T'was brillig and the slithy toves did gyre and gimble in the wabe .... but that was later, after we emerged.

Since time immemorial, or at least since before we came to live down here, people have been foolishly hurling themselves into the raging tide on Christmas Day.  Some say it's for charity, some say it's bravado.  Some say it's a hangover cure and some do it because they made a rash promise sometime before.

Either way we found ourselves lined up earlier today, Yan, me, Bill, Sarah, Richard and a few others (I think that 300 was the estimate this year.

The photos that follow are our story.

"How did it feel ?" I hear you ask

Well......... after the first 30 seconds the body's pain centers shut down and it becomes pleasant...........

The photos are at :
http://pics.livejournal.com/surfnscubadiver/

enjoy !

The Lion’s Cage

There’s a story behind this dive.

Back in 1999 I was doing a piece of work for a small, but nevertheless multinational, company based in Lynchburg in the USA.

Throughout the year we had been running a series of workshops with representatives from the head office in America, UK, Italy and Spain. It had been a successful project which had taken us to Rome in January, Florida in March and Barcelona in May. (Not that you need to know this of course but it sets the scene for what happened next.)

So everything had gone well and a final meeting was scheduled for August, when the results of all of our work would be presented to the owners of the company. Yes, despite being a multinational, the company is still owned by the family of the guy who started it - again you need to know this to understand what happened next.

So far the meetings had all been hosted by one of the participating European companies, and it was to be the turn of the UK to provide a venue. Pietro Zezza, the MD of the Italian branch of the company had made a strong request to visit Edinburgh so it was planned to go there for the meeting. What no one had anticipated was the effect of the Edinburgh Festival on the cost and availability of accommodation during August.

In July, at a board meeting in Lynchburg, the following conversation was heard.

Doug (the President of the company), “So Jeff how are the plans for Edinburgh coming along”

Jeff (the Vice President in charge of the international business), “Oh fine, but we’ve been having problems finding suitable accommodation. And it’s going to be expensive.”

Doug, “How expensive ?”

Jeff, “$*******”

Doug, “What ! We could hold the meeting in Bermuda for that price !”

So we did !

And I got to stay on for a few days after we finished work and got to do some diving !


The Lion’s Cage

Off the North West coast of Bermuda deep in the island’s extensive reef system.

We had been travelling, with great care, picking our way through the deeper channels in the reef, for about half an hour when the skipper began our dive briefing.

The Skipper’s tale

“This wreck” he said “is thought to have been brought about by the ancient custom of wrecking .………………...”

He went on to tell us that back in the times of wooden hulled sailing ships the local inhabitants used to hang lights in trees and around cows’ necks to confuse ships approaching the island at night and to lead them onto the reef. This had been the initial cause of the wreck which left the Lion’s Cage on the sea bed.

What happened was that late one evening, as the sun was setting, a ship, which was transporting the residents of a private zoo to America, was approaching the island. The mobile, cow bourn, navigation lights confused the captain, who was not, in any case, properly familiar with those waters, and the ship struck the reef.

Fortunately the ship merely brushed a small piece of the reef and was not damaged, and might indeed have been saved. Unfortunately the impact was sufficient to spring the lock on the lion’s cage, which had been stored on the deck. The lion immediately emerged from the cage and the terrified crew did their best to escape. As might we all !

Some leapt down hatches, some climbed quickly aloft, and some even hurled themselves into the sea such was their terror.

Sadly this left no one on deck to steer the ship.

Did I also mention that, despite good navigational practice, the ship was still under full sail !

A lucky (unlucky) gust of wind sprang up, caught the sails and drove the ship, at great speed, firmly onto the reef. The bow was stove in and the ship foundered. It did however remain afloat, trapped on the reef, for long enough for local boatmen to reach the wreckage and save the crew.

Intriguingly, perhaps because they could not bear the thought of such a noble beast being left to starve to death, the locals also succumbed to the entreaties of the lion’s keeper and went back with him the following day to rescue the lion!

History does not recount how they went about bringing the lion ashore in a small boat which was about the same size and shape as a Cornish gig.

Shortly afterwards a tropical storm blew up completely destroying the ship and depositing the wrecked remains of the lion’s cage on the sea bed in about 40 feet of water.

I hope you enjoy the photographs.

Hang on a minute though.................


The Divemaster’s tale

We had a great dive, we were back on the boat comparing notes and the dive master asked us if we had heard how the lion’s cage happened to be there, without waiting for a reply he went on to tell us how ......…….

A ship carrying the inhabitants of a private zoo, bound for America, was approaching Bermuda to take on much needed supplies of fresh water, the animals having consumed more than had been allowed for.

The skipper was familiar with the waters and anticipated few problems making it through the
narrow channels in the reef.

Unfortunately, just as the zookeeper had opened the door of the lion’s cage to feed the beast, the ship lurched sharply in response to a sudden gust of wind.

The unfortunate keeper was launched headfirst into the cage towards the lion. As luck would have it the lion was far more interested in the abundant possibilities for sport available on the open deck than in eating the keeper. A side-swipe from the lion quickly dispatched the keeper to meet his maker and the lion hurled itself on deck scattering the crew and generally creating mayhem. No one was steering and the ship ran onto the reef.

The crew and lion were eventually rescued. The lion and some of the crew formed a travelling troupe who used to act out their story to paying audiences around the island. They eventually earned enough money to pay for their passage home.

It is not recorded where the lion regarded as home but we are told that it eventually found its way back to the deep jungle where it ended its days running a safari company.

Is anyone beginning to feel a wee bit suspicious about this tale ?



Back on land

There was an opportunity to check out the story in some of the books in the dive shop.

The most important piece of information was to do with the construction of the cage. Look closely at the photographs, you may be able to discern that the bars of the cage are spot-welded together - a technique that, apparently, did not become available until after WW2 !

Oh well, they were good stories, we had a great dive and got some good photos.    

These stories are, essentially, what I heard on the dive boat, I hope that you have enjoyed them too.

You can find the pictures of the cage at :

http://pics.livejournal.com/surfnscubadiver/gallery/00009ex4

Cheers

I've added some more pictures of stuff happening underwater, so :
If you want to see John telling Sue off for being happy
If you want to see Vicky dangling her hose
And Yan being Yan
As well as fish and coral and stuff.
You can go to : http://pics.livejournal.com/surfnscubadiver/
For more Red Sea, plus Florida and Bermuda piccies.
More from Bermuda along with the tragic tale of the lions cage and the diver with one functioning leg later

Cheers

So here are a few of my pics from the Red Sea and from Florida. I'm stll playing with this but you should find some Red Sea pics here http://pics.livejournal.com/surfnscubadiver/

So this is my first time writing a blog and I thought a few photos of fish-n-stuff might be a good way to start.

At least 'till I get the hang of it