There was some rain last week, …but there is nothing wrong about that, unless your plan is to play tennis or golf. Fortunately we are diving here in Yap Island and the umbrella of the ocean’s surface  protects us from the cool showers.

While waiting for the Manta Rays to arrive at the cleaning station in Goofnuw Channel, I spotted my first Crocodile fish. Actually if I would have been the first diver to ever see a crocodile fish, I would have named it differently.  The first thing that came to mind when I saw this amazing animal, was a duck. When I moved around him, he remained motionless, only the eyes followed my movements. This gave him some personality, …kind of a special character. My next thought came with a big laugh and I almost spit out my regulator.  “Donald” I thought, …Donald (Duck) Croc , …Hi Donald, it is nice meeting you …”.

But before my fantasy could drag me deeper into Peter’s Wonderland, … a big female manta ray showed up on the horizon and glided into the cleaning station.  Opening her gill slits to let the cleaning crew in, …she was hovering above the coral heads, but today  only  express cleaning was scheduled as she left after a couple of minutes.  So did we, …moving to the second station.  I swam a bit in front of our group, when a second manta appeared, …swimming towards us.  I had no time to signal to the other divers and just laid down on the bottom and stopped breathing. The big ray didn’t show any signs of hesitation and continued its travels.  This has happened to me so often in my three weeks in Yap but I always get a rush of euphoria. Yes, I got in the mood.

Some minutes later the silhouette of another ray appeared above us. This time it was an eagle ray. Like a kite he was hovering motionless in the current.  Then turning and sailing a bit downstream,  …turning again and sailing upstream . With every circle he came a little closer, …closer and closer until his wing almost touched my camera.

Yes, these are the magical moments in diving, …. when you are just feeling like staying submerged forever. But as this is not possible we only can comfort ourselves by  looking forward to the next dive, …the next exciting encounter here in Yap island.  I hope to see you soon (again)!

And those, who unfortunately had to stay in the Hotel, ….they also enjoyed life, … despite the rain. Of course they needed the umbrellas to protect their beers from being diluted.

Cheers and happy bubbles,

Peter

While my wife Patricia and I were driving to town this morning on our way to pick up our youngest granddaughter who is scheduled to spend the weekend with us, I suddenly realized something special.  The day is glorious, sun is shining, breeze is blowing, everything is green from the summer rains and then it dawned on me.  Exactly 17 years ago, to the day, I was making this same drive as the brand new owner of the Manta Ray Bay Hotel, Yap Divers and Wave Crest Travel Agency.  Sure, I started each of these businesses and ran them from the day they opened but August 1, 1973 was the first day that my family and I actually OWNED them.

What a time it was.  The oldest and youngest kids had turned 12 & 4 years old less than 30 days earlier while the middle two were 8 & 6 respectively.  Today, Numie the oldest one, has just turned 29 with a degree in Hotel Management from the University in Canberra, Australia is married and has a 14 month old daughter – Mary Patricia.  Numie is now the Human Resource Manager for the Resort after having spent her life working at just about every job we have here.  Next in line is Nathan a 24 year old Lance Corporal in the US Marine Corps who spent a year in Engineering School at the University of Auckland, New Zealand and 2 years at the University of Hawaii before finding his calling in the military.  Nathan also spent 2 years as our chef between the time he was in Hawaii and the time he joined the Corps.

Valerie is next in line and she is back home working as a dive guide for Yap Divers after spending two years in the Business program at Texas Christian University in Ft. Worth where she was double majoring in Accounting and Entrepreneurial Studies.  Val is now married and has an 19 month old son – Thaddaeus.  Last, but certainly not least, is Oliver Patrick “OP” Acker who has just celebrated his 21st birthday and is set to graduate from the College of Micronesia in Pohnpei with an AA degree in Computer Information Systems. OP is looking forward to enrolling in the University of Hawaii at Manoa in January (the same school I attended for Graduate School).

I have been married for more than 25 years to Patricia Mangthin, who is sitting beside me this morning as we head for town.  She is happy to finally be a grandmother and realizes how lucky we are that they are all living close to us in Yap.  Patricia has a wonderful family spread between Yap, Saipan and the United States, my family are all still in Texas and doing well.  The kids are healthy, there are two grandkids in Yap, the business is better than it’s ever been so, as Joe Walsh would sing . . . “Life’s Been Good to Me So Far.”