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.
May 25th – Leave Turks & Caicos - Ropes off
around midnight and set a course for Mayaguana. Im on watch for two hours
during the night.
May 26th – A day diving in Mayaguana, still not
that great a place to dive, ropes off early morning.
May 27th – Plana Kay, A beautiful deserted Island
with crisp white shores and palm trees J
May 28th – Samana Kay, deserted but diving not
impressive.
May 29th – San Salvador, always amazing diving and
hammer head sharks!!!
May 30th – Conception Island, a beautiful place
to dive, deserted and a hot spot for luxury yachts to get away from it all.
May 31st – 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
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