"Tim" wrote in message
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On Jun 16, 8:27 pm, Wayne.B wrote:
On Wed, 16 Jun 2010 19:54:04 -0400, "mmc" wrote:
Another dive, got skunked for fish but it was very clear and got to hang
with a manta that was over 10' wide. too cool.

We have seen a couple of big ones go "flying by" down in the Bahamas.
They are very interesting to watch once you get over the initial
surprise.

I've heard they get bigger (wider) than 10' too!
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The one I swam with was passing right over me when I noticed it, got kinda
dark pretty quick. From right underneath, and not expecting it, it looked
friggin enormous!
During a swim on a sub in Port Canaveral, I came from underneath up to the
leading edge of a stern plane and nose to nose with a nurse shark that was
laying on the plane.
Funny, when that happens, I don't think "oh, it's just a nurse shark", I
think "OH SH*T, IT"S A SHARK!!!!"
My funniest diving memory was when working R&D on a mine sweeper and my dive
buddy and I were setting markers for the ship to run thru. We used pole
anchors (screw in like you're talking about for securing your pontoon on
land) screwed into the bottom on the Bahama bank and had to adjust the slack
out of the bouy lines. I was just hanging out and my buddy was tying off the
slack when a remora came up and tried to attach itself to my buddy's ass. I
was really sorry I didn't have a camera......
We used the screw in anchors because the bank where we were was about an
inch of sand on a shelf of old reef with sand filled holes in the shelf.
We'd tried cinder blocks but wave action would lift them off the bottom and
they would "walk" out of position.