Dive #39 - Rich Torkington's Dive Log

Rich, Hans, and Dad in front of our limo at the Moana Surfrider
Photo by concierge at the Moana Surfrider in Hawaii 1998

Dive Journal: During our surface interval after dive #38, our dive boat picks up 2 additional Japanese resort divers who are doing their first dive.

The dive site here is closer to shore and the swells are greatly reduced. The site consists of ancient volcanic craters that are now underwater. A decent variety of fish life resides in the many cracks and crevices around the crater edges. The rest of the scenery here is pretty drab.

With the later help of several fish books, I spy a number of fish species: whitemouth moray eels (neat), sand lizardfish, trumpetfish, bluelined snapper, my old friend the racoon butterflyfish, yellowstripe goatfish, maomao (I think this is the Hawaiian sergeant major), yellow tang, pinktail triggerfish, wedge picassofish (a humu?), and a cool-looking spotted filefish.

The Japanese divers apparently have significant trouble with the moderate level of surge on this dive, and they exit the water quite early. After a lengthy solo tour, I finally meet up with the divemaster Roger and we ascend to do our safety stop. While counting the seconds and hovering midwater, Roger taps my shoulder and points over it. I turn around to the sight of a very nice green turtle with lots of warts swimming just by us. This is the first turtle I have ever seen during a dive. Roger later tells me that the warts may well be the result of physical contact with divers.

Back on the boat, Ken, my initial dive buddy, comments that this is worst dive he's done in years. I admit that Koko Craters isn't a great dive site, but I bet it beats the heck out of some of the lake dives I've heard about.