Well it took a while to write up a blog post to compliment this video. There's just been a lot of paperwork and printing logistics surrounding finishing my thesis, but now I've found some inspiration to write about how much I love Kaze Jima as a dive site.
It is surely not an easy dive. Depending on which way the tide is flowing, the first 20 mins is just surface swimming to either end of the island against the current. Its a slog. but once you reach the tip, you drop down and are met with a flurry of suzumedai that just surround you. being in the middle of such a school of fish just mesmerizing you. I definitely dropped the camera for a moment to take it all in. perhaps I lost a beautiful shot by doing such a thing, but I learned that that's why I couldn't be a professional videographer. Once I see something truly awe inspiring, I can't focus on framing a shot, I just want to soak in the moment.
That's what I feel every time I dive this location. It is a place where the fish there don't know to fear scuba divers. We had a group of juvenile ishidai swim up to us on our safety stop. While we were resting after our ~25m dive, that group of 50 or so fish swam around us for the entire time. Perhaps they were intrigued by our bubbles. Perhaps they thought we would attract food. who knows. Tajima san (pictured above) may be the one to figure out why that species of fish is so curious. Yet, they are a species that connects with us aliens roaming in their environment and are as curious as we are. I'm sure his research will elucidate such intricacies in their inter- and intraspecific behavior.
Since this was the first dive in a while where a safety stop was necessary, I got an opportunity to blow some bubble rings again after so many years. It use to be a party trick I would show scuba students in the pool sessions at UC Santa Cruz. But this day... conditions were so calm I was able to do it in open water. I was happy to know I still knew the tongue and lip technique to do it. Thanks Dad for teaching me such a neat trick.
Cheers to you dive buddies for asking me to go exploring. Cheers to many more dives in the future where we can take in the wonder of the underwater world around us and simply explore. Cheers.
Songs:
Walkin' & Wonderin' by Rudemanners
Horario by Jaeden Camstra
