August 2008: South Pacific
Savusavu, Vanua Levu, Fiji Part 4 (S 16.46.661 E 179.20.067)
Scuba diving has been on the schedule for quite some time and the pieces finally came together. We decided to go with a dive shop next to the marina we have been staying at for several reasons; Cousteau charges a hefty premium with lots of divers on the boat and the closest place was the most convenient. It was a little bumpy when we arrived in the morning to meet the boat as it appeared there was no boat captain. I’m pretty sure he never showed up as the guy at the desk drove the boat as well as led the dive as the guide. We’re pretty sure Cousteau would have been a much more professional outfit and we started having second thoughts. There really is no continuity between dive operations and it is pretty easy to see through the holes in the operation. The gear we used appeared to be competent and the panga we went out on was also in very good condition. This shop does not get much in the way of divers compared to Cousteau and it shows. Diving is just one of the attractions of this particular marina as they also offer many other things to do.
It turned out we were incredibly lucky to have been at the right place at the right time. But, I need to backtrack first. We left the dock in the best of all conditions. The weather was warm, the breeze was slight and best of all the water was as smooth as glass. This meant we would be able to dive the sites in the middle of the bay since the water was calm. Oddly though, we motored to Cousteau to pick up 2 more aluminum tanks. The captain said it was because they loaned tanks to them but we think he doesn’t have a compressor to fill tanks and just gets them when he needs them. The transit to the dive site took us about a mile from shore to a place called Alice. It is a sea-mount with a mooring ball and a very popular spot. When we arrived there was a small boat with 3 local divers and they were just finishing their dives making it possible for us to take the ball.
Immediately after entering the water and getting to our depth of around 35-40 feet several small white tip sharks were spotted in a large rock overhang. In these conditions they were docile and I felt it was plenty safe to get in close for pictures. They were all less than 4 feet and seemed calm as they continued swimming in small circles (not around us, I’m pretty sure).
I could not bring all the things I wanted to bring on this trip as I did not have the room. One of those things was an external strobe for my underwater camera. To capture the brilliant colors underwater a strobe is needed. So, some shots have some light colors but overall most of the shots will have the bluish tint to them and that is what we generally see while diving. If the sun is up and there are no clouds the shallower waters will produce some shots with better color.
The area we dove is blanketed with coral and teeming with small fish, cucumbers, stars, etc. We did not see any big fish and the sightseeing alternative is looking closer at the coral. It is amazing how many little odd creatures live on the coral and rocks. Even though the camera does not pick up the colors we can see them and they are as brilliant as they are exotic.
While I had my head in the sand and weeds taking pictures all the excitement was happening above me. I saw movement off to the side and up a little and it was the guide trying to get my attention. Swimming directly above us was a humpback whale about 35’ long. Bob was able to see it surface in a partial breech and got the best viewing. This is the first whale I have seen on scuba and it was breathtaking. I noticed how large it was in comparison to us but then again how small it was in comparison to the water all around us. This was a very special moment. At the time I was not quick enough with the camera and it could not focus fast enough and I did not get the shots.
Needless to say we were some very happy divers. We poked fun at the skipper and complimented him on his choice of sites and the whale element. We then challenged him to do better on the next dive. During our surface sit we motored to another site that was fairly close by called Wonderland. We had some water, papaya and peanuts and generally just chatted. Bob and I were the only divers on this boat as well as at these sites and it was quite nice to have a secluded dive site all to ourselves. The visibility was in the 50’ range and the surface water temperature in the low 80s; at depth in the very high 70s so we used 3mm Shorty wetsuits.
After back rolling out of the boat into the water fully geared I saw another white tip swimming out in the open, lots of fish and lots of coral. We covered a lot of ground on this dive and it seemed our route was similar to the previous dive of swimming the circumference of a sea-mount.
Once again I had my head in the sand and weeds and was a bit startled when a large shadow blotted out the sun from above me. I thought it was a boat but knew that I did not hear a motor. I looked up in time to see the same whale swimming above me at a fairly quick pace. At the time my camera was in sleep mode and had no chance of getting the shots. This time I saw the whole whale and was able to really appreciate the moment. For all of us this was a very special day.
Later that afternoon while we were keeping yacht club bar chairs in their place with our body weight, quite effective I might add, one of the locals paddled by on a handmade bamboo raft. We had seen several of these improvised crafts but this one had a wood pallet as a seat.
During our stay here at this mooring several things on the boat seemed to give up the ghost. It is inevitable that things will break or wear out or just simply stop working and recently we have had our fair share. Back on the boat during dinner the generator ran smoothly for a short period then all of a sudden the RPMs dropped to a sluggish chug. Long story short, they wrenched on it some that night and then quit until the next day. During this period I went out on deck and looked up at the stars. C’mon there was literally nothing for me to do below or anything I could add to the problem. While on deck it was eerie. The wind was not blowing, the water was smooth, the boat was still and the only sounds were coming from the retail store on shore that placed speakers on its front porch. Smoke from shore wafted across the water and added to the character of this night. Fires can be seen on shore at anytime and anywhere as it is common to burn piles of leaves, coconut husks, etc. This waterfront does not emit too much light and the stars are still very visible. Once again I was able to see satellites transit the sky.
Between the 2 of them and mainly monkey Bob climbing in the engine tomb, I mean room, the generator problem was discovered. A fuel linkage piece with a welded on spring that connected the bolt shaft to an end fitting had separated rendering it inoperable. The amazing thing was that Bob found someone on shore here locally to weld it and it worked! We have been using it ever since.
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