January 2, 2003: Belize - Nekton Pilot

A D2D New Years 2003: Belize dive

"Garcia's Backyard, Long Cay (Glover's)" - "Lucky Charm, Middle Cay (Glover's Reef)"

Diving from the Nekton Pilot:

• Directions from Tampa: The Nekton Pilot is a liveaboard that spends six months out of the year in the waters off of Belize. Their website is at http://www.nektoncruises.com/.
• Conditions on the day of my visit: Sunny, though I think it started to cool a bit later on
  
  
• Personal Notes: Garcia's Backyard is named after a combination of a Belizian official and the comments made by a nearby resort ("We don't want to see your ugly boat in our backyard!") when Nekton was installing mooring lines.
  
  On the first dive, I saw what I would swear (as Humann would identify it) was a "Dark Mantis" - a kind of shrimp. However, he was very shy and did in no way want is picture taken (little bastard).
  
  The second dive gave me the experience that is the bane of many a diver at least once in their life: a reverse block. Inspite of taking a 24 hour decongestant that morning, I got blocked. Took some nasal spray and sat out the first afternoon dive.
  
  For a couple of personal reasons, the night dive was one of the best I've ever had (not that I've had a lot of them, but I just had a very nice experience while on it). Didn't take the camera, so I wasn't focused on anything for too long, just hung out ...
  
  Funny thing was, I dove that night with three of the four people who got really lost that afternoon (so much so they had to be towed back to the boat by the Nekton's skiff), so I was risking my navigational reputation ... nothing to worry about though, we didn't stray too far from the wall.

Garcia's Backyard, Long Cay (Glover's)
My pictures of Scorpion Fish always seem to come out. Thank God. I mean, it's really hard to spot them in the first place.
A closeup of the Scorpion Fish's head.
A sponge. Certain realizations didn't occur to me until after I snapped the photo. But I include it here anyway.
Not sure who this is ... ID, anyone?
I don't know what type, but I'm guessing this is a kind of anemonie.
Lucky Charm, Middle Cay (Glover's Reef)
Maybe it's the angle, but I'm not sure if this is a Red Hind or not.
A Queen Triggerfish ... well, her backside, anyway.
Probably a Split Crown Featherduster, though the angle is hiding the split.