Returning and thoughts – Day 7

The last day at the hotel is extremely boring and so you tend to sleep much of the day. The Marina Lodge is ok as a hotel but somewhat isolated and the fierce heat and high humidity outside tend to keep you confined to your room until departure time.

During this week, I dived 17 times and spent nearly 18 hours underwater at depths down to 32.4 metres (the maximum depth for my gas mix). My diving skills have improved, particularly balance and floatation – just hanging in space over a shear drop looking at a particularly interesting fish or bit or coral or allowing a shoal of small fish to buzz around you or looking out into the blue for a large fish is a fantastic experience.

The most memorable moments were:

• seeing the Green Puffer Fish (Darwin – you were correct about the link between evolution and environment);
• seeing the large Sea Turtle; and
• being alone on a large stretches of coral with just millions of fish and my dive buddy (Darren Birmingham) for company.

The most exciting and pulse raising moment was the high speed drift on Rocky Island where the current just swept you along and you had no choice but “go with the flow”.

Thanks Darren.

Tony Backhurst and Scuba Travel certainly delivered another good dive holiday – this bit of our blog is not supposed to be an advert for them but they are very good.