June 10^th, 10pm

Woke up early today, ate some awesome breakfast at ESA.  We talked about the youth project, our goals, questions to ask the Ulithi youth, et cetera.  Did some video introductions on camera with Kelsey.  Walked the Yap lap (it’s a small island) and stopped at the dive shop with Rick and Sam.  Divemaster Frank told me to get fitted/weighted for the dive later that day along with them.  “But I’m not certified…?”  “No, you’re going down.  You’ll go down with me!”

!!!

 Boat out to nearshore reef at 5:30pm to see the mandarinfish courtship ritual, down for about 30-40 minutes.  The sensations were strange and alien to me but I adjusted pretty quickly.  The whole thing was incredible.  It was nearly dark now, so we shed our gear on the boat and swam at the surface, watching the brilliant pink sunset in the water that was so close to body temperature, it didn’t even feel like a separate substance.  There were flashes of green light – bioluminescence – inches below, between our fingers and our feet, then later, sparkling in the boat’s wake as we returned. 

Dinner at the Mnuw, a ship-cum-restaurant just off the Manta Ray Hotel, but I took a solo walk first to get there.  Passed by an amplified sound situation and went to investigate – one of several odd missionary events I’d see here.  Got caught (luckily!) in some wonderful, sudden tropical rain, the best feeling.  At Mnuw, had some amazing coconut curry catch-of-the-day.

 

I’m sitting up late in the ESA lobby now, writing and using the wi-fi, and trying to send a text or two to my fiancée back home before being totally removed from all communication when we fly out to Ulithi the day after tomorrow. 

Also, there are wall geckos in the lobby at night and that is awesome.