Week 3

Day 15, 16 & 17: Sick Days, Snorkel Tests, and Dolphin Encounters

Unfortunately, the flu got worse, something I didn’t think was physically possible. I spent most of these days in bed, sleeping and recovering, while everyone else carried on with dives and activities. One of the big events this week was the snorkel test for four interns completing their Divemaster training. It’s not a real test, more of a tradition-slash-party. First come a series of diving and marine ecology questions (wrong answers = drink), and then the final challenge: chugging a beer through a snorkel. I left a bit early (not drinking and being sick didn’t exactly help the vibe), and from what I heard, I made the right choice.

But waking up early had its perks, I was sitting at the bar where I usually work when I saw dolphins approaching from the left. I sprinted to the jetty and stood there in awe as they swam right past me, unbothered. I was the only one who saw that.

Another highlight: I did my first Raja Ampat night dive at Saprokren! It was absolutely surreal, I saw multiple seahorses, including a pregnant one. 

Socially though, it’s been tough. I’m not really connecting with anyone on a deeper level, which has made me feel a bit isolated and insecure. Being sick and low-energy doesn’t help, and hearing that someone new is joining who I probably won’t get along with (let’s just say: very different values), is already making me nervous. It’s going to be a challenge to navigate that dynamic while keeping my own peace.

Day 18 & 19: New Interns, Group Shifts & Google Translate at the Hospital

The new interns arrived, and honestly, it caused a noticeable shift in the group dynamic… in a good way. Suddenly, I felt more accepted. People started including me in conversations more naturally, and I didn’t feel like the outsider anymore. Maybe part of it is just no longer being the “newbie” but whatever the reason, I finally felt part of the group.

I also tried diving again. The first dive felt okay, but the second one hit hard. I got congested and had to abort. Back on land, I checked my temperature and it was worryingly high. Time to see a doctor.

One of the guys I’ve been bonding with offered to take me to the hospital on his scooter (which, if you’ve seen Indonesian roads, is no small act of kindness). Communicating with the hospital staff was a mix of Google Translate and interpretive dance, but we got there. They tested my blood for malaria and checked white blood cell count, turns out I had a pretty bad infection. I walked out with what felt like an entire pharmacy.

This unfortunately means more dry days. No diving, no BRUVs, no coral gardening. It’s incredibly frustrating to watch others progressing in the DM program while I’m benched. I just want to get back in the water.

On the bright side: after the blood test (which was a big deal for me, I hate needles, despite my tattoos), I asked for something sweet as a reward. We went for ice cream, and the sunset on the ride back made it all feel a little better.

Days 20–23: Sharks, Seahorses, and a Species Overload

Saturday finally broke my five-day dry streak (yes, I was counting). First up was a Dive Against Debris, followed by a night dive. The debris dive didn’t reveal much trash (which is obviously a good thing) but it did deliver two baby panther groupers (one of my favorite grouper species) and more nudibranchs than I could count. I’m not sure why, but every time I do a Dive Against Debris, the nudis seem to show up in full force.

The night dive was just as eventful. We watched chevron barracudas hunting at high speed, spotted a pipefish (think a stretched-out seahorse), and found a little octopus busily clearing sand from its shell “house.” Someone even brought a blacklight torch, making certain corals glow in neon colors.

Sunday, though, completely blew my mind. It was boat day, meaning two morning dives. The first, at Yanyuba, had some of the most stunning coral I’ve seen so far. But the second dive at Sardine? Unreal.

We descended straight into the path of both a white tip and black tip reef shark. The current was strong, so we hooked in, and my spot happened to be right by the sandy patch where all the action passed. Sharks cruised by just meters away, while giant trevallies, bluefin trevallies, and napoleon wrasses swam so close I could have reached out (but didn’t, of course).

As if that wasn’t enough, our ascent brought encounters with a hawksbill turtle, a squad of eight bumphead parrotfish, and another group of chevron barracudas. All of this, set against insane coral reefs, was sensory overload in the best way possible.

We ended the day with another snorkel test, this time for five people. I felt a lot more comfortable with the group now, so I actually enjoyed it more than the last one. Still, it was bittersweet saying goodbye to these people. Next week, a fresh batch of interns arrives, which means the dynamics will change again… but at least I’ll be the senior this time.