It doesn't get much better than this

So back in the land of diving, or as some have called it paradise, where I, being not at all obsessive about things, honest, started my dive master course on an internship basis.

Which means, although I am on a year out, I am actually working, and as it's a dive shop, it's long hours (from 7am to 8pm), thanks, I can hear the sympathy from you guys already..... I really can.

So where was I, ahh yes, it's long hours, lots of physical work, having to socialise with people, forced diving, hey, I never said I didn't enjoy it ;-).

Anyway, I just can't imagine not doing it, and in all the time I did the internship for (it lasted for 88 days in the end), only once has my alarm had to wake me up, thats how much I have enjoyed it.

Oh yes, I guarantee that I don't miss the rush hour, the commute to work, meeting the clients (oh wait I still do that) and it's hard to imagine the time that I have to go back to that life, so for now (well until December) I will block that image out...

But every ounce of effort was worth it for the chance I got to dive and of course the things that I get to see; there are days when I am left humbled, I don't often have my camera with me, but the memories well they will last me a lifetime.

So indulge me, while I share a few of them with you (each one very briefly, I can bore you with the details when we next meet up....)

Things like, Octopi mating, which is an awesome sight and really beautiful, being between a school of Chevron Barracuda (numbering in their 1000's) and a school of around 40 Bump head parrot fish and seeing my dive group all sit on the sand to watch because they were so entranced.

Or the time that we saw an eagle ray swimming up to the surface from the deep blue below us, or an adolescent grey reef shark (about 2 meters long) swimming past us with a large fresh bite wound on his back.

But I couldn't forget the time when a large Leopard shark swam past us less than a meter away from us (they are so beautiful),  nor when the barracuda formed the start of a "tornado" around us, nor the Octopus that was moving from rock to rock and changing colour out in the open.

Even if it is the simple, yet relatively event of swimming close to large adult Grey Reef Sharks (3+ meters and broad as well) that still makes me feel humble when I get close, these are moments you don't forget, and I am lucky enough to have seen things that most people will never get to see.

But it's not just the wildlife that makes it such a great experience, it's seeing some of the people when they come up from diving, simple things, like just the look of happiness on their faces, from seeing nervous divers get more confidence to those happy to have qualified as a diver.

I'd be a liar to say that it's all great, and I am sure that there comes a point at which you decide that enough is enough, but I can tell you after 200 dives in the same basic area, I haven't reached that point yet.

Which is why, after a quick holiday in Thailand, I will be back for a few more months of diving and giving up for now, the rest of my travel plans....

Pictures, well there are some here (eels)... and here (Frog fish),here (general fish), here (Lion fish), here (Nudi's and Flatworms), here (octopi and cuttlefish) and yet more here (Scorpion and Crocodile fish), here (Seahorses and Pipe fish) and finally here (shrimps)....

Sorry but I started to keep them by fish, not place, but I have only uploaded a selection so some of the links only have a few pictures.

So I'd like to end this with...

Hi, My names Lindsay and I am a Dive Junkie