Los Roques

Los Roques
Wednesday afternoon April 29th 2009. We were a three boat flotilla!!! What fun!! It was a homemade banana nut muffin morning shared with Delphinus and then the process of getting the boat and us ready for the overnight passage. Fast downwind sail...in fact we reefed all the sails so that we were all staying together. We started out at 8 knots but when reefed remained around 5 knots. It was a ROLLY night (we left the mizzen out for some help)...here are pictures of Delphinus rolling and of Artemo rolling. Another beautiful sunrise...and Paul started the mobile Los Roques cruising net...very cute. It was a FAST sail and by early the next morning we were maneuvering the reefs to El Gran Roque. These islands are all either rock and sand or Mangrove islands. Reefs and shoals everywhere...Paul's chart plotter had had us aground on Blanquilla...so he and P had discussed...something about offset buttons...still didn't get us to where we should be. Paul kept changing settings and pressing enter...it seems that we are better now - he changed the setting to 72 instead of 84??...this made Paul feel much better going through these reefs! This is the tallest island at 380 feet high, where the village settlement is...and the dive shops!! Paul and I were first in and anchored so we went in to scope things out and check-in with the Guarda Costa, Parque, Guarda Nacional and the Autoridad Unica...in that order...and NOT all in one building. We got the first three done and then we walked around town...to find the dive shop and bread...we were totally out of bread...it does not last long down here and banana bread only gets you so far!! Very cute town...it seems very safe...and VERY clean for a Venezuelan town. We found the Panaderia with the help of a local...and the dive shop. We also found out that we should be able to get more diesel here...top off the tanks at still Venezuelan prices!! Paul is soooo happy! This boat was bringing in CASES of beer from the mainland and piling them onto one of the few trucks that are on the island. Back to the dingy and Paul took me to a dingy dock closer to the airport where the Autoridad Unica was located. He went back to the boat to report our finding to the others! When I got to the Autoridad Unica (where we would have paid) I didn't have to!!! When we talked with the Guarda Costa we told them we are using Los Roques as a alto descansar and are a sailboat in transit (we had already checked out of Venezuela. We are not staying for the two weeks we are allowed so we did not have to pay the park fees! That was VERY nice! At the dive shop (it was a required stop for me) I met Edwardo...he spoke English very well... Three days of diving! Early the next morning Artemo headed out on their westward sail. While I was diving Paul, P&J went into town...to the bakery...and store. The first day dive was at La Guaza, a pinnacle under water...and second dive a semi drift along the windward side of El Grand Roque. Pictures of course...Foureye Butterflyfish along the reef....Spotted Moray near the top of the pinnacle...Spanish Hogfish along the reef.Queen Angelfish...As a matter of fact Queen Angelfish were EVERYWHERE.... Horse Eye Jack....Gray Angelfish...Gray Angelfish....Gray Angelfish were EVERYWHERE!!Hogfish....Golden Crinoid...The boat driver free-diving to 35 feet...Seafan Hydroid....

P&J fueled up and then off they went as well. Paul and I went into town...for some last pictures...these boys wanted their picture taken as they pulled the wagon along...and for me to climb up to the lighthouse to have a look around. There were some girls that were going to take the hike up with me...but they didn't get very far... The only one that seemed to NOT want me going the way I wanted to go was this little critter...so I took his/her picture...and convinced it to let me have the path for another step or two. So pictures from the top...Francisquis Namusqui Cayo Pirata and then back down again...now you be the judge...were the blisters (two per foot - and three broke before I got back to the bottom of the hill...I hadn't worn shoes in 4ever) worth the hill top view?? As I walked through town to meet up with Paul...the reason the boys had the wagon - stocking up on water! Later Paul and I moved the Lady H over to Cayo Pirata a quiet island close to Grand Roque where Edwardo said he would pick me up for the next two days of diving! Saturday morning Paul worked on the Hugo and Herby relationship...and I went diving off of Gran Talud Del Sur. This is the southern most reef and the farthest boat ride to get to. First dive - Cabeza de Salinas - reminded me very much of Bonaire diving...not the clarity that I would REALLY like...but beautiful coral mountains...so many fish...Gray Angelfish again....Giant Sea Anemone and Lobed Star Coral..Huge Green Moray...Fairy Basslet swimming upside down!Spotted Moray with two Scarlet-Striped Cleaning Shrimp. Spotted Moray, Yellowline Arrow Crab and Scarlet-Striped Cleaning Shrimp...! Juvenile Spotted Drum...The most irridescent Honeycomb Cowfish I have ever seen! He really was THIS bright of a color! So much variety of fish and marine life. Everything is LARGE! If you want to see Queen Angelfish...THIS is the place...they are everywhere! Boca de Cota was the second dive after a surface interval at a Mangrove/rock island/beach not too far from the reef. Some thermo cline here...and swimming into the current...again clarity not as great as I would want...but beautiful diving...Yellow Pencil Coral... In the "fast" boat we went by Crasqui on our way back...a popular beach spot with some restaurants...lot's of Venezuelan boater's here. Sunday's dive was local to Gran Roque. A little thermocline here as well. Beautiful spot! Edwardo had a Mexican couple he was assisting...so I had a young man showing me around...well, showing me which direction to go. He is not a Divemaster...but had told me a few days ago that he would like to be. It was great because he would just wait for me as I took pictures...and he was really pretty good about finding the Green Morays and one tiny Goldentail Moray too! Second dive was off of this rock...actually around this rock (as seen from the lighthouse) on the windward side of Gran Roque. Again, Edwardo and the couple went ahead of us as I was taking my time with some pictures. As we headed around the point of the island I looked ahead and saw Edwardo and the young man looking at something in/around the rocks. Off to the left of them...I see the young woman...heading straight up (I looked at my computer at that moment I was at 45 feet...they were approximately the same)...she ripped off her mask and dropped it...AND spit her regulator out of her mouth! No...this was like you would see in a movie...it couldn't be REAL!!! I had had a headache all day...been diving 3 days on air (not Nitrox) and at that moment decided that I would not follow her up to the surface fast because... 1. I was too far away 2. Nobody saw what she had done...and, 2. nobody would see what I would have done, so if we then BOTH needed help...there would be no one to help either of us! So I grabbed my "rattle" and got the young man's attention that was diving with me. I don't know what he had been looking at but he had not seen any of what had just happened. I pointed to the falling mask and then up to the girl...he still did not see her...or did not understand...or was told to stay with me no matter what (I'm not sure)...I kept rattling until I got the attention of Edwardo and the young Mexican man. Again I pointed to the mask and up to the surface...it seemed like it took FOREVER before Edwardo finally saw the young woman with arms out on the surface of the water! He immediately surfaced as did the young Mexican man to assist her. The young man with me kept pointing forward to the spot where we had left the boat...I signed to him we do a 3 minute safety stop and surface...he nodded okay. When we surfaced, the boat had moved to pick up the other three and was coming back to get us. The woman was breathing (although looking pale) and told Edwardo of her panic. She had forgotten how to clear her mask...had gotten too much water in it...and breathed some water up her nose. At that point she forgot all of her training...went into a panic...took off the mask...dropped it...spit the regulator out of her mouth...and shot to the surface! She stated that she did exhale as she went up. I do hope she will be okay...we left her on a beach on Francisquis with her companion looking quite pale. So now that I got your attention...here are some pictures of the dive BEFORE all this happened!!

Midnight Parrotfish....

White Margate...Spotted Drum..Giant Barrel Sponge...Rock Beauty and Lobed Star Coral...

I didn't take any pictures of Francisquis while the dive boat was going through but there is a reason that it is so crowded here...with the Venezuelan elite...it was absolutely beautiful!!! Edwardo said that the absolute best diving in all of the Venezuelan islands (Testigos, Los Frailes, Blanquilla and Los Roques) is July/August...there is little wind...therefore the water has 100 feet plus visibility...to that add lots and lots of mosquitoes...perhaps someday it might be worth the mosquitoes to check it out!When I got back to the boat Paul had already lifted Hugo up on deck...had the pole out...and we were ready to sail to Saraquis. Delphinus had invited us to some lasagknee dinner. We also had of course Paul's garlic bread and J's fabulous brownies for desert...their fun company and of course Mexican Train (Opps...snake)! Saraquis is a cute little island...view of Gran Roque from Saraquis...Saraquis beach with Espenqui in the background...but not enough to hang around for. When we woke...it was raining...so after breakfast Paul plotted the course to Cayo de Agua. We got the call from Delphinus that they too were headed out. Very slow sail - 3 to 4 knots in 7-11 knots of wind. Pole was out...and eventually the wind went to 0.0...we motored into the anchorage in Cayo de Agua. We had lunch and then took a dingy trip around the island. Delphinus anchored across the reef from us and then felt it was too exposed so followed their Brit cat friend (with the cutest dog on board - and of course more to this story - perhaps it will be on their blog) up to the more protected anchorage at Bequeve and Elbert Cay. I was still very tired from the diving and Paul was tired too...so we relaxed and enjoyed what sunset there was!