Back to Soma Bay - Back to scuba diving

Finally back at and in the Ocean. When I arrived in Soma Bay I couldn’t wait to get my feet into the salty water. Refreshing temperature, strong wind, strong current.

Met my guide and friend for the check-dive and another dive at the house reef. So good to be back in the water, below the surface where life is so much easier and calmer. But my air consumption was higher than usual, I think because I needed to addapt to scuba again.

Had two nice dives and fun.

Monday was my first fullday trip. The first dive site was actually my favourite dive site here. It’s called Shaab Sheer and there’s a beautiful coral garden, shallow water where you can easily float throught checking out what the ocean has to offer. Had a nice buddy, I guess we were on the same level when it comes to scubadiving. At the end of the first dive my guide gave me the OK to check out the little tavern under the reef. I love this place, it’s so peaceful and beautiful. The sun shines through wholes on top of the reef. I was already in there during my last stay here in Soma Bay and it brought back memories and made me smile.

Back on the boat for another fullday trip on Tuesday. Unfortunately my great buddy from Monday wasn’t there anymore so I got two Buddy girls. They were really nice and funny but while diving their air consumption was very bad. But fortunately I had a good guide, we still had lots of fun and he used every chance to make me laugh and flood my mask.

As I am not AOWD (Advanced Open Water Diver) certified I wasn’t allowed to join the fullday trip to Salem Express on Wednesday. Well, I’ve been there last year. It was my first wreckdive experience. As my guide was a Deepdive & Wreckdive Specialist I was allowed to go with him back then.

As I was not allowed to do the fullday trip I needed a Plan B which turned out to be a great plan.

I was invited to go on a trip with friends. We had a great day, lots of fun and a beautiful dive with turtles and an eagle ray. Plan B was definitely better than Plan A could have been. Thank you Mahmoud, Dani and Mido for taking me with you! I really enjoyed this day.

The wind got so bad on Thursday/ Friday there was no fullday trip. I went back to the boat on Saturday heading to one of the best dive sites around Soma Bay/ Safaga called Panorama reef.

Due to the still very strong wind the boat ride was pretty bumpy. ( yeeehaw!! I may be the only one but i looove bumpy boat rides) we had all the nice and fun dive guides aboard.

During the first dive the current was quite strong which I don’t really like. While everyone else seems to like those « drift » dives… I don’t like it. It wasn’t acutally a drift dive but to me it felt like this. To me it feels like being out of control. Can’t really check out the things I want to.

Well, fortunately my guide knew when to grab my BCD to stop me from floating away.

:-)

Therefore I was still able to check out my Nemo friends and shoot some films.

During lunch I got a very sad message from on of my closest friends and only minutes later a school of dolphins (I think they were bottlenose dolphins) swam past our boat.

Seeing wild dophins means freedom to me and every time I’m lucky enough to experience this, I have tears in my eyes.

Positive and negative things are often very close to each other, as this moment has shown.

Thank you beloved ocean for this gift at just the right moment.

My second and last dive on this trip was beautiful. Some nice moray eels and at the end of the dive a beautiful « little » turtle came to say good bye. Perfect way to end my last dive.

As always time has passed far too quickly, but I am grateful for the many great moments and experiences.