Scuba at Paprika Beach

I went scuba diving today!  And it was really nice!

I wasn't sure I'd want to dive again.  For several reasons.  It's expensive.  I get cold easily. My ears and eyes often hurt.  The last few times I've gone were a bit of a disappointment. Usually, you have pay (and go) for 2 boat dives, one right after the other.  Which makes all the stuff just listed worse.

But Wendy and Don from Colorado said they went on a shore dive,  with this really nice company, and they saw lots of things, including a seahorse.  That got my attention.  So I went to the shop, 3 Pelicans, and inquired.  My neighbour, Chris was interested too.

So we did it!  She hadn't dove in 15 years and my last dive was 5 years ago.  So we got a short refresher and `skills test` before heading out. 

The day wasn`t promising.  It was a bit chilly and grey and the water was a bit agitated.  But it was definitely better than I expected!

We only went to 30`, which is relatively shallow.  But we saw lots of stuff!  Including beautiful fish like parrot fish, angel  fish, and 4 eye butterfly fish. Weird looking creatures like a scorpion fish, a yellowline arrow crab, yellow stingrays, spotted moray eels, and a sea cucumber.  And definitely a highlight for me, 2 seahorses!  Very cool!

I still had lots of air left in my tank when we got out of the water, but I was getting pretty cold and I had seen more than I expected.  So I was very happy.

Photos (all from the internet, top to bottom)
French angelfish - about 1 foot in diameter, really pretty!
Stoplight parrot fish, terminal phase - apparently, they change colour as they age - they are my favourite!
Spotted moray eel, cranky!
Yellowline arrow crab-small enough to fit on your hand, which we did!