward to seeing all our kids and grandkids again they are the only reason we go home....Love you guys

we will have goat and dog duty for the next week until Judy and Les come home might even invite Millie the dog to our house for a sleep over

For those that don't know it we had to put our kitty down the day before we came to Bonaire she was old and needed 24 hour care.. not fair to leave her alone with no one in the house but once or twice a day , and she would not tolerate the boarding...Some times we have to think of them and what is best for them as well as everyone concerned.... doesn't make it easy but we believe we did the right thing for her and for us She is waiting for us Probaby hissing on rainbow ridge

OK thats it until we get home and get the last of the photos downloaded.. we did a few spectaular dives and saw the HUGEST GREEN MORAY!!! eeeeeeeeeekkkk.. Photos to follow probably on Monday
Thank you Bonaire for being so relaxing and letting us really live here for a few weeks

Jackass don't forget us at the airport tomorrow we know you will have the trailblazer,,.. OH and you started off a chain reaction....... will tell you all about it....on the way home

thanks again for the blow by blow reports. loved them

sorry about the kittie
hugs

Safe trip home, Freddie and George. I'm sorry about your kitty cat. I didn't know. Love to you both.

We just got home from Riverhead and it was downpouring the whole way home. What a mess our roads are going to be! On the upside, it is 48* outside! Bring home some of that Bonaire warmth PLEASE!!!!

Hope you are home and settled in! Maybe you guys can think about Glen at the animal shelter...?
I will bring him to you!
Drop me a line when you get settled. Welcome HOME!

Morning Freddie and George! It was wonderful having you both with me this past week. Oh, what adventures we had! LOL! Miss you both, going to check out the Lighthouse this morning, sun is just about to rise here.

Hey George, did Freddie pat ya down last night with her racket?

Home and trying to get settled in..

WTF is all this ice outside??? we have a skating pond in our driveway....there was no ice in Bonaire except in my cocktails

Deb have to charge the racket so he gets a good shock...

Meryl.... you are cute!!!!!!!.... but I think we have enough cats in this neighborhood shelter to think about... we also have grandcats that would probably like the retirement home life here...













OMG it worked.... the password thingy

You know I had to give it a shot!

Deb last night on Americas Funniest Videos they had a segment on people getting unexpected electric shocks. One of them was a guy licking a bug racket. Worse than being patted down.

Hi Freddie & Princeypoo

Freddie - your pics are fantastic! You really got that camera down now
Was so nice to finally get to spend some "chill" time with you both on our favorite island The week went by much too quickly but hey when you're having fun.......

Sorry about you kitty - you did the right thing. It's never easy.

Hugs to you both & we'll be seeing you soon!

Thanks for taking care of Millie & the goats!

Freddie...be careful on that pond in your driveway...my wrist still isn't the same since falling over a week ago Hope a lot of it melted today!

HI JUDY have fun the rest of the week take lots of photos

Ruthy.... My ankle still hurts from how long ago??? 3 yrs??? Just remember to take your cell phone with you when you go out in case you fall and can't get up...just don't fall on the cell phone........

some promised videos

nasty alpha parrot



Tangs



queens for Ruthy




four french and a queen



Turtle at Oil slick, he went up to the surface for a quick breath



sunset... there was a green flash this night just didn't show up on the video... I promise,,

Nice vids. Thanks!

e.

Fabulous report - I've so enjoyed reading it and wishing I was there!!

never saw four together angel or french. seen them in pairs

thanks