Meet Martyn and Paulina from Cambridge. They just wrapped up a week in Palau then pulled a “honeymoon” line in and out of the water here in Yap. They managed to hit a 4 day window and be the only divers on the schedule. They had the shop, boat dock, boats and dive sites to themselves. I have to admit, it was a nice run and just about all sea life to be seen, was there and hanging around for photo ops.

Their boat got the nickname the “honeymoon boat”… packed just for two every morning and headed wherever then wanted.

“The diving exceeded all my initial thoughts about what it would be like based on internet research and word of mouth.”

Private boat captain, private dive guide, every jingle of the bell was for them and each dive site was totally undisturbed. They got it as good as it gets and were absolutely flattered the entire time.

At Yap Corner, baby sharks hang off the reef wall mimicing the adults out in the blue. After a short shark show, we rode the channel’s inbound clear blue tide to M’il Ridge.

In the water the action was rich. It’s been like week of the gigantic bump-headed parrot fish out on the reef, and on a cavern dive a whole school of them hovered above us in a cloud.

Celebrating 28 years of Marriage, a couple of birthdays and the fact that they’re on a Yap adventure, each day had them both smiling. They had some very nice things to say about the dive op as well as the diving here.

“The dive staff are absolutely suburb, their knowledge is incredible but they don’t flaunt it and they’re there for whatever you need. The dive shop and diving are both very well done. Diving varied from unreal to spectacular. Sharks were at all of our dives except one.”

Everything from the blue and on the reef was there to be seen and photo’d.

The dock times, dive pace, surface intervals and dive sites were up to Martyn and Paulina. Excellent weather, prime dive conditions and scores of big animal interaction time… the whole private Yap underwater experience.

Strafing the channel wall and while following a turtle, a big grey shark appeared out of the blue around a bend in the channel… and moments later a Manta swam directly underneath us. All within the first 1500 psi on an easy 45 foot walking pace channel drift.

“The diving here will spoil you for a lot of the world.”

Drinking water visibility was waiting for us at a high-tide cavern tour. Probably one of the more interesting dive sites on the island, simply because you can do it so many different ways. When you’re done in the pillars and swim-throughs an awesome wall drift awaits regardless which way the current’s going.

Consistent conditions, solid wildlife interaction time with big and small animals, and no bubbles other than their own. As far as diving Yap on a 5 dayer goes – these two ripped it.

Before packing up well-dried dive gear, Martyn and Paulina went on a (yup) private half-day land tour. They went home touched by Yapese hospitality and culture, it’s almost impossible not to when you’re here, and had this to say: “Hotel staff are all so lovely, they will do anything for you and are always smiling, it’s really nice.”

Out on the land, these two got the lowdown on some of Yap’s history, mystery and magic.

If ever anyone mentions how nice the hair conditioner is at the hotel, you can thank Paulina – she offered some constructive feedback saying, “The conditioner is absolute rubbish”, and about 10 minutes afterward the Manta Ray Bay board of directors had concluded a special meeting over a “two-step” in the pool and new hair care products are inbound.

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Well, I think that was just tops, the whole week really turned out quiet lovely, the people are amazing and diving is absolutely brilliant.

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That was my Martyn impersonation. Thanks for adventure partying in Yap, your feedback and for the SIM card contributions to our blog. We’ll see you when you’re back.