(dramatic music)
(gentle music)
- And we're back.
My name's Mark Vins, and I hope you're excited as I am
for another Blue Wilderness adventure.
On this dive, Mario and I will be trying something
a little bit different.
Today, we're going to challenge ourselves to see
just how many creatures we can spot on a single dive.
Sure, some of our adventures require multiple dives
and even days to get the footage we're after.
But one thing that draws me to the ocean is just how much
can be seen each and every time we're underwater.
In many ways, the core of ocean exploration
is the infinite potential to witness the unexpected.
And today, my goal is to show you just what I mean by that.
Right now, we're off the coast of Bimini
at a dive site called the El Dorado Shoal.
We only have one take, Mario, so we gotta make this count.
You ready? - I'm ready!
- All right, let's get in the water,
and see what we can find.
(water bubbling)
All right.
Okay, that's better.
Wow, the water is really clear today.
Okay, let's go see what we can find first.
Let's check over here.
I already see some reef fish.
And nice, there's a, wow!
That is a Queen Angel fish.
Definitely a stand out of the crowd species.
Look how colorful it is.
All right, moving on.
Okay, yeah, here we go.
That is a Spiny Lobster.
And two of them.
Now they don't have claws like true lobsters
but get this, they can navigate at night
using the Earth's magnetic field like a compass.
And that's pretty cool if you ask me.
All right, let's cover some more ground.
Hey Mario, let's head this way.
Oh, okay, we've got our first shark here.
That's a Nurse Shark, which are usually not aggressive.
So, let's see how close we can get.
Come on, come on back.
Sometimes I feel like if I put out a positive vibe
for an animal to approach
it tends to happen.
(calm music)
Well, that's it I guess.
First shark in the books anyway.
So, this whole area is surrounded
by these crater like depressions line the reef.
Let's go investigate one to see what we can find
right on the edge.
Oh, check this out.
Hello?
Hello, Coyote?
Okay, Mario, it's for you.
(bubbles escaping)
Oh, oh well, short call I guess.
That was Coyote.
I never know where he is anymore.
Okay, let's try this one.
Ooh, I spy some razor sharp teeth
in the mouth of that Barracuda.
But luckily for us they rarely attack divers.
See ya later.
Okay, now is a good time to check our air.
Looks like I have just over 2200 pounds, Mario.
Plenty left, how about you?
Okay, awesome.
Good to go.
Okay, let's go scan for something interesting around this.
Man that is cool looking.
Whoa, okay, now this is great.
Do you see it?
That is a Yellow Stingray
and yes, they do have a venomous barb
so we do need to be careful.
And look, there's another one.
Oh, this one's on the move.
Let's try to follow it.
(whooshing)
Oh, that is so awesome.
Look at how they can glide
and then come to a complete stop almost instantly.
Although this is a smaller species of stingray
they're still one of the most interesting animals
to come across because their skeletons like sharks
are not made of bone, but actually cartilage.
Well, we got a great shot there, Mario.
Ha, ha, got that one swimming off perfectly.
Boom!
Well, we've seen a lot of creatures already.
This shoal is really home to an abundance of reef species.
Plus, let's be honest, it's quite breathtaking.
All right, we've got another great angel fish here,
but we've already seen one of these.
Let's look for something else.
Let's go check over here.
I've got a good feeling about this outcrop.
Oh, look at that.
We have a nice school of Atlantic Pork fish passing by.
Not sure why they're called pork fish
but that's their name.
Oh, there's a cave.
This is worth a look.
Look at how colorful the reef gets
when you're out of the direct sunlight.
Way less blue.
And look, you can see right through it, too.
Don't think I can fit through there though.
(dramatic music)
Uh-oh, we're surrounded.
Let's just stay calm here.
There are about 50 or so barracuda all around us.
So, the best thing to do right now is to stay put.
Like I said before, barracuda rarely
attack divers unprovoked.
They're known for being aggressive for sure.
One of the fastest predators out here in the reef system
but the good news is they only seek fast
and distressed prey, which we are definitely not right now.
But being surrounded by this many razor sharp teeth
certainly gets my heart racing.
Looks like Mario's doing a great job
of staying calm as well.
Get that shot buddy!
Okay, by the looks of things they've accepted
that we're not food so let's carefully proceed.
There they go.
Wow, I did not expect that to happen today.
That is a first for me.
Now how about that for some excitement
on a single tank dive.
Yeah, all right, time to head back to the boat.
Man, what a great way to end the trip.
El Dorado Shoal was incredible.
We saw everything from yellow sting rays
to spiny lobsters.
At one point we were completely surrounded by barracuda
and we even had a close encounter with a nurse shark.
If you guys like these videos make sure to tell us
in the comment section below
where you want us to go next.
I'm Mark Vins, be brave, stay wild.
We'll see ya on the next dive.
If you like seeing us surrounded by dozens of barracuda
Make sure to go check out the time
I got to pet a porcupine fish
and an even more unexpected marine life encounter.
And don't forget, subscribe
and click the notification bell
to join me and the crew
on our next Blue Wilderness adventure.
(howling)