Epaulet Shark

Monday 21 November 2016

Guess what? (you hate it when people say that, right?) We saw both at Manta Sandy, mantas as well as sand. Not like the 7 meter guy we saw in Atlantis aquarium in Nassau, but maybe 2.5 meters (8 feet). Got some decent video, a frame of which will possibly show up on the blog if the appropriate, good-for-nothing, slacker crew will take time and we ever get internet again and those 2 events coincide.

Calendar has been perused, days have been counted, plans have been made. Hope to see more of Raja Ampat, dive with whale sharks in Cenderawasih (Chen dra Whah see) Bay, renew visa in Biak and ski Heavenly Valley at Lake Tahoe in early March after taking boat to a secure setting a mere 2 flights from San Fransisco. The above referenced setting is across a bridge from Singapore in Puteri Harbour Marina, Johor, Malaysia. As we're continuing east for awhile that's a wee tittle over 2200 NM in perhaps 50 days. Hey, wait a minute, isn't cruising suppose to be relaxing?

Tuesday

Well Plan A lasted a day... Plan B: less Raja and sooner to Cenderawasih so everyone (an indeterminate number of boats and crew, but there are several we know in the area) including those who must go home for Christmas (Lisa - it's the children thing) can dive together with the big sharks. Also allows Anthem crew to start west sooner and swing by Triton Bay (more diving, more whale sharks, maybe).

Very interesting dive on our own today. Scheduled 3 for tomorrow with Biodiversity Resort who will charge us 15USD/dive/person - must really need the business.

Thursday

Two good dives yesterday morning then a night dive, all of which we could have done on our own, but prices are very reasonable, which we like to encourage, and it creates good relations with the local operators. Also had great lunchs and dinners with them that were also $15 - they're in a rut. These guys were Spanish (actually, they still are). Highlights: large cuttlefish that flashed light and dark like the strip in Vegas, banded pipefish, turtles and, the pièce de résistance, epaulet sharks (walking sharks).

Redid the night dive in the morning.. is that possible?.. and goofed off the rest of the day.

Saturday

Sailed to Waisai Friday morning for reprovisioning and dinner. Fresh market this morning and now really starting east. Layover tonight in Momfafa (No, Cal, that's not a slurred, naughty word), either a long day or short overnight to Amsterdam (no, the other one) where a sunken landing craft begs to be dived on, then either 2 or 3 day-sails or 1 overnight to Manokwari where we will again reprovision (crikey, how often do these people need to shop?)

For non-divers a lot of this is really boring, so I'll include a joke: How are a Japanese tourist run over by a bus and a lobster alike? They're both crushtaseans. It works better verbally, so read it again, out loud, with your eyes closed. You'll laugh until you wet yourself.

Jack