Back Bimini side

I live in a house that uses conch shells as door stops; a self-sufficient and conservation-minded house where our living quarters resemble a generous boat; a house whose back beach, a quick 50 meter stroll from the oft cluttered washing line adjacent to the house, serves as a liquor cabinet, ghost crab catching grounds and a launching pad to several shark-filled pens; a house with a dock where cleaning my teeth in the morning it's not unusual for a turtle to pop up for air. 

After a two year hiatus, I have returned to volunteer at the Bimini Biological Field Station aka Sharklab on Bimini, Bahamas. 

Even with the first half week filled with classes ranging from knot tying to marine radio to boat driving to shark handeling, we managed a half day snorkeling at the Sapona and a shark dive and feed off Triangle Rocks.  More than a dozen reef and black nose sharks popped over for an easy snack as fellow volunteers squeeled with delight through their snorkels. 

 North Bimini

 Morning prize for jetlag

Ahh, Bimini sunrise

Labuan Bajo, diving Komodo, new mateys

My first day in Labuan Bajo, Flores, I won the backpacker lottery when I met hilarious Kiwi  honeymooners Simon and Vanessa.  While they kindly shouted my evening meal and beer towers, I was able to freely and fluently speak my mother tongue without butchering my English down to "Me want bed cheap."  Jumping aboard Dive Komodo's boat the next morning heavy headed, I was in for three days of spectacular and challenging diving.  

A manta winged overhead as we were descending on the first dive, we snorkeled with 10 mantas during a surface interval, sharks, octopus, nudibranches and tiny crabs all said hello as Komodo's characteristic currents carried us around.  A pop in to see the Komodo dragons on Rinca Island - which were curiously congregated under the kitchen hut at the Ranger's station - and I was Bali bound after a chance encounter with Simon and Vanessa at the airport.  Keen to spend more beers together, we booked into the same hotel in Sanur. 

 With Simon and Vanessa - note Beer Tower 1

 On the way to a dive site in Komodo National Park

 Labuan Bajo, Flores

 I'm on a boat!

 Snorkeling during our surface intervals

 I spent lots of time and rupiah aboard this boat

 Komodo style.  Curiously the lizards were congregated under the kitchen hut

 In the wild

 Sunset from my bungalow

 Seaweed drying facility next to my bungalow.  eww

Nusa Lembogan dive site

Philippines photos

Asia has been serving up one surprise after another and the Philippines is no exception. Blessed with natural beauty on the salt water and terra firma front, four Canadians have been more than entertained and mesmerized. From Donsol's whale sharks to a campy Serbian model in Banaue to getting wrecked in Coron to Sabang's tatty sexpats and stunning diving to barely offshore turtles to bioluminescent plankton, our diving logbooks and camera have been full.

This trip is wrapping up and I will be back in Canada with the week. I'm ready because I have to be, but not looking forward to another farewell to my favourite travelmatey/cuz/friend.

(Whale shark in Donsol)

(Mt. Mayon near Legazpi)

(Coron)

(Coron's sunset)

(Yup, two adults in matching outfits)

(My travel mateys)

(Taal volcano)

(Natural Born Divers in Sabang. We gave them lots of pesos, they gave us lots of sweet diving.)

(Apo Island turtles)

(When four became two, this is who I scored)

(My favourite beach babe)

(This is how I feel about leaving in one week)

Day off

Slightly hungover, all eleven volunteers piled onto a Bimini legend's 24-foot skiff with the hope of seeing dolphins and hand feeding stingrays.

Bonefish Ebby, named for his knack at catching, you guessed it, bonefish, took us north to the dolphin grounds. Jon and Elena claimed to have seen them, but those gay sharks evaporated by the time we got the boat over to the alledged sightings.

Several quarter hours later, it was clear the dolphins were in the other portal and our lack of a morning drumming circle complete with crystal consult was the reason. Disappointed, but still with a hired boat for several hours, we moored up and went for a snorkel on Bimini Road. Not fantastic by my standards, but ok and nice to finally be in the water.



A quick bait stop and we were off to Honeymoon Harbour to feed stingrays.