Friday, February 20, 2009 – Coiba Island

Our last day of diving. So, so sad to leave this beautiful weather and gorgeous scenery.

Dive 1:
Start: 8:55AM
Dive time: 50 mins
Max Depth: 76

• Sea fans
• Lobster
• Lovely pinnacle, perfect visibility, perfect for big fish – but none came

Fan coral

Guineaufowl Puffer – Golden Phase

Lobster

The group went to a beach between dives, armed with their lunches, a cooler, and some hammocks. Eric, Jono, Ben and I decided to go back to the boat where we ate leftover dessert and waited for the tanks to fill. On our way back to the beach to get the others, the other panga ran out of gas so there was much back-and-forth with the boats before we officially picked up the group. The park rangers who’d accompanied us to the beach told Laeticia that the fisherman have all given up on fishing for the week; the moon isn’t right, the tides are too low, and the fish aren’t appearing. Bad for fishing… bad for diving too.

Boris with the gas tank

Blurry shot of the two pangas

Dive 2:
Start: 1:15PM
Dive time: 50 mins
Max Depth: 84

• Eric decided he was done with diving and disassembled his gear – because what’s the point going on dives where you don’t see anything? True, but I decided I don’t dive enough to miss out on another dive.
• Pangas settled along side a cliff-island
• Sea fans, a few biggish fish
• Went deeper and caught a few turtle
• Dove with Jono, then we found Ben, and then we lost Jono, who later appeared on the surface about 200 feet away. Me: “Jono! Where did you go?” Jono: “Straight!!”

Jewel moray

Crab

Turtle

Panamic Green Moray

Dive 3:
Most of us stayed in. We were tired and there truly is nothing to see right now. So the dive became a dusk-induced nap-time instead.

Sunset

Storm rolling in over the Yemaya

The gang on the upper deck

Ben and Andrea

Dinner
Andrea made a massive dish of margaritas for our last night together, and dinner was Juan Carlos’ best yet: a MASSIVE dish of seafood paella that we oo’ed and aaah’ed over and promptly consumed by hungry divers. For dessert was a fruity cheesecake, accompanied by a dessert wine from Jesus called Ochoa.

Juan Carlos and his glorious paella

Fabulous Dessert