411 Dive Log Australasia April 2025

their help. Nothing is a problem and that is the way it should be. You feel like they are really looking after you. They are a wonderful well trained professional team. I met some non-divers who go to Wakatobi regularly to relax and enjoy the exceptional service that strives to equal or even go above and beyond the very best of hotels in Europe. They have a chef on board and each meal is ‘a la carte’ but you can order special meals if you have dietary requirements, you like and it will be delivered. We only had a few guests so I was upgraded to the Super Lux cabin with a king size bed. The cabins are huge and have a beautifully appointed modern en-suite with personal toothbrush, razors, pens and even a comb. The live aboard does an itinerary of about 350 Nautical miles to the west Island of Buton. Wakatobi is an ‘acronym’ of the four main islands in the region. Many dive adventures await and

many great underwater experiences are on offer. Our check out dive, was just outside the distance that the day boats do from Wakatobi about an hour and a half away. The system here was one dive guide for dive one and two with another dive guide for dive three and four of each day. My dive buddy was not so good on buoyancy and seemed to have a herd of camels following him constantly so I was happy when I was able to move away to clear water. Better still, when my dive guide found some of the highly prized Mushroom coral Pipe fish, I need to spend some time to get a good shot. No problem! He looked after my buddy whilst I got into some serious photography. This is my idea of diving perfection. Camera working to perfection, total freedom and great subjects to capture but I do wish the dive staff had given him a refresher lesson on controlling his buoyancy from day on. I was able to catch up easily as the pace was nice and slow. We found a few male Jaw Fish with mouths full of eggs. These little burrowing fish are super nervous and the best they you can

DIVE LOG Australasia #411 - April‘25 16

www.divelog.net.au