MITSUGIRLY decides to CONQUEST new ports-complete pictorial review

[ABQrobin]

....not funny,,,,

[Thrilled2012]

Wow...such beautiful pictures! It really is surprising that they let Sakari dive so deep.

[mabones]

After this second trip at the Tug Boat, we moved on and headed back.

 

 

 

 

 

 

About this time...I noticed something was wrong with Sakari. She darted up to the surface and the instructor zoomed up after her.

 

 

What could have possibly went wrong? She's my fearless little diver. Oh geesh, there goes my heart again. He was at the surface and holding her.

 

 

 

OMG! Hope she's ok!

[Kfamilycruise]

Kim, your pictures are so amazing! You have me wanting to try to scuba!!!

[Destaw71835]

You all are so brave, I would never have the nerve to scuba dive. Don't leave us in suspense for too long...

 

 

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[WeAllLove2Travel]

I am loving this review and as I'm reading in present time I was like "oh no! I really do have to wait to see what's next!" Lol. The photos are beautiful! THIS is true family bonding time. There's nothing like family vacation time (away from chores, work, homework, after school activities and paying bills) to solidify those bonds. Sakari is doing an awesome job with her diving! Your little fish is getting some stellar photos too. She gets it from her mama [emoji6] HOWEVER, my only question is (& I can't find the original post so you'll see how you phrased it) what were you worried about saying in your review of this site? You originally mentioned that you were hesitant to report on this particular port because you thought there'd be a lot of uproar or backlash (my words not yours) but why. Your review is so positive and exciting! Did I miss anything? Why were you hesitant to review and post this site? You're making me wanna take scuba lessons and I'm a very 'get in the water only as deep as I can stand or not at all' kinda girl. Lol [emoji23]

 

 

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[WeAllLove2Travel]

BTW, my husband is from Columbus, Ohio. When I read you were from here in the beginning of your post it peaked my interest and made me keep reading. I'm so glad that I did! [emoji2]

 

 

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[sonicbuffalo]

After this second trip at the Tug Boat, we moved on and headed back.

 

 

 

 

 

 

About this time...I noticed something was wrong with Sakari. She darted up to the surface and the instructor zoomed up after her.

 

 

What could have possibly went wrong? She's my fearless little diver. Oh geesh, there goes my heart again. He was at the surface and holding her.

 

 

I think she saw an eel.

[ABQrobin]

I am loving this review and as I'm reading in present time I was like "oh no! I really do have to wait to see what's next!" Lol. The photos are beautiful! THIS is true family bonding time. There's nothing like family vacation time (away from chores, work, homework, after school activities and paying bills) to solidify those bonds. Sakari is doing an awesome job with her diving! Your little fish is getting some stellar photos too. She gets it from her mama [emoji6] HOWEVER, my only question is (& I can't find the original post so you'll see how you phrased it) what were you worried about saying in your review of this site? You originally mentioned that you were hesitant to report on this particular port because you thought there'd be a lot of uproar or backlash (my words not yours) but why. Your review is so positive and exciting! Did I miss anything? Why were you hesitant to review and post this site? You're making me wanna take scuba lessons and I'm a very 'get in the water only as deep as I can stand or not at all' kinda girl. Lol [emoji23]

 

 

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I think it is because of me...I encouraged her to get certified in order to dive with her daughter.

[WeAllLove2Travel]

I think it is because of me...I encouraged her to get certified in order to dive with her daughter.

 

 

Awwww!!! That's sweet of you!! Looks like they had a phenomenal time so kudos to you for the encouragement! [emoji4]

 

 

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[ABQrobin]

Awwww!!! That's sweet of you!! Looks like they had a phenomenal time so kudos to you for the encouragement! [emoji4]

 

 

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We have to see what happened first! I know she knows I am going to have lots to say about it when they are done with the dive.

[mitsugirly]

Biting my nails... Loving your picture, I would so love to scuba dive

If I didn't have the regulator in my mouth during this dive, I would have probably bitten off all of my nails as well.

 

 

 

Aw, man! I'm reading this in real time and just thought "Mitsugirly won't leave us hanging"! Your pics are amazing. You've got me researching Discover Scuba excursions for my trip in 2 weeks. Is it normal for DSDs to be this deep? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

 

Thanks for the comments and glad you are liking the pictures.

 

 

DSD, ages 10 and up, can go down 40 feet. :D

 

 

Your photos are amazing. I never had the nerve to scuba dive so it is so much fun to see all the fish etc. Have to say your Sakari for having just turned 9 yrs old is fearless! She takes fabulous photos too. I'm sure on any future scuba diving adventures that you will tell her she has to stay close to you or her daddy and not venture off my herself! I'm eager to read your next posts!

 

Thanks for the comments. Yes, Sakari has ALWAYS been fearless (daddy says it comes from him...and that's obvious. I'm more reserved and being in the line of work I do, I'm constantly thinking of the "what ifs"). We first noticed how independent she was and fearless at the age of 3 and her first cruise. It became real apparent when we took her ziplining and she was supposed to tandem zip with one of us adults and insisted on doing it by herself. She continued this fearlessness when jumping off 2 story decks into the ocean by herself...swimming with any type of animal she could...and there's no fear of any animals, including the sharks, except for dogs. She's scared of big dogs. I have no idea why and she's never had a bad experience with them. Weird right? Yes, any future scuba diving we are going to be going over several things before going, once there, and before getting in the water!

 

 

Great trip review - I am enjoying the commentary and all the great pictures!

 

 

Thank you

 

Oh no, hope everything was ok. I just can't get myself to scuba, i wouldn't mind snorkeling again though. All of the pictures are so beautiful!!!!!

 

 

Thank you and scuba is definitely a different type of experience.

 

 

....not funny,,,,

 

:D

 

 

Wow...such beautiful pictures! It really is surprising that they let Sakari dive so deep.

 

 

I know right!

 

 

OMG! Hope she's ok!

 

 

Thanks

 

Kim, your pictures are so amazing! You have me wanting to try to scuba!!!

 

Thanks and you definitely should if you love the water and the amazing world beneath us.

 

 

You all are so brave, I would never have the nerve to scuba dive. Don't leave us in suspense for too long... Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

 

 

Coming right up...

 

 

I am loving this review and as I'm reading in present time I was like "oh no! I really do have to wait to see what's next!" Lol. The photos are beautiful! THIS is true family bonding time. There's nothing like family vacation time (away from chores, work, homework, after school activities and paying bills) to solidify those bonds. Sakari is doing an awesome job with her diving! Your little fish is getting some stellar photos too. She gets it from her mama [emoji6] HOWEVER, my only question is (& I can't find the original post so you'll see how you phrased it) what were you worried about saying in your review of this site? You originally mentioned that you were hesitant to report on this particular port because you thought there'd be a lot of uproar or backlash (my words not yours) but why. Your review is so positive and exciting! Did I miss anything? Why were you hesitant to review and post this site? You're making me wanna take scuba lessons and I'm a very 'get in the water only as deep as I can stand or not at all' kinda girl. Lol [emoji23] Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

 

Sorry to keep you waiting. I was just so tired. Definitely family bonding time. We try to do as much with her so that she will have many memories when we are gone. I scrapbook every single cruise as well and she looks at the books often. What I was worried about will be at the end of the dive. Haha, you should try scuba. Even those that can't swim well can scuba. My youngest son (Kolin) and his (now ex fiance) tried scuba with us back in November and she is NOT a good swimmer. I've had to rescue her a few times (she comes from a family that is terrified of water and none can swim, so she was never taught). She was able to do scuba with ease and had absolutely no problems at all. :D

 

 

BTW, my husband is from Columbus, Ohio. When I read you were from here in the beginning of your post it peaked my interest and made me keep reading. I'm so glad that I did! [emoji2] Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

 

 

Well hello to your hubby, a fellow Ohioan! Glad you decided to stick around.

 

 

I think she saw an eel.

 

 

Nope, she has seen eels before and she would have been thrilled to see one this time around and get some pictures. At the rate that all the fish are allowing her to get so close to them, she might have been able to pet an eel. :')

 

 

I think it is because of me...I encouraged her to get certified in order to dive with her daughter.

 

Ehh, nope not the reason, HOWEVER, it does kind of have to do with you (knowing you were watching this review) and other "real" scuba divers.

We have to see what happened first! I know she knows I am going to have lots to say about it when they are done with the dive.

 

 

Exactly. :eek:

[ABQrobin]

you are killing me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[ABQrobin]

oh........and petting an eel is a very very bad thing. Eels have very bad eyesight, so your finger can look like food to them. Eels have nasty mouths, and a bite from one will send you to the ER. So please don't let her try to touch one... keep hands back around eels.

Now I am nervous again....

[mitsugirly]

Ok, rise and shine and I'm back at it. Sorry I had to cut it short last night but I was so tired from my granddaughters birthday party and then my oldest son and his new baby came over and then we all went out to eat...belly full=need a nap.

 

On with the review...

 

Ok, so I left you with this picture...

 

 

I had no idea what was going on. I had been keeping my eye on her as much as I could and I looked away for a minute to snap a few pictures and this is what I looked back to.

 

I came up to see what was going on and the instructor was up there holding on to her and she was crying. I kept asking her what was wrong...she was holding her leg...she had bumped up against some fire coral and she was stung. This is not her first run in with fire coral. This happened in Cozumel as well...only it wasn't her fault that time. There had been some storms that rolled in the night before we went to Passion Island and the water was so stirred up there and you couldn't even see in the water and after getting stung, the staff told us about the fire coral and pieces broke off in the water.

 

The instructor said he could pull her back to the shore if she wanted. Honestly, it was quite a swim back. We hadn't even made it around the turn and then after the turn, we still had to go down and around the barge. She cried, which turned into a whimper, which finally stopped, and he explained to her that he would be happy to pull her all the way back, on top of the water, or she could swim and he would stay right with her. He also explained that with the waves being a bit rough at the top, it would be easier to swim (scuba) back because you wouldn't feel the waves. She looked at me for guidance and I told her to please try to swim. I knew she was in pain. I know what it was like last time it happened.

 

She was a trooper and decided she could swim back. She gathered her composure, put her regulator back in, and down she went. She swam, kicking with only one leg and babying the other. It reminded me of a jellyfish...or maybe a one legged frog. But she was doing it.

 

 

After awhile, she started using the hurt leg. Then before long, she was back to taking pictures again. All was good at this point.

 

I was just looking back at all of her pictures and checking the time stamp on them at the time it happened. This was the last picture she took when she got stung. My guess is that she took this picture and she was probably going in for a close up of the Christmas tree worms and brushed up against the fire coral. There was a pause in her pictures for about 6 minutes and she resumed taking pictures.

 

 

 

 

Back to the pictures...

 

 

 

 

 

 

[mitsugirly]

you are killing me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

oh........and petting an eel is a very very bad thing. Eels have very bad eyesight, so your finger can look like food to them. Eels have nasty mouths, and a bite from one will send you to the ER. So please don't let her try to touch one... keep hands back around eels.

Now I am nervous again....

 

 

Oh no, it was a joke about petting the eel. I was just saying that she was getting so close to all the fish that seeing an eel would have been exciting to her and not scare her. She knows not to touch them. :)

[ABQrobin]

~Whew~

 

now get on with the report!

[mitsugirly]

 

There sure were a lot of four-eyed butterfly fish at this place...and...lots of fire coral.

 

 

and that spot on my camera...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I checked to make sure she was ok...and she was still using her bad leg. She gave me the "kinda, something is wrong signal" (which of course I knew...the pain) and then the thumbs up (meaning ok and she's going on).

 

 

 

[mitsugirly]

 

 

 

 

 

So beautiful...

 

 

 

 

 

 

[mitsugirly]

 

 

 

 

 

 

[ABQrobin]

hate to tell you this..... but there is lots of fire coral in shallow areas on all reefs. There is much much less when you get deeper.

[bunnyette]

Great review, there should not be any backlash, it's not like you let Sakari go on her own while you both drank on the beach. My dad let me try anything at her age...and I've turned out pretty good!

 

I see Kolin no longer has a fiancée- after your last review I'm not surprised [emoji6].

 

Keep up the great work, btw they have snorkelling excursions on the Alaskan cruises...trouble is Sakari might want to bring home a seal.

 

 

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[mitsugirly]

 

 

 

 

 

There is one thing that I thought of AFTER the fact...I'm always checking my air during the dive (both this time and last)...however, I never really paid attention to the other gauge, which is the depth gauge. Had I thought about it, I would have seen what it said when we were down so far at the wall and drop off. I did take this picture at some point on the way back. According to this, we were down at 10' at the time I took this. However, my hubby took the exact same picture at some point during the dive as well and he was under...not at the top or anything...and his said 0. So, we knew that was wrong.

 

 

 

I'm definitely going to pay more attention to this from now on because I would really like to know how deep we were when we were out there.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[mitsugirly]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[mitsugirly]