Yesterday, Goofy and I went on over to Moloka'i for a special-ops dive. It's a little more difficult than most of what's offered by most over here..so by invite only based on skill level, and frankly, if they think you'd be fun to dive with :P
We were looking for Hammerhead Sharks...and anything else that may come on by. Magic was looking for the hammers though...everything else was gravy.
Had to be up and at the boat by 630. Then headed out to cross the dreaded channel between Maui and Moloka'i. It's one of the 5 toughest channels in the world (as far as crossing goes)...OH YAY!
Most of y'all know how I usually turn green on a surge/high waves kinda sea. On the trip over to visit the sharks, we got air in the boat more than once...
OH, YAY!
I made it over though, and it was awesome to be there. Still very pitchy and green face inspiring, but, darn it, it was worth it. Much too rough for a camera, so the pic above is something Magic found on the internet. I'm really hoping that Mike got a good one on the dive, but those sharks are damn quick and hard to photograph.
On the way over, we got the dive briefing for the site.
In previous visits to the dive sites, they've seen as many as 60 hammerheads in a shoal (group of hammerhead sharks are called a shoal - isn't it good to be entertained
and educated? lol). They tend to be curious about us divers...and are very good at sending three sharks out in front of the group while one or two sneak up behind. They also like to follow a group when they are doing their safety stops and stair stepping on the dive. Apparently they think they've got us in a "bait ball" and are curious about just what we are doing...LOL.
Once they are seen, however, they become quite shy and take off in the other direction. Generally, they don't get too close (only within about 20 feet or so) before think the better of it and "run away". The sharks like to hang out over near Moloka'i because of the way the currents run through. They can kinda just "hang" and get the rush of the water through their gills. It's also a happy place for them to mate - Hammerheads give birth to live pups. It's pretty rare to witness that, but it's happened.
Once we made it through the channel, the water calmed a bit. Because of the currents that split around the island, this is an advanced drift dive, so we had to get up and off the boat as a group while the captain maneuvered the boat to get us where we wanted to drop in.
We got in gear and stood at the stern (waves washing over our fins) and awaited the "dive, dive, DIVE!" from the captain. As a group of not really seals, we jumped in the water and dropped down to 60 feet. Then we started our tour...in search of Hammerhead sharks.
Once we got in the water, we were amazed at how clear the viz was (even for here in Maui). We could see the terrain (different than other dives we've done), and quite a way out into the blue. As I was diving along, I looked to my right, and saw my first Hammerhead coming at me along the same plane in the water. It just appeared out of the blue in the distance, swimming along toward me. That was a bit unusual, as generally I am either above or below the things I am looking for, but not usually on the same line :)
Anyway...
The shark came along toward us, in no particular hurry, and not particularly close either. It got within about 20 feet before it decided to turn tail and run. Nice while it lasted though.
The terrain out there is a bit different than most of the places we've dived before. Rocky looking, without much else, except...TONS OF FISH. We saw a Leaf Scorpion Fish (hadn't seen that before either), and, oh, some old ordnance from military target practice.
There are bombs imbeded in the walls of the island above the water line too...not so good.
The underwater ordnance is covered in coral now, so they can't explode it without breaking all kinds of laws. So they let it sit there, underwater, just waiting for someone to do something stupid and blow themselves up. It's pretty unlikely though, since it'd take a hell of a line to anchor anything over there.
But still...
we saw more hammerheads on the second dive too...Hammerheads!
How cool is that?!
More later...Aloha from the second home of the Magic and Goofy traveling show!
M&G
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