{"id":535,"date":"2008-09-29T07:02:13","date_gmt":"2008-09-29T06:02:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/petitesbullesdailleurs.fr\/petitesbullesdailleurs\/?p=535"},"modified":"2018-11-05T00:47:44","modified_gmt":"2018-11-04T23:47:44","slug":"tremblement-de-terre-sous-leau","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/petitesbullesdailleurs.fr\/en\/tremblement-de-terre-sous-leau-20080929\/","title":{"rendered":"Earthquake under water"},"content":{"rendered":"

This is one of the strangest dives I have ever done. To feel the earth shaking... underwater, it's really a funny thing. It was in Indonesia, in Sulawesi, in July 2007. In the Togian Islands, exactly.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Togian, a little paradise far from everything<\/h2>\n

I spent a whole week there<\/a>On a tiny beach on the island of Batu Daka, near the village of Bomba, far from everything. Enjoying the pleasure of doing nothing. Contemplating the sea, walking, diving.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
The bungalows of the Island Retreat Resort, in the Togian Islands. (Sulawesi, Indonesia, July 2008.)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It's an incredible place, a miniature tropical paradise<\/a>, beautiful. I stay at Island Retreat<\/a>A handful of simple wooden bungalows facing the azure water.<\/p>\n

That morning, Uwe, the German instructor who organizes the dives, takes us to a site not too far away, Bulu Tuko. My Dutch friends Suzanna and Johan dive with me. Their children accompany us, but will stay on the boat to snorkel. Fabian and Stefanie, a young German couple, who have been snorkeling on the island for two weeks, complete the group.<\/p>\n

\"For<\/a>
For the crossing, the diving equipment is piled up between us, in the middle of the boat ... (Sulawesi, Indonesia, July 2008.)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

We happily pile onto the boat. Not really designed for diving, it is also used for shopping and long crossings to Ampana, on Sulawesi. The weather is good, the sea is not too rough, we arrive quickly at the site. No other boat on the horizon.<\/p>\n

Underwater<\/h2>\n

It is a beautiful drop-off. The coral has suffered a bit, it is obvious (the warming of the water, the dynamite), but it is in the process of reforming. Some beautiful tubular sponges can be seen here and there. There are many caves and niches, not too deep, in the 12-14 meters, to explore.<\/p>\n

We are moving slowly. Uwe is ahead with Suzanna and Johan, Fabian and Stefanie are behind me. The usual tropical fauna is there. Nice processions of angelfish and butterflies, many small yellow and purple two-tone fishes, royal dottybacks<\/em> in English, nudibranchs, anemone shrimps, clams... I make some pictures.<\/p>\n