Thumb Rock, Cooper Island, BVI			N 18° 22.1', W 64° 30.4'
Dive Number 145		Buddy Maddy	Surface temp mild	Starting pressure 3000psi
Depth 54ft	Visibility excellent	Time 43m	Water temp 26°C	Ending pressure 1100psi
Notes:	Martin opted out of this extra afternoon dive, but I had heard great things, and was keen to get to another site I hadn't seen, so elected to join Maddy for an afternoon swim around "Thumb Rock" named for the appearance of the reef popping out from the bottom like a hitch hiker's thumb. The rock lived up to its reputation, treating us to plenty of fish, a fleeting view of a Southern ray, a turtle [pictured], and a goliath grouper measuring about a metre and a half at least!

Indian Head Rock, Pelican Island, BVI			N 18° 19.7', W 64° 37.6'
Dive Number 144		Buddy Martin	Surface temp mild	Starting pressure 3000psi
Depth 49ft	Visibility excellent	Time 51m	Water temp 24°C	Ending pressure 1200psi
Notes:	In addition to the divers, all other passengers on the boat came out for this great snorkeling site. The usual parrotfish, tang, yellowfin, and small reef fish were all in abundance, and there were also swimthrough opportunities, and a small cave, which was filled with a school of interesting looking little fish. Do you know what they were? Here's a picture of the scenery with no particular fish featured.

Santa Monica Rock, Norman Island, BVI			N 18° 18.1', W 64° 38.1'
Dive Number 143		Buddy Martin	Surface temp mild	Starting pressure 3000psi
Depth 61ft	Visibility excellent	Time 46m	Water temp 25°C	Ending pressure 1100psi
Notes:	Santa Monica Rock is one of the best diving sites we visit on the Cuan Law. I have realized that I won't be effectively able to track surface temperature this week (I look up on weather websites while at home), I'm sure no one cares about that except me. This dive, Maddy was followed around by a curious queen triggerfish. I found a bloody great lobster under a coral (although lobsters ended up being more common - even during the day - than I anticipated, and also I used the pinchy "crab" sign instead of the bullhorn on forehead "lobster" sign). There was also a honeycomb cowfish here.

Kelly's Cove, Norman Island, BVI			N 18° 19.5', W 64° 37.4'
Dive Number 142		Buddy Martin	Surface temp 22°C	Starting pressure 3000psi
Depth 44ft	Visibility excellent	Time 45m	Water temp 23°C	Ending pressure 1500psi
Notes:	Martin, Maddy and I returned to the site of our afternoon dive for a return visit by darkness before supper. The site still had plenty of fish, but we had the good fortune to spy a medium (~15") octopus [pictured]. One (or more?) large tarpin seemed interested in the lights as well. When we surfaced we sat down for a dinner of grilled duck with a raspberry pomegranate sauce, served with garlic mash, green beans and strawberry tart for dessert. This is going to be a great week!

Kelly's Cove, Norman Island, BVI			N 18° 19.5', W 64° 37.4'
Dive Number 141		Buddy Martin	Surface temp 23°C	Starting pressure 3000psi
Depth 52ft	Visibility excellent	Time 53m	Water temp 26°C	Ending pressure 1200psi
Notes:	I was shocked to find that there were only seven passengers on the Cuan Law this week, and was shocked a second time to learn that Martin and I were the only two divers in the group. This means that all week long, we'll be diving in the company of just each other and our talented divemaster, Maddy (who herself is from Whistler). On our checkout dive, Martin and I demonstrated we could recover our regulators and breathe from each other's secondary air supply. Then we took a short tour of the reef, saw lots of fish, a few arrow crabs, a sea turtle, and this remarkably geometric mollusc [pictured] on a sea fan which I understand is a flamingo tongue snail.

Round Lake, South Frontenac ON			N 44° 24.9', W 76° 25.6'
Dive Number 140		Buddy Jason	Surface temp 17°C	Starting pressure 2000psi
Depth 33ft	Visibility good	Time 35m	Water temp 12°C	Ending pressure 1000psi
Notes:	After our first dive, Jason and I returned home, and quickly suited up for a second plunge in nearby Round Lake. Chandra made the short trip with us and provided moral support while we donned our cold and wet suits and prepared. The dive went smoothly, and a characteristically large school of sunfish was visible on the shoal with some perch and even a momentary glimpse of a large Northern pike. Fish scatter a little when two divers get too near, but this photo of Jason still gives some indication of how many sunfish tend to be there. After the dive, we drove to Siem Reap restaurant to order up some takeaway for supper.

Marine Museum Dry Dock, Kingston ON			N 44° 13.4', W 76° 28.2'
Dive Number 139		Buddy Jason	Surface temp 9°C	Starting pressure 3000psi
Depth 25ft	Visibility fair	Time 43m	Water temp 13°C	Ending pressure 1600psi
Notes:	Jason arrived for a visit and some diving for the day, and we ventured to the Brule Road Quarry for a morning dive, but when we found it closed and locked, we decided to join folks we knew at the Marine Museum where a pumpkin dive had been advertized. We were unprepared for any carving but were happy to explore the drydock: A few sunfash and bass were visible, as well as a single longnose gar (pictured). By the time we exited the water, most of the other divers were gone, so we adjourned to the Hoagie house for a bite to eat.

Treasure Hunt, Nicholson Point, ON			N 44° 12.3', W 76° 40.9'
Dive Number 138		Buddy Alex	Surface Temp 13°C	Starting pressure 3100psi
Depth 29ft	Visibility good	Time 31m	Water temp 12°C	Ending pressure 2000psi
Notes:	This year, for the treasure hunt, instead of sinking golf balls for us to find, the organizers sink thirty little plastic dinosaurs. I joined up with a new and enthusiastic club diver named Alex for a cool and gentle swim. About twenty divers participated, Alex and I emerged with animals numbered 7 and 9, and I was the winner of a fleece hoodie with Northern Tech Diver logo on it. A brief club meeting ensued. I feel like I recognize fewer and fewer people in the club, but it was still a fun outing.

Dead Man's Bay, Kingston ON			N 44° 14.0', W 76° 26.9'
Dive Number 137		Buddy Jason	Surface temp 8°C	Starting pressure 1800psi
Depth 11ft	Visibility fair	Time 25m	Water temp 9°C	Ending pressure 1100psi
Notes:	Jason and I returned to the water for a second day of cold water diving. The weather today was chillier, so entry and exit were less comfortable. I once again used the calving gloves that I tried yesterday, this time underneath my neoprene gloves. Some water still got in, but I think they worked better than yesterday. I had the gruesome sight of a fox that appeared to have drowned, possibly entangled in some lines. Thankfully, Jason and I also enjoyed seeing a couple of painted turtles, one of which is featured in this video. After warming up, we lunched at Five Guys Burgers and Fries. Happiness!

Round Lake, South Frontenac ON			N 44° 24.9', W 76° 25.6'
Dive Number 136		Buddy Jason	Surface temp 13°C	Starting pressure 3000psi
Depth 36ft	Visibility fair	Time 33m	Water temp 7°C	Ending pressure 1800psi
Notes:	The good news is that I remembered a few things for today's dive in Round Lake that I have been meaning to try for a while. I have been hoping to photograph the abundance of fish that usually congregate in the shoal, and I also have been meaning to try using the calving gloves I got to try and keep my hands dry (and hopefully warm) in the cold water. The calving gloves were a bust - they punctured when I was pulling my fins on. As for the camera, there were no fish to see, but at least you can see how charming a diver looks with calving gloves on! Also I forgot to mention: It was really cold.