Popping My Whaleshark Cherry!

I'm happy to announce that after 7 years of diving, I'm no longer a whaleshark virgin!

At first, it was awkward. We both didn't quite know what to do during our first time alone together. She came to me. I fumbled around quite a bit. She went on top of me, but I didn't know if it could fit. She was going faster and faster. I could barely keep up. Breathing hard, I didn't want it to end too quickly. I paced myself and after 10 minutes of our intense encounter, I withdrew and i was then seeing stars. What an incredible moment!!!

OK if you're the pervert I think you are, let me re-word that!

At first, it was awkward. We both didn't quite know what to do during our first time alone (in the water) together. She came (swam slowly) to me. I fumbled around (with the camera controls) quite a bit. She went (swam right over my head) on top of me, but I didn't know if it could fit (meaning it's head into my camera frame). She was going (swimming) faster and faster. I could barely keep up (again, swimming). Breathing hard (while chasing it), I didn't want it to end too quickly. I paced myself and after 10 minutes of our intense encounter, I withdrew (from the chase) and i was then seeing stars (from too little oxygen). What an incredible moment!!!


This whaleshark had been previously identified a couple years ago and at the time, measured 8m from head to tail. No doubt it would have grown some in the last few years. The location - Maamigili, South Ari Atoll, Maldives.

Amazing, amazing encounter. Special thanks to Guy Stevens for the photo.

And You Thought Life Is Short as it Is.

Joelle and I were having a discussion about the mundane thing we do everyday and got to thinking about how much time we spend in our lives doing them. Which became a whole mathematical calculation based on very general assumptions, with numbers scribbled down and tallied up on a napkin at cafeteria table during lunch. We ended up being freaked out by how we end up spending our time LIVING or NOT LIVING your life. But it did put things into perspective.

Let's assume that average lifespan is 70 years regardless of gender.

On average (and in very general terms):

I sleep on average of 8 hours a day = 8517 days in a lifetime
I brush our teeth for 6 minutes a day = 106 days in a lifetime
I have a shower for 10 minutes a day = 177 days in a lifetime
I pass motion (No.1 & 2) for 8 minutes a day = 142 days in a lifetime
I take 4 minutes a day to select, dress and undress = 71 days in a lifetime

So far, in a lifetime, I would have spent 24.7 YEARS doing absolutely mundane things.

If one were to spend the same amount of time working in a job (which he/she sees as equally mundane) as sleeping , that would mean spending 48 years NOT LIVING.

This means, that if you love what you do for a living, you'd have 45.3 years to live your life. And if you despise your work and workplace, you'll only get 22 years to live your life.

This isn't even including things like eating, waiting at traffic lights, waiting for your toast to pop up from the electric toaster, etc etc etc.. You could easily do the math and find out that even MORE time is spent on idle things. But I consider eating something enjoyable, hence being part of 'Living'.

By LIVING, I mean enjoying the pleasures of life :
- Spending quality time with loved ones
- Eating
- Having sex
- Traveling
- Shopping
- Discovering new things
- DOING WHAT YOU LOVE and ENJOY

Life is short! And we make it shorter having mundane things fill our lives.

So our conclusion was to stop brushing our teeth. It would give us an extra 106 days to LIVE.

*lights up a cigarette*

ps. smoking a pack a day at 7 minutes per cigarette would take out 1775 days out of your "Living" time in a lifetime (assuming you start smoking at age 20). THAT'S 4.8 years!!!! @#$%^&@@#!!!!!!!

Spare Time, Itchy Hands

Had some spare time and managed to twist Adam's arm into letting me try out his DSLR underwater without his supervision. He was also kind enough to give me some photoshopping tips; because we all know, a good photo is attributed to BEING LUCKY and if that fails, there's always Photoshop to make a crap photo look good. LOL. (OK, its just a theory).

Messing around with the stobes to light the subjects was really tricky and using a 10.5mm Fisheye lens was way wider than I ever imagined underwater. Must've spent more time fidding with the strobes more than actually looking through the viewfinder or composing the shot.

Before
After
Before
After

Photoshop works wonders. :D

Image of the Day - On the Job

I know it seems I'm either snorting glitter with Jo or eating chocs at the office all the time, but seriously, I DO work. Just an idea of what I look like when at the (underwater) office, here are a few shots taken by Sam.

Okobe Thila - a reef with lots of healthy hard and soft coral

Thousands of glassfish and yellow sweepers around a large coral bommie

Maldivian Clownfish in Magnificent Sea Anemones

Large school of convict surgeonfish grazing on algae

My Preciousssssssssss!!

"One Toblerone to rule them all, One Toblerone to find them, One Toblerone to bring them all and in the darkness bind them"

Fun With Glitter!

This is Jo - resident marine biologist. She works on exploratory coral transplanting research here at the resort. Revolutionary stuff!! This is the night before her big presentation on her research to the Board - about an hour before midnight. Powerpoint presentation ..... not complete ..... number of completed slides - one.
A blonde moment

Practising on technique. Mmmm....Mister Potato.....

Hard at work when......We find Glitter!!






High on Bling....

Jo fell ill the next day for 2 days....possible adverse reaction from snorting bling....

Watching Sun Setting During Sunset @ Sunset Bar....set...sun :P

After a day's work, a drink and cigarettes while quietly watching the sun set at the bar is the usual way for me tospend the last remaining hour of daylight. Nothing quite like it.

This is Rao, who has just made me a Melon Martini to go with my solar experience.











*slurpppp* off to have dinner...