2006
Underwater Adventures with Wesleyan Scuba
Texas Wesleyan
Nineteen divers accompanied Pam Rast, chair of Kinesiology, and scuba instructors Bob Biggs and Bill Rucker on an eight-day trip to Cozumel, Mexico, during the summer break. The trip was sponsored by the department of Kinesiology and Texas Wesleyan Scuba.
This was the largest group that has ever represented Texas Wesleyan on a saltwater dive vacation. The group chartered a boat with Careyitos Advanced divers for six days of drift diving the Columbia and Palancar reefs in the Cozumel Reefs National Marine Park. The marine park was created by a presidential decree in 1996 for the preservation of the island's natural resources. The park covers approximately 85 percent of the dive sites around Cozumel and incorporates 67,133 acres.
The drainage left behind by category 4 Hurricane Wilma, as she sat for more than 24 hours over the Yucatan Peninsula, affected the more shallow reefs but many of the deeper reefs were in fairly good condition. An abundance of marine life continues to thrive around the coral. The group saw turtles, spotted and green moray eels, nurse sharks, barracuda, several types of rays and many smaller species. They also explored new wreck remnants that were uncovered by the storm. Divers experienced the feeling of flying as they drifted in the fast current around he reef on the third day of the trip. This ride was better than any amusement park. Many of the more experienced divers in the group were fortunate enough to feel the rush of one of Cozumel's signature spots, Devil's Throat. This deep dive through the reef is in a more remote area near the southern end of the western shoreline. The dive starts at a cave entrance on the sandy bottom at about 85 feet. It then takes the diver through a narrow dark corridor and down a vertical tunnel. At 125 feet the exit pops out over a sheer cliff-like drop-off.
Texas Wesleyan divers are capable of taking trips to more advanced areas because of the excellent training they get at the University. Many dive operators have commented that the newly trained Wesleyan divers often have better skills than some of the Advanced Certified divers trained at other facilities. The Kinesiology Department offers several opportunities for dive training at the University. The scuba club sponsors annual trips to various dive destinations, including the Bahamas, Caribbean Sea, and the Pacific Ocean. Trips are open to Wesleyan faculty, staff, students and alumni who are certified divers. Their certified dive buddies are also welcome.
August 8, 2006 11:15 AM | send page | Press Releases