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Rescue Rain Day

Very rarely do us Dive Masters get a snow day, but that is exactly what happened one morning last week. Let me start with; diving during a rainstorm is a treat. You are going to get wet no matter what, so why let precipitation deter you from a good time? To be completely unaffected by any elements, submerged, 10, 20, 40 feet under water, floating on your back, looking up as drops disrupt the surface in a static, white noise sort of manner, is a calming, novel experience. There are dangers associated with diving during a storm, though very few actually influence behaviour underwater. Instead it is the entry and exit from the boat during a storm where most accidents happen.

On this day, last week, the water and wind were consequently too rough to even consider a boat dive from any side of the island, so the morning boat was cancelled, leaving 8 dive masters and 4 instructors puttering around the shop. A movie on skills (sans popcorn) was turned on for review and all dive masters settled in. Not 35 minutes later, the instructors interrupt the movie and being yelling about a missing diver. We all quickly recognize the interruption as a drill and even quicker scatter like cockroaches being chased by a flame. The next 40 minutes evolved into what can only be described as mildly controlled chaos. The missing diver was eventually located but was unable to be resuscitated as her bottom time was well over 20 minutes. The supervising instructors were disappointed, but as we were all reminded by our newest DM from Switzerland, drills like the one we just bombed, are the reason we all become better, as individuals and as a team. Rather than thash out every error we made, I’m going to isolate and highlight the correct response to an emergency which is an important refresher for all divers of any level.

Missing Diver/Search + Rescue

1.       Assess the Situation

a.       Before anyone moves in any direction, assign a lead. No matter what the conditions, you will be working as a team, but it is far less confusing and much more efficient to know who is delegating tasks and who should be aware of all information passing through.

b.      Collect all information. Who is missing, Where were they last seen, When were they last seen, What are they wearing, How much air did they have left, Why did they go missing?

2.       Create a Plan

Denver using proactive teaching techniques

a.       The DM’s were informed of the missing diver in a classroom where we were watching a movie. We had a white board, multiple maps, a spine board, emergency oxygen, first aid, and various other useful tools, which you can be sure none of us took advantage of, because in the excitement we all just bolted for our equipment. What we should have done was draw the search area/dive site on the white board, and assign teams and search patterns.

b.      Assign roles to your team.  There were 8 of us. Perfect for one snorkel team of two, two scuba teams of two and one team of two to stay on land. Discuss search patterns, recall signals if a team finds the diver, assign gear, compasses and have the land team put emergency services on standby while checking the missing diver’s hotel on the off chance they have surfaced and gone home.

 

3.       Implement

Sean successfully applying CPR

a.       After this crucial first and second step, MOVE! Time is crucial for increased survival rates. Get your gear and get to the water. Have one more meeting before entering the water to ensure everyone is clear on the plan, or to accommodate any changes.

b.      Communicate! When you create a plan stick to it. The easiest mistake to make is to become an independent member and abandon your team with dreams of becoming a hero.

Anthony tells Sean a secret once recovered

c.       Depending on the diver’s condition when found, the recovery standards will differ. The most experienced EFR trainee should work on the patient until EMS arrives.

At the end of the day, we all learned that you cannot succeed without the cooperation and help of your team. We became stronger as a group and will definitely be carrying this lesson into many other experiences.

Rescue Rain Day narrated by Chloe
We would love to have you come dive with us!
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Caribbean reef fish of Roatan

Caribbean Reef fish we see whilst scuba diving.

Here are some photographs of just some of the variety of caribbean fish we have here in Roatan, Honduras. The location of these shots are mostly taken in dive sites ranging from Pablo’s to Spooky Channel. How many can you identify? If you haven’t done so already, ask to do a fish identification dive and one of the instructors will go through with you, the best techniques for finding and learning as many fish as possible.

All photographs are taking by the talented Alex Harper-Graham find more photos by clicking the link www.alexandrahbphotography.com

a close up of a fish

Some of these fish can be spotted swimming amongst the beautiful mesoamerican reef, and the others are more shy and hide in the coral and take cover from predators.

a close up of a fish

As the staff are busy looking for exotic features and creatures for you, safety is still our first concern with our customers making sure we do air checks when needed and not to worry if you run low on air, we always have a divemaster intern that will assist your safety stop and buddy with you back to the ladder.

a close up of a fish
a close up of a fish

Be sure to follow us next week on an adventure, we haven’t been able to promote funday friday lately because of weather issues.  Next week will be worth waiting for, make sure to follow along…….  happy bubbles from CTD

We would love to have you come dive with us!
For more info on Coconut Tree Divers, schedules, courses, and pricing head to our homepage HERE!
To make a reservation head to our online reservation page HERE!

Scuba diving amongst Hawksbill turtles in Roatan.

a turtle swimming under water
All photos courtesy of www.alexandrahbphotography.com

The hawksbill sea turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) is a critically endangered sea turtle belonging to the family Cheloniidae. It is the only extant species in the genus Eretmochelys. The species has a worldwide distribution, with Atlantic and Indo-Pacific subspecies.

a turtle swimming under water

The hawksbill’s appearance is similar to that of other marine turtles. In general, it has a flattened body shape, a protective carapace, and flipper-like limbs, adapted for swimming in the open ocean. E. imbricata is easily distinguished from other sea turtles by its sharp, curving beak with prominent tomium, and the saw-like appearance of its shell margins. Hawksbill shells slightly change colors, depending on water temperature.

a turtle swimming under water
a turtle swimming under water
a close up of a turtle

While this turtle lives part of its life in the open ocean, it spends more time in shallow lagoons and coral reefs. The World Conservation Union, primarily as a result of Human fishing practices, classifies E. imbricata as critically endangered.[1] Hawksbill shells were the primary source of tortoiseshell material used for decorative purposes. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species outlaws the capture and trade of hawksbill sea turtles and products derived from them.

We would love to have you come dive with us!
For more info on Coconut Tree Divers, schedules, courses, and pricing head to our homepage HERE!
To make a reservation head to our online reservation page HERE!

Macro photography diving – top tip to find the small stuff

Today, was a clear, sunny and typically warm day in Roatan. The diving was also clear, warm water and little current, a perfect day of searching for the little critters underwater. Go slow and you’ll always find more.

Macro tip of the week, look for Sailfin Blennies in sandy areas. Their little black or white heads will generally be seen in an isolated coral head on the sand. If you’re lucky and patient you might even see them fully come out of the hole and display their amazing dorsal fin.

a close up of a fish
Sailfin Blenny, Deep Turtle Crossing Dive Site Photo courtesy of Alexandra Harper-Graham www.alexandrahbphotography.com
We would love to have you come dive with us!
For more info on Coconut Tree Divers, schedules, courses, and pricing head to our homepage HERE!
To make a reservation head to our online reservation page HERE!

End of the week Sunset Cruise with family and friends.

a group of people posing in front of a body of water
Photos courtesy of www.alexandrahbphotography.com

And so ends another week of diving at the shop.  The weather started with a short two day storm which we fled to Flowers Bay for some south side diving. By Wednesday we were back diving in west end enjoying dive sites like Texas, Hole in the Wall, Peters Place, and Bears Den.  To end every week we have Funday Friday, a customer appreciation day with sunset drinks, fishing, music, dancing, and shenanigans with all the dive staff. 

a group of people posing for the camera

Looks like were off to the south side on sunday….. booooooooo…. However we are keeping the big boat over in Las Palmas for the week, which means we are diving Marys Place, 40 ft point, Mr bud wreck, Prince Albert wreck, Valley of the Kings, and many more… 

Potlicker will then stay in Flowers Bay for the open water courses and DSD,s for the week.  Be sure to come down and check out at the wave action at our friend Daryls resort, Lands End..  Amazing views and cheap beer!!

a group of people sitting posing for the camera
a group of people posing for a picture next to a body of water
a group of people posing for the camera
an island in the middle of a body of water
Outta here, see ya!!
We would love to have you come dive with us!
For more info on Coconut Tree Divers, schedules, courses, and pricing head to our homepage HERE!
To make a reservation head to our online reservation page HERE!

License to kill!!!!!

Chantal and Rachel slaying lunch

Ever since we arrived on the island, Chantal and I knew we wanted our Lionfish licenses. Although they are pretty, in the Caribbean, Lionfish are an invasive species. There are a number of theories on how they arrived from the Indopacific, but no matter who or what is to blame, Lionfish are a problem in Roatan. They have no natural predators, voracious appetites, and a strong resilience to environmental factors allowing them to easily spread through the Caribbean and beyond. Our licenses were obtained through the Roatan Marine Park, the NGO responsible for protecting over 941 hectares of coastline and sea surrounding our island. Although the license was 50 dollars (a little pricey for a DMT) We knew our money was largely a donation to the Marine Park, and when you have a passion for diving, supporting local conservation efforts is a no brainer.

Plus, they gave us spears!

After we watched the video https://youtu.be/yRjs78-5F-Yand had a short talk with Nic, the Marine Infrastructure Coordinator, we headed out to the sand patch to prove our worth! The harvest of lionfish is important for the health of the reef, however the irresponsible use of spears could potentially be worse. Bad buoyancy and missed shots risk hits to the coral, damaging thousands of years of growth.  So before we were able to head out and hunt we had to prove to Nic that we were capable. He provided us with a number of coconuts so we could get a feel for the action of our spears. After we were comfortable he set up a ‘pretend’ reef and placed the coconuts in small alcoves (where lionfish typically hang out), and we KILLED those coconuts!

 I think even Nic was surprised.

With our licenses to kill, Chantal and I can’t wait to join the fight for the control of lionfish in Roatan. The free ceviche doesn’t hurt either!

We would love to have you come dive with us!
For more info on Coconut Tree Divers, schedules, courses, and pricing head to our homepage HERE!
To make a reservation head to our online reservation page HERE!