15 April 2009
Dive 1, 7:30, Black Rock
N8 47.868 E119 50.440
Hmmm — 6:30 morning rain. We’re going to be rained on in Bird Islet in a few days! Not a nice thought.
Before the dive, our German dive group mates ordered pygmy seahorses, and guess what — our guide Welmer found one. Hippocampus Denise at 20 meters! There was a perfectly round barrel sponge, and we had our moments with it. Afterwards we went towards the surface, with lots of acropora mounds surrounded by lots of white sand.
!["Burp" says the GT.](http://wwf.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2009/04/dsc2295.jpg)
The fairy basslets were all around, and viz was good.. Beautiful. The sun was out and the surface was just stunning. Then, while Yogi was photographing the reef, a small brown fish darted past him and was eaten by a giant trevally. Yogi hopefully got that sequence. It’s a fish-eat-fish world out there . . .
Packing up
![WWF Coral Triangle Expedition on the Expedition Fleet Stella Maris](http://wwf.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2009/04/dsc0158.jpg)
We were leaving Stella Maris the next day for the Tubbataha Ranger Station. On the 16th, we saw a lovely goodbye note from the crew wishing us a safe and meaningful yearlong expedition.