I made it! I experienced two dives today. (1/2 pill of Dramamine before getting in the boat made it for me, following Doctor's advice). Roghly 50 minutes each (time ascending doesn't count). We went down to 12 meters (40 feet). The sea was truly calm this time. Visibility... I don't think it gets better than this. My only "problem" (if we can call that a problem) is that I wanted to stay put admiring the inverts (corals, sponges..) while the others were mostly interested in fish.
As soon as I entered the water, two polyps that were floating got my attention. Nature doing coral frags? I caught the small piece, observed it, and let it go its way (we were in a Submarine National Park)
I saw plenty of Gorgorians species. I mean plenty, it was like entering a Gorgorian species Gallery. I had to make a "reality check" size wise. I saw a vase shaped gorgorian juvenile, with a light, almost transparent color. I noticed this huge Sea Fans that looked (to my eyes) the size of a person. At a moment (when the others pace allowed me to) I stood next to one and it measured likely 36" (reached my waist but not my shoulders). I saw plenty of whips with their polyps fully extended (amazing), a good share of hard stony corals of which an encrusted red specimen (haven't seen those before, not even in pics) kind of hypnotized me... I went down to check if my eyes were tricking me and I was "mis-reading" a sponge... I saw a few orange (but smaller than the intertidal specimes I've seen previously) zoanthids or zoa-like corals (couldn't stay long enough to observe carefully). The always beautiful Fire Corals (not real corals but nevertheless) making elongated shapes. Vase corals but also vase shaped sponges.
I was pleased to find a few Halimeda species, including an almost brown, beautifully shaped, Mermaid Fan macroalgae. Feather Dust worms in different sizes and colors. An isolated lobster... a spider crab in a crevice, disguised with some long threaded macroalga specie.
We found a puffer fish, juvenile, that was lethargic (the instructor took it in his hands a passed it along which upset me. I took the last turn to "hold" it and purposely let the little fellow slip through my hands back into shelter. Later the instructor said the puffer was likely dying but I think otherwise (looked like the guy ate too much recently). Two small sized (non-venomous) spotted rays.
A different type of urchins were living here. Not the black ones that my hands and feet know very well. These were the ones that have white spines and cover themselves with shells and algae.
On our way up I noticed the instructor picked something up. Oh! Is he doing this? So I though about getting a fragment of
live rock (that small one with purple coraline algae, with a hole in the middle) home but I got things wrong. He was removing a plastic beverage bottle that shouldn't be there. So I carefully (internally reluctant to) let go of the little fragment as a white goby observed me from the nearby sandy substrate.
Gotta go now (you know: wife + Sunday = mall). Thanks for being here for me.
Pepetj
Santo Domingo
Similar Aquarium Fish Forum Threads 
