Just got back from a wonderful 10 day dive survey trip with the Safe Mooring Foundation, Inc. and found some of the best diving and healthiest corals I have seen! The trip started at LAX on Sunday the 25th of August 2013. You fly to Nadi Fiji leaving at around 11:00pm LA time and arriving about 5:00am Tuesday morning having crossed the international Date Line. You use the Transit by pass to re-enter the departure lounge and our flight left about 7:00am. We had about a 3 and 1/2 hour ride to Honiara Guadalcanal Via Port Via in Vanuatu. The strange thing is we landed to let a few passengers off and were asked to deplane with all of our carry-on's and transit through their transit lounge! We were re-screened and our carry-on's checked and then in a few minutes our tickets and passports were re-checked and we were lead back out to the plane and our seats, then a couple new passengers boarded and we took off for Honiara international airport about 2 hours away. We landed and lost another hour from Nadi Fiji and filed through customs and immigration at the historically important airport that used to be Henderson Field in the first and one of the largest battles in the south Pacific in WWII.





Customs and Immigration went easily and we were meet by the Bilikiki at the curb with a truck and bus, from that point on we didn't have to touch our stuff until it was time to unpack and set up our gear. We were taken by buss to the harbor where the boat was moored and waiting for us. The boat had a motor overhaul just a couple days before we arrived and on a regular schedule we would not have been on the boat until 4:00pm or later, but they had snacks and beverages for us as the boat was ready to go. We unpacked our personal stuff in our cabins and set up our gear. Other than to adjust something you don't have to touch your dive gear. The Crew carries it to the Tinnies and loads it along with your camera and upon your return the do it the other way around. They even remove your first stage, fill your tank (Nitrox) and put the cap on the tank and the dust cap on your regulator. Your do have to dress yourself and take your own shower after the dive, but clean warm towels are ready after each dive!




The first day on the boat is paper work and orientation. This allows everyone to relax and get to know each other as well as get into the boat routine. Our cabins were large and comfortable with a complete head and shower in each one. We stored our luggage under the bottom bunk and you had storage enough for all that you can bring. The cabins were cleaned and bunks made everyday and clean towels stocked in the head as well as all the important paper work. The heads were the European double flush kind and worked well the whole trip.




We left anchorage about 6:00pm and headed for the Russell group of islands about 6 hours of steaming directly north of Guadalcanal and a little west. We all tucked in fairly early tired from all the travel and anticipating a full day of diving to come and starting at 7:45am the next morning with a complete briefing. One of the two Dive masters were always on the dives with us, even though you were allowed to dive your own profile on all of the dives. The DMs know the area and where to find all the cool stuff, so it is smart to go with the flow or current so to speak.




Every place we went, except Mary Island, we had visitors of all ages stopping by to say hi or sell their wears.



Our first dive site and dive of the trip was breath taking! We dropped in with a back roll off the boat into 83* water with 120 plus viability with huge fans, healthy corals everywhere, and a beautiful reef that dropped into the sand at 110ft. From the first dive until the last the critters were everywhere and it was like being Alice in Wonderland to me!



More to come, stay tuned!