On Saturday morning after breakfast we go on our first boat dive. We are neatly finished at 8.45 am (a time when we normally on Saturday still not active) and just after 9 am, the tanks connected, all checked luggage on board and sail off. The dive site is called "all level" dive so divers of all levels may participate. Generally this means a dive with little current. To be safe check the guide to any side of the water goes. He comes up with a slightly worried look. The flow is exactly the opposite direction than he had thought and is again considerably stronger than expected. We jump on the west side into the water and are immediately pushed back over the reef. For us now a breeze to the right place to find where the water is quieter but we see others struggling a lot.
Behind the wall is a shelter where we can dive very well and we enjoy driving along the coral and fish. The curve shows the flow on more open sea too strong to swim against it so we turn around and zigzagging on the east side of the reef slowly. And after an hour we are back to the surface, just as the assignment was. Back on the boat we're both quite good and we are going to yawn at the pool. It's almost lunch time (days stringing here because together with food, diving, eating, diving, swimming, drinks and food) and after lunch we decide lazy to stay afloat this afternoon by the pool to read, sleep , of course, swim and drink.
Since bursting on a man of good, an afternoon nap and fitter than we are normally around 19 hours at the Sunset Bar for a beer and wine. After dinner we walk to another bar, Bonthi Bar, where guests tonight karaoke-and we still like an espresso. The guys from the animation team bite the ball rolling in with karaoke and a quarter after the first tourist steps onto the stage. The music choice is what this guy sings mature but not without merit, and in any case much better than the animation guys. We hear a few guests but we find the time to entertain this behind us, and the alarm rings even again at 6.30 am as we go on full day trip to the Whale Shark Sanctuary, the area where we June saw our first whale shark!
The alarm is just not easy, but once we are risen again, we know why we spend holidays in this way: we want to go into hiding and hope for a Whale Shark. As the boat sails at 8 am from we have breakfast earlier than our restaurant is open, but the early divers allowed than in the other restaurant food that is open at 7 am. At the breakfast tables are only a few divers and a departing guest on the water so that plane. With a hearty breakfast under their belts, we are ready! It is an hour's sail and we doze off a bit on the deck. Around 9 am we set sail from the atoll between 2 islands where the past few days by Whale Sharks are seen. And we almost immediately luck. We pull our shoes, fins, mask, snorkel and camera from our crate and begin with a snorkel-fifteen minutes with a magnificent whale shark! Unfortunately, Marije on her underwater video device not look back which images they have shot so that the movies are successful remains exciting. And if we can borrow no mini USB cable (for which we ourselves forget ......) then we will be home to Dubai or to wait to see the result.
After snorkeling we draw our diving gear and we jump almost literally on top of a Whake Shark, so the fun is not over yet! The whale shark swims slowly out of the picture and we will continue our dive along the reef and go get a white-tip reef shark and a turtle. There may be no official "big five" for the underwater world (as you do on safaris have) but with this dive we have at least 3 of our 5 favorite beasts seen a Manta and Dolphins would our big five or complete making. During the surface interval of an hour we still 7 Whale Sharks against which we snorkel from the boat and admire. The numerator of today is 9, and even the boat crew and dive guide in ecstasy! The second dive is a quiet dive along the outer reef of the South Ari Atoll and it is time for lunch. While the captain of the boat towards the next dive site put forward the rest of the boat crew will prepare lunch, until she "cruel" to disrupt a school of dolphins. The Dolphins play in a big group together and we even see a dolphin catch a tuna (for them it is lunch time 
) And the tail of the tuna flounders over water even for a moment ..... And then we fall into the lunch buffet with noodles, beef, mini pizzas, salad, bread, eggs and vegetables. Yet another clever what they do on a boat demonstration.
By the end of the lunch attracts the airtight and within minutes the rain poured, but fortunately we still be wet again, and if water comes from above or below actually makes little difference in these tropical temperatures. When the rain subsides what we see here that Manta still swimming alongside the boat! Sure the big five has arrived! We head for the third time our diving gear and go into the water where we had two Rays encounter. First one that lies to hide in the cove of a rock and then another big flat over the ground that our swim meets. What a TOP day!
On the island we jump in the pool to rinse off the salt and we order a beer to toast to this wonderful day! Whale Sharks (9 pieces!) White-tip reef sharks, turtles, dolphins, manta and "normal" Rays. What does a diver more! Well ..... This dive the next 9 days, for example
Dear Marije and Juriaan,
Every time you travel, we look forward to your stories and read than a lot of fun.
You enjoy the water and we in The Hague. It is for us a little bit of home in your house.
Blue goes well he runs continuously around us.
Many beautiful diving.
Love, Dirk and Aly