This vacation was by far our best ever! From fantastic accommodations to superior diving to the "out of this world" crew, we had it all! Sonia and Grant really made us feel at home here … and the crew – Suli, Eddie, Richie … and of course Capt. John, were an absolute delight and fun to be around. You all will remain in our hearts and we hope to see you all again! Take care, enjoy life and thanks for allowing us to be a part of your family – forever!
Terry & Jeff Rose, Harrison Township MI
- Old Dogs. New Tricks
- Fiji Coup v4.0
- Tonga Troubles
- Liz and Josh: So Long and Thanks for all the Fish
- Sonia and Grant: Welcome Aboard
Old Dogs. New Tricks
Maybe it's a guy thing, but nothing invigorates an old passion like a new toy.
I've been diving just about forever (at least I look as if I have). I've seen most of the best places and used many of the coolest toys. Several years ago we supported Howard Hall's IMAX team with their massive underwater housings and complex rebreathers.
So I was only mildly intrigued when departing NAI'A cruise director, Josh Jensen, first used one of NAI'A's new fully closed rebreathers. Josh knows our fish more intimately than anyone, but on rebreather he noticed his old friends doing things he'd never seen them do before. I'd heard all about bubblefree diving before. Get a little closer and stay a little longer? Sure, but is it worth the hassle?
Here's the deal. It IS worth the hassle. Particularly if you don't have to actually own, travel with, or maintain the expensive new toy, ahem, tool.
I recently got my first chance to dive with the Evolution Rebreather during our two-week exploratory voyage to Rotuma. Like nearly everyone after their very first rebreather dive, I thought, "this is way too intimidating; I'll just stick to a simple cylinder with a black hose coming off it." The next dive was a bit less daunting, and the next one was actually fun. By the third day I was thinking more about the dive than the machine keeping me alive and by the end of the trip, when Grant and I went off and found a brand new pinnacle near GoMo in Vatu-i-ra, I was sold.
Grant Searancke, one of NAI'A's new cruise directors, has taught rebreather diving for several years. He owns and maintains the new units aboard NAI'A and offers both introductory dives and full rebreather courses. See our website for details: www.naia.com.fj/diving/rebreathers.html. I highly recommend it!
A few days ago Commodore Frank Bainimarama (whose name means "wall of women") announced Fiji Coup v4.0, the latest release of Fiji's favorite political pastime. Amidst almost universal international condemnation for his actions, I'm hesitant to voice support for the Commodore. I'm American after all, and it isn't fashionable for us to support regime change any more. I'd like to believe the Commodore's goals will be realized. And certainly his long-term planning and public communication about the "government clean up campaign" have led to possibly the world's most calm, orderly and peaceful coup.Whether or not the military takeover can be justified, it has been a long time brewing and it is clearly part of Fiji's growing pains. It will take several night's discussion around NAI'A's dinner table to layout the background to this latest coup, but the main point is that it is extremely unlikely to disrupt our schedule.The last coup didn't affect NAI'A or our charters at all, but it distracted others from everything that is fantastic in Fiji – and just offshore! So this time we are keeping a proper perspective: the fish don't care about politics and neither should we. Let's go diving!
Tonga Trouble
On the second night of our second humpback whale charter in Tonga in August, NAI'A was blown onto a reef during a gale. The crew acted swiftly and got all of the passengers and most of their belongings ashore on the isolated island that night and, the next day, into quite luxurious accommodations at the Sandy Beach Resort. But because the ship had gone aground at the top of a full-moon high tide, it took a full week to get her off the reef. Ultimately we had to cancel and refund passengers for the two remaining Tonga charters. There was relatively little damage to NAI'A's hell-for-stout Dutch steel hull and we had her fully repaired and back out to sea in time for her first Fiji charter in September…just in time to sail into massive rafts of floating pumice blown down from a subsea volcano in Tonga! The pumice, floating at and just below the surface, was sucked into our cooling system, forcing the engineering team to work shift against shift clearing the salt-water pumps and lines. We are keen to return to Tonga next year and continue our modest whale conservation efforts there. Whales are not saved! As Japan and Norway ramp up their efforts to kill even more whales, little countries like Tonga are under tremendous pressure to join them. Whales in Tonga have been protected since 1979 by royal decree. But as respect for the monarchy diminishes there, the aid incentives offered by Japan in exchange for pro-whaling support begin to look more enticing to a nation struggling to get its footing. Cash talks. Every year NAI'A passengers bolster Tonga's GNP by a significant amount. Live whales are worth much more than dead whales and we try to make sure that as many people as possible in Tonga recognize that fact. To anyone who has done or is planning to travel to Tonga to swim with humpback whales, thanks for putting your money where your heart is – with the whales.
Liz and Josh: So Long and Thanks for all the Fish
After three years aboard NAI'A as Cruise Directors, Liz and Josh are trying to get away from the boat to start a new life. But they can't seem to make the break. We don't even pay them anymore but, like the scent of the hermit crab that died in the shell you thought was empty, they are tough to get rid of. In fact, they are running a special charter for returning guests in December and then returning as passengers for another special charter in April. Seriously, though, they have a good reason to stick around Fiji. Anyone who has been aboard NAI'A in the last three years knows what outstanding underwater videographers and editors they have become. Their Marine Life of Fiji and Tonga "V.I.D." Guide is in the final stages of production along with a promotional piece for the Tongan Visitor's Bureau. In the tough market for professional shooters, their exceptional skill and unique access opportunities should set them apart. Check out their work and contact them about special expeditions to other great diving destinations at www.underseaproductions.com.
Sonia and Grant: Welcome Aboard
During the 10 years that Cat and I ran NAI'A, some said we were irreplaceable. Then we started a family and hired good people into our jobs on the boat and – what do you know – they did just fine! Even better in many ways, though I hate to admit it! So when Josh and Liz gave us a year's notice of their intent to shift gears, we weren't as worried as in the past. NAI'A attracts about as many keen job seekers as it does dive passengers. Given plenty of time to pick and choose, we looked for the best cruise directors in the industry and found them. Grant Searancke and Sonia Goggel have years of expertise in the Red Sea, Galapagos, and the Solomon Islands. And, as I write this, they have already done six charters on NAI'A. Welcome aboard!
-- By Rob Barrel for the NAI'A family
