Posted by: LBR Crew in Untagged on
Jan 30, 2012
Water Temp: 78F
Boat: Another Time
Crew: Captain Wagner & DM Adam
The Whalesharks are back! Wait. Stop. Let's not get ahead of ourselves - first things first. After our Sunday morning checkout dive we headed over to the Labyrinth, a favorite dive site, where Adam found a Lettuce Sea Slug while weaving his way back through the swim -throughs and valleys that the site is named for. On Tuesday the group was graced by an Eagle Ray during the morning dive at West End, and we found our first sea horse of the week at Big Rock. During the afternoon dive at, as Adam so lovingly calls it, "sticy outy one" we saw parrot fish spawning. And then Tuesday, Tuesday was the day, the day we saw Dolphins on our way out to Raggedy Caye. And the day we saw a WHALESHARK. It was after our second dive on the North side and we were the only boat around and our captain, Wagner, spotted the boil. When we went over to check it out, sure enough there was a 25 foot whale shark. Other highlights of the week were: an octopus out playing during the night dive, 2 purple sea goddesses stuck together at Duppy Waters, a couple of stingrays and 2 more sea horses.
Posted by: LBR Crew in Untagged on
Dec 25, 2011
This Week at LBR:
Crew: Captain Wagner & Dive Master Bel & Instructor Megan on the Another Time
Visibility: North Side 100+ feet, South Side 55 feet
Temperature: Air 81 degrees F; Water 79 degrees F
Wetsuit: Recommended 3mm long+
This week we welcomed back two returning guests, and they brought their kids along this time! After they looked through their log book from when they were here last, we knew they had set a high standard. Day one didn't disappoint: four pipe fish, two seahorses, a rare gaudy clown crab, a turtle and an eagleray! Monday delivered an oddity for Utila diving - a roaring current at Raggedy Caye gave us a proper drift dive. Then, the afternoon dive was delayed a few minutes by the pod of spinner dolphins we encountered along the way. Tuesday brought three more eaglerays, more pipefish, and a dozen squid. At Westend on Wednesday the visibility was amazing and we spotted moray eels, a scorpion fish, and atlantic spadefish. On Thursday we made the trip around to Turtle Harbour for a change of scenery and not much needs to be said but BEAUTIFUL! Friday the request was for a seahorse and squid, and we delivered both on the first dive, along with a lettuce sea slug. A big congratulations to Marc for becoming an Open Water Diver and Adam, who worked his way up to the Advanced Open Water + Nitrox - we know there will be plenty of fun family diving vacations in your future!
Until next time, Your LBR Dive Crew
Posted by: LBR Crew in Untagged on
Dec 16, 2011
Crew: Captain Wagner, Dive Master Adam, Instructor Megan on the Show Time
Temperature: Water 78 degrees F
Wetsuit: 3mm Long
Unfortunately the rain and wind that delayed the departure of half the Mermet Springs group stayed with us most of the week - stirring up the vis and restricting our dive site choices. However, Black Hills was its usual lovely self delivering a swimming green eel, schools of jacks, spade fish and and unusually massive ball of creole wrasse. Not to mention the pod of 30+ dolphins we saw on our boat ride back to the resort. Other exciting spots for the week include a spotted eagle ray, stingrays, and 3 octopus on Thursday's night dive.
Of course, the big fish are always memorable - but Utila has some amazing miniature creatures as well. This week we spotted the usual: decorated crabs, seahorses, headshield slugs and sailfin blennies. And some exciting rare finds: a pair of harlequin pipefish and a first time spot of a juvenile scrawled filefish.
On Friday the seas calmed down allowing us to get around to the north side where the visibility was great - and what better way to end our week of diving than two north side dives and a turtle!
Congratulations to Clyde and Darlene on finishing their Open Water certification, we know you'll be diving for years to come and will remember us every time you clear your masks. Sarah, great job on your Advanced Open Water course, remember, the compass is your friend! Mike, we hope you will enjoy those extended bottom times now that you are a Nitrox diver.
Until next time, Your LBR Dive Crew
Posted by: LBR Crew in Untagged on
Dec 16, 2011
Crew: Captain Wagner & Dive Master Adam on the Show Time
Captain Kerry & Dive Master Bel on the Another Time
Captain Chuck & Dive Master Saby on the Island Time / Over Time
Visibility: North Side 80+ feet, South Side 55 feet
Temperature: Water 78-79 degrees F
Wetsuit: Recommended 3mm long
The divers and crew of Mermet Springs decided that it was getting too cold in Illinois and invaded us at Laguna Beach Resort. With them they brought 33 divers, 5 kids, 3 non-diving spouses and 1 babysitter! The resort was buzzing and we all enjoyed it.
On land the kids enjoyed hunting for crabs, searching for iguanas, feeding the resident eels off the dock and exploring the island on four wheelers with their parents. The adults were usually found enjoying the pool, reading a book in the club house, walking the beach and enjoying the town of Utila.
In the water for some of the group that had never experiend ocean-diving it took awhile to get used to that salt water taste, but once they did they loved the colorful reefs and fishes. Others enjoyed their first night dives under the watchful eye of their diveshop instructor. Even the most experienced divers thought it was great when they found a nurse shark, squid and a spotted eagle ray on our house reef during their "drop-off" dive, and everyone got a kick out of the swim-throughs at Labyrinth and airport caves.
Until next time, Your LBR Dive Crew
Posted by: LBR Crew in Untagged on
Sep 19, 2011
Crew: Captain Wagner & Dive Master Adam on the Show Time
Captain Kerry & Dive Master Sheenah on the Another Time
Captain Chuck & Dive Master Juju on the Island Time
Visibility: North Side 80+ feet, South Side 55 feet
Temperature: Air 90-94 degrees F; Water 86-88 degrees F
Wetsuit: Recommended 1mm, skin or rash guard.
It was an amazing, action packed week at LBR. After some quiet weeks of diving, we were happy to welcome all 22 SODA divers, 7 with the Gould Group and we can't forget about the return of Billy and Denise! Sunday morning set the standard...as we were loading the boats and getting everyone organized, the rain began! Rain greeted us daily, either while still on the dock or during our boat ride, but the diving was still wonderful. All 3 boats traveled around the island's best dive sites, stopping at the cayos for a walk about or even lunch and spending multiple surface intervals with a pod of 100+ spinner dolphins. Some of the weeks diving highlights were 13 juvenile seahorses, toadfish, stargazer, a juvenile and mature lesser electric ray, 2 nurse sharks, 4 spotted eagle rays, 12 lionfish RIP and a plethora of green and spotted morays. We also enjoyed the spectacular topography of sites like Duppy Waters and what seems like its bottomless coral wall, the long coral shoots at The Maze, the caves and swim-throughs at Airport Caves and the beautiful and fish filled Black Hills, an off shore sea mound. Guests also had fun spending evenings in Utila's town, joining the locals to celebrate Honduras' Independence Day at the ocean front bar Tranquila and the foam party at La Pirata. So much fun was had by all, a good nights sleep is needed! Thanks to everyone for making this a memorable week.
Until next time, Your LBR Dive Crew