Couldn't pass up a SCUBA dive while working in Puerto Rico, so I went out Sunday. I didn't realize this but apparently most of the Carribean wildlife is pretty standard whether you're in San Juan or Curacao. Definitely the water visibility and quality is better, and probably some specific species that show up more places than others.Regardless the dive was great, even if the water was a bit cold. If I were diving again, I'd at least would have worn a shortie. We did a beach dive and went two places. First dive was just around a huge loop, and then the second dive was more towards a pier. Lots of swimming in, up, around, and over various coral formations - which can be a bt tricky with the currents until you realize to just go when the other fish go.
We did see tons of wildlife: Conch, Clown Anenome Shrimp, Slippery Disk, Porgy, Coney, File Fish, Hogfish, Copper Sweepers, Feather Worms, Brain Coral, Gorgonians, Mantis Shrimp, Clown Wrasse, Smooth Trunkfish, PR Butterfly Fish, Butterfly FIsh, Scorpion Fish, Drum Fish, Yellowtail snapper, Chubs, Sargeant Majors, Blue Tangs, Surgeonfish, Rainbow Parrot Fish, Spotlite Parrot Fish, Cocoa Damsel Fish, Trumpetfish, Squirrel Fish, French Angel Fish, Yellowtail Damsel Fish, Pork Fish, Grunts, Wrasse, Blue-headed Wrasse, Brittle Starfish, Arrowcrabs, Goatfish, Seafans, Anenome, and Beau Gregory.
Coolest stuff had to be the brittle coral that only live in some caves - beautiful purple. There was also another coral that was the brightest orange, I've ever seen. Parrot Fish are always a favorite, and most interesting animal had to be the Mantis Shrimp that lived in holes in the sand that you could coax out with some seaweed.
SCUBA details that no one else would really care about (except my old instructor who would be proud of my small use of air):
Dive 1: (Figure 8 Reef) 45m, 30ft, 12lbs, used 1100. Too heavy (no wetsuit)
Dive 2: (Horseshoe Reef) 50m, 30ft, 9lbs, used 1100. Perfect (no wetsuit(
