snorkel selfie

Today's boat excursion departed from the jetty early.

We raced through the mangroves and tiny islands, many uninhabited, of Mergui Archipelago.

 Weather was perfect, warm and clear, with mostly mild seas.

First stop: the waterfall. Instead of a hike, the guides helped passengers up a rickety ladder on a slippery rock face. I stayed on the boat and watched people risk their lives for selfies.

These ladies were very stylishly dressed. One of the long-haired women carried yellow emojis on sticks, to insert in their instagram pictures.

After the waterfall, we stopped at a Moken villages. The Moken are known as sea gypsies. The able-bodied adults head out to sea for weeks at a time. Only young children and older women are left behind.

Their land village is lit with solar panels. They don't have much running water. And Sonny, our guide explained the challenges of trying to integrate groups so that they speak Burmese.

Along with older women receiving food aid (rice and oil), we saw monkeys, dogs, and kittens.

After we stopped for lunch at the Moken restaurant. The crab and jellyfish were very good.

Then it was time to swim. I was first in the water. I saw a pretty blue fish and some yellow fish, but mostly the reef was bleached. Swimming was amazing though.

 And just like that after 9 hours, it was time for the day to draw to a close. Only one more day left till the end of the yearl

There's no place like home.

Another perfect Andaman sunset:

underwater world

These are from an inexpensive underwater digital camera because I don't trust any of those plastic baggie cases with my iPhone.

I shot them in Amed and at Tulamben where the wreck of the USAT Liberty is sunk.

Of course the batteries died the day I went to see the manta rays by Nusa Penida. It was rough that day anyway. I was hanging onto a life vest.

And the video is hypnotically, laughably bad.

But altogether, kind of cool.

Right?

snorkeling a wreck

Before I leave East Bali completely behind, I should mention snorkeling off the coast of Amed and a visit to Tulamben.

Tulamben is where the USAT Liberty was sunk by the Japanese. It washed up on shore and stayed there until Agung erupted in 1963. It's less than 20 feet off shore and 10–30 ft deep, depending on the tides. It's also created a natural reef. 

Jemuluk bay in Amed

The colors can't compete with the Caribbean when I was little, but it's very cool to be able to snorkel a wreck. I saw all kinds of parrotfish, blue sea stars, a garden of sea snakes, and a decorator crab that looked like a giant tarantula. 

But the most amazing sight was watching local women carrying oxygen tanks balanced on their heads. Here's a picture taken by Andy Fraser: http://www.flickr.com/photos/andywfraser/4959401397/ 

They earn 10,000 rupiah per tank round trip or about 80 cents. This is higher than the minimum wage in Indonesia, but is completely dependent on weather and tourism. 

(I did take photos with my underwater camera, but I don't have a way to connect them to my iPad. I'll post them if any come out.)

under the sea

Yesterday I hopped a ride on a dive boat to Nusa Penida, off the coast of Sanur. It's an area famous for mola-mola, giant Indonesian sunfish, but this isn't the season for them.

Should I have been worried when the captain said a prayer before heading across the sea? I popped a Bonine just in case. We could see Batur and Agung volcanoes in the distance. 

Unfortunately the batteries in my underwater camera were dead. Should have bought a GoPro.

The first stop was an area known for manta rays. The sea was rough, so I wore a life vest and Made jumped in the water with me. Manta rays are incredible. I thought I'd seen them in Moorea, but it turns out those were stingrays. 

Then we headed to Crystal Bay. The water is incredibly clear—perhaps 15 feet visibility. The divers went off to 15 or 20 meters. 

Our third stop was the best snorkeling. Unfortunately it was also the shortest. We anchored off the northeast shore of Nusa Lembongan, near the mangrove forest, and I floated with the current. Heaven.

I saw at least 20 kinds of fish including trumpetfish, parrot fish, and one that looked like a puffy rock with orange wings. The divers said the current was crazy 25 meters down, like parachuting underwater. So they used up their oxygen very fast. 

I used a prescription mask, which was great except I had to put it on to see dolphins in the distance. Gorgeous day. (Next time, I'll stay on Lembongan and go out with a snorkel boat.)

Here's Nyoman, the captain of the Sweet Heart. His brother is in the hospital, having suffered after a 20-meter dive. 

And Made, the Rabbit, the dive assistant from Nusa Penida. Amazingly strong. 

Cool tattoos too.