Diving!!!!

So this post took longer than it was supposed to but i'm goin to blame that on an illness that pretty much took me out of commision for about 2 full week. it was really fun, full of fever and headache and neck/back ache, too!!! but now that has passed (as of yesterday) and i'm feeling well without the aid of drugs. excellent. so anyway, here are my pictures of my 1st dive trip ever. i did do my certification dives in a quarry in northern virginia, but that's not really the same because 1) certification means little fun stuff and checking off requirements and 2) quarries are murky and cold, even in the summer. so this was my 1st salt water, warm, and interesting dive. it was off the northern coast of savai'i, the larger island to the west of upolu, my home island. we did two dives, one around a wrecked london missionary company ship a little over a hundred years submerged and one around a large expanse of coral. Before the dive trip i spent one night on savai'i with my work who were taking a group of visiting tongans for a small tour of the big island. we stayed at really nice resort in beach fales that were half enclosed. Here are a coupld pictures.

One of the Beach Fales we stayed in. Nice view right?

This was my fale. It was tucked back so the view wasn't as nice but i'm not complaining. it was also cool because it was a paid business trip. nice!

The next day work left but I stayed behind to meet up with the Samoa Dive Club. We had volunteers from the US, Australia, England and Japan on the outing which was on a long, holiday weekend. I didn't take a pic of the fale i stayed in for the next few nights. It was more traditional/rustic being all open with just little mattress on the floor, but also more comfortable oddly enough. I can't decide where to take Mom and Dad. Maybe we'll try out both. They're only about a five minute walk from each other.

These are as close to nemo fish as we've seen. Yellow fin anemone fish. It's kind of cool because they pretty much just hang out around that giant anemone.

Some Coral.

My friend Jordan and me. She was the photographer.

Giant Coral Structures.

Pretty Fish.

Me trying to equalize.

Me trying to find neutral bouyancy. hehe, not my strong suit.

A green sea turtle. It was not this active during my dive. this was from the morning dive team.

The shipwreck. Cool because it's all open so you can dive it without special certification.

More wreck footage with the pretty fishes.

So the dives went off without a hitch I was a little worried that I would be slow or behind because it was a year and three months since my certification but no worries. my dive master was really cool and calming. i can't wait to dive again and i hope Dad can join me next year!
I'll have more stuff to post soon enough.
I hope everyone has a great christmas and a happy new year.