Day 8 of diving was an epic. It rained again overnight, but we woke to flat calm seas and no winds and overcast skies. We were on for the trip out to Verde Island and it did not disappoint. Calm seas, 80 foot Viz, Cobalt blue water and zero currents to reckon with under water. The landscape is so stunning with the various pinnacles, walls, bowls, cuts and valleys. Some of the highlights were hundreds of red-toothed triggerfish, free swimming morays, 2 large turtles, a bumphead/humphead parrotfish, massive barrel sponges (biggest I have ever seen), huge gorgonian sea fans, large many-spotted sweetlips, a banded sea krait, thousands of fusiliers, a very large white frog fish that was hanging and suspending itself by the feet between two sponges. We did 2 dives and they were both highlight dives.
Back at the resort after Verde Island, we could have hurried and made the 1:30pm dive, but decided to have a relaxed lunch of salad and a handmade pesto pizza and reminisce with others about the morning dives and get a little rest before the 4pm dive. For the 4pm dive, we considered all of the tide and current info and decided and an easy nearby drift from Monkey Beach back toward the Bay.
When we got back to the resort from the morning dives at Verde Island, we were welcomed with the news that the Thresher Sharks that were hanging around over the last few months, but had departed when the water warmed up are back at the Kilima dive site. Some of the Instructors, dive guides and guests were out there and saw 2 of them—so, maybe we will get lucky before we depart.