You Are Such A Blenny

Welcome on board!

And happy Fiji Day!

On this lovely trip Mikey and Linda have joined us once again, and they have brought with them their three sons and daughter in law; Noah, Trevor, Damon and Frances!

We were so happy to meet them!

Our dear Mike Chiado has also come back on board in search for all those elusive fish that evaded him last time. 

And so many new people, excited to be here; welcome to the Nai’a family!

Lucky lefties going to dive ~ Rinaha

Bring out the log books! 

Time to jot down all that has been seen; from dog face pufferfish to a hunting Spanish mackerel and schooling lunar fusiliers. 

Lizardfish with a PARASITE (can you see it?) ~ Mike Chiado

Crinoid clingfish; squat lobster; dwarf hawkfish; and huge school of sleek unicornfish. 

“That was amazing; so many colors!” - Jarmila

Turtle! ~ Mike Chiado

“We had the most social turtle with us on the last dive.” - Trevor

So many spiny lobsters early in the morning; black bar chromis, our “generic fish” according to Noah; and beautiful puffed up soft corals and sea fans outlining the passages and cuts in the reef. 

Our obsession, leopard blenny ~ Mike Chiado

“I saw four of the fat blennies! Now that I know where I see them everywhere!” - Linda talking about our lovely (fat) leopard blennies. 

Continued with gorgeous hardcorals; guests finding longnose filefish; assortments of butterflyfish; differentiating between longfin banners and Moorish idols… and finding our way through currents of fusiliers. 

Longnose filefish ~ Mike Chiado

“That was the dive for wide angle! It was perfect!” - Coral Corner for Mike!

Two semicircle angelfish in the perfect spot ~ Mike Chiado

Lots of rockers and sleepers on this trip; boasting 92% energies, not falling off beds… we surely don’t work them hard enough… OR they were in dire need of rest. 

Lisa & Pat are firstly and foremost to blame for bringing along Andy... super fun couple, great humor both underwater and at dinner time. Real attention to detail and big big smiles!

Morison's dragonet putting up his sail ~ Mike Chiado

Barry and Andy have been working side by side for about three decades and finally hopped on a diving trip together. Real fun buddies, looking out for each other professionally and recreationally. 

Andy was trying to bribe us from the start with chocolate from Hawaii… I mean, if that is not a good start I don’t what is!

Hello green moray ~ Mike Chiado

Get away! ~ Mike Chiado

So many schools of longface emperor! It was crazyyyyy

Ri hails from New Zealand, yet she lives in Siva with her hubby and daughter. This was her well deserved trip and real first taste of Fiji diving!

Mike really gets fish personalities ~ red tooth triggerfish ~ Mike Chiado

Marina is on a three month sabbatical from her job in France; started here in Fiji, moving on to Vanuatu and then New Zealand. 

When you come all the way to this side of the world, you really want to take advantage of the time here. 

Fiji essence ~ Mike Chiado

Annabel from Australia had the shortest ride to Fiji, yet she had not come out the the beautiful Bligh waters yet. 

Needless to say, she was alongside all of us enjoying the amount of corals fish. 

Yellow Fiji essence ~ Mike Chiado

Jarmila spends her time mostly outdoors from all the side conversations with the experts; the Katz family. She completed her deep course with Chris on board. 

Orange-finned anemonefish and bubble anemone ~ Lisa Hempel

Six mantas at once at the cleaner station; while the other divers enjoyed four of them at the secondary cleaner station.

What a morning!

Pinjalos ~ Pat Shafroth

Marbled stingray; huge turtle getting cleaned; golden mantis; ribbon eel; two naia pipefish… we cannot complain!

After scouring tummy photos we could identify Claudia (who was named just a few days ago!), Dorothy and Shirley as our big melanistic females.

Shirley, Mickey Manta and another male ~ Pat Shafroth

Shirley was pursued by two smaller males that remain unidentified, but Tasha Angel and Johnny came by as well; big melanistic males. 

Mickey Manta, the only chevron of the day, was ALL over the reef and on both dives… the little ones grow up so fast.

Underwater bliss ~ Rinaha

Rocking crossing… yet worth it!

New guinea wrasse, juviiiii ~ Mike Chiado

On this trip, we were juvenile obsessed! 

“That’s a special place.” - Linda coming out of Kansas. 

While that group searched for all the smaller treasures; pygmy horse shoe, juvenile wrasses and pipefish, the other divers were enjoying a sunlit hammer head shark, other greys patrolling the area and so so so many schooling bannerfish. 

Fire dartfish ~ Mike Chiado

“Croucher butts!” - Trevor after an active Tetons. 

Two tone dartfish ~ Mike Chiado

Ri was trying to get our attention as she saw a lovely eagle ray swoop around. 

Decorated dartfish ~ Mike Chiado

And we cannot forget the eventful sighting of the Barry fish… long and slender, white tufts on the top dorsal, tends to litter the reef with scales falling off. 

Zebra dartfish in the front, spot tail in the back ~ Mike Chiado

Showing different anthias; redfin anthias: the males will round up the females.

Lori’s anthias; both males and females are incredibly similar.

And the star of the show; the square spotted anthias, all around the deep walls surrounding Namena. 

Elusive flame hawkfish ~ Mike Chiado

Night divers went down and boom, turtle! Made their dive. Did their guide see it? No. But that is not important. Everyone was psyched. 

Trip ended with amazing hardcorals and soft corals; anthias dancing, fusiliers swimming, unicornfish staying put for once... 

Unicornfish basking in the current ~ Mike Chiado

Family photo! ~ Mike Chiado

Vinaka vakalevu everyone!

We would have you back on board in a heartbeat!