The day started, as usual, with an alarm… slightly earlier than usual – I finally realize that my current schedule would allow me to join our guests on their first morning dive if I could bring myself to get up early enough! I got up and got into my dive gear, joining guests Walter and Thomas as we climbed into the zodiacs and zipped out to the north point of Roca Partida. Less than a minute after we sank below the surface, 2 – no,3- no, 5! Dolphins came along for a playful look, teasing us with their graceful agility, swimming upside down, twisting and turning… They stayed with us for several minutes and then took off into the blue. I stared after them, willing them to come back, but was quickly distracted by the 3 large hammerhead sharks that came into view just then! I’ve never been lucky when it comes to hammerheads, and definitely have never been so close to them! As they, too, faded away into the blue I thought to myself , “Okay, getting up early was most definitely worth it!!!” Just as the thought crossed my mind, who should come along but a graceful giant manta, cruising along contentedly – it went past us, then came back… then came back again… by this time I was heading up for my safety stop and so, so happy I had gotten up. Back on the boat later that morning, our guests out for their second dive of the day, I heard a call on the radio… ” WHALE SHARK< PORT SIDE” My fellow hostess Laurentina and I dropped what we were doing, grabbed our mask and snorkels and jumped overboard. We watched, amazed, as the gorgeous thing did SIX laps around the boat, each time coming so close I could have touched it as I hung onto the side of the boat with my other hand. Dolphins, hammerheads, manta and a whale shark… and it wasnt’ even noon yet!
Later in the afternoon I got the privilege of going for another dive – 2 in one day, am I spoiled or what!!? Soon after we got in the water our whale shark friend came to visit, again making pass after pass of our group of divers… it swam upwards towards the surface, and then to everyone’s surprise, a second, even bigger whale shark came from the opposite direction!! 2 whale sharks in on dive… unbelievable. Absolutely unbelievable!!!
Hostess Claire
I will remember this day forever, I know it. This has been absolutely one of the best days of my life… let me share.
