Tenerife – Turtles, Rays, Coral and a JOW

[Scubee]

(Caution… this may be long )

The ‘family holiday’ is always a tricky one to get right. How do you get something for everyone? I think I may have managed it this year with our trip to Tenerife.

Coming just a few days after my trip to the Red Sea, my kit didn’t even come out of the bag, let alone get washed! We flew out with Monarch, which was OK. The flight was cheap, they let us have extra baggage allowance 10kg for £15 each way. That gave us 70kg between the three of us.

The first day was spent lazing by the pool and buying essentials. We went self catering, which roughly translates as eating somewhere different every night but being able to keep the beer cold.

Day 2 and 3 were spent diving. Having been to Tenerife a few times, I have discovered that there seems to be a few dive sites which have different names depending on which dive centre takes you there . I have always used Tenerife Dive. They have a centre in Costa del Silencio and run their boat out of Las Galletas.
The first dive was at the Condesita. This wreck crashed into Tenerife when someone set the autopilot and forgot the Canaries were in the way…. Apparently. The water, at 23 degrees was a bit of a shock to the system... the last dive had been in 30 degrees in the Red sea!

In the afternoon we went to ‘The Rays’. This is a fairly small site which is invaded by rays. The day we were there, we saw Atlantic, Eagle and Common rays




plus the addition to the site since I last dived it.. the turtle.



Day 3 took us to Shark Cave (I think) with the ‘Friday Club’ in the morning, and Yellow Mountain (a stones throw from a nudist ‘beach’) in the afternoon. The morning dive was lovely. I had lots of people pointing things out to me. One of the group was lighting hole for me to take a picture of a bright red squat lobster. He didn’t see the other occupant of the hole… a big fat Moray stuck its head out. I must have used 20 bar clearing my mask after being in fits of laughter at that one.

As it was a family holiday, we took the next day off, hired a car and went sightseeing. Sadly, we couldn’t go up Teide – it would have been worse than flying – so we found some other things to take our interest…. Like these fellas…..



Sunday diving was always going to be my best day. I was given a new buddy to take care of…..


Whilst I had been pleasure diving for the first couple of days, Mr Scubee had been putting Master Scubee through his paces as a Junior Open Water diver. He completed at Yellow Mountain, and I was allowed to buddy him for a brief spell whilst some chain untangling went on. On Sunday morning, we went to Steps, which is one of my favourite dives. My buddy was excellent, and was very diligent in letting me know what he was looking at. He spotted an Eagle ray zipping over the rocks, which was rather nice, as well as an octopus and a cuttlefish. The only thing he hadn’t yet seen was an eel. So for his final dive we set Thor (the guide) a challenge – Could he find an eel at a relatively unknown site. Once again, we came up trumps and a Tiger Moray was found hiding right at the back of a tiny hole…. Result – one very happy 10-year old!





We struck a deal for our final day. One dive only, Me and Mr Scubee, Master Scubee acting as our conscience on the boat.

We went to a site which has trigger fish, a couple of rather big Groupers and Black Coral. Black Coral looks green at 40m. It is actually sort of orange. How did it get called black coral? Goodness knows… answers on a postcard please!






This was the big grouper... he was about 1.5m long!


We had a great week, many thanks to David and Yvonne (and everyone else at Tenerife Dive) for looking after us so well and managing to find sites that were great for Master Scubee to do his dives. It isn’t easy – it is only in the last couple of years that children have been able to dive there at all. So, big thumbs up all round for finding sites which could be multileveled and suited all.

Thanks to Mr Scubee as well, for bringing my offspring back after each of his training dives. I lost count of the times I was told to 'stop being his mother and let him get on with it .

I am actually rather proud of what Master Scubee achieved on holiday.

[nomis]

Top report. My wife, son and daughter all learned to dive in Tenerife. We have just come back from Turkey, it was wondeful with just the four of us and a guide diving. I know how worried/proud you are!! Well done to ickle scubee!

[photek1000]

Nice trip report, and looks like it was good set of dives.

I look forward to going back and diving Tenerife again one day soon, that Turtle and the grouper look excellent.

Well done to young Master Scubee for his Junior Open Water, that'll be you shelling out for even more kit now for him and not just yourself

[Scubee]

Originally Posted by photek1000

I look forward to going back and diving Tenerife again one day soon, that Turtle and the grouper look excellent.

Watch this space... when are you back in the water?

Originally Posted by photek1000

Well done to young Master Scubee for his Junior Open Water, that'll be you shelling out for even more kit now for him and not just yourself

I am going to rent him out to people who want to go to see childrens films but don't have children.

[Kirstie]

Originally Posted by Scubee

I am going to rent him out to people who want to go to see childrens films but don't have children.

A rent boy?

We prosecute people like you, you know!



Glad you all had a lovely holiday

[photek1000]

Originally Posted by Scubee

Watch this space... when are you back in the water?

Well I have my Bubble test is approx three weeks away, appointments depending, and I will see from there, as long as thats clear then a dip in the pool is in order first off and then a nice Autum\Winter of diving to be had, so looking forward to it.

[Mal Bridgeman]

Nice report Scubee

Especially like the Clown pic
Mal

[WaveRunner]

Originally Posted by Scubee

(Caution… this may be long )

The ‘family holiday’ is always a tricky one to get right. How do you get something for everyone? I think I may have managed it this year with our trip to Tenerife.

Coming just a few days after my trip to the Red Sea, my kit didn’t even come out of the bag, let alone get washed! We flew out with Monarch, which was OK. The flight was cheap, they let us have extra baggage allowance 10kg for £15 each way. That gave us 70kg between the three of us.

The first day was spent lazing by the pool and buying essentials. We went self catering, which roughly translates as eating somewhere different every night but being able to keep the beer cold.

Day 2 and 3 were spent diving. Having been to Tenerife a few times, I have discovered that there seems to be a few dive sites which have different names depending on which dive centre takes you there . I have always used Tenerife Dive. They have a centre in Costa del Silencio and run their boat out of Las Galletas.
The first dive was at the Condesita. This wreck crashed into Tenerife when someone set the autopilot and forgot the Canaries were in the way…. Apparently. The water, at 23 degrees was a bit of a shock to the system... the last dive had been in 30 degrees in the Red sea!

In the afternoon we went to ‘The Rays’. This is a fairly small site which is invaded by rays. The day we were there, we saw Atlantic, Eagle and Common rays




plus the addition to the site since I last dived it.. the turtle.



Day 3 took us to Shark Cave (I think) with the ‘Friday Club’ in the morning, and Yellow Mountain (a stones throw from a nudist ‘beach’) in the afternoon. The morning dive was lovely. I had lots of people pointing things out to me. One of the group was lighting hole for me to take a picture of a bright red squat lobster. He didn’t see the other occupant of the hole… a big fat Moray stuck its head out. I must have used 20 bar clearing my mask after being in fits of laughter at that one.

As it was a family holiday, we took the next day off, hired a car and went sightseeing. Sadly, we couldn’t go up Teide – it would have been worse than flying – so we found some other things to take our interest…. Like these fellas…..



Sunday diving was always going to be my best day. I was given a new buddy to take care of…..


Whilst I had been pleasure diving for the first couple of days, Mr Scubee had been putting Master Scubee through his paces as a Junior Open Water diver. He completed at Yellow Mountain, and I was allowed to buddy him for a brief spell whilst some chain untangling went on. On Sunday morning, we went to Steps, which is one of my favourite dives. My buddy was excellent, and was very diligent in letting me know what he was looking at. He spotted an Eagle ray zipping over the rocks, which was rather nice, as well as an octopus and a cuttlefish. The only thing he hadn’t yet seen was an eel. So for his final dive we set Thor (the guide) a challenge – Could he find an eel at a relatively unknown site. Once again, we came up trumps and a Tiger Moray was found hiding right at the back of a tiny hole…. Result – one very happy 10-year old!





We struck a deal for our final day. One dive only, Me and Mr Scubee, Master Scubee acting as our conscience on the boat.

We went to a site which has trigger fish, a couple of rather big Groupers and Black Coral. Black Coral looks green at 40m. It is actually sort of orange. How did it get called black coral? Goodness knows… answers on a postcard please!






This was the big grouper... he was about 1.5m long!


We had a great week, many thanks to David and Yvonne (and everyone else at Tenerife Dive) for looking after us so well and managing to find sites that were great for Master Scubee to do his dives. It isn’t easy – it is only in the last couple of years that children have been able to dive there at all. So, big thumbs up all round for finding sites which could be multileveled and suited all.

Thanks to Mr Scubee as well, for bringing my offspring back after each of his training dives. I lost count of the times I was told to 'stop being his mother and let him get on with it .

I am actually rather proud of what Master Scubee achieved on holiday.

Clown fish in Tenerife - I dont think so !!!!

[Scubee]

Originally Posted by WaveRunner

Clown fish in Tenerife - I dont think so !!!!

Yes, there are. Also Penguins, Dolphins, Sharks, Whales
We took a day sightseeing and went to Loro Parque Not a bad pic considering it was taken through glass.
Here's a couple more I took that day....

[PeeBee]

Great report, excellent pics and well done master Scubee, welcome back, it's been quite without you