Travel Blog: Part 6 - Diving

Ok - one word here captures it: WOW

Magnificent Aquarium - Robin Ridilla

I've just completed dive 5 of 10 that I scheduled and I'm blown away by the diving here. Yesterday was good, equal to anywhere else I've been, not superlative but I literally did jump into the water on top of a sea turtle and reef shark at the same time. Visibility was ok, but a typhoon has just passed through the area, the sea was rough and we were rained on. (oh no, i'm getting wet while I dive!). We were back relatively early though - left at 9, back by 3pm, and I learned afterwards that day one usually happens in this 'safe' place. They're assessing us as we spend time.

Spotted Grouper - Robin Ridilla

I guess I passed muster, so I signed up for one of the epic spots for today - three dives (instead of two normally) at the south end of Peleliu, including the famed Peleliu Express where people get washed out to sea. I set a few new down time and depth records for myself (went more than 100 feet down), and was able to stay with the group for almost 70 minutes. I also tried nitrox today. Before you go and phone my mother that Steve's doing funny island drugs, it's actually a nitrogen/air mixture you breath and gives you super powers. It does require a special certification, but I had dive master guidance, so what happens on the boat...

Blue TriggerFish - Robin Ridilla

The dives were wonderlands of walls, coral gardens, magificent currents, and the sea life was stunning. I'm not exagerating when I say there were millions of fish. Bright corals, some as big as cars. Schools that took minutes to pass, 4&5 bigger sharks at a time, and one almost always in view, and on the last dive, at least 10-12 sea turtles. We saw rare stuff like large spotted eagle rays glide by, and 50lb bubble headed parrot fish bullying their way around the reef. If you looked close, there were clown fish in anemonies (probably spelled that wrong)and giant clams the size of small horses. The area around Peleliu is remarkable as it's a wall dropping to wherever the bottom is, and so it's where the deep blue sea meets the island coral gardens. It's an intersection of the pacific and truly remarkable. I've found this on youtube (click the word) and have only seen the first 1 minute due to great bandwidth here but even as this glimpse offers, it really is breathtaking.

If I was never able to dive again, I'd be heart-broken, but at the same time I recognize what I participated in today was absolutely phenomenal.