UNDER COVER OF DARKNESS

It was really gloomy down on Stringer reef, I'm back on the boat now, processing the pics.

The Clownfish couple's neighbourhood is darker than usual, there's not a lot of light down here. Quite eerie.

THE LAST MORNING

This morning is typically dark & gloomy. At least the weather has been consistent...

As far as I can remember, we've had two sunny days out of twelve. Not great odds!

We're heading for Stringer.

LAST PREP...

It's with some nostalgia that we prepare for what will be our last day tomorrow. Its been a great two weeks which has increased in action as time goes by.

The giants with which we've rubbed shoulders over the past days have left big fat memories ingrained in us, real priviledges that we'll take into the future...

SOMETIMES THINGS ARE OBVIOUS!

These massive appendages are the Whale shark's claspers. Very obviously identifying this animal as a male!

BIG DADDY!

This Whale shark is enormous. He must be at least 10 meters long, and is in beautiful condition!

He's really timid and I had to work hard for these shots, diving down deep to make contact.

GREY BUT CALM

Sodwana is nice and calm this morning. Maybe it's a leftover from yesterday, and I expect the wind will start in the next three hours.

SAFETY STOP?

I just climbed out of the sea after a bizarre experience. After our safety stop, we'd drifted for a while, waiting for the boat pickup. I noticed a huge Humpback tail sticking out of the sea nearby, so I swam over to see if I could get a shot.

With the tail towering over me, the big whale was just lying inverted, vocalising. After a minute or two, the animal detected my presence and kicked its huge tail and sped off leaving me hurtling around in its wash!

I was then passed by the rest of the pod, which came swimming by with purpose.

What a morning...

SEVEN MILE

Seven mile is as good as it can be. The coral down here is spectacular, and this reef is doing a lot better than its tropical counterparts. No coral bleaching here.

THE SEARCH CONTINUES...

It's turned into a glorious day, and we're still on the sea.

Planning to go for a scuba next...

A QUICK DIGRESSION...

While I was floating around in Whale shark alley I was confronted by this pod of Bottlenose dolphin. We've since left the area, parting ways with the dolphin that are now near Seven mile somewhere.