Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining and boat trips with my grandkids is something I’ve been looking forward to for many years. Having the “luxury” to pick any day of the week instead of being on the boat with our divers for a few days every week, kind of “bothers” me though. At the end, life is all about balance and the balance is gone, at least for now. Guess you’re experiencing the same, although many of you don’t have the opportunity that I have due to all the restrictions that are in place around the world. Yes, we’re still COVID19-free which is a blessing and although many countries are experiencing an extension of the first, second or third wave, I wish our Government would start working to develop an “exit strategy”. Being on Yap for over 40 years taught me to take things as they come and up to a certain extent that’s very comforting and healthy, but to sit back and wait until the rest of the world solves our problems, is simply not in my nature. More anticipation and being pro-active would be welcome as it’s hard for me to get messages from divers that have had to cancel their trip to Yap but are writing that email while being on a dive trip in Cozumel. Do not worry, I’m still diving like I did with OP, Mike, and John last week. The 4 of us, along with William our boat captain, decided enough is enough – let’s get wet.  We dived Peelaek Corner, Valley of the Rays and Stonehenge.  Boy was it wonderful to be back in the water but more importantly, back with some of the guys who made Yap Divers.  We saw eagle rays, turtles, the mantas, and all sorts of other wonderful creatures of the sea.  This week, the plan is for us to go South to see what Yap Caverns, Buena Vista and Cabbage Patch have to offer and then the plan is Vertigo and Mil Channel.  Wish you were here with us.  

There is more good news as we, actually it was YOU, did it again! Last week the results of Scuba Diving Magazine Reader’s Awards were announced and I’m very proud that we have again been chosen as one of the 5 best dive resorts in the Pacific/Indian Ocean region. This was not the only category we were recognized, however.

Region – Pacific and Indian Ocean

  BEST OVERALL DIVE DESTINATIONS – Yap Quality of Dive Boats – Yap Divers at Manta Ray Bay Hotel, Micronesia Quality of Facilities  – Yap Divers at Manta Ray Bay Hotel, Micronesia Quality of Staff – Yap Divers at Manta Ray Bay Hotel, Micronesia BEST OVERALL DIVE RESORTS – Manta Ray Bay Resort, Yap, Micronesia Quality of the Resort – Manta Ray Bay Resort, Yap, Micronesia Quality of the Rooms – Manta Ray Bay Resort, Yap, Micronesia Quality of the Restaurant – Manta Ray Bay Resort, Yap, Micronesia Quality of Staff – Manta Ray Bay Resort, Yap, Micronesia Value of Resort – Manta Ray Bay Resort, Yap, Micronesia     For all the results please click here.   While a new website is in the making, we are still trying to enhance the features and experience of the present site. Probably one of the most important is the Pros’ Photo Gallery. Throughout the years I had the privilege to meet and welcome many top U/W Photographers and many – if not all – became good friends. So far we have 7 photo pros and their astonishing work on our website and there are more to come. Have a look at our Pros’ Gallery via this link. Just a selection of the photo pro’s gallery   In my 3^rd blog I wrote the following. “We want your best, or favorite, shots of your past trip or trips to Manta Ray and Yap Divers. Hopefully, it will help you pass the time and revive some great memories while you are in lock-down.  What better way to while away the time than by thinking of the fond memories you have about diving on Yap? We hope you will contribute to the new site by going through all those images you shot during your stay with us. Please upload them via https://www.mantaray.com/manta-ray-bay-gallery-home/. We are offering 4 Ikelite Gift Vouchers of $25 each to those guests who submit the 4 best sets of photos to be added to our website guest gallery.  To see what you can purchase with these Gift Vouchers, please go to https://www.ikelite.com/. You can either order online via Ikelite’s website or locate a dealer near you.  Please note that online orders can only be shipped to a US address. Don’t forget to insert your name in the filename that you’re uploading so we know who to give the credit to. „  We did receive a few submissions, but I hope that more divers will submit their images as this competition is open till December 31 of this year. Don’t be shy, photo pro or not, we value all pictures that show your fond memories of Yap.   Last, but not least, our 10 reasons “not to come to Yap”. In this blog reason #5. Let’s remind you of reasons #1 thru 4.  “Reason #1 Not to come to Yap” If you like crowded dive sites don’t come to Yap. … with barely 1,000 divers a year visiting Yap, all dive sites are exclusively for you and your dive buddies. “Reason #2 Not to come to Yap” If you are looking for long boat rides to get to the dive sites, don’t come to Yap. Most of our dive sites are within a 20-minute boat ride, while our mandarin fish, night & bonfire dives are not even 5 minutes from the dock. “Reason #3 Not to come to Yap” If you don’t like to discover and encounter a wide range of marine life during your dives, don’t come to Yap. We have a permanent manta ray population, abundant reef sharks, great walls, mating mandarin fish, macro life and pristine hard corals. “Reason #4 Not to come to Yap” If you don’t like that your room, the dive shop, the dive boat dock, the bar/restaurant, and all other facilities are within a maximum of 2 minutes “walk”, don’t come to Yap. We are built by and for divers. Personalized service and convenience is our goal.

“Reason #5 Not to come to Yap”

If you want to limit the type of dives you like to do, don’t come to Yap. When diving in Yap, you can experience an amazing cavern dive at Yap Caverns, life-changing experience of Manta diving at the cleaning stations, adventurous drift dives in Mi’l Channel, adrenaline spike Shark diving at Vertigo, Bonfire diving just a few minutes boat ride from our dock, breathtaking Mandarin fish diving at Rainbow Reef, impressive wall diving at Spanish Walls, Blackwater diving in the world’s 2^nd deepest oceanic trench, colorful coral diving at Magic Kingdom and amazing macro diving at Slow N Easy just to mention a few.   A parting shot for you: Father Murphy walks into a pub in Donegal, and asks the first man he meets, ‘Do you want to go to heaven? The man said, ‘I do, Father.’ The priest said, ‘Then stand over there against the wall.’ Then the priest asked the second man, ‘Do you want to go to heaven?’  ‘Certainly, Father,’ the man replied. ‘Then stand over there against the wall,’ said the priest. Then Father Murphy walked up to O’Toole and asked, ‘Do you want to go to heaven?’ O’Toole said, ‘No, I don’t Father.’ The priest said, ‘I don’t believe this. You mean to tell me that when you die you don’t want to go to heaven?’ O’Toole said, ‘Oh when I die, yes. I thought you were getting a group together to go right now.’