On the boat, days 1-3

2-17 Friday

We left Lembeh Dive resort and transferred to the boat which was anchored just offshore.  The Lembeh folks used one of their boats to take us over. 

The first order of business on board the Mermaid 1 was to take off your shoes. Get welcome drink-fruit juice because we're going on one dive later.

Dive still in Lembeh - hair ball. Nothing but black sand, muck. Supposed to see hairy frog fish here but we didn't, just muck. At very end Alvin spotted a mimic octopus. Here's a bit of Jim's video:

Jim and I shared one bottle white wine before and during dinner.

Night crossing a few hours west.

2-18 Saturday

Woke up to see sunrise. We're the only boat around. Beautiful. 

Dinghy takes us to dive site. Gorgeous reef, clear water. Lettuce coral, plate coral, table coral. Anemones are so healthy. I'm using a smaller tank, less cumbersome but also less air. I'm used to coming up with 1,000 lbs, now 500. Using 6kg of weight: 12 lbs. water is 83 degrees. Just wearing my 2-3 mil wetsuit.

Second dive is a sea mount. Lots of surge. Same beauty. Saw  cuttlefish ! 

I sit out the 3d dive. Can't tear myself away from the book City of Girls. Knee is hurting a bit. Being very careful walking around. Aleve helped me sleep.

Only had one glass red wine.

2-19 Sunday

At 6:30 a crew member walks around the decks singing out Good Morning! This alerts you that it is time to get up and go to the main salon for coffee, little breakfast, and dive briefing. Todays first dive is Wonder Wall, and they weren't kidding. A totally vertical wall with an overhang at the top. Lots of barrel sponges, schools of bright blue fish, and a swim thru! Wow,wow,wow.

Photo by Anna Barnes

But wait, it gets better! The second dive was as full of life as I've ever seen. It could go down as my best dive ever. Or at least the best dive … today 😃 it was another wall. Saw a turtle, a monstrous school of gobies, several trumpet fish, moorish idols, anemones and Nemo's, and a Dali barrel sponge. but the pièce de résistance was the field of coral. Cabbage coral that looked like roses completely covering the top of the wall. I sure hope Jim got some good photos cuz I can't describe just how beautiful it was.

Third dive oh my another drop dead gorgeous wall.

We skipped the night dive, had a glass of wine, as the others went muck diving in Garantolo.