Mola Monster

Wow, what a day!  

The boat was just Sam, Tuomas and me.  First we dove Apuri Bay where it was really cold.  Then Cathedral.  I was about to roll in at Cathedral when realized that my tank didn’t get changed.  It was almost empty.  THANK GOD I looked and they guys were able to swap my tank out for a fresh one.

At the end of the dive, Sam pointed out a Riwo samla to me.  I though meh, boring but to be nice I took a picture of it.  I am SO GLAD I did!  I turned out to be a different Riwo which is new to the trip and me!!!

Then on the way back from the second dive, we found a Mola Mola and I jumped with my Go Pro Max 360 camera right next to it.  I got about 30 seconds of pretty good footage.  Here is a screengrab.

In the afternoon I went to look for my mask and it got left on the boat which was out with the divers.  So I had my backup mask in my room and I grabbed it.  I jumped and it was “fresh”.  That is how the dive crew says “cold”.  I forced myself to go down there and use the diopter.  I found a little shell and then the blue nudi on the concrete mooring that I found last year.  Woot!  It is small and I used the diopter on it.  Cool.

I had a fabulous night dive at Matap.  Just me and Nikko.  It was one of those dives where I couldn’t keep up with the nudis that Nikko was finding.  Just one after the other.  Bam . Bam. Bam.  So great.  I also feel like I am getting the hang of my camera.  Whes.

I wasn’t even tired at dinner after four dives.  Just pumped up.  Awesome.

Here is the Slug Slog:

122 - Phyllidiopsis striata

123 - Goniodoris sp. 7

124 - Phyllidia coelestis

125 - Samla macassarana

126 - Unknown (orange with white diamonds on its back and messy separated cerata - maybe Baeolidia or Limenandra of some sort?)

127 - Phyllidiopsis annae

128 - Glossodoris hikuerensis

129 - Phyllidia elegans

130 - Doto sp. (red doto)

131 - Hypselodoris yarae

132 - Doris pectin

133 - Chromodoris magnifica

134 - Mexichromis sp. 2

135 - Moridilla brockii

136 - Tambja tenuilineata

137 - Tenellia sp. 29

138 - Phyllidiella cooraburrama

139 - Goniobranchus tritos

140 - Elysia sp.

141 - Gymnodoris inornata

142 - Sclerodoris tuberculata

143 - Sakuraeolis nungunoides

144 - Favorinus tsuruganus

Diminutive Diopter

I feel like I’m in the groove now.  Tuamos will be joining Sam and I on our boat.  

The WiFi was down again this morning.  It is a little frustrating, but I can still do a lot offline.  My MacBook is starting to balk at the amount of Lightroom I am using.  It is running so slow.  I think I need to reboot it every night.

We did the Great Wall and the Jetty.  I found this crazy snake eel swimming around with little flappers.  I didn't know they had little flappers!

I also found my own frogfish on the jetty.

We were looking for mola mola but instead saw dolphins on the way back.  I had my Go Pro 360 so I attempted to capture them.  I may have failed miserably.

I put the diopter on my camera for the afternoon dive.  It was frustrating but I got a few shots off.  I am going to try to bring it down on every afternoon dive to try to get more used to it.

On the night dive, Nikko pointed out this beautiful flowery pink slug.  I was super excited until I saw a probiscis and I was like what is that?  On man, it was just a cowrie but very pretty!

I am trying to get Max and Lauren to institute a five timers club like on SNL where if someone hosts the show five times they get a special jacket.  Like maybe a weird dive hood or a dive site named after them.  The next time I come will be my fifth.  Sounds like they have room next year for me if I want it.

I have been watching that show Man on the Inside.  It is a lot like Mom’s Senior Living.

It was a REALLY slow day on the nudi front.  Only two new species... but I think both are new to me in life, so that's cool.

120 - Diaulula sp. 1

121 - Tenellia minor