Scuba Diving

[GORDON]

Since my kid is now a ZooTeen, I've been diving there a lot, since he's been in volunteering a ton of hours, too.

So today the sharks were riled. They added a new school of fish called "Look Downs," and these things are, apparently, really tasty to sharks. They put in 15 2 days ago, today there are 9 left. And I pointed out that there was currently half of one near the bottom of the ladder.

So, the aquarist netted out this half of a fish, 10 minutes before my scheduled dive... and the bite radius was actually slightly disconcerting. All that was left was the head, with a perfect 8-inch-radius semicircle bite mark. Then, since we'd put the scent of the fish in the water, the blacktips started getting aggressive, and 2 of them actually jumped.

This had everyone concerned, and they were considering cancelling my dive. The head guy went out front to observe them through the big windows. He came back 7 minutes later and said they were looking a little riled up, but he'd leave it up to me as to whether or not to dive.

I asked, "Can we throw some animal blood in the water to get them more riled?"

I made the dive, and for the first time since the first dive I had the thrill of expecting to be bitten at any moment. But it was all fine and fun.

[GORDON]

This, of course, made me think of Troy.

Me and the kid spotted a Goliath of that size in the Gulf of Mexico, off Tampa. Apparently fishermen there hate them.

phpBB [media]

[TheCatt]

That guy needs a more relaxing hobby.

[Leisher]

Underwater images taken to look like paintings.

[GORDON]

Source of the post Underwater images taken to look like paintings.

SOme of those.... almost have to be filtered, at least?

[TheCatt]

Source of the post

Source of the post Underwater images taken to look like paintings.

SOme of those.... almost have to be filtered, at least?

Gotta be some photoshop or something happening. Lenses, something.

[GORDON]

I'm making this post as a beginning of a project.

I tend to be goal oriented... I like setting a really high, improbable bar, and then using my impressive bullshitting/persuasion skills to meet it. Like being allowed to dive with sharks at the zoo on the reg... that sort of thing.

So the project is this:

At my kid's fancy schmancy private school, they have several weeks per year set aside for "Intensives." These are when normal classes stop, and for a few weeks the students focus on one subject. Some kids learn anatomy, and spend a couple weeks dissecting shit every day. Some kids do a math camp. Some kids shadow their father the brain surgeon (or whatever) for 2 weeks, and write up a report on what they learned.

One girl, they pointed out at new school orientation, went to Cape Hatteras to study the wild horse herds, discovered a new horse parasite, and got it named after herself.

Well, the improbably goal I am setting is to get my kid down to the Florida Keys during the Spring Intensive, and get him working on a coral reef restoration project. I've got the aquarists at the zoo on my side, I've got a contact down there, and I've got contact info for a few agencies down there restoring reefs. We have a meeting after school tomorrow with the staff and Intensives Director, and I get to present my case. Once I have the blessing of the school, I'll start contacting peeps in the Keys, and see what kind of experiment and dive plan we can come up with. FIngers crossed to work with NOAA directly... but I see that as a longshot. The gov't don't play, and he's only a high school kid.

And the fact I'll get to go on a dive trip with him during the school year isn't a motivation at all.

[GORDON]

Threw together a quick and dirty presentation for a meeting with his school adviser, today. She loves the idea. Next step is to meet with the head of the science department and talk about expectations.

[GORDON]

The zebra shark was extra frisky, today. I took two hard hits to the head, right in front of a big crowd. Pretty cool!

[TheCatt]

Source of the post The zebra shark was extra frisky, today. I took two hard hits to the head, right in front of a big crowd. Pretty cool!

What's the fish equivalent of a furry?

[GORDON]

Probably still counts

[Leisher]

Source of the post What's the fish equivalent of a furry?

Gordon

[GORDON]

Know what?

I know you lame mother fuckers be jelly.

Fucking sharks, yo.

[TheCatt]

Source of the post Know what?

I know you lame mother fuckers be jelly.

Fucking sharks, yo.

"jelly" "fucking sharks" I mean...

[Troy]

Source of the post This, of course, made me think of Troy.

Me and the kid spotted a Goliath of that size in the Gulf of Mexico, off Tampa. Apparently fishermen there hate them.

phpBB [media]

Yikes, If I saw one of those in one of my spots I would absolutely move to the next hole. Especially with freediving with no air like that guy had. I've seen some other scary videos of big ones doing similar shit. Dick fish would totally drag you down and that's that.

[Troy]

Source of the post

Source of the post The zebra shark was extra frisky, today. I took two hard hits to the head, right in front of a big crowd. Pretty cool!

What's the fish equivalent of a furry?

a Finny?

[Leisher]

Source of the post Yikes, If I saw one of those in one of my spots I would absolutely move to the next hole.

Right? The spear fisherman is a dipshit to continue fishing there.

[GORDON]

Had a 6 foot zebra shark put it's snout right against my forehead today, and push for a good 5 count. I was looking right down it's throat. I was one little lunge and bite away from having to make an incident report.

Cool!

It was being cuddly. Right after that I knelt on the bottom to observe whatever was happening, and it circled me a couple times and then settled behind me on my legs/fins. Super weird.

[Leisher]

I was at the zoo on Thursday.

Saw the massive aquarium in the Malawi center. Very cool room for meeting.

We then went for a tour of the new exhibit, which is the center they used to use for Santa. Very cool exhibits. I had no idea we had a pair komodo dragons now.

[GORDON]

A lot of the volunteer meetings are held in Malawi. We were there a couple weeks ago for the volunteer banquet.

Now and then they put out a call for divers to jump in that aquarium and scrub the rocks, but I'm always busy for the times they call. SO I haven't been in that one, yet.