We were blessed by the seas and snorkeled with a pod of pilot whales a day or two ago (they are starting to blur together). They move quick but these magnificent animals are even more beautiful underwater if you can keep up. I saw 3 pairs mothers with calves and one on its own. They are rarely spotted around Utila and it is especially unheard of to swim with them. After a bit of research I learned that short-finned pilot whales frequent warmer waters and they are a member of the dolphin family. They are believed to equal the intelligence of a bottlenose dolphin and are second in size within the dolphin family only to killer whales. Pilot whales are very social, and are most often found in groups of 20 to 90. Within these groups are at least some stable associations, usually between related females and their offspring. There are usually some males in these groups, but genetic evidence has shown that these males are not the fathers of the calves in the group. Several calves in one group may be fathered by the same male, indicating that a male can enter a group for a brief period and mate with more than one female. OK I hope that wasn't too much information but it explains why we saw so many mothers and calves.
We have been getting into fun diving again because... WE FINISHED OUR INSTRUCTORS! Whew we both passed without any problems and we're looking for students. I know Courtney's mum will be at the top of the list and I'll have to get my sister to do her advanced diver. Anyone else interested we would love to get some certifications under our belts. Next PADI step is the Master Scuba Diver Trainer and we will need 25 certifications. For the time being we are diving, diving, diving and enjoying not having obligations like reading PADI manuals. Thanks for the comments, its always good to hear from people keep 'em coming.
Kylee Williamson I hope I get to meet you very soon!
Owen back at CELP! I bet that was fabulous reunion:)
Mom I did get the fax and thank you again! you're the best
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Back in action....
Whew its been a whirlwind here on Utila like Courtney mentioned we are being PADI-ifed and we are now nearly halfway done with our Istructor Development Course. The first day they asked why do you want to be an instructor and I have honestly not figured it out yet. Hopefully by the time we are finished I will know. It would be a fun way to make money (enough to survive hopefully) and always live near an ocean. The shop we have been with has some of the most lovely people many from the UK and Courtney's accent has picked back up again, not quite Australian more British but nonetheless not American which he would get a hard time for back home. Marine life updates include swimming with spinner dolphins out in the blue, a golden spotted eel, and, a lettuce sea slug, and two mysterious head shield slugs (nudibranchs)!!!! We have no plans past studying and hopefully passing the Instuctor Exam. We will keep you all updated but for now we are happy healthy and focused on diving. Please let us know how you all are!
CONGRATULATIONS AUNT PENNY!!!!! I was thrilled to hear my aunt Penny brought a beautiful, healthy little girl into the world on Mother's Day!
CONGRATULATIONS AUNT PENNY!!!!! I was thrilled to hear my aunt Penny brought a beautiful, healthy little girl into the world on Mother's Day!
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
PADI Slammed
We're still on Utila.
We've been PADI Slammed. It's what we like to call it when you just keep on going through the PADI system and doing more and more courses (paying more and more). So now, we have done Rescue, Dive Masters (the original Plan) our night and Nitrox specialities, have enrolled in the deep and wreck specialitiesour Assistant instructors course and drum roll please.... are currently 2 days into the week long IDC (instructor development course) soon we will then take the 2 day exam to try and be instructors. Holy Shit. Sorry parents, but i never thought we would end up at this stage. Considering the fact that Mastercard doesn't work in the ATM here it's lucky that i had some cash in the bank. I've had to pay for all the courses and living here for the nearly two months now... i feel pretty poor, but it's nice to know that meagan will have to pay for the rest of the trip... and then some.
Other than that, we haven't been up to much, had our snorkel test the other night and we were both pretty drunk. When you finish your DM the Shop buys you a horrible concoction of shots and you have to drink it through a snorkel. It was fun though, I'll put the photos up soon on the blog.
Well not much else to say right now, will right more when (if) we pass this instructor exam.
take care all
We've been PADI Slammed. It's what we like to call it when you just keep on going through the PADI system and doing more and more courses (paying more and more). So now, we have done Rescue, Dive Masters (the original Plan) our night and Nitrox specialities, have enrolled in the deep and wreck specialitiesour Assistant instructors course and drum roll please.... are currently 2 days into the week long IDC (instructor development course) soon we will then take the 2 day exam to try and be instructors. Holy Shit. Sorry parents, but i never thought we would end up at this stage. Considering the fact that Mastercard doesn't work in the ATM here it's lucky that i had some cash in the bank. I've had to pay for all the courses and living here for the nearly two months now... i feel pretty poor, but it's nice to know that meagan will have to pay for the rest of the trip... and then some.
Other than that, we haven't been up to much, had our snorkel test the other night and we were both pretty drunk. When you finish your DM the Shop buys you a horrible concoction of shots and you have to drink it through a snorkel. It was fun though, I'll put the photos up soon on the blog.
Well not much else to say right now, will right more when (if) we pass this instructor exam.
take care all
Thursday, May 3, 2007
Utila, Honduras
We're sorry.
we've been pretty slack lately, but it is a combination of lots of study to do for this Dive Masters course and the fact that the internet here is sporadic at best and then hounded and hogged by many and all when i t is working. So i'm putting my foot down and abusing all my privledges to stay on the computer and write and i cop some crap from a few people around me here.
So we are on Utila, and have just nearly finished our DM course and about to start our Asst Instructor course. We are planning on leaving in about 10 days, but we truely are the slowest travellers that central america has seen in quite a while.
So much has happened since we wrote last, but onw of the most stand out events has to be the aquatic life we have been seeing. In fact, between the turtles, the eels and the crazy fish that inhabit these tropical waters it's hard to think of something more special that the next, but undoubtably the WHALE SHARKS have rocked my world. We have a lot of sad chaotic style stories about people harrassing the sharks to see them or touch them, but the one day we got a good "jump" on a big one it was incredible. The fish was about 35' long and just magestic. I remember taking a few photos and then just ditch my camera by my side as we snorkelled and free dove beside this gorgeous and huge creature. So very inspiring and awesome.
Apart from the diving not much else has happened, we helped out in a beach cleanup for earth day and have been having some large nights in between. Yesterday we finished our "stress test". We had to change mask, fins & BCD whilst breathing from just one regulator. During this our tanks are being turned off and on again, swapping our air source, our masked are being removed and flooded, sand kicked up in our faces and all other sorts of stuff going down. But we did it, the first time we tried. Meagan was brilliant and showed her better underwater skills, helping me out, but we got through it and that was that.
well not much else to report except that we will try and write more often and keep you all up to date with what's going on.
Hope you are all well, take care
Courtney
we've been pretty slack lately, but it is a combination of lots of study to do for this Dive Masters course and the fact that the internet here is sporadic at best and then hounded and hogged by many and all when i t is working. So i'm putting my foot down and abusing all my privledges to stay on the computer and write and i cop some crap from a few people around me here.
So we are on Utila, and have just nearly finished our DM course and about to start our Asst Instructor course. We are planning on leaving in about 10 days, but we truely are the slowest travellers that central america has seen in quite a while.
So much has happened since we wrote last, but onw of the most stand out events has to be the aquatic life we have been seeing. In fact, between the turtles, the eels and the crazy fish that inhabit these tropical waters it's hard to think of something more special that the next, but undoubtably the WHALE SHARKS have rocked my world. We have a lot of sad chaotic style stories about people harrassing the sharks to see them or touch them, but the one day we got a good "jump" on a big one it was incredible. The fish was about 35' long and just magestic. I remember taking a few photos and then just ditch my camera by my side as we snorkelled and free dove beside this gorgeous and huge creature. So very inspiring and awesome.
Apart from the diving not much else has happened, we helped out in a beach cleanup for earth day and have been having some large nights in between. Yesterday we finished our "stress test". We had to change mask, fins & BCD whilst breathing from just one regulator. During this our tanks are being turned off and on again, swapping our air source, our masked are being removed and flooded, sand kicked up in our faces and all other sorts of stuff going down. But we did it, the first time we tried. Meagan was brilliant and showed her better underwater skills, helping me out, but we got through it and that was that.
well not much else to report except that we will try and write more often and keep you all up to date with what's going on.
Hope you are all well, take care
Courtney
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