Thursday we take a day trip to Bangka Island. Day trips start here early, have breakfast at 6 am and at 7 o'clock we are already at sea. At 6 o'clock in the morning on his way to breakfast I salute and 2 of the new guests who sit on their porch, but strangely follows no greeting back .... Strange guys this dive-Belgians.
We go with the six to Bangka: Emma, Cecilia, Klaus, Pim, James and me. We have 3 guides and 3 men on the boat, so as many staff as guests.
It is 2 o'clock, sailing and golf are expected to be high when we turn to go to the northernmost tip of Sulawesi. The sea remains as tight as a mirror and we enjoy the pristine nature of the mainland and small islands to pass us.
Already at the first dive, at about 9.30 that you had 2 hours of sailing in a completely different (underwater) world can be. No steep rock walls but with lots of soft corals. Something less good visibility under water, 15 meters, but up to 4 octopuses on 1 dive. And of course other nice stuff like nudibranches, cuttlefisch, morray eels, ribbon eels and a pygmy seahorse.
The surface interval and lunch we do at another resort, Blue Bay Divers, on a small island off the coast of Bangka. A nice little resort (6 houses) but with only German guests ...
If we leave the bay for the 2nd dive shows that the wind has picked up considerably and there are the predicted waves of more than 1.5 meters high. Our dive site is located off the coast of the mainland in a fairly protected cove, where the sea a bit quieter.
Ok this is another great dive and completely different from the diving around Bunaken. This time, frogfish, many (leaf) scorpionfish, again nudibranches and flatworms and ghost pipefish. At the retreat we make my stocks from my last shopping trip to Manado soldier waaonder Oreo cookies and Pringles.
Upon returning to Two Fish is just the snack served: banana fritters with filling and then everyone goes to his cabin or room to shower. And by 18 o'clock we again with his sixes in the bar. The Belgians also come to the bar but do not exchange words with us or the staff.
We are all pleased with the chicken skewers on the barbecue for dinner, because eating yesterday was disappointing with only white rice, dry pasta (without sauce) and squid. The barbecue runs overtime while we enjoy!
Tomorrow is my last training with 1 Search & Recovery Dive and Rescue scenarios. The countdown has really begun, exactly one week I already checked in Singapore to fly home. Too bad it is now almost done, but also fun to see everyone again soon and talk.
