Dive Briefing Copyright © 2004 Craig "Monty" Sheppard and Michelle Gaut

- click to see photos -

August 17, 2004 - Kokoana Passage, Marovo Lagoon (Dives 17,18,19)

Dives 17,18: Camera: Canon 1Ds, Canon 100mm USM Macro, 2 x Ikelite DS-125

Marovo Lagoon is impressive. Lonely Planet lists it as the world's largest island-enclosed lagoon; we are diving near a passage-way to the ocean where current flows in and out along sheer walls, promoting the growth of more sea fans than I have seen anywhere else. Both sides of the inlet are lined nearly non-stop with large sea fans from about 30' or so down to well past 100' in depth. Long wire corals spiral out from the wall and oscillate slightly as the water flows by, and we found one such wire coral teeming with small wire coral shrimp, all fighting for position and occasionally leaping off quickly to reposition themselves a bit further along on their cylindrical world. As expected, the current was raging along the lushest areas, and I had to duck behind ripples in the wall in order to have any hope of staying in any one position.

Dives 19: Camera: Canon 1Ds, Canon 15mm/2.8 fisheye, 2 x Ikelite DS-125

I dropped down to 110' to observe schools of barracuda and jacks in the blue just out from the point, and suddenly was overwhelmed by comfort and familiarity, as being out in the blue in strong current is my favorite sort of diving. After ten minutes or so, I let myself go and was whipped along the fan encrusted wall, occasionally stopping to snap a photo or two, but in less than twenty minutes I ended up floating slowly along the "brick wall," which is what Monty and Michelle call the barren areas around the lush area. Lesley banged on her tank a few times to show me porcelain crabs and a scorpionfish, and after a bit I surfaced and signalled for a pickup by the tinnie.