Today was our last day at South Minerva Reef. Our last dive this afternoon was inside the lagoon among a patchwork of coral bommies. It was like swimming through a maze with a sandy bottom and huge coral formations rising

We have had a perfect day of weather. Hardly a breeze and no swell into the lagoon. Even though we are anchored in the lagoon and the reef buffers the surrounding groundswell, a big storm washes over the reef and

We arrived at South Minerva Reef this morning, anchored and got ready for our first dive. For six divers we load Thomas the tender up with about 750 kg of people and gear. The shallow reef areas are typical of

Our first day at North Minerva Reef has been outstanding. For one thing the weather has become calm so we can dive and snorkel on all sides of the reef. We have split off into different activities and among us

We’ve been steaming towards Minerva Reefs since yesterday afternoon. The swell has been from the southwest so the vessel has been rolling a bit. A few of the passengers have been suffering with the conditions. We paused briefly in the

We are underway for Minerva Reefs and there is a moderate sea. It is a reminder that we now leave the shelter of islands until we reach Raoul Island, so we are exposed to the vagaries of the weather and

This morning we steamed towards Tongatapu with a thick haze on the horizon from the volcanic activity of Hunga Ha’apai. We have watched the huge ash clouds erupting all day, their shape changing constantly.

We are half way through our voyage and it is the last day of diving for 3 or 4 days until we reach Minerva Reefs. It is a good opportunity to catch up on our data entry and rest after

Our second day in the southern Vava’u area, and the weather has been perfect for our work, with no wind and hardly any swell. This has meant we have been able to dive on any side of the islands around