Dive Briefing Copyright © 2004 Craig "Monty" Sheppard and Michelle Gaut

- click to see photos -

August 14, 2004 - Tulagi-Switzer, Florida Islands (Dive 8 - Night)

Max Depth: 56'
Dive Time: 59 min, 20:10
Temperature: 81 °F
Nitrox PO2: 32%
Camera: Canon 1Ds, Sigma 50mm Macro, 2 x Ikelite DS-125

Wonderful night dive! Absolutely still -- no current, with lots and lots of bioluminescence in the water. Saw: several Spanish dancers, a large white nudibranch with two small shrimp on it, a crinoid with at least six clingfish and one shrimp in it, and much more. Clingfish look like something that might crawl into your ear and lay eggs. *shudder*. One of the Spanish dancers was free-swimming up in the water column, and Monty nearly ran into it! That almost never happens; normally, divers have to "encourage" them to swim.

August 15, 2004 - Tulagi-Switzer, Florida Islands (Dive 12 - Night)

Max Depth: 56'
Dive Time: 61 min
Temperature: 81 °F
Nitrox PO2: 32%
Camera: Canon 1Ds, Canon 100mm USM Macro, 2 x Ikelite DS-125

Bioluminescence is one of my favorite phenomena to watch. In addition to the normal microscopic critters that light up when disturbed, there were lots of flashlight fish floating around -- the first time I had seen them in the wild. Saw some more Spanish dancers, flatworms, nudibranches, a marbled (saron) shrimp, and a really nice juvenile batfish that danced around back and forth, showing off its orange-ringed blackness