The Philippines March 2010

I had mostly recovered from a horseback riding injury and it was time to head off on a dive adventure with my new camera ,a Nikon D90. I was thrilled with the prospect of really being able to see my images in the camera's larger viewing screen.

I recently read a fascinating book by Richard Bergreen entitled Over the Edge of the World, a spellbinding account of Ferdinand Magellan's first circumnavigation of the globe. Magellan's goal was to establish a route to the Spice Islands, but he met his unfortunate fate in the Philippines at Mactan. I am currently working on a multi-media project for my images and dive travel journals throughout Indonesia, to trace the voyage of Magellan and what remained of his fleet from the Philippines down into the area I have been diving for the last 3 years.

Down a dusty hidden shrub-lined lane in Dauin lies the new boutique Atmosphere Resort. It is really NOT a place for divers,but more a romantic hideaway for couples who enjoy an occasional dive.Regrettably I had no one to be romantic with...

The property faces southeast onto a windblown sea in Negros Oriental near Apo Island.The sloping gray rock and garbage strewn beach is shaded by coconut palms. At the end of the resort to the left is a gauze curtained airy gazebo where you can get a deep massage at the end of the dive day.

The lot is a narrow rectangular shape dotted with simple white buildings. Bushy plumeria tress light up with ivory globe shaped lanterns in the evening, but no blossoms perfumed the night as it was dry season.Staying at Atmosphere is a bit like vacationing in a barnyard.At sunset a cow bellowed boisterously next door to the bamboo wall behind our outdoor shower area;before dawn ,roosters crowed and ponies whinnied in the lot behind the dive storage area.

The bar and infinity pool were delightful and inviting for a leisurely swim looking out to the horizon, after a great morning espresso or an evening cocktail.

Boarding our dive boat Victoria in the surf off the beach was a bit like a Navy SEAL drill. First one must be suited up to walk out the LONG beach, then wade out into the waves pounding the rocky eroded shore and scamper up a narrow bouncing plank /ladder onto the side deck. YIKES! We were told no piers were allowed to be built due to "marine sanctuary restrictions" which were enacted just as the resorts opening for business occurred.

The worst of the boat's amenities, besides the lack of fresh water rinse or a decent rinse tank for the cameras, was the open top WC that barely reaches neck height when seated on the marine toilet, and provides on a modicum of privacy( forget comfort) when going to the loo or changing into a dry bikini.

Entering the water for scuba is a feat of daring especially in high winds that blow around Apo Island, where we spent 2 days diving.Due to my injuries I had to inch to the bow in my wetsuit where I donned my dive rig with the crews's assistance and then tottered to the edge and was pushed off into the water, at least 7 feet down jarring myself as I plunged several feet below the surface in the bubbles.Needless to say the crew found this hilarious!

Exiting was even more perilous. If lucky, the dive guide ended our excursion under the boat. If unlucky, we had to swim out against the surge and waves with camera in tow, waiting in a cluster for the boat to pull up with us between the hull and the outrigger pontoon.Sort of like waiting to be run over... we then had to grab the ladder,remove weights, BC and fins, and being mindful of the waves slapping us in the face, we hoisted ourselves up the ladder to safety. What ever happened to boarding aft on a swim step:-(?)or back-rolling in from a low panga ...

Komodo below

Every day we dived three to four sites to sample the view of Komodo underwater.

Cold, current swept pinnacles allowed a bit of wide angle and even a visit from mantas at Manta Alley, but were mostly macro dives. I saw two brightly colored Rhinopios, a myriad of nudigranchs laying eggs, fire urchins and sea snakes. The warmer northern muck dives near Moyo Island were a pleasant change for the chilly ones at Cannibal Rock.

The top of the hill at the preserve afforded a hazy panoramic view of the bay and sparsely covered hills with eagles and cockatoos flying by squawking. The harbor water was dotted with boats and twinkled under the morning sun . We stopped for a group photo and began our descent to the beach. Back at the village I collected some souvenirs at the covered market area where one can find dragon carvings and all sorts of trinkets and local pearls.

Over the next few days we sailed south to Rinja and Horseshoe Bay. On Rinja Island we went ashore for brief encounter with more dragons who roamed the beach unrestricted by a park environment. These animals are more aggressive and curious than those at Loh Liang on Komodo . We made a wet landing in the panga and scurried up above the sand to a slight embankment, armed with tree branches as the dragons approached to check out the latest visitors. One dragon took off and chased a diver in our group, but he was stopped by a couple of large sticks planted in his path. A large can of tuna was proffered to distract the dragons, and we headed back to our boat.

The crew headed to Rija a few times after the end of the dive day to play soccer on the beach, and the dragons approached and watched from closeby, doubtless fascinated by the humans darting about kicking a round object across the sand.

Love those dragons

Our group made an early morning visit to the park to observe the famous Komodo Dragons up close. As we reached the landing pier around 7:30AM, the island was already teeming with tour groups. The heat and humidity were already cloying and intense.The visitor center is well organized with guides, maps and story boards of facts about the island and its wildlife.We were given excellent reference materials and information pamphlets that helped us get the most out of our brief time ashore.

We encountered a pair of dragons almost immediately on the trail. Sometimes they stay hidden from view, although there are deer, wild boar , cockatoos and flowers and other animals to see. A large pair of males engaged in a singularly amusing tussle as they warmed up in the morning sun. When the dragons awake they are almost comatose from the cooler evening air, but then they warm up and move about. They can run up to 15 MPH! One dragon lay outstretched in a small clearing as another male approached from the rear, climbed on top of him and began wriggling and scratching his flanks with long fearsome claws. The crowd of onlookers laughed with amusement, we quickly shot images and moved on along the scanty forest path. Hidden in the trees , a timid deer nibbled grass and leaves. One interesting tree was a cotton tree. From its boughs hung large soft fluffy balls of material that looked like cotton candy.The trail looped around and up a hill ; we trudged along the slippery path in the soaring heat. Every few yards we came across a set of tracks, marked with long, deep grooves from claws...the dragons had been there.

In the Land of the Dragons Oct 14-23, 2009

Indonesia is one of my favorite regions of the world for diving and exploring. Its rich diversity above and below water makes it ever mysterious and full of enchanting surprises. Having visited dive sites around the perimeter of the Moluccas "Spice Islands" in Sulawesi,Banda Sea , Raja Ampat and the Lembeh Strait, I joined friends from Brazil to head for Komodo and the Sumba Sea to the east of Bali. After a rendez-vous at the palatial Hotel Intercontinental in Sanur we spent a blissful night by the beach and set out on our journey. Komodo was a total departure from the other areas I had visited in Indonesia. The landscape is barren, brown and arid. The dry rolling hills resemble slumbering dinosaurs that might suddenly awaken and amble down into the placid aquamarine waters. Small colorful fishing boats glide across the sea, back and forth in the bays and straits, the mirror like surface hiding swift currents that flow around the reefs and sandy bottom.

Komodo National Park is a World Heritage Site and consists of two main islands: Komodo and Rinja, with a few smaller islets sprinkled in between an to the east and north. We spent our first night in the park area by Pink Sand Beach, its lovely expanse the color of a conch shell's interior. My mask fogging plagued the first two days of diving on macro sites which contained a treasure trove of new species to observe. Crystal Rock was a welcome change for sensational wide angle shooting full of fish and rich yellow soft corals like Onemobaa.

We spent time on land surveying Komodo and Flores nearby, and wandered about at the crest of a breezy hilltop overlooking quiet bays on either side. Returning to Mermaid I and swimming off the fan tail was a welcome departure from gearing up and riding out to a dive site in a crowded panga. As I soon discovered this was my last opportunity for days to swim in warm water. As we ventured south the temperature dropped to a chilly 70*F. BRRR! More weight, more neoprene, darker and colder dives.

Komodo 2009

On October 14, 2009 I depart for a nine day charter to Komodo on Mermaid I.

Night of the Turtle:Puerto Vallarta part 2

As a brilliant full moon lit up San Francisco Bay last night I thought of the balmy beach down in Mexico where the Olive Ridley turtles were hatching and gazing up at the same night sky. Photograph courtesy of Dr. Gustavo Danemann, Pronatura Noroeste