Recent Blogs

  • 2008 (48)
  • 2007 (87)
  • 2006 (115)

  • Our Favorite Videos


    Indonesian Ramayana Ballet

    Links

    Boredom, Hunger and the Lazy Diver

    April 14th, 2008 by steve

    So, yeah. The Maldives are pretty cool for diving with the big fish. But there really isn’t much else to do if the big boys don’t come out to play. The coral and macro life isn’t so great and we spent several dives looking for other forms of entertainment… and sometimes a little snack…

    Marcel does always swim with a fork, and I’m never underwater without travel chopsticks. mmmmm….anago…

    The currents were sometimes roller coaster fun and we got to watch the lazier divers hang onto coral for their dear lives. My favorite move was by a German couple who could magically use both hands to grab on to the reef while kicking the coral behind them AND somehow poke at a scorpionfish to take a blurry picture of him.

    There was another technique that we’d never seen before. It starts with that Batman utility belt you got last Christmas. Secure the grappling hook to the reef below and then lay back and take a snooze while the world blows by. Now this actually does make sense in some situations and can be better for the reef than using your hands – if you’re careful. But the sight of ten divers strapped into the reef in a very mild current just waiting for their suffering to end is a little funny. In all seriousness, I’ve never seen so much general disregard for nature amongst a group of divers. We all accidentally kick, touch and break things now and then while diving, but I take it for granted that everyone is trying not to. This trip taught me that there are a lot of divers who just don’t care and that’s really sad.

    Sad, but it reminds of the other German girl who stopped at nothing to get a blurry photo of everything. One dive, she crawled into a hole on top of an exposed rock and didn’t realize she had chased her target octopus out a small hole in the bottom. So the octopus is now sitting near me and we’re both watching her butt hang out as she’s draped over this rock still looking inside for my new friend. Oh, if only I had a camera for that!

    Mary says: but what about the lady that massaged an anemone with her hand?!

    Posted in diving, maldives | 2 Comments »

    2 Responses

    1. Jow Says:

      While attached to endangered reef with said utility belt, did divers open mouth and catch dinner?

    2. steve Says:

      not so much. once strapped in, most people just nap. real fishermen around here jump off the boat to catch dinner: http://www.prefectlife.net/prefectlife/walkabout/thailand/similans/slides/080307_similans_fishing.html

    Leave a Comment

    Please note: Comment moderation is enabled and may delay your comment. There is no need to resubmit your comment.