Dive #167 - Rich Torkington's Dive Log

This rock hind was actually at Perriwinkle Reef (next dive)
Videograph by Rich Torkington in Bahamas 2003

Dive Journal: Friday morning brings us the opportunity to do 2 last dives before returning to port. The first one has been diver requested and will be at the Blue Hole.

We’ve never done a “hole” dive before, and this is a neat introduction for us. The hole is some kind of collapsed cave, and now exists as a nearly circular opening in about 30 feet of water. I think this site is also referred to as the “Lost Blue Hole” 42040021 Blue Hole 24 38.08 77 41.72

As we suit up for the dive, a Club Med dive boat chugs in from Nassau, the first boat that’s come anywhere near us for a week. The site of civilization is not especially welcome, but the site is here for all to enjoy. It reminds us of our impending return to “reality.”

Since this dive promises to have low light, I skip taking the video camera. The topside of the hole has a few nice reef areas, but not terribly much to explore. We swim out over the rim of the hole and the sensation is pretty neat. The center of the hole sinks away to blackness and we slowly submerge down into it. The walls undercut the rim and go down much further than we would consider diving, to over 200 feet. The walls seem to be encrusted with thick layers of different colored “paint,” which I guess is actually encrusting sponges.

As we descend, we see smallish ledges and caves further down the wall. We swim counterclockwise slowly around the hole at about 80 or 90 feet. Gavin has told us to look for lobsters on the ledges but we don’t see any. We also keep an eye on the water in the hole center, and despite low visibility we catch site of a couple of spanish mackerels and maybe one sighting of a silky shark.

This eel was also over at Periwinkle Reef
Videograph by Rich Torkington in Bahamas 2003

The Club Med divers are eventually in the water with us. The group we encounter seems to be one of those “hurry up and see it all” types, and they go very rapidly buzzing by and through us. Of course, maybe they’re just trying to get away from us! Sigh.

Soon enough we’re at our deco limits, and so we go up over the rim to offgas and explore around some more. Gerry is up there focused on the smallish reef, and we see that he is removing tangles of fishing line from the corals. Janel and I spend about 15 minutes doing the same – it’s amazing how intricately woven the line can get. Janel finds a sleeping nurse shark, and we also see some nice schools of grunts and a southern stingray.

An interesting and different dive for us.