Another dry, flat and calm morning greets us today, time now to descend to breakfast to see what’s cooking, is today a bacon day I wonder?
.. And bacon day it is too! I’d like to say I showed reserve and helped myself to a modest portion of bacon, banana pancakes and eggs – but I can’t say that, and it was super good. They are highly skilled in the egg department here, whichever way you want them, they arrive perfect, yum!
I took a guess at the team shirt colour today and got it right, today is blue shirt day which is handy as I only have them in blue and yellow. Pink, purple, and white are also options, I have to go under cover on those days but today is all good, and, as deputy resort manager one has to adhere to standards and show a united front!
Off to the camera room next for pre dive shenanigans.
Close inspection of my backup strobe revealed what looked like water ingress in the battery holder, this is never a good thing!
It turned out to be just the failure and leakage of one of my chunesium batteries.
Took the thing apart, cleaned it all out, tossed the battery and fitted a new one, all good. Take whatever moral you wish!!!!
Jo has also rebuilt the mounting system for her underwater close up adapters on her mask. The resolution involved some dexterity with small rubber bands!
Dive #45 Bethlehem (opposite, on the smaller island)
One of the best and clearest dives on this site in a long while. You could see from one side to the other and a long way up and down the channel.
Plenty of nudi action to behold, bright sunshine above and no current. Towards the end of the dive we found a bat fish being cleaned by cleaner wrasse.
Then back into the shallows for the safety stop before surfacing and getting back on board for breakfast #2 (coffee, oreos and bananas).
We are now anchored at Kirbys Point for the surface interval, let’s see if we end up diving here!
Dive #46 Layag Layag (at Kirbys Point!)
I know I’m probably sounding really boring now but this was yet another ab. Fab dive in Crystal clear warm water and sunshine. Highlights included a huge octopus, many nudi’s, some shrimp and some obliging crabs on an anemone.
The diving here is so easy, hassle free and visually stunning. This mornings two dives were most excellent, what a holiday!
Back at base we hear that others were cold on the dives this morning, and they were wearing wetsuits. I put it down to them being rake skinny, whereas we are in rash vests only, but we do have bioprene, which seems to help a lot!
After lunch we prep the cameras once more for the afternoon dive.
It’s scorchio scorchio today!
Dive #47 Koala
More nudi action here with a little current fish at the start though thankfully that eased off after a while.
At the end of the dive a Malibi nudi was spotted causing much excitement though I have to say, visually, not a stunnerš¤£
Back on dry land for a short spell with drinks and biscuits (cos we are so under nourished Not!)
Sunset dive next, where shall we go?
Well, as it happens we head out to Mainit School though when we arrive on site there is a bit of current so we divert to Mainit Corner which, curiously is not next to Mainit School!
Regardless, within minutes we are descending.
Dive #48 Mainit Corner
Lots to see as usual, highlight include a stone fish, nudi’s (regular and monster!) Another glorious dive on this spectacular site where we were joined once more by our German buddy Raute. She has joined us on a few night dives now.
As Jo has mentioned, we are trying hard to try the local language for greetings etc. Generally we are working in English, German and Tagalog, my brain needs a rest!!
It’s been an expensive day today as we have firmed up on some detail for our next trip, no prizes for guessing that includes a return to Anilao though it is bit exxlusively based there, more on that in some future post, let’s just say it’s going to be an expensive pizza!