Turtles, Tarpons, and a Win!

We kicked off the day with an early and energetic start for our back-to-back dives. Our first stop was a return to the "Bon Bini Na Kas" dive site, as our planned location, "Country Garden," was already occupied. Before descending, we were treated to the sight of two sea turtles gliding at the surface—a magical way to begin.

Unfortunately, once we were in the water our dive camera refused to wake up. Due to the current, we followed the shorter route, but this time the reef was teeming with life. Various species of smaller reef fish had gathered into one massive, shimmering shoal.

Back at the dock, we quickly offloaded our gear onto another dive boat and headed out for a short trip to the "Small Wall" dive site. It was another spectacular dive, full of reef activity. A large, pale puffer fish cautiously watched us as we descended deeper along the wall, and barracuda dotted our route like silent sentinels.

After a light breakfast, the hearty lunch buffet was a welcome refuel. We cooled off in our air-conditioned room before regrouping for some late-afternoon socializing.

By mid-afternoon, we decided to take advantage of the spare tanks for a shore dive. Geared up and in the water by 4 p.m., we casually glided to the reef edge and descended to 19 meters. Heading south into a gentle current, we soon encountered an old sunken boat. Not long after, we spotted a small sea turtle, followed by a large moray eel weaving through the reef. We also saw a couple of lionfish and two flounders near the end of the dive.

After a quick rest back on shore, we joined a group of fellow enthusiasts for an naturalist night dive. As luck would have it, we encountered two octopuses, several moray eels, and five tarpons that followed us, hoping to use our lights to hunt. We figured the lighting would not have been great for the camera, but in hindsight we should have given it a try.

To top off an already incredible day, we were the successful silent auction bid for a week long condo stay in Puerto Vallarta! Our donation for hosting in our Campbell River house had multiple bids and raised some funds too. We look forward to having our guest stay in our new home sometime after the Spring.Читать далее