Fourth Dive - Tanjung Bajo, Sanghiang

The TFO outdid herself with yet another gourmet meal . . . it?s amazing what you can pack into one of those Styrofoam lunch boxes. Komplit with krupuk, sambal (the right side of spicy) and the . . . oops! . . . I?m supposed to scribe the last dive of the 2-day weekend and not makan ?r? us.


I must admit the dive master?s brief briefing of ?dive till you run out of air, in any way you please? . . . was a little unusual. Nonetheless, we geared up and were the second couple to hit the water, a bid at Singaporean kiasu-ism . . . (must be first). Jerry and Cecil who were bobbing in the water mentioned that there were sergeant fish just below us. They then baited the line, ?Why do they call them sergeant fish?? Swallowing (hard), we explained the stripes ?mid guffaws from Jerry and Cecil. Ha! Ha! Ha!


We knew this was going to be a great dive when even before we hit bottom we saw a huge puffer fish. We were then introduced to the pristine coral garden that hugs the cost of Pulau Sanghiang. There was such an abundance of soft coral. Some of the floral soft coral were pulsating to a beat unknown . . . probably choral music. To top it all, I saw one of my favourite crustaceans, a mantis shrimp . . . I love those . . . a little bit of cabe . . . kecap manis . . . yummy.

Then, (you know how you dive and there?s always that one person who is exuberant in the use of their tank banger . . . Yep! . . . even the fish gave me that . . . enough already!) there were beautiful fan coral and at one stage, 6 moorish idols dancing about a huge fan coral . . . yet another photo opportunity. I love those fish with the yellow and black stripes, black lips and long dorsal fin . . . grilled with a little bit of wasabe. The dive continued in these dreamlike conditions as I continually marveled at the coral, the wonderful group of divers from Kapal Salam, and the marine life . . . on a barbecue . . . a little bit of cabe . . . a dash of kecap manis . . . magic!