Today we went on one dive in the morning, and then did some incredible Extreme Shallow Snorkeling in tide pools near Mullet Bay (named after the fish, not the hairstyle, unfortunately).

We did a drift dive, starting near the Gregory and traversing a large stretch of the nearby reef. Key sightings included a Peacock Flounder, a small Barracuda down near the reef rather than prowling above it, and jellyfish on our descent and ascent. A special treat was a small Filefish, hiding in soft corals. As we filmed, it swam gently amongst the waving coral to remain camouflaged.

After lunch at Rene’s Boucherie, we headed to Mullet Bay. The visibility was too poor for regular snorkeling, so we headed towards the rocky outcrop nearby to investigate the tide pools. In waters but a few inches deep we saw a few small fish and many snails and hermit crabs.

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.

Just a quick note to let people know that we are blogging daily on expedition in St. Martin. Visit the blog link in the top menu to see our daily updates and some of our favorite photos from our E.S.S. and diving!

Today we planned for four dives, two each in the morning and afternoon, but our day at sea ended early due to a storm. We started with a boat ride to the Dutch side of the island to visit two wrecks. Our first was The Porpoise, and tragedy struck early when Madam J’s camera case flooded – just as she was preparing to film my showdown with a gigantic Spiny Lobster. Her camera is still unresponsive, but we are letting it dry in hopes that it will revive. At the Porpoise we encountered many fishes and did a brief swim-through of the open area of the ship. On our ascent, we saw a nearly-transparent jellyfish swimming along near the mooring line.

Next, we headed to The Gregory, which was nearby. The Gregory was home to many fish, including a small school of Highhats and a wary Triggerfish. We headed from The Gregory to the adjacent reef, were we disturbed the sleep of a young Nurse Shark who was napping beneath a plate of shipwreck metal.

After lunch we headed to Creole Rock. The most exciting sight of the dive was a large stingray that swam right over Madam J. Unfortunately, it was not captured on film, and I am afraid I am to blame. After our dive, we headed to Sec de Grand Case, but moments before we were to descend, we received a call from the dive shop on the eastern side of the island warning us that a storm was headed our way. In the interest of safety, we returned for the day.

We started the day with an unusually rough ride to Tintamarre. J.P. handled the boat with panache as we headed into the swells and we arrived unharmed. At our dive site, we moored at the tugboat and descended down the line. At the wreck we found a stingray hiding in the sand and several unusually large Porcupinefish. After exploring the wreck we headed to the nearby reef where we saw both Smooth and Spotted Trunkfish as well as the similarly-shaped Scrawled Cowfish.

For our second dive, we returned to Sec de Grand Case. Our first sighting was a large Barracuda patrolling the reef. We also saw a Stingray swimming. I had an exceptional encounter with a Scrawled Cowfish. I first spotted it swimming a bit above the reef and it was almost white in color. As I approached it, it approached me curiously, almost touching my camera lens. It swam down to the reef and promptly darkened to camoflauge itself.

Upon returning, we set out for the best restaurant in the world, Rene’s Boucherie. Madam J had the steak tartare as usual and I had the Entrecote. Neither of us could resist the sauteed potatoes, which are truly a miracle of cuisine. After a leisurely lunch, we returned for E.S.S. off the beach in Grand Case. The visibility was poor, but we were able to see some interesting shells on the sandy bottom.

A special treat for the day was our night dive at Creole Rock. We set out at sunset with the full moon above us. Below the waves we encountered a great many sleeping fish, some encased in bubbles of mucus as an undersea bed. Our dive began with many Spiny Lobsters, and ended with a Spanish Lobster, walking along the sandy bottom, a first for both of us. I employed a special system of giant rubber bands to affix my dive light to my strobe, which was a very useful arrangement. Our one disappointment came when we all turned our lights off on a sandy patch: there were no phosphoresent creatures tonight. Still, we returned very satisfied.

Images coming soon!

Today was our first full day on expedition, and we started with two dives in the morning, Creole Rock and Turtle Reef (which was formerly called Sec de Grand Case). In the afternoon we headed to Pinel Island for lunch and some Extreme Shallow Snorkeling. While the weather was overcast with rain showers, the day was a great success.

Creole Rock is a relatively shallow site just off Grand Case. Due to swells, the visibility was lower than usual, but this seemed to allow us to catch creatures by surprise. One of the first creatures we encountered was a gigantic hermit crab, which was spotted by our divemaster, J.P. (the lion of the sea). We also saw several bright yellow Trumpetfish, along with several others featuring the more common reddish brown color variation.

We also saw a couple Whitespotted Filefish, a flat, oddly-shaped fish with white spots on its brown and orange body. We also saw a poor French Grunt who had taken on a passenger – a Cymothoid Isopod. Not a true parasite, these crustaceans attach themselves near the mouth of a fish and feed by scavenging food scraps from whatever the fish is eating.

Perhaps because of the weather, we saw two octopi, one of which was out foraging, which is very unusual during the day. Both sightings were accompanied by one or more Nassau Groupers, which could be merely coincidence. We also saw a Smooth Trunkfish, a Sand Diver and a Greater Soapfish. The Greater Soapfish, which I had never seen before, was hiding near the base of an undersea boulder. All in all, it was a terrific selection of marine life to see on a single dive.

During our surface interval between dives, there was a beautiful rainbow, right at the horizon in front of Anguilla. We also saw two turtles floating on the surface and many fish jumping out of the water, presumably trying to escape some unseen predator below.

Soon after our descent at Turtle Reef, a shallow, but vibrant and colorful site, we saw a Porcupine Fish…fully inflated! As we approached, it attempted to swim away from us, but was quite unwieldy in its spherical shape. As we swam up beside it, it gradually deflated and regained its normal appearance. Shortly after this, we happened upon a large Hawksbill Turtle, who was feeding on the sea floor. We were able to approach quite closely and it seemed curious, looking up from the grasses it was eating to inspect us.

As we cruised the reef, we saw a pair of French Angelfish that were about half-way between their juvenile and adult phases. They were large and had much of the adult coloring, but retained their yellow vertical strips and the last vestige of the yellow ring around their tail. We also found a Highhat sheltering under a coral outcrop. Its shape is similar to that of an adult Spotted Drum, but can be identified by a distinctive hat-like dorsal fin and black and white stripes.

The reef was a veritable fish farm, we also saw Hogfish and Goatfish. As we prepared to head back to the boat, we had an unusual Southern Stingray sighting. Rather than resting on or under a sandy bottom, it was resting on rocks and coral at the edge of the reef. It sat still for photos and film, eyeing us curiously. My last sighting on the way to the boat was what I believe to be a Jawfish. These fish live in holes and have a froglike face. It was difficult to get close enough to photograph this wary creature.

Back at our mooring, J.P. tended to an artificial reef that Octopus Diving is starting to build. The structure looks something like a concrete dome with plenty of holes to allow water to pass through, and live coral has been affixed to it. Properly tended, the coral will encase the concrete, forming a new reef area.

After our dives, we took Mr. Brown Sugar’s ferry to Pinel Island, and headed to Yellow Beach restaurant for lunch – caramelised BBQ ribs and the exotic crab salad, which were both excellent. After lunch, we traversed overland to the far side of the island. Unfortunately, the waves were too rough for E.S.S. We returned to the western side of the island and did E.S.S. from the beach. Our best sighting was a Sea Hare, a mollusk that looks like a frilly slug. This species is one we have only seen in extremely shallow conditions, and is the largest we have seen at approximately five inches in length.

Shortly after this, we returned to Grand Case to review the day’s discoveries and prepare for tomorrow’s adventures.

If you’re on Facebook, you can join the Les Fruits de Mer Facebook group. There isn’t much there yet, but eventually maybe there will be. Anyone can join, so do it!

An extreme shallow snorkeling expedition requires the proper equipment, particularly if it is to be properly documented. Here is a photo of some of the gear we are bringing with us:

In addition to our underwater photography and video gear, it’s important to have tools and supplies should unexpected needs arise. In our case, items like giant rubber bands and electric tape are a must. In order to scout potential E.S.S. locations we bring binoculars, and to get a closer look at micro-life, magnifying glasses. We have underwater flashlights for night dives and a blinking reflector for safety. Walkie-talkies can be essential for communication, particularly if the team splits up for reconnaissance (and compasses come in handy to ascertain our position). We also bring our official Fruits de Mer rubber stamp to mark official documents.

The photo above is also posted on flickr, with annotations describing the tools of our trade.

We look forward to inaugurating our on location posting when we depart for St. Martin this Saturday. Hopefully the WiFi there has improved since last time!

The site is shaping up day by day, but we’re still under construction at the moment. Lots more to follow. I also just added a forum, feel free to test it out!