WK 5: A Breath of Fresh Air

My little corner of the world

It's a reason to get out of bed in the morning; that first deep breath of air circulating life from the top of my head to the tip of my toes. Eyes closed, I envision the sun's first rays shimmering through curtains swaying in the morning breeze and the full day ahead. But as I breathe out and open my eyes, the vision fades to the pitch black of dark-thirty in the morning. I duke it out with a mosquito net and ever-so-gracefully roll out of bed grasping for my headlamp and watch, the movements now routine- hardwired (thankfully) into muscle memory. But routine, even breathing, needs a jump start now and again.

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Week five marked the midway point for the coral surveying and monitoring phase of my time here in Seychelles. The days were an adventure with just a hint of the familiar keeping me grounded. It was just the reboot I needed to see through the next five weeks before I begin my divemaster program working at a local dive shop.

Cote D'Or, Praslin, Seychelles

The adventures began with a weekend BBQ in Beau Vallon to celebrate Seychelles' Labor Day. Everyone filed onto a bus early in the morning. Still rubbing the sleep from our eyes, the winding journey over the mountains seemed a dream. We were in Beau Vallon before 10 and people dispersed to various venues: the internet cafe, money changer, and other shops before the fires were lit. We all convened on the beach and met up with members of the Marine Conservation Society Seychelles who cooked up a Creole feast.

Monday and Tuesday should have been a national holidays as well, considering the fact that Meg and I finally completed our practice methodology Coral Diversity Belt! We accomplished the feat with fine tuned precision and were rewarded with our first 'real' survey dives on Tuesday at Baie Ternay Northwest (Lighthouse) and Willy's Bay Point sites.

Just keep swimming?

The surveys themselves went well, in their own special ways... I completed Lighthouse Transect A with my buddy Jack and had time to spare. However, technical difficulties forced us to abort the second survey dive before we even began. Firstly, our tape measure was jammed. Secondly, my air tank's valve was closed. Oops... It's an experience I'd rather not have to go through again- that squeeze as my lungs continued to compress as I gasped for air that's wasn't there. Jack's focus was fixed on the jammed tape measure- he was out of reach and I couldn't get his attention. So from the 6.7 meters I resurfaced, breathing out the very last reserve of air in a steady stream of bubbles. Jack resurfaced shortly afterwards, broken tape measure in hand. Our survey dive completed in a record time of 5 minutes.

Bicycle by the Baie

Making the most of our particular situation, Jack and I swam around Willy's Bay Point. We found our fellow survey divers conducting their diversity belt as we swam idly above them. Not limiting our time to the water, we scrambled up the granite rocks and timed jumps to the ocean's swell. It was a brilliant survey dive- not as much coral as expected, but still worth every breath.

My extended weekend began on Wednesday when I caught a ferry to Praslin, the second largest island in Seychelles and visible from Mahe's northeastern shore. I stayed in Cote D'Or, a beautiful (thoroughly touristy) beach community. Praslin is like Mahe's little sister- the same energy and vibe but smaller, and as such, less going on. It's a good place to getaway, though I really don't see a reason to go back except to tick off a few dive sites.

From Praslin, I caught a ferry to La Digue, an island that's held in high regards and talked up quite a bit in Seychelles. If Praslin is Mahe's little sister, La Digue is the baby of the family. The entire island could be walked in a day, though most locals and tourists have opted for bicycles. There's a nature reserve and ample beaches with exquisite granite rocks jutting from the sand. But like Praslin, I don't know if I'd go back unless it were to dive specific spots off La Digue's coast.

Rejuvenated and refreshed from the week's adventures, I am ready to plunge into the next five weeks with a renewed sense of vitality. Every moment is a treasure to have and to hold, to share and let go- just like the air we breathe.

Saved you a seat...