Cleaning dishes and swimming with dolphin

Just a quick note about my office: The other week I was washing dishes as the guests were eating breakfast, just like any other morning. We spotted a pod of about twenty dolphins heading towards the boat. Martin and I ran out and grabbed fins and mask and jumped in. We swam with the pod, diving and playing for about half an hour. We jumped out, dried off and returned to the galley to continue with the dishes. I had to smile and wonder how many times I will ever run out of my place of work to swim with dolphins, good times.

Last week saw us head up to the southern most island of the Bahamas, Mayaguana, for a chartered trip to research and cull Lion Fish with the charity R.E.E.F. Lion fish are not native to these areas and are accused of devastating the reef populations in this part of the world. The charity is led by Lad Aikins and supported by one of SCUBA Diving’s all time legends Peter Hughes, both on board for the week and a honour to dive with them. It was an interesting week and a tough week with over night transits and bounce dives to set moorings. One thing that always gets me about trips like this is that we get to dive sites that may have never been seen by another human being. That really excites me, true exploration of new reefs, seeing formations no other person has ever seen. We had a great week and some great people on board.

The Bahamas is always tough because we have to be up early to move the boat, dive more to set buoys to tie into and take turns to drive the boat on long transits. Last week was a taste of more to come, we returned to TCI to restock and refuel and we are now on route to George Town, Exuma. We will spend the week covering a new Island every day, some of which are uninhabited, then spend three weeks diving the beautiful southern Bahamas. Its hammerhead season and its going to be good, tough work, long hours but rewarding.

www.REEF.org

May 25^th – Leave Turks & Caicos - Ropes off around midnight and set a course for Mayaguana. Im on watch for two hours during the night.

May 26^th – A day diving in Mayaguana, still not that great a place to dive, ropes off early morning.

May 27^th – Plana Kay, A beautiful deserted Island with crisp white shores and palm trees J

May 28^th – Samana Kay, deserted but diving not impressive.

May 29^th – San Salvador, always amazing diving and hammer head sharks!!!

May 30^th – Conception Island, a beautiful place to dive, deserted and a hot spot for luxury yachts to get away from it all.

May 31^st – Long Island, Bahamas - Early morning dive on the Cumberback, a 40ft island freighter then 3 hours before docking in george Town, Great Exuma.

Technically eight islands in one week, Bahamas will be home for the next couple of weeks and then we do it all in reverse.

Im not into the whole self portrait thing but I swam over to Plana Cay, A deserted island in the southern Bahamas, I was the only person on the island at the time so I had to get some evidence

Adventurous Blood

When I was younger I had an ever-lasting desire to go out and explore the fields and forests behind my house. It always looked like it went on for an eternity when in reality it was only ever a couple of miles or so. I would set out on what I would call “an adventure” with my friend Dan. Hours would fly by with the discovery of pathways through trees and the discovery of the perimeter fence of the cement factory at the far end of the field. I would proudly march home with a real sense of discovery and achievement, only to be greeted by a concerned parent and a cold cup of tea.

My dad spent many happy years travelling and exploring the waterways of Britain aboard The Alice May. He would do weekly trips for people and turn the boat round every week, much the same as what I do now. It all has an air of inevitability about it, a desire to discover the unknown and explore new territories.

I suppose that hunger for discovery has never left me, im always itching for the next perimeter fence. The main difference being that I have a Boeing 747 at my disposal now so the options are endless. Im dedicated to travelling a lot this coming year, not just in my work, but when I take holidays. I have some big plans for the next 12 months and there is potential for a new dive project to really take off next year, but that’s next year and im still finding some paths in the forest for now.

“They say that every adventurer suffers from the conviction that he was born too late” – Ed Viesturs

 

West Caicos:

The Turks & Caicos Islands (TCI) are made up of a number of different Islands and Cay’s. We visit just a few on our weekly itinerary. West Caicos is a deserted island with only an empty, semi built resort to show for human interaction. In the middle lays a large fresh water lake and we moor on the west coast of this Island to dive the edge of the Caicos Bank. The Diving is breath taking and I had never actually set foot on the island before last week.

During my one hour break I grabbed my mask and swam over to the rugged edges of the island. I hit land at what is known to the charts and locals as “Boat Cut”. This is a small lagoon of turquoise water about 10 foot deep with a slopping bank on one side where I climbed ashore. I walked around for a few minutes and then couldn’t help but jump off the cliffs into the blue. It was great to set foot on deserted land and great just to be off the boat for a while.

The following week I did the same and Martin came along, one of the other instructors. We took the GoPro along and got some shots, which will eventually make it on here when I ever get time and a good internet connection.

We have a pod of Dolphins that are starting to regularly visit us, I will try and video them if I get a chance. The water temperature is increasing which is always good.

 The GoPro is starting to get used a lot now so I have lots of video footage but no time to upload it. All is well, I cant believe its been a month already, good times.