Nut case: Diving with Bull Sharks

Gearing up @ Tank-Ha dive shop

It’s safe to say not everyone desires to intentionally dive @ 90 feet with big Bull Sharks. I got to thinking what a nut case I am, hanging on to a safety line at depth, looking around 360 degrees to hang out with a bunch of carnivorous sharks.

From our dive boat, we descended a secure vertical line to the bottom, then crossed hand over hand to a horizontal line along the sandy bottom, hanging on to avoid being swept away by the strong current. During the dive briefing our dive master, Boris, was very adamant that if any of our group of 5 let go of the line and drifted off, we’d all have to abort the dive and miss our shark experience. Diving with the bull sharks is highly regulated, for good reasons: Stay tightly together and follow all instructions. No problem.  

I had a couple of pre-dive issues (my Nitrox tank didn’t get transferred onto the boat, my air hose wouldn’t connect to my buoyancy compensator and once I back rolled into the water with my gear on, the current was so strong I couldn’t make way past the boat to the safety float). So not a good way to start a dive of this nature. Boris addressed the issues and ensured I was OK before we descended – she was super calm and did a great job. I descended slowly, eager, anxious and trying not to suck up my air too quickly.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bull_shark

It was a spectacular experience. Several ~ 8’ – 9’ sharks cruised by including a mom and baby. Their dark gray masses contrasted beautifully against the white sandy bottom and the intense blue water. Our 30 minutes were up too soon. We ascended slowly up and away from the sharks and into the deep blue, that special experience already just a memory.

watermaker membrane prep

Backtrack to Mazatlán

installing the watermaker

installing a pump and wiring

We arrived in Mazatlán on December 1^st and Pura Vida was happily bobbing in the slip at Marina Mazatlán awaiting our arrival. Luis had kept an eye on the boat for us, and all was well. The humidity is intense here (most mornings start at 99%) so moisture, mold and heat can and do cause damage and problems. We have been working on … boat projects and having fun these past 2 months. I haven’t posted any stories because really, who wants to read about work. But here are few photos that demonstrate Mike’s boat yoga and mechanical skills.

head rebuild

installing the exhaust fan

Lest you think it’s all work, we’ve been having a great time hanging out with friends, exploring Mazatlán on Sundays (our day to take a break) and enjoying the holidays and winter in the sunshine. After weeks of boat stuff, Mike was ready for a break. Since we were anxious to dive again, the Caribbean coast beckoned and we decided on Playa del Carmen. We dove there in 2006 and 2018 so it was time for another visit.

2 classical concerts in Mazatlan

We flew to Cancun and taxied an hour south to the tourist mecca that is Playa del Carmen. It’s a loud, bustling place full of hustlers hawking everything from tours to T shirts to pot. With Mike’s ponytail, we often get offers of drugs (“hey long hair, don’t care”…they’d call after him since he ignored them).

every flight routes through Mexico City- off to Cancun

We arranged for 10 dives with Tank-Ha, the same dive shop as previously, and as repeat customers, we enjoyed 10% discount, free rental equipment and free Nitrox. For non-divers, Nitrox offers a higher level of oxygen to reduce fatigue when doing multiple dives.

funky but perfect - Santuario Playa Hotel

Bonus, the new dive shop location was literally a one-minute walk from our hotel, separated by a sex shop, massage parlor, pharmacy and OXXO (ubiquitous mini marts on every block - kind of like Starbucks in the US). Plus, the added interest of a shop being built out, Enzo’s Lavanderia (read on: there’s a story there).

cool staircase - not at our hotel

We selected Santuario Playa, a quaint, older bright pink hotel. Truly funky but functional, and a large apartment with room to relax and dry our dive gear. The location is great: right off 5^th Avenue, the main drag where the action is; near the shop and the beach. However, the music was so loud on the first night, we requested a room change. Score! The new room was so much better (no plumbing smells, a cushion on the concrete couch, better wall mural, views and several more items in working order). 

The Diving

One of the things I like about diving is the international community, encountered everywhere you go. We had dive masters from Uruguay, Argentina, Spain and Mexico - they each offer their experiences and sense of humor plus skills to enrich our dive excursions. They also know how to find the good stuff since they ‘know’ the reefs and dive sites. Divers we were with hailed from Austria, Trinidad and Tobago, Germany, France, Canada and the US. And that was just our little groups!

sculpture near the bus station at Playa del Carmen

beautiful tile work

There are often strong currents on the mainland side where Playa is and stronger currents on the walls and reefs on the island of Cozumel. So when you drop into the water, you start your journey at the surface and truck along – there’s no going back or stopping to check out a cool fish, shrimp or coral. And once again, stay with your group for safety. Our groups were between 3 and 6 plus the dive master.

welcome camel at the Turkish taco shop

The reefs are teaming with fish, thankfully, and we encountered many schools of fish – some probably 1000 and others, 100 fish. Since some of the dive sites are nature preserves, we’d see some pretty large specimens – giant lobsters, huge hermit crab, angel fish, parrot fish, box fish and so much more. On the large species, we saw lots of sting rays and other rays, eels, turtles, an amazing spotted eagle ray and a nurse shark. And in the tiny category, arrow and other types of shrimp, blue tangs – and the lists go on. They were good dives.

tequila tasting shops are everywhere - no thanks!

The weather was remarkably cooler, and the locals shared that this was the coldest it’s been in 20 years. That required wearing more gear above and below the waterline.

Enjoying a refreshing Pisco Sour

One day as we walked to a watch shop to get a new battery for Mike’s dive computer, we passed a sign that beckoned: when life gives you lemons, make a Pisco Sour. We chatted with the nice Peruvian owner and promised we’d be back. We enjoyed our tasty dinner at that tiny Peruvian restaurant on Pisco Sour day! We discovered Pisco Sours from our “evil neighbors” at the moorage, so we had to stop when we saw the sign in Playa.

Enzo’s Lavanderia

We walked daily past a storefront being built out and noticed an artsy mural at the entrance of a guy and a bunch of bubbles. We stopped to try and figure out the message, long enough for the guy represented in the mural to come out and welcome us in – it was Enzo. Same glasses, same hair, a good rendition. He explained he is creating a high- end laundry – we didn’t figure out what the offerings were going to be, except there was a foosball table in the empty salon. And the mural painter was busily creating yet another fabulous mural with spray paint cans, standing on scaffolding. He stopped long enough to wave as we congratulated him on his artistry!

Creating another mural at Enzo's

Enzo's Lavanderia 

Enzo offered us his biz card and entry passes to a beach resort where you can hang out for the day on rental chaise lounge chairs, under umbrellas sipping your beverage of choice. That turned out to be the perfect way to spend our last day – we had to decompress after diving for 5 days so why not relax? We’d walked a zillion miles over the course of that week so a dry and somewhat sedentary day was just the ticket.

Now we are back in Mazatlán, finishing up some projects and we hope to head south this week. Not sure yet where we’ll go.

But today is Carnaval here and Mazatlán boasts one of the most famous and large in the world so off we go to take the bus and wander around town, waiting for the estimated 4 hour parade this evening. Wish us well on that crowded outing!

iguanas at the marina- this 3.5' guy got on our boat!

marina sunset - life is good even when working