Getting close to the sea

Not everyone has the opportunity to see the Great Barrier Reef of Australia or to visit the clear waters around Pango Pango. There are opportunities to visit sea life and clear salt waters closer to home and have fun doing it as well. One of my favorite places is Disney World in Florida where you can experience dolphins up close and personal on a 3 hour tour in Epcot. The tour is called Dolphins in Depth. You can ask the trainers questions and have an chance to swim with the dolphins under the guidance of the trainers. You must be at least 13 years old to do so.

Another chance to swim with the fish is also at Disney World during the Epcot DiveQuest where you will don scuba gear and dive into their 5 million gallon salt water tank containing reefs and fish. You must be scuba certified to participate in this experience. You will swim with dolphins, sharks, rays and over 6,000 other fish. Disney World supplies all the equipment except a swim suit.

If you are not scuba certified then there is yet another chance with the Seas Aqua tour. This 2.5 hours of fun lets you swim on the surface of the giant salt water tank with the fish without diving under. You are still in with the sharks and dolphins so it is also like being out in the ocean but the water is clearer and you have a guide with you.

If you haven't already gotten your summer vacation planned out yet go get your Disney World Tickets and take a dip in with the fish.

Cold water and fish

Did you know that cold, almost frozen water causes fish to hibernate? During the cold months of the year when water temperatures drop to 40 degrees or less, fish stop eating as much food and their growth slows down. The cold water acts like an appetite suppressant for fish. That is also one of the main reasons why bait fishing is not very successful in winter months. That is something I learned while working at the fish hatchery.

Sunken treasure

If it was not for the glamor of striking it rich by diving for sunken treasures many people would not even be thinking of taking up scuba diving. Now what these weekend treasure hunters don't realize it that many of the ships that carried gold bullion have already been claimed by governments or private salvage companies. Taking treasures from them are stealing and some times federal offenses.

What the hobbyist scuba diving treasure hunter is looking for is that undiscovered sunken treasure. They might not find gold bullion but they might find diamond engagement rings or a case of smuggled rubies. It is not only the old ships that contained treasures but the modern day yachts and ships that go down with something valuable on board.

The perfect dive watch

A diving watch should be much more than just waterproof to a certain depth. It should be able to log your dives, be able to be read under water, measure depth and duration of dive, measure water temperature and of course have a nice long warranty.

Here is my ideal diving watch, a Citizen JV0030-19F Diving Watch.


It does all that and more. The price tag is just under $500 but for what it does it is well worth the price. You can find it at the same site that sells bulova watches.

If you have a diver in the family it would make a great gift.

My home decor

I wish I could tell you that I live in a magnificent property overlooking the waves on an unpolluted shoreline. That is just pure fantasy. I do live in a nice home that is unfortunately a 1 hour drive from the coast and the only water nearby is the creek that runs through the property in the back that I can't see from the house because of the dense underbrush.

To bring a bit of the ocean into my home I decorated the main bathroom last year with tropical fish. The walls are a light blue and ceramic schools of brightly colored fish hang on the walls. Of course I added the matching towels and rugs but that was as far as it went. I did not get into finding bathroom faucets that looked like dolphins or anything like that.

When going into the room is reminds you of a trip under the sea. I did not add a fish tank that doubles as a sink like in the photo below. What will people think of doing next?

A fish light

I just happen to come across the lighting fixture photo above while doing a search on schools of fish. The photo was not on a page that told me anything about the light so I don't know if it is a one of a kind light or a production run. I do know that it would make a wonderful addition to a entrance way with a staircase near it. I wonder what kind of shadows the fixture would throw. If any one finds this in their local light fixture store just drop a comment and let me know what the asking price for it is.