Dive Day #1
So, the alarm goes off after three hours… 5.30am!
Feeling a little sluggish this morning. Very hazy and still this morning.
By 6 o’clock we are down in the camera room putting the equipment together. So pleased that we took time out before we came out to put everything together and checked it all. It made the task easy and uneventful. No one wants to find out half of their equipment is missing, do they?
In the restaurant for breakfast by 6.45, where we are directed to our favourite table. We don’t mind where we sit but it is nice that we are looked after like this, especially when the resort is full, as it so often is.
There is currently a mixture of two large groups, one Spanish, the other American, and couples and single travellers.
On our boat, Buceo 2, is Nicole and Christian, from Switzerland, who we met out here on our first trip after COVID, and Hans, a single traveller, from Germany. They are diving with Jenson, and we are, of course, with Nanni. Our captain is Ey Ekk and Saldy as crew.
Dive #1
Red Rock
22.3metres / 61mins / 27 degrees
Blimey, when we got in, it was green and a metre or two of viz, oh and a bit of a current. Richard was a little below so I followed Nanni down. We were on the side of the rock sheltered from the current, the viz had cleared to about 10 meters. We rummaged in the flat area before going to the outside of the rock then worked our way up the rock for a safety stop.
Aphids in blue tunicate, beautiful orange hermit crab, wart slugs, psychedelic slug.
Coffee and Oreos for elevensies.
So, the other guests want to go to Gasang…? Hmm not our favourite.. so we said we would go as long as there was no current…
Dive #2
Gasang
25.9 metres / 63 mins / 28 degrees
Sandy slope, no current.
Richard and I really should work on our underwater communication. I showed him a very rare hairy frogfish (back of the hand on my forehead with my index finger extended, moving up and down, then pointing at my hair) which he didn’t bother looking at as he thought I said scorpionfish (hand forward, nowhere near your head, fingers in a fist with little finger sticking out as if you are drinking a cup of tea, English style). Nicole is my witness that I definitely said hairy frogfish.
Very rare tiny hairy frogfish, small dark octopus, peacock mantis shrimp,zebra crab on a fire urchin, white ornate ghost pipefish.
Back at Buceo for lunch, Richard had kinilaw tanigue (raw fish) and I had BLT
At lunch, a bit of excitement(!?) was going on at the American table whilst we caught up with Dude and heard all about his recent wedding, new apartment and how wonderful married life is.
Had a nap before the next dive…
Dive #3
El Pinoy
16.8 metres / 71 mins / 28 degrees
Corals at the top and rubble lower down. A bit of current the further out we were.
We saw various slugs, beautiful pink scorpionfish
Coffee break at Buceo, chatting with Nicole and Christian.
Dive #4
Manit Corner – Dusk dive
18.3 metres / 73 mins / 28 degrees
One of our favourite dive sites
Fabulous during the day and at night. Very rocky topography covered in life.
On the way back to the boat, I had the added bonus of something stingy going up my sleeve. Ouch!
Lots of cup coral, a variety of slugs of different shapes and sizes, including more tiny Oreo slugs and flabellinas, shrimp on blue starfish, a black and white arrow crab on a black and white feather star.
After a very quick shower we are at the bar having a drink before dinnef. Lovely to catch up with Dave and Tiara.
Dinner was lovely, we had tuna sizing, mango and cucumber salad with fried rice.
Back in the room, I was sure that I would be able to look at the photos for the day. Not possible! Sleep took over…