Mobula rays

Yesterday...

We both were still happy about our Sperm whale pictures and didn't expect something like this one day after ;)

Mobulas all over the place, but only for the snorkeler and freedivers, because the scubas were hanging on a rope between 5-15 meters and just saw what was approaching close to them.

Freedivers 1 - Scubas 0! hrhrhr

We saw them over 20 times and collected over 1 hour of video material (I hate cutting). I think they just saw them 5+ times ;) Also they didn't saw thousands of Yellowmouth Barracudas and Atlantic Bonitos.

Today you felt getting payed back for all the hard training's, unbelievable experience. A big thank you also goes to Greg for some nice pictures he did. He had also one of his lifetime freedives, when he went down, looking around and in the meantime 9 Mobula approached over his head when he started to ascend again, lucky guy ;)

No vacation without work
Anchor-rope got entangled in the ship's screw.

At the moment we both think that it it not possible to even top this day, BUT we still have one bonus tomorrow ;). And for me, if it will work out as i hope it will, it would be worth more than the rest of this trip.

Good things come to those who wait!

Yesterday we did some spearing again.

At the first spot we arrived, the current was the hardest I ever had to deal with. Full leg and arm work and you were nearly able to stay at one point. No chance to relax and prepare for diving. Also we did not saw any fish at all. Second spot the current was strong but manageable for diving and staying  around one place, but also no fish. Visibility was also bad, the water very murky.

After trying two other spots and spending about 2,5hours in the water, we went back to the first spot were we started in the morning. Current was now OK, Third dive, shot my first White trevally. Changed place again and couldn't load my gun as fast as i wanted. Surrounded by hundreds of White travally all size.

After they disappeared, the Yellowmouth Barracuda arrived. I saw something rushing between them (maybe atlantic bonito, shape could match) and tryed to shot one of this. I had only one good chance to shoot and I missed :(. Meanwhile your guide told me, that my friend Greg couldn't shot any Barracuda at all.

Challenge accepted!

First and second shot ;) I think Greg was a bit frustrated about yelling him that I shot two during my first attempts.
Maybe he will need some better glasses for his mask ;)

Later I saw one Rainbow Runner, didn't know that they were common in the Azores, but Pedro told me, that he also saw them in the past.

All in all we spend over 340 minutes! in the water (yes, 3mm wet suit will work) and at the end I had over 80 dives, mostly between 12 - 22 meter. Could do this every second! day ;)

Thanks again for guiding Pedro