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| Sodwana Bay, viewed from Jesser point |
After
a year of working quite hard on safari I was definitely missing my
“alternate” world – under the sea.....
So
when I realised that I was not working over Christmas (for the first
time since 2007) I immediately made plans to go diving.
I
hadn't been on the reefs of Sodwana Bay for almost four years and as
one could, at a stretch, say it was on the way to Durban, where I
planned to visit my extended family, well, it was the obvious diving
destination.
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| Blue-lined & Yellow snapper |
My
timing was good, the sea has started getting warmer, there were
enough divers around to make up a boat load of “advanced” divers
to visit further reefs, but not yet the school holidays, so I could
get some “off-season” discounts (plus the beach wasn't too
crowded).
And,
wow, I had forgotten just how glorious the diving at Sodwana can be!
Here are just a few of my photos, but they cannot really give you a feel
for what we experienced:-
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| Paper Fish |
The
gorgeous, colourful hard and soft corals, sponges, anemones, clams
and fish that proliferate on the reefs stretching north of Jesser
Point;
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| Two-bar anemone fish |
The
large manta ray swooping over and around us for most of another dive;
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| Ribbon Eels |
Five
different types of moray eel one afternoon, including the “cheeky”
black-cheeked moray that nipped my hand as I struggled in the surge
to take a photo of another;
The
brilliantly coloured, tiny nudibranchs dotted almost everywhere we
looked;
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| A view through one of the many arches on the reefs |
A school of dolphins circling us playfully as we snorkeled with them after one dive;
Turtle
tracks etched on the dunes as we skimmed past every morning;
The
majesty of a large “raggie” shark winding away from us;
And, at
the end of a long morning's diving, that unique post-dive state of
exhausted euphoria.
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| Ribbon-tail Ray |
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| Giant clam |
After that wonderful, diving break I am back to Kruger Park tomorrow, totally refreshed by almost 9 hours of immersion in the Indian Ocean, and ready for the bush again :)
I hope you have all had a happy festive season, and best wishes for 2013.
4 comments:
A delightful break from the land animals. Hope to catch up with you in Kruger in Feb.
Thanks Gaelyn.
I look forward to meeting as well:)
Hi Coral .. sounds positively idyllic - and I loved seeing the photos. Have a very happy 2013 ... cheers Hilary
Hi Sue, I'm wildly jealous, but I shall be there at the beginning of Feb. Happy new year may it be a good one.
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