Dive #84 - Rich Torkington's Dive Log
© Copyright 2010 Rich Torkington Mesa, Arizona

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Bottom Time to Date:

72h
40m


Dive Info:

Dive Start:
11:30AM

Bottom Time:
68 minutes

Maximum Depth:
54 feet

Safety Stop:
3 minutes

Beginning Air:
3300 psi

Ending Air:
500 psi

Weather Conditions:
90°F

Surface Conditions:
Calm

Surface Water Temperature:
82°F

Bottom Water Temperature:
82°F

Visibility:
30+ feet
84
TITLE
* * *˝
July 16,
2001
VALLEY OF THE RAYS – GOOFNUW CHANNEL
YAP - FEDERATED STATES OF MICRONESIA
BOAT DIVE
VIDEO
John (divemaster), Barney and Liz (UK), Jennifer (NY), Robert (Guam), Heinz (Switzerland), and Linda (buddies)
Photo
These titan triggerfish freaked me out more than any shark
Videograph by Rich Torkington in Yap 2001 
Dive Journal: We motor the boat only a few hundred yards east and are back in the entrance of Goofnuw Channel. We’ll of course be looking for manta rays again on this dive.

This time we enter the channel from the other end, and it seems we get alot more opportunity to examine some of the rocky reef structures fringing the channel. The visibility is still relatively poor due to the outgoing tide, but maybe a bit better than yesterday.

There are more white tip sharks lurking around and they again seem indifferent to us. While we continue to search the “skies” for mantas, we also come across plenty of other fishes, including a nice decorated goby, a pair of sailfin tangs (who still fail to flair for me), and a beautiful Merten’s butterflyfish. In one spot there are a bunch of large dark colored fish swimming in circular patterns, later identified as adult black and white snappers.

As we cross the middle of the channel, the other divers spot a stonefish on the channel floor. The unwanted attention causes the stonefish to begin a curious walking away on the tips of its pectoral fins, which is downright comical. With our continued failure to spot any mantas, we remain on the bottom and watch this stonefish for quite a while.

Also on the channel floor, I spot a grouping of pretty pale bluish fish housed in little burrows on the channel floor. These fish slowly emerge from their burrows and swim skittishly along the bottom while feeding. I’m still trying to identify them by species, maybe pearly dartfish.

As we continue our way diagonally across the channel floor, it is soon obvious that we are crossing titan triggerfish nesting grounds. I raise up off the floor a bit out of respect, since our fish book says that nesting titan triggerfish “may become dangerously aggressive. There are numerous incidents of divers being attacked and bitten with wounds often requiring medical attention.” As we swim, I get a display of exactly that behavior. Robert is below and in front of me to the left, and I see him shoo away a defensive titan with his hands. He continues to swim past the site, but the titan, almost 2 feet long, actually comes after Robert with teeth bared and lunges aggressively at Robert’s fins, unknown to Robert. The titan persistently charges Robert from the rear, actually chasing him in pursuit, which finally gets Robert’s attention. With deliberate finning and posturing, Robert is able to discourage the titan, but I am impressed with the ferocity of these nasty fish.

It’s a long dive, and Linda and I are again approaching no-deco limits. While I offgas, I spot a great bumphead parrotfish and two huge sixbanded angelfish from above. There is also a big school of dark surgeonfish and yellowfin goatfish in the shallow reefs near the boat. Once I’ve got my gear off and back in the boat, I join Liz for a post-dive snorkel over these reefs.

After touring around a little, Liz takes off across the channel again and I follow. She’s got these cool web-like gloves on that really propel her through the water – I can hardly keep up.

SUMMARY OF SOME FISHES OBSERVED ON THIS DIVE:

This list was created by looking over the video footage and identifying each species.

  • Black and white snapper adult
  • Dash-dot goatfish
  • Bluespot demoiselle
  • Brown surgeonfish
  • Decorated goby
  • Sailfin tang (no flair)
  • Stonefish
  • Pearly dartfish (probably)
  • Merten’s butterflyfish
  • Princess damsel
More
Dive
Info:
Fins:
Mares Avanti Quattro
Computer:
U S Divers Matrix
Tank:
80 ft3 Al
BCD:
SeaQuest Spectrum 4
Dive Type:
BOAT
Body of Water:
Pacific Ocean
Mask:
U S Divers
Protection:
3mm full wetsuit
Regulator:
SeaQuest
Spectrum XR2
plus Oceanic
Slimline octopus
Weight:
12 lb
Water Type:
Salt
Video Equipment:
Sony DCR-TRV11 digital handycam in Top Dawg housing