Say Ahhhhh!

We’re back in Alotau for a bit to send off and pick up divers.

During this cruise around Milne Bay, we dived at Samarai Island, Gona Balubalu, Kwato, Gotoi Bay, Sawa Sawa Sawaga, Black and Silver, Peer’s Reef, Dinah’s Beach, Deacon’s Reef, Hornbill Channel, and Waga Waga. Whew!

Most of the sites listed above have been dived before, but our dives at Gotoi Bay were exploratory. Bob and Craig received information last year about a possible undocumented plane wreck from World War II in the area, so we decided to check it out.

Although we didn’t find the wreck, we did stumble upon an interesting set of reefs that’s worth more dives in the future. There are strong currents flowing through the area each day...meaning a steady supply of nutrients. And down deep, at 20 metres or so, there’s a sand flat with an abundance of beautiful black coral trees.

I spent most of one of my dives at Gotoi Bay playing with a juvenile Ambon damselfish (Pomacentrus amboinensis), which rewarded my patience (or stubbornness, depending on your point of view) with a split-second, face-on, open-mouth greeting (or gasp of exasperation, depending on your point of view):

Juvenile Pomacentrus amboinensis damselfish with mouth wide open
Juvenile Pomacentrus amboinensis damselfish with mouth wide open