Na Vanua Ka Tawa Buto

And we are back to diving!

Welcome back Joni, who brought along with her Danielle, a fellow REEF enthusiast. 

Welcome back Connie and David, who brought with them their friend Brian; he knows his priorities when it comes to napping and smiling. 

Welcome back Connie and Frank, and they brought with them Maggie and Jennifer; all bright smiles and time in the sun. 

Joining this trip also from America are JJ and Kathleen, friends since the ages.

Bill and Laurie, who are just happy to be underwater and have a VIP seat on the sun deck.

JD and Larry, who have been diving together for some time (JD our delicate flower & Larry our complainer muahahah)

And from Bulgaria, Anna and Rado; “As long as I have wine, everything is fine.” They are in the business at the end of the day...

It was quite the feisty start, as the currents at Vatu-i-Ra gave us a run for our money, and didn't seem to simmer down under the afternoon. 

Currents bring in fish, in this case, fusiliers ~ David

We got slingshot through fusiliers and soft corals; enjoyed the show from pacific bird wrasses mating; found blue dragons all around; false cleaner wrasse pretending to be innocent inside a hole; and even a big potato grouper who wanted to come out and hunt but hid every time we focused our attention on him. 

Blue stripped fangblenny in hole ~ Danielle

Gorgeous sea fan ~ Joni

So many golden damselfish guarding their eggs; and even two trumpet fish twirling around each other in what looked like ball dancing. 

Teethy orange-finned anemonefish ~ Joni

“I didn't know so many colors of anemones were possible!” - JD

Rose tip anemone; magnificent anemone; bubble lip anemone; carpet anemones… the list keeps going. 

Shy sweet endemic tomato Fiji anemonefish ~ Larry

“That was so beautiful!” - Connie B. 

“I just love all that color; so much pink and purple!” - Laurie

Big pod of spinner dolphins receiving divers on the dive site. 

Yellow coral maximized! ~ Danielle playing with texture

It is always nice to end the day with huge smiles. 

Hot, cold, left, right: that current, sorry, currents, were just all over the place. 

Divers still enjoyed all the sea fans; anemones and fish; swimming marble stingray; fly by by big black Nai’a Blue. ending the dive drifting over purple, pink, and blue cauliflower hard corals and a whole bunch of Dorys! 

Nai'a Blue ~ Larry

“So many colors! I was able to film them as I drifted over them!” - Connie F.

Nai’a Blue made her way from the divers in one dive site and settled down cleaning with the divers, who were patiently waiting for her appearance. She stayed for almost the whole dive, showing off her beauty.

Dorys! ~ David

Travelling from dive site to dive site was also a huge remora, searching for the next biggest thing to attach itself too.  

Pick handle barracudas ~ David

Hammer head shark made an appearance as well. 

And many, if not all divers, got a “shrimpie mannie" with the resident white banded cleaner shrimps on the side of the cleaner station.

Whip coral goby ~ Danielle

Even some cleaner fish joined in looking for food on our hands, and even wetsuits.

David went for the mouth cleaning… brave. 

Juvenile brushtail tang ~ Danielle

No matter how many times, Makogai makes everyone smile. This type of afternoon filled with laughter, dance, and music should be bottled into an elixir and sold for when you are feeling down. 

Adult leopard blenny ~ Danielle

“That was so much fun!” - Laurie, while Bill signs “That just blew my mind.” (GCS)

“That was such a FAT stingray on the bottom!” - Rado (referring to a lazy marbled stingray)

Three golden coralgobies, can you spot them? ~ Danielle

“I saw my first Fijian sea turtle!” - Bill; he spotted one swimming along the bottom of Kansas. The rest of the divers had fun searching for underwater spaghetti (pipefish). 

I, Clau, caught a glimpse of my first ever short pouch pygmy pipehorse, yet, of course, when Danielle came down to look, it had moved (cue tears.) 

Three pipefish (underwater spaghettis) ~ Joni

Square spotted anthias showing off its colors while it displayed territorial behavior ~ Danielle

Diving song, by Joni Sensel (by popular demand)

Note: should be sung to the tune of Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes

Suit, Wetsuit

Fins and Mask

Fins and Mask

Suit, Wetsuit

Fins and Mask

Fins and Mask

Computer, weights, BC, Air On, Regulatoooooor Splash! 

Fiji Clown blenny ~ Larry

Following the creative line, we got thinking of alternative names to the dive sites we love. Tetons 3 lately is feeling more like The House of Dragonets, while Magic Mushrooms felt more like a Ghost (Goby) Town. 

Pretty ghost goby on soft coral ~ Danielle

So many of those chunky gobies: on sea fans, on corals, on wires and on whip corals. 

Up to 3 puppies in one crinoid (crinoid clingfish). 

Two crinoid clingfish ~ Danielle

Coral groupers fighting between each other; a starry night swimming flat worm; yellow spotted scorpionfish in lovely pink pocillopora coral, alongside tiny little zombie crabs (blue-eyed coralcrabs). Danielle even found the rare and elusive flame hawkfish! 

Evidence! Flame hawkfish ~ Danielle

An incredible last diving day find: two white Pontoh's pygmy sea horses at Cat’s Meow, surrounded by a small dragonet, blue dragons, flabellinas. 

Top of a pinnacle ~ David

“Chris was on a roll! There was no stopping him.” - Connie F. 

White Pontoh's pygmy sea horse ~ Larry

Finished off the trip with HUGE boulder corals!

Clau pointing out juvenile two tone dartfish on top of the massive boulder coral ~ David

Vinaka vakalevu everyone!

It was quite the ride. 

Hope to “sea” you once again!