Operation Lion's Den - Monday.... the odyssey continues

 \We got to sleep in a little late this morning. I was very happy until I realized that we are two hours later here than back home. So, our seven am boat call, it's still five am back home. Hmmmmm

The first dive was the one that I came all the way here for... The U-352. We arrived on station and the Captain gave us a very sobering speech. To the effect that there was a current so strong that we had just one chance to get in with negative buoyancy, swim down and grab the bow line. If we missed it, we would quickly be taken out to sea where we would drift until the dive was over and they could pull the anchor and search for us...an hour at least.

I was just fine until I jumped in and my regulator came off and left my mouthpiece between my teeth. So the choice was to try to make it back to the boat holding onto the line and drown, or let go and live, but be swept out to sea. So I make it to the ladder somewhat alive, sans regulator. Theresa shows up to and grabs me by the scruff, yanks my mouthpiece out, wrapped a zip tie on it and I was off again... once I vomited up all the sea water and scared pretty much everyone on the boat, embarrassing my self in the process.

So, back on track, and down the line. MONSTER current, so strong that the line is actually thrumming in our hands. The boat looms out of the depths. The current dissipates at depth and we are able to swim along it's length. I found myself picturing the old wreck and imagining the sailors that walked along her topside. Thinking about the young German boys that were her crew and the fear they must have felt as they suffered through the depth charges that damaged her inner workings and blew off her deck gun.  After scuttling the ship, most of the crew were captured, but 17 died during the battle   It was a very sobering experience. One that I would trade for the world.

Our second dive was as calm as the U-boat was nasty. The Indra, a 328 foot landing craft repair ship that is part of the artificial reef program, meaning that it was stripped and deliberately sunk as an artificial reef. It is upright and mostly intact. The entire length is covered with new growth, especially sea urchins. Their presence makes you pay very close attention to your position in the water.  Bump into one of them and you'll be picking their porcupine like quills out for weeks.

Being a shallow dive, we spent a lot of time on this one at about the 30-40 foot range.  While waiting on the ascent line our deco safety stop, we were treated to several species of jellyfish.  Some of them were being served as the main course for a number of small jacks. 

Tonight, the folks from Discovery Diving, fried up fresh caught (by us), halibut and lion fish, boiled shrimp and all the "fixins".  Ahhhh, better than the gourmet meals that I have had... well anywhere.  After dinner we were all sitting on the dock, dangling our feet in the water when we heard that though we were the dive shop's all time favorite group, we weren't the craziest.  So, it was nude snorkeling off the docks.  Hmmm wonder what the fish thought....?