Day 4: Ocean Hunter III

Day 4:


No class this morning, we were off bright and early to learn about life aboard the live-aboard Ocean Hunter III operated by the dive charter company Fish ‘n Fins. We were picked up by Tong, our boat driver for the day, and Lorene, our escort to Fish ‘n Fins facilities, at PPR’s dock and whisked away to the shop to complete some necessary paperwork and pick up our host and owner of Fish ‘n Fins, Tova. Ocean Hunter III was anchored at the top of German Channel. We boarded the boat and were greeted by its captain, Kenny, and some of the other crew. Now, when looking at Ocean Hunter III, this is definitely a case of “you can’t judge a book by its cover”. The outside may appear like the working boat it originally was, but the inside is remarkable. The beauty of the woodwork and the craftsmanship of the ship’s lounge, dining facilities and staterooms is something to behold. I could definitely see myself enjoying a weeklong stay on this boat!

After a briefing by Kenny and Tova on the procedures and operations of the boat, we were off in our chase boat for our first dive. Our divemaster for the day was Silas, a sprinter and proud representative of Palau in the Olympics, he has the Olympic rings tattooed on his back in remembrance. Dive 1 on the menu was at a site called the “Blue Hole”. I have to say that out of all the dives we had done so far this one was my favorite. The boat drops you in the water at the face of a wall, then you drift to the top of the reef and descend into this large hole. The water was like bath water; it was so warm, you know I was in heaven. At the bottom of the hole, I believe it was about 70-80 feet, you come out the mouth of the cave and are greeted by reef sharks. We continued our drift along the face of the wall, shooting photos of nudibranchs, corals and the endless variety of fish. Your drift from this site takes you to our dive site from the previous day, “Blue Corner”, where we did our safety stop, were retrieved by Tong and boated back Ocean Hunter III for lunch.

After a sumptuous meal, the theme for the day being Japanese, we were given a tour of the staterooms which were quite comfortable and spacious as far as boats are concerned. Then we were off once again to our next dive site, “Big Drop Off”. A nice gentle current, you drift along the face of another wall, as the name suggests, remaining above 60 feet, to enjoy all the life teeming on the wall.

A quick snack back at the boat and then one finally dive. We descended at the mouth of “German Channel” and headed for a group of rocks called the “Cleaning Station” in hopes of seeing the sometimes elusive manta ray. While waiting among the rocks we were surrounded by numerous schools of fish that almost completely blocked out the sky above us at times, they were so thick. It was beautiful. Then there it was, the large graceful shadow of the manta floating above us. My first manta; how awesome! After the manta drifted away, so did we. We cruised along the channel as we ascended and enjoyed the beautiful scenery below. I even spotted one of my favorite fish, the puffer, as we rose.

Back to Ocean Hunter III for a delicious dinner; Arlee, the chef, and his team are truly masters. I could grow fat staying on this boat. Then it was time for our goodbyes to the crew. Tong, Silas and Tova escorted us back to PPR. The cruise home was wonderful. The seas calm, the air warm, and the shadows of the islands in the full moonlight were hypnotic. Well fed and exhausted, I was so ready for my comfortable bed. SWEET DREAMS