Maui: Scuba 5 Graves & Wailea

So many of my trips, Hubby and I miss the opportunity for scuba diving because of weather.  We tried for the famed Molokini crater off Maui, but we were thwarted once again...  Luckily, the trip wasn't a total bust.  We did a refresher shore dive as an intro to scuba for my Mom, then a 2-tank boat dive off a site known as the 5 Graves, and off of Wailea.  

We got to play with an octopus, swim among giant sea turtles, amuse spotted eels and wave to some fishJ.  We went out with BB Scuba out of Kihei.   The guys there are patient and have a great sense of humor.  I look forward to going out with them again on our return.

 Photos by Adam Weinstein.  

Map of Dive Area

Cairns: A Dive and a Joey

Cairns is in Northern Australia.  It's known for scuba diving on the Great Barrier Reef (at least for tourists).  Hubby booked us onto a dive charter that was infinitely more luxurious than any other dive operation I have ever experienced.  It was a triple decker boat with multiple lounges, a large dining room and a huge area for suiting up before the dive.  

The dive company had its own catering division.  (Great food has never been a factor in diving, you're lucky to get a beer after you come out of the water).  This one served 'morning tea' with cakes in addition to a great lunch buffet.  Mom liked this part the most.  In fact, I never saw her get her hair wet during the entire trip of 'snorkeling' that she was booked on.

Unfortunately, the skies were grey and rainy.  Visibility wasn't good, but the scenery was amazing nonetheless.

After diving, we toured the tourist-trap restaurants and ordered a kangaroo-themed Pavlova dessert.  Hubby discovered a 'joey' (baby kangaroo).  It was being cared for by a little girl.  Her parents had accidentally killed its mother in a car accident and they took it upon themselves to raise the little one through adulthood.

MAP