MORE DIVING 22 MAY 2016

I skipped the first two dives today. I was so frustrated yesterday that part of our boat could not stay with the guide, necessitating the guide to stop and wait for them to appear. This meant that I had to wait with him. He had reef gloves which we were forbidden to us. He had a reef stick (a metal rod that could be wedged into the bottom or between corals). I had my BARE HANDS, or finning against the current, which was like being hit by a fire hose. I used up a lot of air fighting current, which cut bottom time. I cut up my fingers and got stung on my hands. I WAS NOT ENJOYING MYSELF AT ALL. In such current taking photographs was impossible. By the time you saw something interesting - whoosh - you were past it. The day started out with two strong current dives so I took my name off the boat list (put an X behind my name) until DIVES #3 & #4, which were in calmer water. It made the trip a lot more enjoyable for me. I was here, after all to have a good time, not fight the sea. So I didn't record the first two dive sites. Dive site maps The two dives I did today were both at Komodo Island, a place called GLD and Spanish Steps. Spanish Steps is so named because of all the SPANISH DANCER nudibranches (Hexabranchus sanguineus) to be found there. Only one problem, we found the dancers but they were ON STRIKE! They wouldn't "dance" (fling themselves around gracefully swimming in the water column); they just lay there. In addition to Spanish dancers and nudibranches, there are lots of cuttlefish of different varieties found in the Flores Sea. Golden cuttlefish (Sepia esculenta) A pair of Kunie's Chromodoris Nudibranch (Goniobranchus kuniei) resting atop a vase sponge Blue linckia starfish, blue sea star (Linckia laevigata) Yellow margin moray eel (Gymnothorax flavimarginatus) Giant Clam (Tridacna Gigas)

THE NEXT DAY . . . HERE