The beginning is always hardest: in case of Yap that means getting to that point past the immigration where the beautiful girl puts a floral wreath around your neck as if to say “relax – you’re in Yap now!” Still, it speaks volumes that the first thing our SharkSchool guests basically did after a much-needed dose of sleep was getting on the boat with guide Iggy. No later than 8.30 A.M. and for three dives – that for sure is a good display of stamina after travelling all the way from Germany and Italy! Needless to say the divers we greeted by some of our resident grey reef sharks. They surely won’t be the last they’ll see during their week in school, in fact Bill said it’s just the beginning: “Tomorrow I am joining them for baiting the south tip of the island”, the Texan manta whisperer announced.
In the meantime 8 participants are coming in from Hawaii to add to the 6 European guests.

2 members of the reception commitee
(c) Brad Holland

Practical experience without theory is a no-go of course, after all the event is called SharkSCHOOL. Instead of moving over to restaurant schooner Mnuw and its big outdoor screen, lecturer Erich Ritter and the group preferred the comfort and air-con of our conference room. The topics presented by Erich just locked in with where the practical part of school starts, namely different concepts of interaction, e.g. the different ways sharks tend to approach divers. However, Mnuw was where it ended – with its connection to our microbrewery and the cozy atmosphery the floating restaurant is better to get to know each other than any conference room in the world!

Erich Ritter, PhD, and the SharkStudents during the first lecture – 8 participants from Hawaii still missing here.
(c) Brad Holland