do good, avoid evil, and see things as they are....

Sunday evening we all met at the staff jetty for a sunset cruise on the dhoni. We all sat up on the top deck, took photos and had some light conversation. After sunset, we all came back,  ate dinner at the staff cafe, and then met in the common area where we had a few drinks. It was a mild night with a carton of beer between a couple dozen people and some classy drinking of champagne from the bottle. Later that evening, a few of us went down to the beach and hung out for a little bit - this was the best part of the whole evening.  

It was a rather quiet week upon return to the dive centre. Less guests then previous weeks over easter so there was a lot of hanging around the dive centre, retail work and maintenence, joking about and having lots of laughs with the guys. Tuesday evening there were plans for some of us staff to get together and have a beach party. Everyone was really looking forward to this and it was all the talk... just before we were going to meet, we had been watching lightening for a good hour or so. Before long - the rains came and all hell broke loose! Thunder and lightening, flash rain - it was incredible! Hardly like anything i had experienced before, and I live in tropical Queesland where tropical storms are common. Unfortunately I was in my room and the only place I could see the event was through my bedroom window to which I only had a tiny area where I could see the sky. It powered down for some time before it was safe to leave the room, but even then, i needed a canoe to get around outside!

There were a few trees down and palm fronds in places where there were no palm trees in sight! The following night before the end of the clean up, I tripped on a fallen coconut! Usually the ground is clear and clean, but in the dark before the end of the clean-up, a sneaky lil coconut was just waiting for me to trip over it! For the next couple of days we had afternoon/evening storms with lots of rain, thunder and lightening. I was told that it is a change in Monsoon, and it will last for approximately 10 days.

Friday was ANZAC DAY - In the morning I was up early for a boat dive with a fellow Aussie. I had been pretty good and was sugar free for 3 days, but I felt un-Australian if I did not have an ANZAC biscuit (AKA oatmeal boat cookie) so I just haaaad to eat one! For my lunch break I went to the staff break with my sister from another mister on the resort, and we took some happy snaps together and enjoyed the beautiful calm waters before heading back to work. It was a quiet afternoon again in the dive centre and time for a quick meal before meeting for a night dive. 

We met around 7pm for the night dive, just before the sunset and we had two of the most gorgeous Aussie ladies as guests, and I was leading three staff. It was a great crew on board which made the trip even more enjoyable. Before leaving, we had a last minute change in boats, and unfortunately one of the staff had his equipment on the previous boat - ‘The reef 20’. We were on board the ‘Reef 6’ and had arranged to pick up the equipment on the way to the dive site. They say everything happens for a reason, and there was definitely a greater reason for the equipment being stuck on the other boat.

Upon coming up to the Reef 20, there was a turtle to the right of the boat, caught in a massive fishing net. Without hesitation, and no time to put on my scuba gear, I jumped off the side of the boat with only half my wetsuit on my body. The boat crew threw me my fins once I was already in the water. The turtle was completely tangled by this massive fishing net the weight of the net holding the turtle back as she tried to swim downward. I took deep breaths and ducked under the water and untangled the net from behind the back flippers and the shell. She was struggling very hard to swim downward where the net was cutting in under her front right flipper. I grabbed a knife from the boat to cut the net around her front flipper free but it was so tightly cutting in to her flipper it was not safe that I tried this. Another diver jumped in the water and helped me to lift her up onto the boat. One of the other staff took the knife and cut the rope free. We then flipped her over and released her back to the sea. Upon inspection when we cut the rope, it didn’t appear there was any sever damage to her flipper, though underwater it appeared it was cutting quite deep. The poor love swam straight back to freedom as soon as we released her. Adrenaline was pumping through my body and people were asking me, what type of turtle was it? How big was it? All of these specific questions that I could hardly answer. All I remember was focussing on the net and how I could release her. Thankfully, One of our lovely guests took photos of the whole experience so I can soon look back on these and share. I am so lucky that I have photos to look back on this incredible experience of saving a turtles life.

I first wanted to get into diving in order to save turtles somehow. The defining moment for me where I decided that diving would be my dream job, was during a holiday in Malaysia. I did a dive where there ere some 30-40 turtles  on my dive. During this trip, I also went to a turtle conservation island where we collected turtle eggs and buried them for release once they hatched. We also released those turtles that had hatched, back to the sea. From this holiday, I wanted to make a difference and help turtles, and I felt that diving was going to get me there, and incidentally, it did. I felt like my life purpose was fulfilled from that single experience. It really hit it home for me just how much I love these animals and how rewarding it was to be able to make a difference. It was such a reality check for me, that there are far greater things that I can be doing with my life, than sitting behind an office desk paying insurance claims. My heart was filled with so much love. I also recommend that if people do go on holidays, that they incorporate some type of local conservation experience, for if a life changing experience and career choice, at lease what you can learn so much, and do something to make a difference in the time you are there.  Every little bit helps. There is so much destruction in the world, and unknowingly a lot of us contribute by buying products which destroy habitats or otherwise. For each good deed we give back, we are tipping the world scale from bad to good, thats got to make a difference right?

Following the incredible turtle rescue, we reached our dive site which proved to be a really lovely dive. Amongst other things, we saw two giant marble sting rays, the second one which was so curious of us, he kept following us and looking directly at us! It was actually a little unnerving! When we came back onto the boat, we looked up at the stars and it was a really clear night. I just mentioned how finding a shooting star would be a perfect end to the evening, and just as I said that, a shooting star launched overhead. It was amazing. ANZAC day in the Maldives was a really incredible day. I was very mindful of all those who had served (especially my pa) and still serve in wars. Whether they are for meaningful purposes, or bullshit greed and destruction, my thoughts were for those who are out there in the front line.

Friday night after the dive the front office team were having a bbq on the beach and I was invited to join. I was so happy as friday night meals in the staff cafe are less than desirable for me. I got the beach and they had cooked some beautiful big fish on the grill, we had a table with chapati and coconut which I wrapped all together and it was a flavour explosion! I wish I could eat that for every meal, I would be very happy! We had lots of laughs and reggae music which was very calming. Afterwards it was quite late but I was trying to find someone to have a beer. I went up to the bar where I knew a few colleagues were a couple of hours earlier and I found them with my two aussie friends! We chatted for another hour or so, looked back on the photos from the dive and heading off just as the rains set in.

The following day I had the day off due to the quite schedule in the centre the following day. It was good timing as I had a slight aggravation to my left ear, and we treated it before infection, so it was nice to have a day off to rest out of the water. I spent the day pottering around the room, doing laundry and bits and pieces. In the afternoon I had a three hour nap on and off which was quite nice. In the evening it was another less than desirable evening for me in the staff cafe so I ate a little before canning it.

The two lovely ladies invited a couple of us to meet at the seabar at 7pm and I was really looking forward to putting on a nice dress and hanging out. We enjoyed a cocktail over sunset before they invited us on to eat with them. We went to the Arabic restaurant over looking the sea. We enjoyed a mix of hot and cold mezze and shared everything between us, I loved that - my favorite type of meal. After stuffing ourselves with lots of little delights we headed downstairs where we enjoyed a shisha and lots of conversation. It was so lovely to be invited out by such wonderful people and had a genuinely enjoyable evening. I know I say this a lot, but I love good people!

Sunday was a reasonably quiet day again. In the morning, the girls were so kind to bring a box of mangoes to the dive centre along with bunches of bananas and a papaya. A gift fruit box! What sweet hearts. In the afternoon I had the pleasure of taking a father and daughter out for a discover scuba diving experience. I must have pretty good because they have signed up to do a course. This is so rewarding seeing the excitement, especially of children after a dive. I took out a 10 year old boy for a discovery dive a few days earlier and his eye were as big as his dropped jaw as he exclaimed “that was awesome!!” and I asked him, what was the best part? and he said “everything was the best part!!” He also went on to do a certification course. This is really great, being able to introduce people to the underwater world, and seeing the change in them and them wanting to take this further and become a certified diver.

Sunday evening was sunset cocktails and meet with guests. I spoke with several guests I had seen come through the dive centre, and of course my dearest Australian friend. After the cocktails, I was so kindly invited to dinner where there was endless conversation. The similarities we shared, the authors and books that both changed our lives, it was incredible. One of the gals is even from a small town in NSW, right where my sister lives. Such a small world. Let alone looking back on falls festival photos and videos the other night and me in my friends being in one of the videos in the background! It is so heartwarming to meet people you just connect with right away, and you know its not going to be the last time you see them.  Its hard to believe that I am staff and they are guests, rather than it’s just friends hanging out together. Really special people who have made my time here so worthwhile.

When you can, share some of your time and good health to use your powers for good and maybe get involved in a beach clean up, or volunteer. I don’t promote sending cold money to charities, but if you do not have the time to volunteer, this may be a better option for you. I personally prefer to have the hands on experience. Project AWARE is a great organization, and you can sign up and keep up to date with their projects on their website. Also Sea Shepard is a great organization that I love to get behind. There are so many great organizations out there, and with the disgusting damage that the Australian government is doing to our country, between the shark culling (makes my blood boil!!! I CANNOT believe it is still happening!) and the fracking and endless other destructions, let alone with the rest of the world - we need to stand up and do everything we can, as clearly they are not representative of the public nor the environment. 

Do good, avoid evil, and see things as they are.

Lots of love to you, the environment and the all animals

Kassie