14th July 2013

Woke up to the sound of rain this morning which was very refreshing.  It's been really hot and last night was the first time I think since we got here that I've actually worn a jumper.

What have we been up to?   I've been teaching Reef Check to a Canadian and English guy and helping out with ECO..

 Si's been doing UK work, staffing his last IDC (Instructor Development Course) as well as organizing a memorial for our friend Emma's birthday, who passed away earlier in the year.   So it's been busy.

Yesterday, we both got up and helped out with preparing Giant clam nurseries and deploying giant clams which were sent from the main land.  Giant clams if you didn't know have a very important role in the ocean.  They're water filters, taking out unwanted nutrients that in some area's have an abundance of algae growing, covering coral and suffocating it.

Later in the afternoon, we'd planned to deploy Emma's memorial, which was a large concrete compass with the wrong heading on, as Emma got lost on a few occasions and we thought it would be quite apt.  Unfortunately after a lot of hanging around and waiting to hear from the night boat, we were told that due to low tide, the boat couldn't go out, so this has now been put off until the 16th  ...fingers crossed all will go well on that date.

That evening we gathered at Crystal for a bbq to celebrate Emma's birthday  and put on her slide show, a happy but very emotional event   ...