Today we had the pleasure of four dives beneath windy seas. We started at a trio of small wrecks on the Dutch side of the island. One was home to a large Barracuda, and all three harbored a variety of fish and other sea life.

Next, we visited the reef at Charlie’s Shoal for an encounter with the Spotted Moray Eel. We also saw many large Barrel Sponges. Our divemaster, Sally, also found two baseball caps, the remnants of windy seas from days past.

In the afternoon we began our Advanced Open Water Certification with a deep dive at the Fu Sheng. This large boat rests at just below 100 feet. Beside the wreck was a field of Garden Eels, looking much like plants, but plants that duck back into their burrows when you approach.

Next, we revisited The Gregory for the wreck dive portion of our certification. Many fish call this wreck home, including the Glasseye Snapper. On the nearby reef we had a spectacular encounter with a Web Burrfish. Madam J spotted him, and upon noticing my arrival, he promptly inflated himself. Unable to swim away in his balloon-like state, he was miraculously adept at facing away from the camera. However, we were able to double-team him and photograph his face.

On our ascent, we saw a beautiful jellyfish, slowly pulsing its way through the water.

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