Posted by Elaine on May 04, 2005 at 14:16:42:
In Reply to: Belated comments on Elaine’s & Max B.’s last dive reports +IMAX film posted by Dick Analog on May 04, 2005 at 13:48:51:
I've figured out where bat rays are likely to be on many of the dive sites. (I also have some chance encounters).
1. If you are on a dive and see an area over the sand with greatly decreased visibility, don't automatically assume that it is other divers. Chances are good that bat rays are there looking for food. Head into the stirred up area and check the bottom for bat rays.
2. When you are over the sand and don't know if bat rays are around, cruise slowly just a few inches off the bottom and it will sometimes get their attention and they will come to you. They get the idea that you are feeding on something that they might like when you do this. If it doesn't work, give up after about 5 minutes - they just aren't near by or aren't interested.
3. Pick the tank spot next to where the fish are cleaned on the boat. Some of the odor seems to collect on your BC and that helps too. I unexpectedly got a huge bat ray hug one day due to this. (Fortunately, so far Lucy and her sisters haven't found me).
When the Pac Star blew down wind the crew had the presence of mind to pull up my dive tracker along with everything else that they had to deal with. When I tried to get a reading on the boat during the dive I couldn't pick up a signal. I thought that either the transmitter battery had died or that I had gone a lot further than I thought and the boat was out of range. It was a little disorienting. So, I just went a little shallower and picked a likely spot for a safe assent. The thought that the boat had moved never occurred to m