2fishin2
09-03-2007, 06:04 AM
Got out Friday for a shore dive and Monday for a Yak dive.
Friday's dive was 5K north of the last Hentona traffic light. A beach in front of "Ken's Place." Got out late right after high tide. Current was kicking towards the north and increased even more during the falling tide. New reef that I had always wanted to try. Reef was alive however, there was an absence of bigger fish when I started. Even the old faithful parrot fish were few and far between. Lots of little reef fish but not what I was after. Swam into the current south for almost 2 hours. Only thing to mention for the first hour was the huge numbers of turtles. I am sure I saw at least 15 different turtles during the dive. Been diving here a long time and have never seen so many. Open water on reef in holes they were everywhere. After almost 2 hours of seeing nothing finally saw a couple "red snappers." The poisonous variety. Dropped down on them and lined up a shot just to have something to do. I never shooth them since they can't be eaten. Just letting them know a "bigger fish" was around. The area they were in was swarming with fish (cleaning station) so I stayed around the general vicinity for a while. Did a drop and was lying on the bottom when something GRUNTED twice like a moose. Scared the shit out of me and beelined for the top. The last time I had heard anything that load and deep was at Ryukon Sho and it came from the biggest grouper I had ever seen. I searched the caves and never saw anything. Guess I will never know.
Finally started a long lazy drift back up the beach with current. At the end of the beach and almost end of dive I finally saw fish. Parrot fish, Tamans, Makbu and Mu's. After almost 2 hours of going the wrong way....Picked up a 3k parrot and got a perfect 3k akagin (coral trout). Had a great shot on a 3m Barracuda and let it go. Was too tired to mess with him after the long swim. Did see 2 GT that wanted to have nothing to do with me.
Overall a satisfactory dive. Would I dive there again? Maybe.
Monday I had planned to dive Hedo or Oku. As luck has it, drove all the way there and the breaks were just a little too big for a single old dude on a yak. I knew the swells were coming from the southeast and was hoping they would be a little smaller than they were. Turned around and contemplated diving the point beside the last fish port going towards Hedo. Having dove it before and knowing it has big fish I was almost tempted. But, after Fridays current, I knew it would really be kicking so decided against it since I was alone. Ended up diving the beach right outside the Hentona light. Put my yak in and dove around the closest outside reef drops. The main reef is several miles out and was looking for some new Makabu and Taman areas on the inside of it. Bottom line was reef was really dead. Very few fish and nothing of size. Picked up a few small fish for dinner. Added another place on my "never visit again" list.
Friday's dive was 5K north of the last Hentona traffic light. A beach in front of "Ken's Place." Got out late right after high tide. Current was kicking towards the north and increased even more during the falling tide. New reef that I had always wanted to try. Reef was alive however, there was an absence of bigger fish when I started. Even the old faithful parrot fish were few and far between. Lots of little reef fish but not what I was after. Swam into the current south for almost 2 hours. Only thing to mention for the first hour was the huge numbers of turtles. I am sure I saw at least 15 different turtles during the dive. Been diving here a long time and have never seen so many. Open water on reef in holes they were everywhere. After almost 2 hours of seeing nothing finally saw a couple "red snappers." The poisonous variety. Dropped down on them and lined up a shot just to have something to do. I never shooth them since they can't be eaten. Just letting them know a "bigger fish" was around. The area they were in was swarming with fish (cleaning station) so I stayed around the general vicinity for a while. Did a drop and was lying on the bottom when something GRUNTED twice like a moose. Scared the shit out of me and beelined for the top. The last time I had heard anything that load and deep was at Ryukon Sho and it came from the biggest grouper I had ever seen. I searched the caves and never saw anything. Guess I will never know.
Finally started a long lazy drift back up the beach with current. At the end of the beach and almost end of dive I finally saw fish. Parrot fish, Tamans, Makbu and Mu's. After almost 2 hours of going the wrong way....Picked up a 3k parrot and got a perfect 3k akagin (coral trout). Had a great shot on a 3m Barracuda and let it go. Was too tired to mess with him after the long swim. Did see 2 GT that wanted to have nothing to do with me.
Overall a satisfactory dive. Would I dive there again? Maybe.
Monday I had planned to dive Hedo or Oku. As luck has it, drove all the way there and the breaks were just a little too big for a single old dude on a yak. I knew the swells were coming from the southeast and was hoping they would be a little smaller than they were. Turned around and contemplated diving the point beside the last fish port going towards Hedo. Having dove it before and knowing it has big fish I was almost tempted. But, after Fridays current, I knew it would really be kicking so decided against it since I was alone. Ended up diving the beach right outside the Hentona light. Put my yak in and dove around the closest outside reef drops. The main reef is several miles out and was looking for some new Makabu and Taman areas on the inside of it. Bottom line was reef was really dead. Very few fish and nothing of size. Picked up a few small fish for dinner. Added another place on my "never visit again" list.