Jungle Larry's Travels
This blog is now continued on my website. If you wish to contact me, my email is larryshortell@gmail.com or larrysnaturalwonders@yahoo.com. You're also invited to visit my website, www.larryshortell.com, to view a portion of my photographic portfolio or see my most recent blog entries.. If you are interested in purchasing my book "Summers Off: The Worldwide Adventures of a Schoolteacher" please visit Amazon.com or bn.com.
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Sunday, August 05, 2012
Log / Pic 110 Mark V Helmet Dive
After SW and Mexico, we went to the Keys for a week. the dives got canceled each day due to poor weather, so among other things we went to this incredible museum on the history of diving. |
This guy above gave me ideas. This guy below made them reality. |
This man is Richard Ford. He owns a Mark 5 helmet and dry suit and this is him wedging me into it. |
This is old school diving and it is when air gets pumped down from the surface to the diver-before SCUBA (self contained underwater breathing apparatus) |
When I dive scuba i wear like 10 pounds of weight. This outfit weighed more than 150 pounds between the shoes, belt, helmet and collar. |
Here is the cool part. Look at this antique-nothin' cooler! |
Taking a knee and having a moment of silence before... |
I'm trapped with no way out |
And then he screws it down and uses a tool to seal the window. Heading down... |
...and under |
Once I was off the ladder, the weight turned into like 30 pounds verses 150 and I was relieved. |
The loud sound of air getting pumped into my helmet still left me a bit uncomfortable. |
But this experience was way to amazing to waste it being nervous. |
I bounced around like I was on the moon-the weight of my shoes and lift form the air in my helmet made it feel just like that. |
I saw a few fish and some strange jellies. |
Climbing up the ladder was quite the feat. |
My dry suit had filled up completely with air after the pressure of the water was gone. |
Now that it was over I was feeling cocky. |
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Log / Pic 109 Whale Sharks
Below is the boat I took on my first whale shark excursion. |
On the way out we saw two huge schools of baby manta rays. |
On several days we saw dolphins-one day we captured this. |
Below is a huge manta ray. On our last trip out we saw many of them and they stuck around and fed. |
So we jumped in the water and were able to snorkel with them. |
But this is why we really came-to see the largest shark in the world-coming right towards us! |
Below is a manta jumping out of the water-it looked closer than my camera tells. |
Here is me in my glory. We saw about 100 whale sharks this first day. They were everywhere! Too excited to be scared. |
In this one me and Lisa had sharks in all four directions. |
They came right up to the boat while feeding. |
These open gills were an impressive sight. |
Finally I get to swim alongside them. |
It takes two pics to see how large |
Below is what I saw every time i turned around. |
Good thing no teeth |
Beautiful patterns |
We saw flamingos at the end of each day on the boat trip home. I took a golf cart to the end of the island on day and photographed them up close. |
Friday, June 29, 2012
Log / Pic 108 Spanish Wells, Bahamas
I started my summer with 3 weeks in Spanish Wells, Bahamas-my 3rd visit. |
This is our cottage and transport. |
Allen, Meagan, Jake, Lisa, Roy, Me and Cindy ready to tackle the reefs. |
And do some pleasure diving as well. |
Pleasant Kathy and family has the same idea. |
A nice trip to harbor island to get tanks from Valentine's Dive Center |
Great trip out there |
Chilling in some of the best beaches I have ever been to. And as usual, we were the only ones on the beach. |
One of our exit points for snorkeling |
Killing lionfish was one of our goals |
My first spear gun |
Results of the latest hurricane |
Starfish dressed in camouflage |
Another snorkel spot. Georgians do it in style! |
A kayak trip to Pear (Pierre) Island |
A visit to Russell Island to see their new church |
An early morning bike ride wins me these foggy views. |
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