Diving in Venezula

We had both planned on doing a two tank dive off of Los Frailes islands in Venezula. This was the most highly rated dive site off of Isla Margarita. But then as you saw on the previous post...there was no way Paul could go with me... So, Paul took me in the dingy to meet the divemaster at Juan's Marina. Paul was going back to the boat and was under strict instructions to DO NOTHING and see if his thumb would stop bleeding! The divemaster a young Argentinian man drove up in his (old) van! This was just the first of my suprises...Off we went to a fishing beach about 40 minutes away...and I do enjoy the boats!! I use to tell my son that the next boat I own would be one of the "panga's" the local Zihuatanejo fisherman's boat...I've now changed my mind, and I've tried to talk Paul into getting one for his dingy...but these "pragues" (and I may have misspelled that) are REALLY COOL BOATS!!

Of course I had never been in one but Paul told me that they just cut through the water...no bouncing...no muss...no fuss...
Much to my suprise...I WADED out to the back of this "prague", climbed in the ladder...and there were the tanks...propped up by the ribs...this was going to be our dive boat! Three 75 hp Yamaha's to get us the 18 miles to Los Frailes...
It WAS a great ride....even with the water that was sloshing around in the uncovered part of the bilge area! And falling off backwards, off of any boat...once you have the BCD and tank on...well...the type of boat just doesn't matter....I made it safely to the dive site!
The clarity was horrible...but...I tried to forget about that and enjoy taking pictures....

This is a French Angelfish (Juvenile)....

This is another Yellow Line Arrow Crab....
This is a Squirrelfish....
The first dive was a current aided dive...we were dropped off and the current, which was minimal aided us in going around the rocks and to the place where the boat picked us up....

Slender Filefish (Juvenile)....
Sharptail Eel.....
Scorpionfish....

French Angelfish (Intermediate)
Same guy (or gal).....

Three-Rowed Sea Cucumber....there was another darker form that I saw quite a few of...and wasn't sure of what they were...it looked like a lot of cow dung on the bottom of the ocean...so I didn't take a picture of it...while I was trying to find out what this guy was...I saw what it was I was looking at...sorry no picture...but I will tell you it was a Donkey-Dung Sea Cucumber!!!

Then the CURRENT hit....and I mean...swept away current...so fast that there was no way of getting any pictures because by the time I saw anything...it had already gone past...it was my first time in this amount of current...it was quite fun...and I did try to swim against it a few times...but to absolute no avail...it still was taking me fast as I swam against it!

When it finally subsided ...a few more pictures....

Cocoa Damselfish (older Juvenile)... A Shy Hamlet....
And a Blue-headed Wrasse...
Then back up to the boat...for the return trip on the "prague" dive boat! One of the 75 hp Yahama's would not start...they tried a few times on the crossing...once there I waded back to shore...and THOSE boats on the beach....

How cool are they????
So needless to say...except for the "experience"...diving the Los Frailes....well....it was an experience!!!! AND, for those "non-believers"...when I got back Paul actually HAD taken it easy (well for him anyway)...only a little engine maintenance!!!