Showing posts with label Cool underwater stuff. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cool underwater stuff. Show all posts

Saturday 19 March 2016

Just another beautiful dive at one of Curacao's most beautiful reefs...

... ours :)


A nice, short, sweet post today: grab a cup of coffee, turn up the volume and enjoy this beautiful dive on Pierbaai Reef, Marie Pampoen:)




Need more? There's plenty here:

The closest you can get to being here, without being here...


Want to be here? Get planning:

Come on down!


 More reasons to be here will just keep on coming,
so don't miss out:

click to get each new Blog post delivered direct to your Inbox.

#divecuracao #divebus #pierbaaireef #PADI #scubadiving #divingcuracao #www.thedivebus.com

Friday 12 February 2016

Add a little sunshine to your day :)


Check out the new Coffee Break videos
on The Dive Bus YouTube Channel.

Short, sweet, fun videos, 
less than a cup of coffee long, 
filled with sunshine
and things to make you smile.


It's the closest you can get to being here, 
without being here.






Enjoy :)



Friday 15 January 2016

Goodness gracious, GREAT balls of fish!


"A bait ball occurs when small fish swarm in a tightly packed spherical formation about a common centre. 

It is a last-ditch defensive measure adopted by small schooling fish when they are threatened by predators."
(en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bait_ball)

Schooling fish are always pretty cool to see on a dive.


But when hundreds or thousands of fish join together to form a giant bait ball, it's an incredibly cool and amazing thing to see on a dive.

The sheer number of eyes, the flashing of light reflected from the fishes scales, seemingly random and super-fast changes of direction: all these combine specifically to distract and confuse larger, hungry, predator fish - and amaze and delight divers.

And we've been amazed and delighted a lot these last couple of months by this:





How come...?

Here in Curacao, there's an abundance of "fish food" floating around in the ocean from August-ish to October-ish, as a result of the coral, sponge and algae spawning. Not surprisingly, this coincides with an abundance of fish. (Ain't Mama Nature clever?) 

We're lucky to see 'gangs' of blue tangs and creole wrasse cruising the top of the reefs pretty much all year round. But from October-ish through December-ish, there's almost always a large, resident bait ball of Big Eye Scad on the Dive Bus house reef, Pierbaai and over Car Pile. And this year's has been the largest we can recall. Ever.

The baitball hangs out until December-ish which is usually when the local fishermen drop their nets into the water and make their money for the Christmas holidays and New Years celebrations. They sell kilos and kilos of freshly caught and cleaned "masbangu" to never-ending lines of excited, eager cooks. 

And the 'cleaned' parts of the fish are thrown back into the ocean to feed the ones that got away. 

This time.

(The baitball in the video is still here as we write this - guess the fisherman were on vacation this year...) 



http://www.seachoice.org/
According to The SeaChoice Program, Big Eye Scad are a sustainable fish that you can enjoy without depleting natural resources.

Here for more info for our Canadian fish-lovin' buddies.


#baitball #divecuracao #coralspawning #thedivebus #scuba #dive #curacao

Friday 23 October 2015

Need a fix of fun, sun and scuba but can't leave your desk?

We've got just the thing.



The Dive Bus YouTube movie channel
has been overhauled.


So whether you need a fix of beautiful scuba diving, a good laugh at what else goes on in the daily life of a scuba instructor, or want to see what really happens on those Dive Bus does Bonaire trips, you got it.


Check out the new Dive Bus movie channels here:
(You may want to grab popcorn and a coke first.)

Super cool stuff on scuba, Curacao
Day in the life of a Dive Bus, Curacao scuba instructor

Simply beautiful diving, Curacao

 What happens on tour, stays on tour. Sometimes. 

Any excuse to celebrate - and you're invited :o)


 Got jealous friends, family or colleagues?
Show them how easy it is for them to dive toooooooo!

Start diving!



Are you one of the stars of The Dive Bus movies? Feel free to like and share your movies - and make your buddies and colleagues really jealous. (Try it, it's a lot of fun.)


And make sure you never miss the latest Dive Bus movie blockbuster releases, here.


And finally, for short, sweet clips for a quick smile, go here.

Or start planning your next trip to Curacao.







Thursday 8 October 2015

The damsel fish vs the octopus:

 where would you put your money?

Just a quick one today as we prepare for an imminent Pirate Invasion. (Keep an eye on facebook for photo proof and ridiculousness and wish us luck...)

Before you watch this fab video shot by one of our lovely Dive Bus divers on Pierbaai Reef, place your bet:





(Did you win?)

Friday 2 October 2015

The most amazing Curacao night dive EVER: anyone for pizza..?



Then you'll remember this guy: 

Photo courtesy of the amazing Starlette - thank you!

And none of us knew what the heck he (or she) was?

Well it took us a while to find out and you'll never guess what the answer is....?




.....Pleurobranchus Areolatus.
(Told you.)


Fortunately for the Pleurobranchus Areolatus, it's also known as an Atlantic Sidegill Slug or a Warty Side-Gilled slug.  

Whilst common to the Pacific coast of North and Central America, they're pretty rare and unusual in our neck of the woods (hence why this guy was such cause for excitement for us dive-nerds.) 

According to the slugsite.us website, apparently they can reach lengths up to 150cm in California and Brazil. We're really hoping this is a typo on their website, because you wouldn't want to meet a 5ft anything on the reef, in the dark, eh?

As if three monikers were not enough for the tiny little guy photographed on The Dive Bus Curacao reef (where things are apparently / fortunately smaller than California and Brazil) he's lately become more popularly known as the Pizza Crust sea slug

So there you go, it really was the most amazing Curacao night dive ever. We're hoping to match it during the second and final Coral spawning season of the year...

And if you don't hear from us for a while, it's because we did come across a 5ft Californian Warty Atlantic Sidegill Pizza Slug with a Brazilian accent, on a surfboard, wearing a thong.



Curacao Coral Spawning 2016

 #divebuscuracao #divecuracao #coralspawning #pizzacrustseaslug #wartysidegillslug #atlanticsidegillslug 

Saturday 5 September 2015

The most amazing Curacao night dive EVER. (Seriously.)


On the last day of spawning,
Neptune let us see:
2 batfish grinning
1 coral spawning
And a sea slug not in a pear tree :)

Oh, and an octopus that ratted on the super-cool sea slug's location.

And spiny lobsters, tons of brittle sea stars, a huge crab, loads of eels, heaps of banded coral shrimps - and before we even descended - a huge peacock flounder in Pierbaai Bay.

It was AWESOME!

Check out what we're talking about / photo-proof, courtesy of our awesome local diver and wonderful underwater photographer, Starlette:
 
NA NA NA NA, NA NA NA NA - Batfish! 
(A rough-backed batfish, in case you were wondering,
No he's not having a bad night, that's just how the
poor dude always looks.)

Starlet coral (no, really, that's its name) releasing eggs and sperm -
 
The octopus that gave up the sea slug.



The sea slug whose name you'll NEVER guess - or will you?
Keep an eye on our facebook page in the coming days
to post your best guess(es).

For more about Curacao coral spawning, check out:
And watch this space and our facebook page for more info / photos! 

Wow, wow, wow :)






#batfish #nightdivesincuracao #coralspawning #divecuracao #divingcuracao #thedivebus

Friday 28 August 2015

Smithsonian Institute discovers another brand new fish species in Curacao!

One of Dive Bus Mark's dreams has always been to discover a new type of fish. As the discoverer also has the honour of naming the fish, he already has the names lined up.

As a pretty major fish geek (kinda goes with the dive-shop-owner- territory), he thought he'd come close on a couple of occasions. But, as you're probably already aware, you still wont find the Dory or the Doris fish anywhere other than here at The Dive Bus.

 
Mark trying to sneak on board the sub. (Not very well.)
Fortunately for the world, some clever scientists from the Smithsonian Institute are also on the case.

Each summer for the past few years, Smithsonian scientists head to Curacao for several weeks, to spend their days hanging out on Curacao's reefs in a small, orange submarine, at depths up to 600 feet.

Hosted by the good people at Substation Curacao, the scientists' mission is to discover new marine life forms. And our wonderfully talented buddy, Barry Brown, has the honor of photographing these discoveries. 


(How cool are this? We're so proud of Mr Brown!)
Barry's photos are so beautiful that ten of them were released as a beautiful collection of stamps , as a "tribute to the outstanding collaboration between the Smithsonian Institution and Substation Curacao." (More info here.)



More info here
The latest clever scientists' discovery is their fourth new deep-reef fish species in two years: this cute little Goby. In recognition of the little sub that could (and still, quite clearly, can!), the new find has been named Coryphopterus curasub.

The Curasub goby is different in size and colouring from the rest of his family members. And since he likes to hang out at around 70-80 meters, unfortunately, not many of us regular divin' folk are likely to meet him whilst out and about on the Curacao reef.

Many congrats and thanks to all involved in this latest find - looking forward to hearing about the next new discovery. Perhaps they'll call that one Dory or Doris..? 





  
Mark hanging out on the Curasub - STILL didn't find new fish species...

Monday 25 May 2015

Start your day with a smile: diving ridiculousness in Curacao :)

In case you didn't already see these, here are some fun, short and sweet videos from your Dive Bus Curacao Crew to go with your morning coffee.

Turn up the volume before playing...

Enjoy! 

Taking the p*ss out of wetsuits...


The Dive Bus guide to 
blowing bubble rings


How an octopus starts his day in Curacao


The amazing disco-dancing Curacao Jawfish



Why eels don't smoke...




The NEW Dive Bus bus is born...


For HEAPS more videos from The Dive Bus, Curacao  
and sign up to ensure you don't miss out
when new movies are posted.

Enjoy:)




Sunday 25 January 2015

Start your week with a smile: ever wonder why eels don't smoke...?

Here's why.

(Watch it full screen or you'll miss the point - and it's short but fun so don't worry, you have time!)





Saturday 10 January 2015

The answers: what are the 3 MOST rare things to spot whilst diving in Curacao?

this video holds the answers:

(you may want to turn the volume down if you're watching this at work!)


 

The Dive Bus does... December 2015
in spectacular and suitably ridiculous style,
complete with funky soundtrack.

(Watch it, like it and share it quick, before U-2b take it down!)

Thanks to ALL the amazing stars
of this video - you ROCK!





*****************  SPOILER ALERT *****************


If you still didn't figure out what the 3 most rare spots are whilst diving in Curacao - or simply:

  • don't give a shoot

  • can't be bothered to watch the video 

  • don't want to be depressed by diving Curacao in December vs your December

  • all of the above


here are the correct answers:




1. Seahorse


2. Suzy, diving


3. Both of the above at the same time. 


What are the chances of 3. happening?



Check out the video for proof.

Tuesday 6 January 2015

Octopi rock.

(But can be taken out by a tiny damsel fish.)
(Which has got to suck.)


Of all the super-cool, amazing critters in the Caribbean waters of Curacao, the Caribbean Reef octopus has to be one of the coolest. 


SUPER hard to spot by recreational AND professional divers alike, octopus have an exceptional ability to suddenly change color and texture to blend in with their environment and escape predators - including other octopus and the most aggressive fish in our waters, the damsel*, whose attitude is a gazillion times larger than its body.

(*to date, the only marine critter to bite Suzy. Ever. Twice.)


The Caribbean Reef octopus has superlative cloaking skills any superhero would kill for - over and above those of their octopus relatives. 


That's because they possess more chromatophores (color-changing cells) than other types of octopus. Within seconds, they can flash an incredible range of hues from bright red to dark green to vivid blue, whilst simultaneously changing their skin texture from smooth through bumpy in the blink of an eye.


Not surprisingly, not much is known specifically about the Caribbean Reef octopus. Given their awesome cloaking techniques, the fact that they weigh an average of only 3 pounds and that they are noctornal hunters / feeders, the Caribbean Reef Octopus is even more difficult to study than it is to spot.


What is known is that, although very cool, they're not the most social of sea critters. They're fiercely protective of their personal lairs, fighting off other reef octopus that dare to venture too close, and scurrying away once they realise they've been spotted by ectastic scuba divers thrusting GoPros at them.

Speaking of which, check out this awesome GoPro video from Zoe at Tugboat just the other day:



The only time octopus play nicely with others is
mating time.


As with most males, when the mood is right, they engage in elaborate mating dances to entice the hot, sexy lady cephalopod that takes their fancy...


...The horny male darkens his entire body except for one arm, which he illuminates and waves around wildly. If this seems to be doing the trick, he moves slowly towards her, displaying a vivid array of different colors to further tempt her into mating with him...

(Somehow this is reminiscent of other species male-mating behaviour, right..?)


So it's official: octopi rock.  

Respect.

Damsel fish still suck though. (Guess who wrote this Blog post.)


(Thanks to this website for octopus facts and congrats to Zoe for the awesome video, shot at Tugboat, Curacao, Jan-2015)


Monday 8 December 2014

Challenge: what are the top 3 MOST rare spots whilst diving in Curacao...?

If you've been diving with The Dive Bus for a good few years now, you have a distinct advantage over those who have only recently discovered us / the wonders of diving in Curacao to answer the question:

What are the top 3 MOST rare spots whilst diving in Curacao...?

None-the-less, the challenge is on: in the comments box below this Blog post, list YOUR answers to the above question. Winner gets a Dive Bus goodie delivered to their doorstep....

No clues, no nothing - go for it!

Saturday 1 November 2014

Exploring the wildside: diving North coast, Curacao looking for SHARKS!

Most of the time, we dive the East and West coasts of Curacao. Since there's no South here (don't ask, we're special) that just leaves the North coast...

The North coast is wild, deep and unpredictable. BUT it's a great one to tick off your list and it's a good opportunity to possibly, possibly see those elusive creatures: SHARKS!

So the other weekend, The Dive Bus headed out there with a bunch of brave local divers. Check out the adventure here and enjoy!



Like this?

Please like and share to get The Dive Bus word out, yo.

Wednesday 22 May 2013

MANTAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAS!


What an awesome way to start this year's Dive Bus Does Bonaire trip: not one but TWO mantas on our very first dive. Absolutely stunning.

Check out Joe's video below if you don't believe us...



Wednesday 10 April 2013

Frogfish, Tarpon, Sea Horses, Eagle Rays and more... I'd call that a good week!

What a week it was last week at The Dive Bus! Dive Bus trips, PADI dive courses and lots of diving on on our beautiful house reefs. Busy, busy, busy and fun, fun, FUN.

Between the Dive Bus instructor team - Mark, Chris and myself - we managed to spot everything that Curacao's diving is famous for! Eagle rays at Pierbaai Reef, Tarpon at Carpile, a Music Volute and a nudibranch in the bay right across the road, sea horses everywhere (well, at several sites anyway) and even  the infamous - and often invisible - frogfish on several trips!

To continue the "Cool Spots" contest, I am declaring myself, Senor Frank, the current winner, having spotted this particularly cool frogfish. Since my GoPro froze minutes before finding this awesome spot, these awesome photos are courtesy of local Dive Bus diver, Linda, who's camera didn't freeze... (Thanks Linda!)

That's all for now folks, enjoy the photos and see you soon :o)




Tuesday 9 April 2013

Curacao's coral reefs filmed for Google Maps 'Virtual Diving' platform!


The Catlin Seaview Crew films Curacao's reefs,
equipped with the SVII camera.

(Photo Credit: Catlin Seaview Survey)


The Curaçao coral reef, one of the most beautiful in the world, can soon be seen via the popular Google Maps ‘virtual diving’ platform. The Catlin Seaview research team, an underwater film unit, has spent the past several weeks surveying and photographing the reef for Google as well as collecting scientific data to be utilized in future reef research.

In addition to traditional dives, the research team utilized the popular tourist attraction, the submarine Curasub to capture footage of the reef. Because the Curasub travels at greater depths than divers can reach, it’s often used for scientific marine research.

More than one third of the island’s coral has been filmed, at depths varying from 30 feet to 300 feet. Curaçao’s coral reef is the second reef to be captured in this way; the first was the Great Barrier Reef in Australia.

cid:image005.png@01CE14E5.603845D0To learn more about the island of Curaçao or request a FREE Curaçao information package, please visit Curacao.com or call 1.800.328.7222.

Monday 8 April 2013

Eagle rays at The Dive Bus house reef!


Photo courtesy of Turtle + Ray
Wow, wow, wow....

A group of 4 crazy French folks on a PADI Discover Scuba Dive at Pierbaai Reef didn't realise how lucky they were, when a pair of Spotted Eagle rays cruised by.

However, DM Marky Mark nearly lost half a tank of air- just like DM Franky-Doodle-Dandy did, when he spotted them the previous day.

No cameras present to capture their beauty, so photo courtesy of our buddies at Turtle + Ray Video Productions (thanks!!)

NICE!

Saturday 6 April 2013

Deep Diving narcosis? A photo says a thousand words... ;o)



Yeah, sure, ok, right... The guys taking their PADI Deep Diving Specialty class at The Dive Bus today weren't narked at all. 

Uh huh...

Wednesday 20 March 2013

NEW VIDEO: The Dive Bus dives Superior Producer


Mark and Roman go explore the Superior with Mark's new GoPro 3... 

Enjoy  - they did!