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Each day began at 6:30 for me as that’s when the engines would start and we’d motor the half hour or so to our next dive site. After a hot breakfast, we’d have our dive briefing at 7:30 and usually be in the water by 8 or 8:15. As we were trying to do 4 or 5 dives a day and we needed to have at least 1 to 1.5 hours between dives, it was a busy schedule. But somebody had to do it.
 Dive 1, log #273 Yamagiri Maru, 472’. Lies on its port side. Holds at 50 to 100’. 90’ for 1:08 mins.
Nice wreck, very open in the holds, which are huge openings in the side of the wreck that are easy to go into and check out the cargo. Schools of large Batfish greet us. Big, white fringed scallops and soft coral on top (which is the side of the hull - most wrecks we do are on their side or upright, but a couple are turned over). I duck into a couple and shoot pictures of a couple of huge naval artillery shells. Forget to change my computer to EAN 30, so it’s on air and I have to do a 14 min deco to clear it, even though I’m safe. Viz probably 80’, water temp 85F.
Dive 2, log #274 Shinkoko Maru (same for the rest of the day), 500’. Lies upright at 110’. 103’ for 1:03 mins.
Large – pretty intact, very nice growth on masts, so much growth the guns are hardly recognizable. Viz much less than first dive about 40-50’ in open water, with huge flocks of medium sized jellyfish.
This first dive Marcia and I decide to swim down to the stern and do that section, By the time we get back to the wheel house we’re back into deco, which really isn’t an issue with the amount of gas we’re carrying. Get to the bow with gas to spare, so we use up the rest of my film and get attacked by several large Batfish. 8 mins deco at 15’.
 Dive 3, log #275, 103’ for 1:02
Matt the DM leads me on a penetration dive through the main cabin area. Saw nudibranch, went into operating room where a few bones have been left on the small operating table. Head with large tiled Japanese-style bathtub pristine, We went out along the companionway and across the stern deck to aft cabins. See a boot in the middle of the cabin looks like new. Down into hold and out hatch at top. Swim along, check out and shoot anemone shrimp. Rechargeable nicad batteries give out after half a roll. Entered wheelhouse where broken radios litter the floor, see captain’s head.
Swim to bow and check out telegraph and speaking tube, compasses. Deck gun totally incrusted with hard and soft coral.
Batfish attack again, I guess somebody’s been feeding them. Saw huge school while swimming back to boat, they were so rare in Fiji. Only 5 mins deco, but I do 15-20 min deco for safety. (We have a large metal hang bar at 15’ with an extra tank available for safety stops. We spend lots of time on it during the week.)
Dive 4, log #276, 78’ for 1:14 - night dive
Marcia and I do an easy night tour of the bow deck and shoot macro photos of small stuff and coral. Soft corals are all open and profuse in bright colors. Spot small crab, one of the few we see all week. Shot invertebrates mostly. Move back to wheel house and take Marcia for a quick tour of the operating room and back out side. Spot large scorpion fish and shoot it. See 2 large cowries out feeding. Finish up shooting deck light and bottle on bow.
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