It would appear that there is something that failed to make yesterday’s blog:
A local man was seen repeatedly throwing his cock into the sea and then massaging it viggerously.
It turns out that this standard practice for developing your fighting cock.
We had no idea that chickens could swim though each time it had to swim back it got lower and lower in the water, perhaps not fundamentally as waterproof as ducks might be!
After repeating this exercise 5 or 6 times the cock enjoyed a thorough sports massage though where the ending was happy or not remains unclear.
This morning it is a little overcast and the occasional rain drop has been felt, brightening up now though I was looking forward to a tropical storm 🌨🌩🌫🌨☔🌂🌪⚡
Cameras are ready, divers are ready, let’s go!
Two new guests join the boat today from Japan, nice ladies, they speak little English.
So we went, started the dive, nothing too special for the first part, a few micro box fish and shrimps and the like.
Then we move on to a bit of a reef, lovely, colourful and lots of cardinal fish, some looking after eggs in their mouths.
At about 90 minutes in I see other guides giving the signal to go up, our guide is moving in a different direction, I think he had a better idea of where the boat was. Things then change and we head down to small group of divers. It turns out that they were following a blue ringed octopus, we soon take over and proceed to bathe this thing in flash light.
It was interesting to watch our guide continue to poke at this thing with his finger on order to maintain the display of blue rings. Clearly the tales of certain and near instant death from it’s venom have not made it down this way!
Jo was in for some close up action to the point where she was nearly wearing the thing.
Pictures later….
Breakfast #2 done, time to order lunch, must exercise more self control when ordering food!
The second dive of the day, dive 38 was a muck dive at Hairball II and we did indeed see a Hairy Frogfish, Ambon Scorpion Fish (equally hairy) as well as a bunch of other stuff such as Ornate Ghost Pipe Fish, Robust Ghost Pipe Fish, nudibranch’s, tiny Cuttlefish and more.
It turns out that I completely missed Jo being attacked by Clown Fish, they are vicious out here! Anyhow, finally she was rescued by Rusely (sounds like Bruce Lee) who helped batter the evil Basstards (sea what I did there? Oh and another 😂😂😂) and lives to tell the tale.
Up for lunch now, what did I order? Tell me I didn’t order a starter too! Only time will tell.
This afternoon I get to dive with the ladies from Japan. Well they can click their cameras in just about every direction, but mostly at the same thing I am trying to take a picture of.
Ettiquette and manners obviously don’t translate that well into Japanese!
They also like to hug the bottom though not in a nice way.
That aside, a lovely dive with lots of stuff to see. Back on dry land and it’s afternoon snack time. Hot banana cake with thick chocolate ganache on top, had to have a second piece just to be completely sure.
Two games of crib and Jo has managed a come back to be one game ahead now. Nothing more to add on that note.
Dinner was a huge success, glass noodle and seafood salad to start then grilled fish in sweet chilli, finished off with pinnapple fritters, I do indeed now feel completely finished off.