Sea Kraits On A Skiff

For this 10-day charter, we don’t have an organized group or group; yet the group seemed to work very well and we all had a blast! 

Three sisters and their 3 friends, our returning couple and returning guest already knew each other (from a liveaboard in Solomon, not here) so that was interesting, one more “vintage “couple, Mike, Jay, and Doriane, who joined us all the way from Switzerland. 

Temperature has gone a wee bit down: from 29 degrees to 27-28, and it has already improved visibility in general. And Sue, one of the aforementioned sisters, brought on her dry suit. She was super happy about that!

Everyday searching with hopeful eyes for that ray of sunshine… she (the sun) did come out but she was very hide & seek about it – “I’m here, now I’m not”.

Mike was the official sunshine on board; always up to dive or have a laugh.

He styles himself as an amateur photographer but that does not take away the value of his stunning videos and motivation!

Photo by Diane

Photo by Phil

Vatu-I-Ra was so peaceful and harmonious, a complete contrast to the rocky surface.

Both at the start and end of the trip:

            -explosion of colors

            -schools of fish moving in waves all together at the sound of hunting

            - “It was so much fun!”- as the currents were playing with the divers!

Quite a bit of turtle sightings on this trip; most unexpectant maybe were three at Grand Central Station.

Hammerhead at seven sisters, accompanied by the concert of other grey reefs looking for a meal. 

Our little pygmy seahorse was there for all of those who can see creatures the size of a rice grain. We got to see how it uncurls its small little tail to move from hydroid to hydroid, for sure annoyed by our presence. 

“They are sooo much smaller than the ones I am used to!”- Barbie, displaying her pygmy seahorse earrings, which yes, were at least 5 times the size of our little one. 

Photo by Sue - Pontoh's pygmy

Pipefish all around Kansas, as well as juvenile Dorys, so many types of shrimp gobies, dartfish and tilefish around the rubble. Visiting Kansas is like going treasure hunting. 

Photo by Janet - Banded pipefish

Photo by Diane - Whip coral shrimp

Photo by Janet - Blue Dragon

Photo by Max - Blue ribbon eel

Vern (skiff driver) had a full-time job as Barbie’s “little” helper, and together found the best way to get her out of the water and into the skiff. Mind you, this lovely lady is 80 years old, and had the time of her life being picked up out of the water by him.

“Barbie” treatment indeed. 

No matter where on the boat, you could hear Diane’s clear and joyous laugh around NAIA: impossible to miss and very hard not to crack a smile at its sound. 

Night time was time for sporadic big creatures: huge turtle, big walking and talking hermit crab (red with the most amazing white spots, only visible under Doriane’s UV light), and huge, bit angry, moray eel, half out of its cave. 

Squids came to search for the divers at the surface, one even posing for its few seconds of fame.

Photo by Phil

Photo by Phil - Common lionfish

Photo by Max - hawksbill turtle

Green turtle with a shell as big as one of our meal tables in the salon. 

First barreling melanistic manta! She was the easiest to identify: Gaeta, big male, and observe as he was out in the blue while the lighting and current (outgoing again) flowing in front of the cleaning station was quite terrible. 

That did not stop some fly bys in the deep, a climber on the cleaning station to get spa treatment for 5 minutes, and even one elegant lady decided to poop right in front of us. 

That sight was absolutely surreal yet hilarious!

 Photo by Max - Chris & Barracudas

All seemed to be our precious melanistic except our last big lady, big chevron resembling Marley from last charter, yet no photo or video to prove it. 

Karen, who was well taught not to agitate mantas by banging, shaking, yelling, once on the surface: “Ok, now I can scream: YAY!”

The rest of the day divers enjoyed turtles, so many anthias - hawk anthias, square spotted anthias, purple (who look dark blue) anthias 

- as well as a beauty of a hammerhead shark. 

Last dive of the day, we decided to do a “fly by” from the main cleaning station to secondary. Not only were we blessed by mantas at the cleaning station but also out in the blue, barrelling, 3, 4, 5 of them at the same time; dipping down deep to rise almost at the surface, displaying all their elegance. It was a “crying for joy” worthy experience. 

From Jay’s videos and photos, we could identify Shirley, Django, and Torantino; amazing big ladies.

Photo by Jay - Torantino

Photo by Janet - cleaner shrimp all around the Cleaning station, offering free manicures to those who dare

Photo by Janet - Lined fang blenny 

Nigali passage gave its fruits with beautiful blue waters (even if the sun was NOT cooperating) and we even had our first peacock razorfish (initial phase which is so much cooler) over the sandy rubble, juvenile rock mover wrasse, 3 little juvenile black wrasse, one smaller than the other. 

On an adhesive anemone 2 peacock anemone shrimp, one the size of my thumb! The smaller one was so active running around yet the plump one was nice and lazy.  

Photo by Chris - For the Kava party, the guys went all the way to Somo-Somo to collect all of the foliage you can see in the photo and decorate the dive deck for our Kava party! 

Kava dancing!

Gorgeous greys and white tips; even a nice big pregnant white tip who couldn't bother swimming too far away from us.

Doriane: “Maybe I know how to “speak snake”.” She spotted the first sea krait underwater and then we had a small one before the first dive in the skiff! Next to her! Argh!

We all know “Snakes on a plane”; how about sea kraits on a skiff? 

“I was having so much fun seeing two types of juvenile triggerfish together and then I got attacked by a juvenile (aka small) shark sucker!” - Doriane

The Jungle Jig expedition was a success! Amazing vis, sharkies all around, even two beautiful silver tips! An orangutan crab and Lori’s anthias all around! 

Photo by Diane

Photo by Phil - smiling moray

Photo by Janet - Orange finned anemonefish

2 black and yellow ribbon eels appeared at Anthias Avenue! Cute little juveniles, only matter of time to determine what they will be in the future, yellow or blue?

Photo by Phil - Morrison's dragonet

Photo by Phil - lazy starfish

Photo by Janet - Crinoid shrimp

Photo by Phil - Rainbow wall (MM)

Gau finished with its last gift: a huge octopus that the Lucky Ladies got to watch.

Photo by Max - the blue and blue finned trevally

Chris and I were in “isolation table” for the first days as we were just getting over a horrible flu… but this group brought us out of our ill state, they were such a joy to be around! 

Vinaka vakalevu everyone!