Water Sports

Photo Gallery 2005 Fiji 3

While still in Beqa Lagoon we took one last dive, returning to Glory Hole where we completed our first commercial dive last week. It was a spectacularly beautiful dive site and we wanted to return with cameras at the ready to try and capture some of the scenery. The soft corals were thick, primarily red in color, and uncountable numbers of small orange and purple fish (anthiases) swam through them for a color-coordinated effect in the clear blue water. There were also some swim-through tunnels in the coral heads, lined with sea fans, which added an element of entertainment to the dive.

I discovered a huge old lionfish laying on a cliff ledge and took some photos and video of him as he was very cooperative. At the very end of the dive I came across a golden spotted moray being groomed by cleaner wrasses. He was in shallow water, well lit by the sun, and I got great video footage of him with his attendants.

Twilight entertainment was the making of a skurfing videotape. I was installed in the bow of the dinghy, facing aft, camcorder in one hand and a death grip on the painter in the other, behind my back, for balance. Rod or Anouk tood turns driving at water-skiing speed while the other skurfed, and I recorded them for posterity and also a chance to review their technique! Rod especially took the opportunity to push the envelope and completed several 360 spins and tried for a 720. Personally I think the best videotape opportunity was to film me trying to film them while not falling overboard – but we only had one camcorder aboard…too bad.