Calm Above, Excitement Below

Bula!

It is a joy to be back!

We started the new season strong: full boat on the Nai’a!

We got to welcome on board, not only new guests and returnees, but also Helen and Stuart, previous cruise directors on Nai’a. 

Their stories as you may imagine were incredibly interesting, but even more was the work they came on board to do: research on how the coral and fish are doing here in Fiji. 

We all took advantage of having them on board and exploited their knowledge a bit (all in good faith, of course.)

Orange-finned anemonefish ~ KJ

Flat oceans are quite the spoiled way to start, yet we enjoyed it to the fullest. 

“Did anyone see any coral? Any fish?” - Was the theme of the day. The dive sites seemed at full capacity of both fish and corals… how we have missed you Fiji. 

Longnose filefish (aka cutest fish in Fiji) ~ Tom 

“When schools of fusiliers come into your face, visibility is not the main concern.” - Helen

Sea mounts… who knows, knows. 

Anthias and pink coral ~ KJ

“That was fantastic!”- Eun Sook followed by Dave: “Wow… just wow.” (Rainbow wall)

Dear Nancy was on the edge of tears: “That was the dive of a lifetime.. It makes it worth flying across the world.” 

This clown triggerfish became the favorite fish of several guests ~ Vince

Nancy: "It has stripes, circles.. it has it all!" 

Adding on to flat lake-like surfaces; wonderful pink, purple, blue sunrises… 

Thanks Heather for this amazing morning shot! 

A good amount of hammerheads spotted by Semi, alongside Sim and Eun Sook! 

Eagle ray and marbled ray by another group of divers. 

And each group got at least one melanistic manta getting cleaned and putting on a show for us all. 

One of them was beautiful and big Snoot ~ Vince

And Miss Riley! 

Chris even found his group a Nai’a pipefish floating in its little crevice! 

Close up on a scorpionfish ~ Helen

Makogai was full of songs, dancing, and laughter outside in the green: it was too good of a day to stay inside. It is wonderful to be back! 

Lovely bunch of ball anemone ~ Dave

Drop in, down, BAM ! Hammer head shark up the wall after his breakfast. 

We encountered a marble ray chilling at the bottom, alongside a m a s s i v e tawny grey nurse shark, surrounded by small golden trevally (or pilot fish). 

Both marble ray and tawny nurse shark relaxing ~ Vince 

Another shot by Dave 

What a start to the day. 

The marble stayed around and the next day divers saw a second one. 

Schools of big eyed trevally, barracudas, long nose emperors, unicorn fish, red tooth triggerfish, oceanic triggerfish, milkfish followed by a tuna… 

School of big eyed trevally ~ KJ

And of course our grey reef sharks and white tips making their appearances. 

Helen's view point

Stuart's view point 

Ornate ghost pipefish passing alongside the wall… what?! (Helen and Stuart)

Divers didn't want to leave the wheat fields in Kansas! 

Blue eyed coral crab ~ Stuart

White banded cleaner shrimp ~ KJ

This trips shopping list: 

-Dartfish; fire, two tone, zebra and decorated

-White cap shrimp gobies

-Juvenile and adult palette surgeonfish (Dory)

-Crouchers (Eun Sook was quite excited about that one!)

-Flame hawkfish

-Leafy scorpionfish

-Pontoh pygmy sea horses

-Pipefish everywhere; reef top, brown banded, and undescribed juvenile at night!

Leafy scorpionfish twisting ~ KJ

Longnose hawkfish ~ Stuart

We all had the privilege of Helen giving us a coral presentation on Fiji and both Stuart’s and her work. 

Did anybody know that when coral bleaches, it is not dead yet? 

It means the zooanthellae algae living in them has been expelled).

That colored corals (blue, purple, pink, green) are caused by the coral creating its own sun block to protect itself until the water cools and the zooanthellae algae can come back? 

Meaning those colored corals are survivors. 

Flat worm on sea fan ~ Dave

Funny enough, the only “weather” this trip was at the end of our last night dive. A very fun night dive, ending in slight wind, waves and even a rain shower!  Nature… 

Robust ghost pipefish at night and another one at Tetons 2… it's the season, catch them all! 

Robust ghost pipefish shot caught by KJ

Engulfed by school of sawtooth barracudas while searching for nudibranchs, leopard blennies, whip coral gobies, rose tip anemones with the endemic anemonefish, and a lovely posing lemon coralgoby. 

Whip coral goby ~ Stuart

After Humann Nature; “That was Marcy’s perfect dive. I have bought that reef!” - Marcy 

“No you cannot, it's my reef!” - Rexanne

Two best friends fighting over who had the best dive! 

Sea fan goby ~ Stuart 

Golden coralgoby ~ Helen

Minky whales surfacing next to the boat as we all rinsed our gears after the last dive. 

We believed that was the end… 

Impressive shot of one of the spinner dolphins, flat ocean, blue background ~ Russ

Until 15 minutes later we encountered the biggest pod of spinner dolphins (around Moon reef) jumping and twirling around the boat! 

Lisa... dear Lisa... spent the whole trip crocheting. She gifted yarn marine animals to all the guests... So impressive, so beautiful, we were all so excited! 

Vinaka vaskalevu to all!

Hope to dive with you again!