SHARK-INFESTED WATERS

We made it back from Tubbataha (pronounced tube-uh-tah'-ha) Reef National Park today. After five days, six nights and 20 dives with some of the stranger and more beautiful underwater critters around, we were ready to be back above water and on solid ground, at least for a couple days. 

To document the trip, in case anyone questioned our tales, we took an underwater camera along, our first experience shooting while diving. Hopefully you like the images, some of which we thought looked particularly menacing...er, dramatic, in black and white. 

Sharks? Definitely, Tubbataha has plenty of them, including the seven footer above, a whitetip reef shark whose eye seemed fixated on Liz's wetsuit. Meanwhile, Kip hid behind a coral head to ensure everyone's safety, and shoot this photo. We saw two schools of more than 20 whitetip reef sharks patrolling the coral walls around us. 

Giant manta ray? Check. The one below, sporting at least a six-foot wingspan, glided within a few feet of us. It was the first either of us has seen, and was awesome. Definitely the highlight of the trip as far as underwater sights go...

We're exhausted...six nights in a boat crammed with 20 people, doing four dives/day, and sleeping in a 90 degree windowless berth made for a toddler, gave us a few rough nights, but made for some incredible days.  All the more reason to sleep up on deck and catch the sunrise...or not.

I know, our life is rough...more photos to come.