Friday, March 2, 2012

Bubbles in the Red Sea

"You can often see sharks at the 'Miss Mary', I even saw a Tiger shark once there" I was told, as the dive boat headed out into the rough sea. I was certainly anticipating a potential encounter, not yet having seen a shark on the KSA side of the Red Sea yet (only on the Sinai peninsula side where I had seen a number in the past).
We were heading out on another boat dive trip, this time leaving from the Jeddah harbor region to go south in the Red Sea instead of the usual trip going north. It was to a region not dived on very much requiring permission to visit the region. I had also just purchased an underwater camera (SeaLife) and was anxious to try it out. I had set it up just prior to the trip for underwater use, and hence the colours when used above water would have a red tinge, due to the electronic adjustments - it would be interesting to experiment. Red was over compensated above water as it disappears early as one goes deeper into the water.


We left from a marina located in the main harbor area and headed out into the Red Sea, to go south through the intricate reef systems. On route we saw a number of freighters waiting their turn to do their business in the Jeddah harbor.
Our first dive site was to be to the "Miss Mary", a ship wreck that actually was two wrecks next to each other. A reminder again of these treacherous waters.
On route we also saw two separate sites of modern steel ships "sitting" above water on top of various reefs. Navigation may be one matter, the other being many of these reefs may be uncharted from a GPS point of view, many of them in what appears to be open water offshore. This day was also to give us a lot of wind and wave action building as the day wore on - going out one could appreciate the water colour changes where some reefs were present, but coming back heading into building waves and wind it was not apparent where the reefs were as the whole sea was blue water with large waves and white caps. So with this on to the "Miss Mary" wreck site.

After jumping off the stern of the dive boat we wait on the surface for our "buddies" before descending.

Descending to the wreck, it is moderately deep sitting in about 100 feet of water. Much of the wreck is now coral encrusted.

Eventually we have to ascend, being a deep dive our "bottom time" being limited. Before boarding we have to make a safety stop at about 15 feet, a necessary safety precaution to help avoid "the bends".
On finding the boarding ladder one takes the fins off in the water, hand them to someone on the boat, then board the ladder.
Once on board there is time to "recap" and of course the necessary "surface interval" before the next dive to help avoid too much nitrogen buildup in the blood from the dive. Of course pictures on board are "red" due to the underwater camera adjusted for underwater light conditions - an experiment of sorts.


Before the day is done we are to travel to two other reefs, for a total of three dives on this day. They are shallower dives being about 40 to 50 feet when travelling along their faces.


All in all a great day of diving although we were to endure a rough and wet ride home while bucking head seas, white caps, and a rising wind - this to me however was part of the adventure. No sharks however. However a first foray into underwater photography with this "bubble episode".

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