The visibility had been great until yesterday when it dropped to about 40 feet in the afternoon. The decreased visibility worked out well because I was able to use a small barrier net to catch a couple of fish for James and Sarah to tag. It was much easier to catch fish with the barrier net than with the mesh dive bag I had been catching fish with previously.

We now have both fish traps within view of the galley viewport. It is our main form of entertainment to watch the traps when in the habitat between dives. It is almost like a group of people watching a sporting event on television with lots of commentary and everyone trying to will the groupers and parrot fish to swim into the trap.

Yesterday I found a goldspotted eel sticking his head out of a hole near the habitat and the day before I saw a mantis shrimp darting from rock to rock out in the open sand. I also like to look at the longlure frogfish that hangs out in the green sponges growing on the habitat and at the scorpionfish that are normally perched on the rocks near the bow of the habitat.

I hope the rest of the mission goes as well as it has so far and that if this project continues I will get to be on the mission next year.