Nudi Gal: My new favorite festival

After spending a day in Manila sleeping and relaxing, I’m ready to dive!!!

Francis and Pirjot, Bree and I shared a van for the 3 hour ride from Manila to Anilao

Bree knows Yan, one of the divemasters from Graham’s trips. She is younger than me. Hooray! She’s from Dallas and pretty accomplished – as a consultant in the skincare/makeup industry… and a serious world traveler.

We got to do two dives today. One afternoon and one dusk.

I got to meet Dave Behrens, one of the famous nudibranchers who authored the most recent Nudibranch & Sea Slug Identification – Indo-Pacific book with all the new scientific classification. Think Jacques Cousteau or Stan Waterman… but just for “branchers”. It is fun hearing his stories. He speaks fondly of Teri Goslinger (his co-author) and has some good stories about why some nudibranchs are named what they are. I caught some flack for bringing Neville Coleman’s ID book on this trip. Dave went on and on about how crazy the organization of that book is.

There are lots of stairs here. The resort doesn’t have that much land, so everything is built upward. Maybe I’ll make a Go Pro video of the 7+ levels and how hard I start breathing every time I climb all the way up!

Through some strange twist of fate, I got my own room. I was supposed to room with Lindz but she and Bree chose to room together instead.

The ocean doesn’t seem that cold here - I’m not even using my vest yet.

On our first dive, Nudibranch #2 was a really rare one, the Miamira alleni!!! I got an OK shot. I was just such a spaz on the first dive with the camera again and then so excited to see such a great species.

Got in two dives the first day and already saw 27 nudis!

1 - Jorunna funebris