WK 10: End... Begin

Home sweet home in Beau Vallon

 10 weeks never seemed so brief or so fun filled. It's difficult to comprehend everything that has taken place, though I know the time I've shared with fellow expedition members here at Cap Ternay was incredible. I'm truly at a loss for words- moments, snapshots, highlights and events whirl about my head from the past 10 weeks, drowning out any hopes of a proper summarization. A tidal wave of experiences overwhelms my mind as I try to make sense of the past while moving forward into my Seychelles divemaster phase.

I'm living off base, sharing a house with my fellow divemasters in Beau Vallon where we work at Blue Sea Divers. Coral surveys a thing of the past, I'm getting settled and sorted at our the new workplace. It's been a week of transition and welcome change.

*****



Hawksbill turtle

Week 10 was nothing short of climactic. It's surely already been recorded in Seychelles history books. The flux and flow of time wrapped itself around the final days on base and first days as a divemaster intern. Endings and beginnings merged as goodbyes and hellos echoed across the days.


Fun dives around Baei Ternay occupied the first half of the week. With coral surveys completed, my last 3 dives were simply for fun. The final dive was the stuff of legends; Baei Ternay was never so amazing. Everyone stayed together as one big buddy group, swimming with a Hawksbill turtle for a while and spotting a moray eel and baby white tip reef shark! It was surreal as I surfaced, seeing the elated faces pop up around me from the sea and knowing that it was the last time we'd all be diving together in the Bay. I held my breath for a second, letting the dive's 48 minutes settle in my soul and smiled as I let out a sigh, buffering a dubious dive details with excitement over megafauna sightings.

White tip reef shark hiding

Manta, our dive boat, took us as close to the shore as possible. The tide was still rising when we returned to the sheltered bay, so I was able to embark upon the epic trek to shore for a final time. I maneuvered over the sandy mountains and valleys constructed by overzealous crabs and kept an eye open for sea cucumbers as I plodded towards land. The journey hadn't changed nor was it any less perilous than the first time I walked it, but it felt different- something inside me had changed over the last 10 weeks. As I reached the shore, I looked back one final time at the bay, Manta, and my friends thinking surely life is but a dream.


Final steps to shore

 Leaving base was a quick and stealthy endeavor. At 8 am, divemaster interns from Blue Sea Divers and Big Blue lumbered into a white van which would deliver us to our respective dive shops. With most of base still rubbing sleep from their eyes or readying themselves for their own departures, goodbyes were short and sweet and in some cases completely skipped for another day. Before you could say "Dive Buddy!" I was plopped in front of Blue Sea Divers, submerged in introductions and shaking hands with staff.

Working at Blue Sea Divers the last few days has been a breath of fresh air. My fellow divemaster interns and myself have been getting acclimated to our new "office" while starting our Rescue Diver training. In the morning, fisherman haul in their catch while a fruit vendor carries on business steps from the front door. It's something out of a dream and the break from base routine could not have come at a more opportune time. I know the next 12 weeks will be an incredible experience.

Divemaster interns at the office

-Even though I've moved, should you consider sending any post my way, please send it c/o GVI Seychelles according to the contact details on the right sidebar-