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

- click to see photos -

August 18, 2004 - Lumalihie Passage, Marovo Lagoon (Dives 20,21,22)

Dive 20: Camera: Canon 1Ds, Canon 16-35/2.8L, 2 x Ikelite DS-125
Dive 21: Camera: Canon 1Ds, Sigma 50mm Macro, 2 x Ikelite DS-125
Dive 22: Camera: Canon 1Ds, Canon 100mm USM Macro, 2 x Ikelite DS-125

Lumalihie Passage is similar to Kokoana Passage (both being passageways from Marovo Lagoon to the ocean), with areas packed full of sea fans. There is a shallow sandy area near the top of one side, but it was virtually a sandstorm up there during the first dive; the current in Lumalihie was absolutely ripping, and only the protected wall area was accessible. The current was particularly strong -- and uneven -- at the point, where large schools of fish milled about amongst several sharks that were travelling at high speed in roughly circular orbits. We also saw a manta ray out in the blue, but it dove down deep nearly immediately after spotting us. While hanging out at Lumilihie Passage, I was reminded of diving Blue Corner in Palau, except that I also spent a lot of time observing a harlequin ghost pipefish in a red sea fan down at 80' and two hippocampus denise pygmy seahorses in a fan at 50'. I spent nearly my entire third dive with the two pygmies (the rest of the group had moved off to watch the sharks), and eventually they decided to ignore me and continue about their business, picking little microscopic critters out of the water around them with their tiny snouts. one pygmy was on the move every ten minutes or so; in the 45 minutes that I spent with them, he hopped from branch to branch a total of four times, giving me all of a second or so each time to snap a photo of him without his tail wrapped around a branch. My favorite sort of diving involves hanging out in one place observing critters until they start to ignore me.

My right ear is starting to get sore, so I opted out of today's 4th and 5th dives.

August 19, 2004 - Marovo Lagoon

Unfortunately, my ear feels worse than it did yesterday. I think I'm going to have to take the day off. :( Instead, I spent my time ID'ing critters and organizing photos.