Wednesday 25, 2018
Our day began bright and early at 6am. We quickly ate breakfast and headed out to our dive sites. Today was the day to test our knowledge and recognition of different Hawaiian Marine Life. As soon as we familiarized ourselves with our gear and prepared, we jumped in and began exploring the depths of the Hawaiian shore. From Moorish Idol fish to Hawaii’s State fish, the Reef Triggerfish, we took note of all the different species we learned about in class. Most surprisingly, I spotted a Porcupine Fish, and they were a little bigger than I imagined. While I kept my distance, I observed it’s spiny features and large eyes. Our dive guide also pointed out a White- mouth Eel swimming its way between us. It’s yellow and dark spots waved with its ribbon-like body, something I don’t believe I’ll ever see again. Most hide in dark areas to hunt, but this particular one swam with us fearlessly. After our incredible entry dives, we headed over to the Monk Seal Hospital to view a presentation on the life of these creatures. Most notable to myself was the impact humans have on their survival. Our waste and plastic garbage threatens and even kills these endangered mammals. During World War II, it is believed that soldiers also hunted monk seals, a potential cause to their depletion in numbers over the years. Although humans harm these poor creatures, our conservation efforts have finally made an impact, increasing their population by 2% in the past five years. Once we finished the presentation and gave our thanks, we headed back to NELHA for our black water dive debriefing. Photographer Joshua Lambus gave a presentation on his experience in these types of dives and what we should expect. To give a basic explanation, we will be diving in the pelagic zone of the ocean, a section where the land is far from us and the water is miles deep. This “blue zone” of the ocean houses tons of sea life, and at night, hundreds tons of marine life rises from the depths to this zone. Our dive will be able to see these creatures, ranging from a half of a centimeter long to possibly 40 feet! Overall, our black water night dive will be a terrifying yet incredible experience, and I look forward to braving the void of the deep. To see Joshua’s pictures, view this link: makafineart.com.
