The working days of Great Barrier Reef

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I have no number of how many times some customer on the boat will tell me, with envy blazing out of their eyes, that I am so lucky to do what I am doing. And every time I will patiently reply that in the end of the day this is a job as every other job. Sometimes there are good days, but too often there are not so good days, and sometimes you are just left to ponder why you didn't go for the nice office job...

But, when the going is good the going is very good... or something like that. When you have a good day, or a good dive, the whole world is a better place, and you cannot think of one single good reason why you ever would want to give this up. Lately I have turned my attention ever so slightly away from the big stuff, like sharks and turtles and suchlikes (although i still hugely appreciate the quick glimps of a reefshark or the quiet and serene presence of a turtle, don't get me wrong), and started looking for some small extremely brightly colored animals called nudibranchs and flatworms. And, I have been quite successful at it as well. Or, to tell the truth, for the first weeks I didn't see a single one. But, there is something with tuning in your eyes as well as the calmness of looking that makes the differences. On my two latest dives I found several nudibranchs and flatworms on each dive, and of course bumped into the occational turtle just for good measure.

Seen here on the pictures are Ardeadoris Egretta, which is the white one, and a Phyllidia Varicosa which is the small spotted one. They are absolutely beautiful creatures, and when you do spot one it feels like you have found a small treasure. Both for the beauty but also for their size.

Over to another note, have received job offers both from Vietnam, Nha Trang, and Sihanoukville, Cambodia. Am very in doubt in which to accept. Although the place in Sihanoukville seems to pay better I am more intrigued by living in Vietnam for while (and the food is so very good there... yum yum). Have to decide pretty soon as although I think I can get a Cambodian visa on arrival, a vietnamese visa would have to be arranged beforehand... the choices the choices... (mum, be quiet and feel sorry for me!!!)

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Photos

Ardeadoris Egretta
A small treasure minding its own business, untill four very excited divers landed on top of it with three cameras between them and lots of uncoordinated fin movements...

Phyllidia Varicosa
The beauty of smallness

Cat
Cat - Another instructor working for Tusa showing off underwater... quite the goodlooking gal one must admit!

Kat
And then there were me, practicing for my new and exciting career as an underwater model...

Anemone fish
No, this is not Nemo, this is Nemo's cousin