SY Sari Timur: We’re Diving Again!

June 26, 2011

We’re Diving Again!

Well after a couple of weeks off while we fixed the generator and sorted out some other issues we are finally diving again. We started last night with a night dive on light house reef. It was pretty, but not super spectacular. Today’s dives on the other hand were awesome. We do not have a camera that goes beyond 10 metres so any photos we post below will be ones we were able to beg from some of the other divers on this trip.

This dive was organised by yachties for yachties. Everyone on this dive was a yachtie anchored right outside Sam’s tours. The benefit of this is we were able to get a head start on the people that stay in the hotels. We were pleased when we found out our dive guide was going to be Harse. He was the one who managed to spot the mantas the last time we dove German Channel and that was going to be the first dive today. Due to the early start we were the first on to the reef and we were briefed that the tide was going to change just after we got in. We hit the bottom and almost immediately we saw a Manta Ray. Cool but he was about 10 metres away. After all the divers got situated he was spooked and we set out to find the next cleaning station. On the way we stumbled across a half buried fan tail sting ray which we sat around and gawked at for a few minutes until in the distance we saw two large mantas heading our way. We snucked quickly behind some rocks and the manta rays came right in amongst us. It was like they were saying “come take my picture” and I am sure there are some great photos. They played around with us for a little while before moving on. We skirted on down the channel and then noticed the Mantas coming back for more, this time they had a third one with them (not sure if it was first one we saw or not). But just the same seeing three mantas cruising right over your head while they are going through their cleaning process is pretty awesome. Then to capitalize on it we witnessed a fourth smaller manta coming to join the fray.

The dive after lunch was to be Blue Corner which is one of Palau’s best sites. As the current was going to be fairly strong we were told we were going to be hooking. Since my mother reads this site, I'd better define hooking so she does not get the wrong idea. On strong drift dives near a large attraction one uses a small hook and line. You hook into a rock, inflate your BC (buoyancy compensator vest) and sit back and watch the show. It is one of the best shows on earth as well. We got loads of large fish swimming by. It is especially nice to see the sharks and large schools going by. But what also made the dive spectacular was the large number of Napoleon Wrasses checking out the strange shaped fish in their territory. These fish are rather large and really aren’t afraid of much. One was getting rather close to Pauline and when she finally saw what I was pointing at her eyes went wide as he seemed to be coming in to suck face (a very personal kiss for mom who needs descriptions). Afterwards he ambled over to where I was hooked on. Another diver who is folically challenged had one come up to the back of his head. Thinking the stubble might be worth a taste. After a while more divers arrived so we unhooked and continued around the corner. On the way we saw lots more fish, a turtle, moray, lots of garden eels and just awesome coral formations, yawn ho hum! No, really, there is just no way to describe how awesome diving in Palau is.