The Frogfish

     Years ago, we were in Bonaire at Captain Don's Habitat, we had just gotten back from our morning dives, had lunch, and now, I was looking for something to do. While everyone else was relaxing, I went down to the pier on the house reef, wandered a bit, watched people as they put their gear on and jumped in. As I listened to those coming out of the water, recounting to one another about what they saw on their dives, I decided to go back in myself. 

     I started putting my wetsuit on, my weight belt, and the rest of my gear, as I watched the dive master make his rounds, offering his assistance to those in need. Divers would ask him which way to go, what to look for, and he would describe the reef and how best they should navigate their dive. 

     The house reef at Captain Don's is fantastic. The water is ten feet deep at the end of the pier, with a sandy bottom, perfect for entry. The sandy bottom slowly turns to rubble, then some vegetation and soft corals, as you make your way towards the wall. The vegetation and corals become thicker, and fish more plentiful, and just 40 or 50 yards from the pier, the wall, abundant with marine life. Take a left, and 20 or 30 yards away, you'll find a small wreck, and maybe a Green Moray, that makes the wreck his home. Swim straight down, and you will find the sandy bottom, in 200 ft. of water. 

     Anyhow, the dive master approached me and we made small talk, until I asked him the one question he hears 10 times a day, "where's a Frogfish dude?" He knows, they all do. Frogfish rarely move, and when these dive masters find them, they keep it to themselves, their tips get bigger on guided dives, when they can show you a Frogfish. 

      He stares at me, with a smirk on his face, as if he is trying to decide whether I am worthy of his secret, until he finally replies, "you wanna find a Frogfish?"

     "Yes, yes I wanna find a Frogfish, do you know where one is?"

     "Yep, there's one right out there," he said, as he pointed northwest of the house reef towards the open water. Right out there dude, you being cute, or are you gonna tell me where there's a freakin Frogfish? The dive master continued, "swim out to that buoy," he said, as he pointed straight off the pier, about a 150 yards out, to a mooring ball. "Once you get to that buoy, take a right," he used his hand to motion right, or northwest. "Take a right, and swim to, one...two... three, three more buoys," as he is saying this, he is pointing to each one of the three moorings, which cover about a a quarter of a mile, underwater remember. "Once you get to that third mooring, take a left, and swim out to the wall." I listened intently as he continued to give me directions, "once you reach the wall, look for a sea fan." Ok, now this guy is losing me, look for a sea fan, in the ocean? He must have noticed he was losing me, as he continued, he tried to reassure me, "you'll know the sea fan when you see it," he said, "it's hanging way out over the wall," and he made some motion with his arm to simulate, hanging way out. "You'll know the one I am talking about, I promise, you can't miss it," he said again.  He continued, "once you find the fan, swim out past the wall, turn around, and face the sea fan," he said. "Once you are facing the sea fan, drop down to," and at this point he seemed to be in deep thought, using his fingers to count as he continued, "drop down to, hmmm, 65...66...67, drop down to 68 feet, and the Frogfish is right there!" Really? The Frogfish is right there?

     So, with nothing else to do that afternoon, I decided to go in search of the elusive Frogfish. I finished putting on my gear, and did a perfect giant stride into the deep blue, deflated my BC and began my decent into the abyss. As I made my way to the wall, I kept my eyes peeled, hoping to catch a glimpse of a seahorse, or even an octopus. Once I reached the wall, and the line to the mooring ball was visible, I took a right, and began my swim to the next marker. I swam along the edge of the wall, constantly looking, hoping to see something cool. To my left was open water, 200 ft. deep, and where I might see big stuff; sharks, dolphins, a school of Eagle rays, possibly a Manta ray, or, one could only hope, a Whale shark. None of this is out of the question in Bonaire. One year, we were making our way down to a "1000 Steps" and could see a Manta in the water, from shore. On another dive, we could hear dolphins, they stayed far enough away that we couldn't see them though, and Day swears she saw Tuna one year. To my right, the wall, the reef, and where I will see my next marker. The mooring balls are about 200 yards apart, and I have a ways to go before I expect to see it, so I settle in, relaxed and enjoyed the peace of diving alone. All is quite, except for the "Darth Vader" sound as I breathe through my regulator, and the muffled sound of my bubbles as I exhale. Just ahead, off to my right, the first buoy, and I continue on my way. My breathing becomes slower as I relax more, I add a little air to my BC, and continue my swim along the wall, constantly looking. Truth be told, I don't care if I see anything, I just, like, diving. Whether I am alone, with a buddy or in a group, other than  and an eye on my buddy, from a distance, believe me, I am alone. Diving becomes "Zen" like for me, and I get lost in the peace and quiet ( I pass marker number 2 ). I become hyper aware of "cause and effect." Every movement ( cause ) becomes deliberate, and I patiently await the "effect." Like backing up a truck and trailer, or driving a boat, you turn the wheel ever so slightly, and patiently wait for the trailer or boat to move in the direction you want. On land, we are restricted to moving on two axes, forward/backward and right/left. Underwater, there are three, the third being, up and down, and this is where "cause and effect" is most noticeable. As I swim, and hover over the reef, I exhale to descend, if I exhale too much, I sink too fast. Just ahead is a tall coral, and I inhale, and float up and over, just like a bird. 

     Buoy number three is just ahead, and once it was directly to the right of me, I stopped and headed out past the wall, and began my search for "the" sea fan. I searched, and I searched, up and down the wall, forever, it seemed. "You'll know it when you see it," he said. Was he smirking when he said that? I hadn't noticed, I bet he's laughing now though. I swam a half a mile, in search of a................wait, one, freakin minute, there it is! That has to be it, just like he said, "hanging way out, over the wall." The sea fan is not my prize though, and I must continue my quest.

    I swam towards the sea fan, and for a moment, admired it, in a way, thanking it, a sea fan, majestically hanging out, over the wall, pointing the way. I began my decent to 68 ft, and begin my search for the prize, the Frogfish. 68 feet, plus or minus how many feet? Right below the sea fan, to the right or left how much? Even if it is only in a 5x5 area, that is still 25 square feet, of rock, rubble, coral, vegetation and anemones, and the Frogfish is an expert at camouflage. I would look and get my nose right in there, or is it like one of those hidden pictures, and I need to look from a distance? I backed up a bit, and searched some more. Is the fish even here anymore, I wondered. He can't stay in one spot forever, maybe if I look at the reef with my eyes slightly out of focus. I continued looking, forever! Nose right in the reef, then I would back up, and look again from a distance, nose back in, eyes out of focus, I would turn my back to the reef, and spin back around real quick, like I was gonna trick the Frogfish, and maybe sneak up on it. This went on, for what had to be a half an hour. My air is getting low, and I am in 70 feet of water, but I stayed. I stayed and continued my search, up close, far away, eyes focused, eyes out of focus, the spin around real fast, up close again, and the casual, out of the corner of my eye look. I searched, and I searched, and like a pimple on prom night, it appeared, out of nowhere, my Frogfish, sitting there, patiently waiting for it's next meal. I stayed, admiring my prize for awhile, took pictures ( the one below is mine ) but had to leave. I was almost out of air.  

     I began my swim back, elated with myself, and itching to show someone my Frogfish. Once back at the resort, I looked for Day, but she had gone out, I wanna show someone though. I found Sue, who reluctantly agreed to go out with me, in search of my Frogfish, one more time. And again, right at buoy, left after third buoy, sea fan, sixty-eight feet, and there she was again, waiting for me, to show her off to Sue, my Frogfish!