Dive #153 - Rich Torkington's Dive Log

One of our new Bahamian iguana friends
Videograph by Rich Torkington in Bahamas 2003

Dive Journal: I decide to do the second dive, scheduled at the same site as our first. Linda is taking a side trip aboard the SeaDog to lounge on the beach of a small cay, and the kids decide to take a breather. In an effort not to violate the buddy rule, I ask the Edinborough couple to sorta stay within bubble view of me. Once again I find the site very lovely. There is a friendly school of chub, and a pair of black jacks. Quite a variety of pretty sponges.

At one spot, an indigo hamlet emerges and poses for me. Midway through the dive, I spy a whitespotted moray eel, and I spend at least 15 minutes hovering over him with the videocam, zooming in on his face from different angles. Up close and personal with an eel.

Immediately following a(nother) scrumptious lunch, the SeaDog takes the four of us and a few others over to Allan’s Cay and we are treated to a visit with the rare Bahamian iguana. These are also known as rock iguanas, and if you really want to know, they’re herps called Cyclura cychlura inornata. Dang!

As the boat approaches the beach, dozens of the 2’ lizards immediately start scurrying out from the brush, anticipating a snack. We tiptoe onto the beach as the lizard rush us, and they aggressively jump on the bread and other treats we’ve brought. They’re kind of pretty creatures, but kinda ugly at the same time, with a blackish pallor but with flashes of color on their faces. Percy attempts to feed them by hand and his blood is drawn first. Linda holds up the snack and the hungry lizards actually jump in midair to try to retrieve it, bringing a shriek from Linda.