22/Sept/2006: After almost 3 years we say good bye to Vakarufalhi. This morning we enjoyed once again the beautiful South Ari Atoll and said good bye to all the fish. We would like to take this opportunity to say thank you to all the guests and staff who made us have a very special time here. We will always like to remember these last 3 years.
Now we will go for 2 weeks to Helengeli for holiday and for sure to dive!! After that we will go home to good old Switzerland to find out if we would like to be the next years in an office or rather under water again??? We will see and we will let you know on our website.

19/Sept/2006: In the meantime we were already twice again at Manta Point but unfortunately there are no manta rays anymore at the time. Instead we discovered there today a leopard shark (zebra shark) which was lying on a small reef ledge having a little snooze.

15+18/Sept/2006: On both days we went to Vakarufalhi Etere Thila and there was an outgoing current on both dives. We were twice lucky to see grey reef sharks. Right after descending we went into the current and looked out in the blue. We did not have to wait long until the first whitetip reef sharks came along. And shortly after that there were once two grey reef sharks and the second time one grey reef shark cruising around. Even though the start of the dives were fantastic we still enjoyed the big tunas, the turtle and the big napoleon wrasse on the dive further on :-)

31/Aug/2006: Today we discovered something very rare for the Ari Atoll. On our morning dive at Dhigurah Beru Thila we found a ribbon eel. As the reef lies very close to the edge of the channel where is always hope for some big fish unfortunately most of the photographers took their wide angle lens today...that’s life!!

28/Aug/2006: Adventure Full Day Trip: This time we did not see manta rays or whale sharks but a lot of different things like water, waves, green faces and lots of jokes ;-) First there was family Kalu’s backpack story which luckily forced us to turn and then came the real bad weather. That’s why we returned to the island and made a beautiful dive on MV Kudhima Wreck in the afternoon. The frogfish is still there and also the millions of glassfish in the cargo hold and around the stern. Underneath the wreck we could see an over 2 meter (6 feet) big nurse shark in his full size. By the way the weather has changed and the sun is already shining again.

26/Aug/2006: Didn’t we have this already!! On today’s full day trip we were snorkeling again with manta rays on the way to Manta Point and saw them again at Manta Point itself during our dive. But in the afternoon we could go snorkeling with whale sharks even twice today. On the following dive we didn’t see any nurse sharks this time but for that we had three eagle rays flying by directly in front of us.

25/Aug/2006: At Vakarufalhi Beru Thila Inside were a lot of sharks to be seen today. Above a sandy area which was surrounded by beautiful soft corals were nine whitetip reef sharks cruising around underneath us all the time.

22/Aug/2006: On today’s check-dive we have been overtaken by eight sting rays. In front a very big one and behind seven smaller ones. As soon as they passed us they turned around and towards us once more before they turned again and went their own way.
The same time on our full day trip we could snorkel in the morning with manta rays on the way to Manta Point before we saw two again on the following dive at Manta Point itself. In the afternoon along the outreef we were snorkeling again but this time for about ten minutes with a whale shark. On the dive after that we even discovered three nurse sharks hiding underneath coral blocks.

17/Aug/2006: On our night dive at Dhigurah Etere we jumped at dusk in the water and had already focused our eyes on all that little creatures down there. Suddenly a dark shadow passed in front of us over the reef and glided into the open water. It was a manta ray!! After that we had quite some difficulties to concentrate on the small things again.

10/Aug/2006: One boat – two sharks!!! Once again we tried our luck on the Outreef and headed for Dhidhoo Beru Faru. After the dive there were really two whale shark encounters. After all the dive equipment had been stored and after everybody was sitting comfortably on the sun deck, suddenly a whale shark was seen on the surface. Snorkeling equipment has been taken and everyone jumped in the water again. After this snorkeling adventure all the equipment had been stored again. And again after everybody was sitting on the sun deck, a second whale shark came along!!! The first one was approx. 3 meters (9 feet) and the second one about 5 meters (15 feet) long...diver's overstatement already deducted :-)

09/Aug/2006: Two boats – two sharks!!! That could be de headline of our morning dives. One boat went to Meddu Thila close to the channel edge where we found a nurse shark lying under a coral block. The other boat went to Dhigurah Etere Thila and there a grey reef shark has been seen swimming over the top reef. The only question is now: What other sharks have been around on the other dive sites?!??!!

07/Aug/2006: On the search for the big animal with the white spots on the back we went to Ari Beach Beru on the Outreef. Unfortunately there was no whale shark around but there was one of the very rare guitar ray (guitar shark) instead on the top reef.

06/Aug/2006: Looks like the black frogfish feels very comfortable at MV Kudhima Wreck by the bow. We could even watch him today how he was waggling all the time with his fishing rod to attract little fish. He wasn’t very lucky with that but at least we enjoyed it very much to watch.

01/Aug/2006: Usually we Swiss celebrate the 1st of August with fireworks in the sky. But we could enjoy an underwater manta fireworks spectacle!!! We heard that manta rays have been seen on Manta Point at Hukuru Ehli Faru. As we wanted to know if that’s true we also went there and were really very lucky: 6 manta rays were dancing in front of us on the cleaning stations. It was also very special because it’s not really manta ray season at the moment – but it’s good that these animals don’t read the calendars. We went again the next day and saw two manta rays and the day after unfortunately the spectacle was over.

30/July/2006: After a long time without grey reef sharks we saw one today at Rheeti Thila. He was cruising around the reef for about 30 minutes and was even swimming through the canyons. Beside that there was also an eagle ray, barracudas and a big napoleon wrasse to see. So many big things on such a small reef!!

26/July/2006: He came late but he came! At Ari Beach Beru all the divers were already in the safety stop as a 4 meter (12 feet) tall whale shark passed by underneath them. And on Angaga Thila there was also something special going on during the safety stop: 15 remoras were amongst the divers, but no diver was tall enough to be of interest for the remoras to dock :-)

25/July/2006: On our today's morning dive at Ali Thila we could watch two dolphins for about half a minute as they were gliding along the reef side by side!! And if that hasn't been enough excitement for the day we had another special encounter in the afternoon: On Kahambu Thila we saw a 1.50 meter (5 feet) tall silvertip shark!!! If you are now reading this and thinking that we are only telling fairytales we can proudly say that we had guests who could take pictures of both encounters as "evidence".

21/July/2006: After a long lean period there is finally a frogfish back on the MV Kudhima Wreck. During our today's morning dive some guests found a big black frogfish sitting by the bow. We are already looking forward to our next dive on the wreck and hope that the froggy will feel comfortable there and stay for a long, long time.

19/July/2006: We have been back on Vakarufalhi for one week and are enjoying the diving again. This morning we were very lucky: We had quite some current on Thinefushi Etere Thila and did our safety stop at the end out in the blue water. Suddenly a manta ray came out of nothing. He was turning and dancing in front of us und showed himself at his best. If only all the safety stops were that exciting…!!!

07/May/2006: Our time on Vakarufalhi is now slowly coming to an end. The next two months we will go back to Switzerland for a holiday and then come back for July until September as holiday deputizing for Marc and Petra. And then we will say goodbye to Vakarufalhi.
That means for May and June there will be no current news available here. But for July until September we will tell you again our latest under water encounters right here. For the time afterwards we don't have any plans yet because first we want to travel again. But as soon as we are working again under the hot sun and in the warm water we will inform you for sure on this site.

21/Apr/2006: Again a surprise on Angaga Thila. First we found a beautiful 15 cm tall Jorunna Funebris (black and white Jorunna) and were already satisfied. But then a black frog fish came along on the top reef. It was moving and swimming towards a diver to sit on. Black froggy on black neoprene...what a picture!!! Shortly later he swam or better said hovered away and found a place on the top reef to stay.

19/Apr/2006: A day of big encounters!!! Once again we could enjoy many manta rays on Manta Point and we hope that the season will last a bit longer. Only our special manta ray Ravioli hasn't been seen anymore. But for that we had a surprise on Ari Beach Beru: As the current was too strong to dive the channel we decided to go to the Outreef and were rewarded with a whale shark during the dive (sorry, Peter and Kai…!!!).

05/Apr/2006: One month later. As on the 5th of March we went today again on a full day trip to Manta Point and the Outreef. And as one month ago we had again a beautiful manta ray dive but also again no whale shark on the Outreef. But as exactly one month ago we found again two ghost pipefish. The only difference to the last time was that they were not seagrass ghost pipefish but a big and a small harlequin ghost pipefish (ornate ghost pipefish). So let's wait what we will see on the 5th of May :-)

31/Mar/2006: Today was the very first dive for one of our Open Water Diver students on the Housereef. After 25 minutes there were suddenly 6 eagle rays beside us and were flying in a perfect formation for another 15 minutes directly beside us. What a show!! Is there a better way to start diving???