Laura – The crew is fantastic and exceeded all my expectations and imagination of what a crew would be. My big wish when I came on Nautilus Explorer was to see a Wolf Eel and I was just blowwn away to see one so up close and personal. They really have big heads. I was so thrilled I wasn`t even cold.
Dave – Two very enjoyable dives on Dillon Rock.
Lee – The Transpac was my highlight. Just coming down to 85 feet on such steep terrain and then seeing the huge bow come out of the darkness. Then swimming over to the bow off such a steep drop off was great; when I hovered over the bow I had such a cool sense of weightlessness. The visibility was so good too. The pilot house door was open and I could look in to see all the fantastic stuff.
Mike – A few days ago I said that the moon jelly dive was the highlight of my diving life. I have to take that back. Today I was hugged by a 12-foot Giant Pacific Octopus. Dillon Rock has always been one of my favorite sites, and I was looking forward to seeing the ratfish that are always there. The conditions were perfect, and we descended with high hopes. Not five minutes later, while out in the sand looking for ratfish, I saw the octo. Just sitting there. I hovered in front of him, taking a good look. A few minutes later he extended a tentacle, wrapping it around my safety sausage. Then another went around my dive computer. Over the next five minutes he came closer and closer, tentacles wrapping around my legs and one snaking up and around my neck. Apparently deciding that I wasn`t good either for eating or mating, he hung on for a while before letting go and settling back into the sand. I waved goodbye and continued the dive, thanking the sea gods (and Cappy Mike) for another unforgettable undersea encounter. PS: On the second dive at Dillon my dive buddy Lynn and I saw four octos, although none of them decided to hug us.
This has been the most exhilarating and relaxing vacation I have ever been on. But the best part is waking up to the smell of Enrique’s fresh coffee and breakfast every morning.. Anne
Guido: Heute war der Tauchgang fuer Makrofans. Die zwei Tauchgaenge am Dillon Rock waren unglaublich. Es gab Giant Octopusse, Seewoelfe, Chimaeren und Nacktschnecken ohne Ende. Der Tauchplatz besteht aus einem kleinen Eiland, auf dem ein Leuchtfeuer steht und um den man im Bereich von 3 bis 25 m relaxed herumtauchen kann. Im Flachwasserbereich laesst man dann den Tauchgang im Kelp ausklingen.
Guest Blog – Octopus Party – July 27/09
