Bilikiki has returned from another 10 day diving trip (October 7-17th), on board we had the Diving Divas group from the USA lead by Lana McGlynn. We also had Russell & Martin joining them for the trip! It has been, with no doubt, a fantastic trip with awesome conditions! There was fine seas and wonderful weather, we had beautiful sunny days, clear waters and very special marine life... what else can we ask for?
On top of all our regular, awesome fish friends (barracudas, bigeye jacks, sharks, bumphead parrot fish, Napoleon wrasses, spade fish...) there were some other special ones this trip. Some of us saw a hammer head shark and others were very lucky and got super close encounters with dolphins while doing their safety stop! People also got close up looks at sea turtles, cuttlefish and mobula and eagle rays.
We saw plenty of crocodile fish, beautiful flatworms, the elusive and shy long nose filefish, three different species of ghost pipefish (ornate, robust and halimeda!), pygmy seahorses, dragon seamoths (two this time!), scorpion leaf fish, soft coral crabs and orangutan crabs, amongst many other things! On top of that, as if the diversity in marine life was not enough, the magnificent coral reefs of the Solomon Islands were once again a delight for our guests... no one was expecting these colourful and amazingly healthy coral gardens! We all felt very lucky to be able to dive these untouched places!
During this trip we had a couple of birthdays and it was really nice to get the guests to blow the candles out and have amazing cakes baked by our chefs! The carving markets were a big hit too, since all our guests found something to take back home... from small to big! The floating markets and the village visit, for traditional dancing and singing and the incredible pipe show, were also very appreciated by our guests. Everyone loves to come here, not only for the diving but also for the opportunity to learn more about Solomon Islands culture and to interact with the locals.
Thank you everyone onboard for making this trip one of those that will remain in our memories! Thanks for being so cheerful and for making everything so fun! We wish you safe travels back home.
A big thank you to our crew for their hard work and for every thing they do to make this whole Bilikiki experience unforgettable!
Happy Bubbles
Pato&Fernando