Dive #56 - Rich Torkington's Dive Log

Leaving the dock for another dive!
Photo by Carol Torkington in Belize 2000

Dive Journal: We've asked Breeze to take us back to this site and today is the day. This dive was our favorite from 1997 (our fourth PADI OW certification dive) - see Dive No. 4.

We again enjoy the "raining" schools of creole wrasses that seem to flow past from all directions. The five of us slowly toured the beautiful wall searching for the cut and swam quite a ways before encountering it.

About 20 minutes into the dive, we all spy a large sea turtle only about 8 feet beneath us. He is resting sideways on a roundish boulder and looks up slowly to see us, as if groaning and saying, "Oh man! Divers!" The five us are nearly motionless as we hover over him and get the best view of a sea turtle I've ever gotten. It is a magical moment, and I love the way that everyone is completely respectful of the turtle. After enduring our presence for at least 4 or 5 minutes, he finds a path around us and swims off slowly.

We again spot two large lobsters while touring - they are a real sight. We finally find the crack and do our vertical swim, twisting 360°, up through the cut. There are no silversides there today, but the sensation is still neat. On the flats above, there is a hoard of schoolmasters around 40'. Really good dive!