Hulamale Harbor, Post retirement dive #828 February 17, 2025

Here's my final blog from our February 8-18 trip on Theia Dune. Theia's schedule for the last day with diving on the trip, below:

Antoine giving us our final dive briefing of the trip, above: We were all together because we'd me making this dive together in one large group. This dive is a shark dive with rays thrown in. Below:

Given the number of different dive boats all diving this same site at the same time and the fact that the only draw was sharks, Donna decided to skip this dive (this was the last dive site of the trip, right near where we would be dropped off at Male airport the next morning, so the boat did two dive here, I only chose to make the first of the dives, I'm not a fan of diving in crowds, with lots of boat traffic, to put it mildly). I did enjoy my single dive. Lots of rays, lots of Spinner Sharks, a new shark species for me, and lots of Sting Rays and Giant Trevally. As we descended there the first thing we saw were lots of rays. Photos below:

Below: Audry with Stingrays

Above: Audry with Stingrays Giant Trevally, below:

... There were both Spinner Sharks and Lemon Sharks, I didn't get close enough to any Lemon Sharks for decent pictures, but I have lots of Lemon Shark photos from Tahiti back in 2007. Below: Spinner Sharks

Making my final safety stop on the way up and then the final pickup by Pelican, below:

To see more from this dive, please go to: https://photos.app.goo.gl/Wr5Q2ctSpMFZsr8q9 Here are my top 14 photos from this trip, below: https://photos.app.goo.gl/q4yQkcikUzZW4eZT7 Here are my favorite photos from our February 8-18 trip on Theia Dune: https://photos.app.goo.gl/eBCpeyiHKrkuHfHx5

Kuda Girri Wreck Post Retirement dive 827 February 16, 2025

Donna and I made the third dive of the day which was the Kuda Girri wreck and a coral reef adjacent to it. Below: Donna approaches the wreck's bow.

Donna with a Brown Linkia Sea Star, below:

A dense school of tiny fish, below:

Donna found a Puffy Sea Star, she did a painting of one of these on one of our earlier diving trips. Below:

A beautiful pair of Regal Angelfish, below:

Donna with Anemonefish, below:

A five foot long Giant Moray swam past, below:

Below: Donna with a beautiful purple Sea Anemone

Donna with beautiful Lettuce Coral, below:

Very good dives back at Faateyo,and Myaru Kandu, Post retirement dives 825 and 826 February 16, 2025

Here's Theia's schedule for February 16, our last day with three dives, the next to last diving day for our ten day trip. Below:

We conducted our second dive at Faateyo very differently because there was very little current. We formed up in a line and slowly swam back and forth across the entrance to the channel, hoping for visitors. We eventually had good visits from Silvertip Sharks and a distant visit from an Eagle Ray. First, we formed up a "line", our Batfish escort was skeptical, below:

Suddenly a Silvertip shot up from the depths, heading straight up. Below:

Audry gets set as Silvertip Sharks start coming to us, below:

A sadly too distant passing Eagle Ray, below:

Jerry and I were first to get low on nitrox so he put up his SMB and Pelican approached to pick us up, below:

I love the way Manta Rays obviously enjoy basking in the bubbles that divers exhale. On this trip I was surprised to see Surgeonfish accompany us and obviously play in our bubbles. Below:

Our second dive of the day was Myaru Kandu, we had the best parade of Silvertip Sharks, Whitetipped Reef Sharks, Tuna, and Jacks of the trip. Below, Silvertip Sharks:

Whitetipped Reef Sharks, below:

Also, Silvertip and Whitetipped Reef Sharks, together! Below:

I was saddened to see this beautiful Silvertip Shark disastrously fouled, above: Still more magnificent Silvertip Sharks, below:

Below: A Surgeonfish, a Jack, and a Silvertip Shark swam into a bar...

A pregnant Silvertip? Below:

A tuna, and then a Napoleon Wrasse, came by, below:

We then drifted up the channel. Below: I can't resist Anemones and Anemonefish, obviously.

Our dive master Antoine spotted a well camouflaged Scorpionfish that Audry and I photographed, below:

Time for getting picked up by Pelican from our second dive, below:

To see still more from this dive, please go to: https://photos.app.goo.gl/iK3PHxFQpKvFu2NA8