love bites

Today I was bitten by a turtle. Let me tell you that first of all, I was not harassing said turtle in any shape of form. In fact, I was in the water scrubbing down the fake shipwreck of algae so that said turtle would have a much more pleasant home to live in. But I do not harbor any ill feelings to the turtle who probably was just so darn curious at the color and shape of my left heel that he (or she?) just couldn't help himself to one small fairly painless bite. I actually thought it was another diver behind me asking for my attention but I turn around and see a turtle attached to my ankle! It didn't really hurt but shocked me a bit nonetheless.

Why was I in the tank? I am in North Carolina right now writing from Atlantic Beach. I got here late Saturday just in time to head on out on the first chartered trip from Olympus Divers to the wreck of the Indra. It was a wonderful dive and with my great dry suit on I was perfectly happy in the 55 degree water. Most of my diving of late has been warm water and it was nice to refresh my dry suit diving skills while wearing a hood and gloves.

Bundled and ready to dive

Yesterday and today I was invited to the North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores as a guest diver. I met Steve Broadhurst, the DSO and we got straight to business. Steve took me on a tour of the aquarium and talked to me about the dive program and safety issues. In the afternoon I got to go for my first dive in the largest tank that holds a number of sharks including a fairly heft sand tiger shark that chose to circle me for a few minutes (apparently she's like that). Today I got to do two dives - one in the QAR (Queen Anne's Revenge, Black Beard's ship) representation and one back in the largest tank. In the QAR tank I helped, using scrub brushes, remove the red algae that tends to grow on the structures. This helps keep the water clean and the exhibit looking it's finest. I enjoy working underwater tremendously and liked that they gave me this task. This is, of course, the dive where the turtle decided to show great interest in my heel.

My next dive was a short dive back in the larger tank in order to get some PR photos and video done (I may be in the local paper shortly!). After that I was back to work helping feed the sharks and another turtle (above water).

Getting ready to dive the big tank

The sand tiger shark

Look! It's a Brenna Fish! Me scrubbing algae off a fake cannon

Feeding sharks

NC Aquarium-PKS friends - Heather, Steve, me and Ethan

Visiting Fort Macon

I had a great time and it's really too bad I have to head out tomorrow. But tonight we are celebrating my birthday early and going out for beers with the Olympus dive crew and the aquarium dive staff.

Wooo!