Monday

SS Thistlegorm, Small Crack, Dunraven and Beacon Point.

Just over half way through the trip now and dive number 13 saw us back on the Thistlegorm for the last time. Jon, Dave and I dived as a three and went down over the holds to the blast area near the stern. The current turned us back before we got to the very end and we came back along the starboard side to the bow.


Striped bristletooth surgeonfish	ammunition in the blast area	shells

Bye bye Jon	Dave at the bow of The Thistlegorm	Mr John Nortcliff

The Small Crack was my longest dive by far at 87 minutes. Diving with Ruth, the zodiacs dropped us off outside the reef and we swam along the reef towards the break in the reef into the lagoon. Ruth is spotting stuff all over the place and I have to frequently fin back to have a look and take a photograph or two. Maybe I should have followed her?

This was a great relaxed dive that seemed to go on for every. The only hard bit was fining through 'The Crack' against the current to get into the lagoon. But when in the lagoon in just a few metres of water we went from coral head to coral head and checked everything out. I got my trip nickname on this dive - "ten bar Fyfe".


Bluespotted stingray	Ruth 'the spotter'	Red Sea bannerfish

A damaged Giant moray	Free swimming Giant moray - it was huge!	Ruth

Masker puffer	Stony corals, Fire coral and sponges	Stony corals, Fire coral and sponges

Whitespotted puffer	Fusiliers	Ruth (again)

Bluecheek butterflyfish	Giant moray	Giant moray

After lunch we dived the Dunraven which I loved. Diving with Ruth again it was a negative entry from the zodiac and straight down onto the wreck, through the hole a'midships and onto the boilers. There was a turtle inside the wreck which nearly head-butted Gareth. Out through the hole in the stern, up over and through the prop and then drifted off down the reef.


Inside the Dunraven	Ruth on her way out	One blade of the prop is missing so you can swim through.

Scorpionfish .....	....... Stonefish ....	.... and Giant moray, all within one metre of each other!

Puppet?	John and Ruth	Whirlwind and Typhoon

The night dive on Beacon Point was the Octopus dive.


Gear matching?	Three go diving.	No comment.

red one ....	..... green one.	Porcupinefish