Khun Korn waterfall outside of Chiang Rai. Took a while to get here but totally worth the trip.
Mola at Crystal Bay 13 Sept 2019
The closest encounter I've had with a mola since I've been here. But not my favorite one. Watching this is a good demonstration of how NOT to behave when a mola shows up. The shop I dive with (Tamarind Divers Lembongan) is really good about teaching a code of conduct when it comes to these types of interactions. Other shops, not so much. First of all, you stay close to the reef and don't go out into the blue. Going out there will scare them off. Also, if one does show up, you don't rush towards it. You stay still and let it decide if it wants to approach you. And you don't go around behind it and get between it and the blue. Aways give it a way out. Well, you can see divers breaking this code of conduct left and right here. As soon as those other divers started moving in from below, I knew they would end up driving it in my direction and sure enough, they did. Watching it be crowded like that, I couldn't help but feel bad for it. I would have gotten the hell out of there too. But for a fish that appears so ungainly, it sure can move when it wants to.
Bali Airport Immigration Lines
Showing up at the airport in Bali at 1 AM, seeing the immigration lines and realizing I've still got miles to go before I sleep...
Remora looking for a ride
A remora, my new BFF. At first he tried hitching a ride on my divemaster and when that didn't pan out, he decided to try his luck with me. He was a very persistent little guy and quite sure I was his Uber. This was a few days ago and I wouldn't be surprised if he was still attached to me somewhere.
Swimming through sardines
Swimming through a sun-dappled school of sardines just never gets old. Hin Wong Bay, Koh Tao, Thailand. My happy place.
Cleaner fish
I scraped up my foot on a hike. Later I stuck my feet in a stream to cool off. Then the cleaner fish showed up. I've never been so popular. Soup's on, guys - come and get it!
Mr. Crab Hitches a Ride
Mr. Crab hitches a ride
Just another day in Laos
A plate of fried silkworm larvae makes for a nice light snack after zip-lining in Laos afternoon heat. And they were a steal at only 10,000 Kip (1.25 USD)! For that price, how could I say no? I'm not talking in the clip because I was next to a waterfall. I just assumed anything I said would be inaudible anyway. But if I had spoken, I would have said "Yum!" I was actually there with someone I met at the guesthouse, a super nice guy named Lars Anderson who used to play for the Red Sox, a professional baseball team in Boston. Unfortunately, I know next to nothing about baseball but he has spent a lot of time on the road so we talked travel and he even tried a couple of my fried bugs. I'm not sure he was a fan, but he was very polite about it. Travel and silkworm larvae, bringing people together from all walks of life!
Mola mola at Lembongan, Bali (August 2, 2018)
Ocean sunfish (also known as mola-mola) have been on my "must-see" list for years now. They tend to stay deep but when the water cools and the jellyfish are around, they will come up to eat and get cleaned of parasites. Last year, I decided to get serious and dove here on Bali every day, hoping to see the fish that evolution just lost interest in. Never got so much as a glimpse. This year, my first dive on my first day - jackpot. Part of what makes diving fun (and occaisionally infuriating) - you just never know what you're going to see down there. Spotted this one at about 25 meters down (80 ft). He's about 2 meters (~ 6 ft) from tip-to-tip. They get up to around 4 meters, but I'm not complaining. Thanks for coming by, Mr. Mola. You are gorgeous in your own goofy way. Don't let anybody tell you different.
An octopus at Tulamben in Bali. Octopus are amazing. They have three hearts. Their blood is copper-based, not iron-based like ours. They change color and texture, theyâre squishy and they squirt ink. They are problem solvers and escape artists. Oh yeah, and eight legs! Honest, Mr. Octopus, I donât want to hurt or eat you. I just want to talk to you about your super-powers.
Peacock Mantis Shrimp - Nusa Penida, Bali - Sept 11, 2017
Saw a peacock mantis shrimp today. I could discuss these violent little psychopaths of the sea but why, when youtube already does such a great (and hilarious) job? Iâll put a link to it in the comments. The video talks about two different types of mantis shrimp. Peacock mantis are punchers (and no, I didnât get my fingers anywhere near him)âŚ
Manta rays - Nusa Penida, Bali - Sept 10, 2017
Looks like my iPhone bit the big one today. Honestly, I think itâs over-reacting. I wouldnât even say it got wet. More like moistened. At most, it got damp. But itâs definitely giving me the silent treatment. Stupid wimpy phone. So itâs in a bag of rice right now, along with a sh*t-ton of ants. I'm still trying to figure that one out. I asked the owner of the guesthouse for rice and he came out with this big black plastic bag of it. Scooped some out and put it and the phone in a ziplock bag (Travelerâs tip - ziplock bags are your friend. Bring lots.) and set it in the sun. Wasnât till later when I was checking the phone's resurrected status (still unRisen) that I noticed all the movement in there. I really hope thatâs not what the ownerâs using for food, but I find the idea that he has a bag of rice set aside just for flooded (or even moistened) iPhones to be highly unlikely. I suppose it's possible that the ants weren't in his black plastic bag at all, but came upon my ziplock bag in the sun and chewed their way into it. Yes, let's go with that - the ants chewed their way into my plastic bag, not his. Makes sense, much less distressing that way, no point checking to see if my bag is airtight, let's move on. I also dove with manta rays today, so the day didnât totally suck. The universe gives and the universe takes away. Youâd think that the severe intestinal distress Iâve been dealing with for the last two days would be enough to balance the scales, but apparently not. Another travelerâs tip. If you need to take a pill at your Bali guesthouse and you donât have any bottled water handy so you think, âIâm sure a mouthful of water from the tap wonât hurt meâ, donât. JustâŚdonât. Anyway, thanks for the mantas, universe. You and the ants can keep the phone, I guess. I just want to stop pooping. Is that too much to ask?
Turtle Fly-By
For a place whose name translates to âTurtle Islandâ, Koh Tao is remarkably stingy with sightings. I have yet to see one diving, and I have a lot of dives here. But there is a snorkeling spot where a pair tend to hang out late in the day, munching on coral. Thatâs where I saw this guy, a large green sea turtle that I was able to watch for about 15 uninterrupted minutes, before a boat showed up with a bunch of âturtle touristsâ and ruined my fun. I donât mind sharing, but when people start disregarding what theyâve been told about âNo Touching!â, I just want to start holding heads underwater. This was my favorite 30 seconds, when he came up for air and cruised right by me.
Cu Chi Booby Traps
A few of the Vietnamese booby traps used during the war, demonstrated by the staff at the Cu Chi Tunnels outside of Saigon. Horrifyingly simple and brutally effective, they may not kill, but they would definitely take someone out of the fight for a while.
