The aim of this trip actually want to try to hunt the mola-mola (sunfish) early in this year.
The trip begin with gathering the participant in our beach counter at 8.00am (Sam McElhone, Emily Shaw, Daniel, Calvin, Paul and me). It is a rain this day from early morning to at the time we leaving the beach. Six of us then departure from Sanur beach heading to Nusa Penida.
The rain stop for a while on our way to the island but the sky still a bit dark, water condition was a bit raft but all fine till we reach the island of Nusa Penida.
Since our aim is to try hunting the mola-mola (sunfish), we reach crystal bay and do evaluated the water condition before entering the water. It is a mild current present in the bay, while strong current present in the channel due to tide change. The water seem not to clear. After a briefing and buddy system assigned then we start our 1st dive, slowly and relaxing dive. Visibility around 15m while water temperature 25'C, swim along the slope to reach the cleaning station with mild surge. Reaching the point where usually the mola-mola encountered, stop and waiting for a while, then slowly decent closer to the point, but no mola-mola (sunfish) there, she is not there yet, after 2 minutes then we return to the shallower depth but at this time current start to play. We are struggling to swim against it, kicking hard try to reach the safe point but we couldn't make it as some of the diver running low on air. Finally we do our safety stop slowly drifting with the current and surface safely. It was rain and wind blow hard when we surface, back to the bay and rest (surface interval)
After 45 minutes surface interval, rain was gone and the water start to calm down. Next we start our journey, at this time we decide to see the Manta ray. First moving to the manta bay, which is located next to crystal bay, this a new point to see manta, after exploring from the surface, it seem there is no manta around, so then our journey continue to old Manta point, another 15 minutes boat riding. One diver got sea sick and decide not to join the 2nd dive, but at the spot he change his mind and follow the dive after feeding the fish "jack pot", a common situation when reaching the manta point as big swell and surge on the surface.
Jump in into the water, visibility was not so good, average about 5m only with surge, one diver having a problem with equalization and decide not to continue the dive. So 5 of us start to exploring site, 42 minutes swim in low visibility, back and forth, no manta around, but still not give up, after 45 minutes we saw one manta swim passing above us. That's it. Only one ? no. still curious, then we return to the cleaning station and wait there a while before surface, finally 2 big manta come and swim over the rock, it just 3 meter away from us, swim one round then gone. After 52 minutes, we return to the deep end, slowly ascent to make a safety stop. At 10 meter we saw another one, black manta, hhmmm.., continue to to 3 minutes safety stop and surface safely.
Big raft, big waves and hard rain and strong wind on our way back to Sanur beach, this is call ocean rafting, hahaha..., Close to the beach, the rain and wind getting harder and harder, blocking our view to the entrance in Sanur channel. We only can see 3 meter ahead, lucky we got GPS on boat, and was mark the entrance Sanur channel before leaving to Nusa Penida. With help of GPS, we manage to enter without ride on the wave break. Reach beach safely and still with hard rain.., hahaha,.."what an adventure journey"
