Today we got to sleep in and thankfully, we enjoyed it. By the time we got up,. Someone had pulled the truck out of the hole with a tractor and they were finishing filling in the hole.

Breakfast was at 830am and then we’d have the day until 130pm when we’d be going on our whale shark snorkel- and it was shaping up to be an amazing day, weather wise. The last few days had been cloudy and overcast, perhaps about 65 or so- not cold but not super warm either. Mostly everyone wore long sleeves, but again, we’d just been on the truck…but today was already sunny and hot at that early hour.

It wasn’t long after we emerged from our cottage that our new friend, James came by and wanted to sell us some bracelets. We decided we’d do it and Kristin got 2 for her daughters (which he’d make with their names and bring back later) and I just got a black and plain wood bead one. They were to be about $5 each which is plenty but for us it means so little, and for them it means so much.

Brekky was omelets with cheese which were good and we were told about the experiences for the following day- which Bryan and I chose diving along with Amber and Lindsay. We have no idea what the dives are, but they aren’t 90ft and current dives, which was too intimidating. I really just wanted an easy dive to get reacclimated since it’s been 6 years since Borneo that we dove last. I also got a new mask and wanted to check it out in a situation where I didn’t feel pressure either to accomplish anything (like the deep dive cert) and or I could back out without ruining everything for everyone if something wasn’t working right. These upcoming dives seem like they will be more chill- and who knows what we will see, but we’re going to give it a try.

But we had some time to kill, so after brekky, everyone walked down to the beach and down just a short way to the community marketplace where people are selling fabrics, sarongs, wood sculptures, paintings and more. It’s always nice to see a variety of things, but it can be a little hard when everyone very expectantly hopes you will buy from them. I really actually wanted to get a dress and saw a pretty purple one but didn’t have enough money at the time (kind of intentionally) and I intended to go back.

Jon said he was talking to a guy who asked him about Biden and the war and honestly probably knew more about politics than Jon- as while he’s knowledgeable enough, not only is it not what we want to talk about on vacation but it can also be hard to understand what the people are saying. But Jon was pleasantly surprised he got to chat with him without being solicited, so that was nice. I met a dog outside the marketplace which of course I loved- but I didn’t have any food. She was sweet- a small shepherd mix- and we took a picture together before we headed back to the room.

Bryan really wanted to go surfing as we’d seen some boards to rent and a few people teaching lessons, so we got our stuff ready and went down to hang out for a bit. Bryan went to the stand while Kristin, Jon and I hung out on the beach before Jon was ready to get in the water- where he stayed for quite a while. Thankfully there was a guy setting up canopies and we took the op to get under one of them before anyone else took it- because I knew I could not be out in the sun all day and expect to be able to do the snorkel trip too. It was the best decision ever- although we couldn’t find the guy that was setting them up to pay him, but maybe he would see how long you stayed and then come over? 

Bryan was happy as a clam surfing- I took a turn also and caught a couple waves, but honestly I got so winded paddling it was a bit ridiculous but I caught most of what I went for so that was good. One of the local guys was egging me on and said, “Hey I want to see what you can do, let’s go”, as I paddled into a wave. Don’t get me wrong it was tiny small waves, which wouldn’t really be much to surf in general, but Bryan never cares and always wants to get in the water- especially to be able to add Mozambique to the list of places he’s gone. 

Jon stayed in the water quite a long time and Kristin and I spend time talking to a guy named George who had approached our group at brekky and was trying to sell us a snorkel trip- but Mat cut him off nicely to tell him that we already had a plan so he thanked us and left…but this time we spent a bit of time chatting with him. He started surfing when he was 9yrs old and then when he was 19 he started teaching lessons- and he’s been doing that for 5 years. He also knows 8 languages including German, Spanish, Italian, English, Afrikaans, Portuguese and some of the many other tribal languages- which he taught himself!

It was getting close to the time we needed to start getting ready for lunch and to go to the snorkel trip. Jon had already left and I had to go to the bathroom, so Kristin waited for Bryan to return his board. The instant they got up from under the canopy, the guy came running over to get paid. It was 700 meticals which is $11. Totally worth it.

Lunch was veggies burritos (for everyone) and we didn’t have far to go to the dive shop because the entrance was right next to our hotel. When we got down there, it was a bit chaotic as things tend to be- who wants wetsuits, who needs fins and so on, but never in an order that makes sense. We all also realized we brought way too much stuff for the situation, so we stashed everything in a locker (unlocked), but it wasn’t anything valuable- just towels, shoes, water, etc.

We had to watch a briefing about the rules of being around whale sharks made by a scientific research company- from which one of the representatives would be going on the boat with us to take GPS data and such to continue their studies. She was from Virginia and has been living here about a year- I don’t know if this was just her life’s passion or for a masters or doctorate or whatever…

The general rules are to stay 10 feet away from the whale sharks at all times. If they roll over and show you their backs, they are annoyed. Don’t stand in front of them- part your group so the shark can swim freely and don’t touch them at all or they will leave (and everyone in your group will hate you). It was pretty quick and we were all eager to get out there!

We walked down the steps to the beach (the same we’ve been taking and over toward where the marketplace was where there were tractors and zodiac pontoon boats waiting tipped to one side. We loaded everything in there and were told the tractor would push us out and once part way in the water the “ladies” would jump on then the men would keep pushing a little longer and then climb in. So Jristin and I were already sitting with our feet under the straps in the floor and holding onto the ropes around the edge when the guys pulled themselves in (which is NOT easy) and we all got situated and were off.

The ride was a bit crazy- the waves were insane and it was pretty rough. I imagined that it was more of a ride than perhaps some people bargained for- including Kristin. She was always sailing with her family when she was young so being on the water wasn’t so scary but it was definitely still challenging her comfort zone. We had joked about this little girl whose dad mic’ed her up for this TikTok that went viral where she was snowboarding and singing to herself, “It’s ok if I fall, it’s super fun and it’s good” or something like that…so I started singing jokingly to Kristin to make her laugh- and the girl next to me (Gail, from South Africa I’d find out later) was like are you singing? And I told her the story which made her laugh too.

We continued to bounce up and down through the waves until we saw some humbacks- which are honestly, incredibly plentiful. I mean not to say that it’s commonplace to get so close to them- but from the beach, you can’t go for long without seeing them pop up, blowing, flapping and so on. Later when it got to be dusk it was absolutely insane- almost like fireworks where anywhere you looked was a total show.

So we slowed and were floating near them as they blew and surfaced while swimming so we could see their dorsal fins. We had quite a few of these shows as we proceeded, especially with a mom and baby. The baby was flapping his fins and being playful because he’s trying to figure out how to be a whale, but his mom was more reserved because she won’t eat till they get where they are going (which is apparently further north, as they’ve come from Antarctica). It was so cute especially as it breached a few times too- not like an adult whale would but it was practicing for that. 

We also saw a loggerhead turtle, which was cool, especially as not only were we not expecting that, but we’d just been to a loggerhead rescue when we visited Florida in May. I got some pretty good footage of it surfacing and sticking his head out. 

Shortly after we saw some dolphins- apparently two different kinds, according to Mat but we were not told this and didn’t really notice. One were bottlenose and the other were humpback dolphins? It was cool because they were kind of playing and swimming around the boat feeding- as the gulls flying overhead indicated they were benefiting from the bait ball the dolphins were rounding up. We got a few good vids of that too.

We continued on and saw many  more humpbacks, but it became very clear we were not going to see whale sharks, but what can you do? The water was pretty rough and I don’t know how they’d spot them either way. I guess it’s the tail end of their season as well, so it was a little bit of a long shot, but we still had a lot of fun.

We came up on some dolphins wh seemed playful and curious and they asked if we wanted to get in with them. Bryan Jon and I were like “Yes!” enthusiastically, and Kristin was like “sure”, apprehensively. We quickly put our stuff on and waited for the cue to get in- but no one else was.

We were given the OK and I slipped in and was immediately pretty disoriented as the waves were big and the water was not clear. I felt like I heard my new waterproof phone case go “glug glug” as though it filled with water (since I did not test this out prior to jumping in), and I thought I’d immediately ruined my phone- but it continued to work, so I relaxed a bit.

It was also tough to swim from my side of the boat to the other side to catch up with the whale shark guide and we had to exert quite a bit of energy. I finally felt like I was getting acclimated a bit and put my head down and just kept swimming forward but the visibility was not great and it was a bit disorienting. I looked back to see Kristin not far behind me- and the guys too. I took a quick pic of us and kept looking down for dolphins.

However, pretty much as soon as we jumped in they moved on, so they relatively quickly called us back to the boat. It was pretty hard to swim to and I felt like I wasn’t making progress as the others started loading, so when I reached the boat I grabbed the rope and hang on. You’re supposed to kick your fins and rise out of the water a little bit as they count 1 2 3 and pull. I think the guy underestimated how much Jon weighed and had to try twice- and unfortunately Jon’s nipple got abraded pretty badly in the process. Bryan was next, then Kristin and lastly, me. I also felt like my nipple got ripped off, but thankfully no- not at all like Jon.

Of course now we’re in the boat wet and it got pretty cold as we started moving making me wish I had chosen the long sleeved we suit. When we were  leaving it was so hot and I know I can’t stand being too hot or have panic attacks and I didn’t think I’d be able to get wet to cool down so we opted for none (except Bryan who put on a shortie. I’d grabbed one too but didn’t want to leave Kristin out in the cold and honestly on the ride there it was pretty hot and the sun blazing down, the water felt refreshing…but the ride back was chilly.

We saw many more humpbacks really close up and thankfully they were just about all on our side of the boat. As the water was rough enough that it was nearly imp[possible to stand and move to the other side, so it was pretty hard to hold the camera up high enough that you weren’t just catching a few whale sightings between a bunch of people’s backs. I’m sure they were  a bit annoyed on the other side (a family of Germans) but what can you do? That could have easily been us also.

A phone alarm started going off, and I totally thought it was the German people’s stuff but I heard them say “tasche” which means bag. They asked me if it was mine and I was like “my phone is in my hand”- but then I remembered Jacquie had asked me to put her phone in the dry bag and it must have been hers. It went on forever as I wasn’t about to try and figure it out, lest I drop it or whatever…which was crazy because Gail and her friend had their phones out- no cases, filming which I’d never have considered. I thought for sure they’d lose them!

The water was splashing like crazy into our faces on the way back- I guess as we were breaking the waves going back vs going out it was worse, so Kristin and I were looking backward. All of a sudden only the two of us caught a glimpse of a dorsal fin really close to the boat, which was very special. The boat guy slowed for a minute, but the whale didn’t come back up so we continued  on.

To get back to shore the captain had to get the boat at the right angle which required circling around once and then they told us to hold on as they drove the boat straight onto the beach- which was fun with a really harsh stop- but thankfully, no one fell off. By this time my teeth were chattering but I was still very excited. This is when Gail asked me to share the vids I’d taken and so I gave her the phone case to tap out her contract. While the waterproof box makes it pretty easy just to press the shutter, it’s a bit more challenging to use it for anything detailed, but it worked.

We walked back on the beach and up the stairs to retrieve our stuff at the dive shop and head back. Jon apparently just went back alone for some reason- but we were waiting for him. However, we decided he knew his way back and we’d just go too. He was using the outdoor shower when we got back. We scolded him for being a bad communicator/ team player (ha) but we were more amazed to see the outdoor shower working far better than the one inside, so I took advantage of it. Sure, I didn’t soap but I was good and felt clean- and I knew others cared more about getting into the shower than I did. This makes me sound like a dirty birdy but I swear I am not.

As we broke out the booze and relaxed before dinner, James came back and gave us our bracelets. He tried to ask for an extra $5 but Jon gave him a US $20 and he seemed satisfied. Really it was very generous. James seemed to want to stay and talk and he asked Jon how his beer was. Jon was like, “You mean you want a taste”. It was clear James had already been drinking a little, but we gave him a beer. He also asked for some water- which we didn’t think we had at first but someone inside produced a small unopened bottle for him. We chatted with him for a while- and one of the earlier vendors said I promised to buy a coconut from him- which I did want. I thought it’d be good with the boxed mojito drink (which was actually fantastic by itself). It ended up costing me $12 for the coconut but whatever, I don’t care and it means more to him, and it was really good. I shared with everyone and even Jon who doesn’t really like coconut thought it was delicious.

While we were watching the ocean at dusk and it was like popcorn- the whales were blowing, flapping, breaching and just putting on a show like crazy. Honestly I never imagined such a thing- and many of them were actually pretty close to shore. I bet it was quite a sight from the beach itself…but never have I seen so many whales left and right.

Part of our group including Marina, Jillian, Alma, Jaquie, Amber and Lindsay were walking down to the bar. I told them to stop by as we had plenty to share (for free) but they wanted to go down there and hang with the locals. We just sat outside talking and about an hour or so later Jaquie and Alma came up and we shared some drinks with them.

It was starting to get a little windy so we moved inside, but we were all chatting about stuff and Alma was telling us about her new work prospects when she returned. Unfortunately, the grant she’d been working under was not renewed and the boss didn’t tell her when he found out, so he basically said when you come back you won’t have a job- which she was a bit miffed about since she’d quit a different job to take that one. The boss wasn’t trying to be mean either- I think just trying hard until the last minute to find the money, but couldn’t. Her new options sounded cool though, including some travel to Ghana, which I don’t think she’s done much travel in west Africa.

We were confused on dinner time so Jillian thankfully ran up to check and came back down to get us- and we were indeed on time. Tonight we had veggie hot dogs in a burger like situation and Martin had made  a special chutney (like Mrs. Balls chips that we like so much) and it was really good. I was a little full though and couldn’t finish the last few bites. 

We took advantage of a few minutes of internet which could only be accessed at the restaurant, so I quickly posted a couple pics and deleted a bunch of junk mail- but I don’t need to be connected, and frankly it’s good for me not to be for the most part. I was checking in on Woods Creek as that is where our dogs are staying and Meatball hadn’t been eating consistently, but it seems he has been doing ok the last few days. We are a bit worried about him as although he’s fine, being 17 you just never know- and he usually likes to eat and doesn’t get stressed when we’re gone. This started a couple days before we left so chose to leave the dogs at the kennels vs with Carol because we didn’t want her to have the extra worry or concern about what to do, whereas Pate would totally have it under control.

We were pretty tired at this point and had to get up pretty early for 615am brekky and 645 departure, so we went back to our cottage to get ready. Our swimming stuff was still wet so we left it hanging, but packed everything else up for the most part and went to bed.

In the night Jon had one of his sleep karate episodes where he thought someone was breaking into the room, and Kristin was trying to calm him. I yelled to try and get his attention too, but Bryan was trying to climb over me to back Jon up because he thought it was real! Thankfully Jon came around quickly- and frankly it was probably good they took the twin bed room as this was safer for Kristin…Jon does need to get that checked out because neither sleep well with this being a daily occurrence…so hopefully he can see a sleep specialist when we get back and figure it out.

Also, despite the mosquito nets, one got in and kept flying around our ears. This was not only annoying but discomforting considering James said he’d just gotten over malaria- but we were taking our pills religiously so were not super worried. It’s just crazy to think a bug that’s simply an annoyance at home, could be life threatening here- and even seeing one was upsetting.