Wednesday, April 29, 2015

Exclusive and Rare Footage of a Breaching Thresher Shark at Monad Shoal.

Hammerhead sharks swimming in the sea
After leading last time with a feature on Hammerheads and picturing a Whale shark, the Blog was quite simply slaughtered from all quarters. So to make things right and rectify this editorial catastrophe we open with a picture of Hammerheads! Diving in the Philippines is so diverse and Malapascua diving is just the epitome of this.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   
The free throw that took the Exotic junior team into extra time
Not only is it Hammerhead season  but it's also time for Malapascua's annual basketball tournament.  Every year Exotic enters two teams and here we see the resorts junior under 21 side, in green, going down to a hard fought extra time defeat. It was a highly competitive game and despite the loss we're confident the lads can progress to the later stages. The senior side would appear to have less ambition of glory judging by the amount of training time being spent in the bar as opposed to the gym. The Blog concludes that it's the taking part that counts! 








                                               

And finally, we finish with very rare video footage. No, it's not a recording of the Blog getting a round of drinks in but a recording from Malapascus's most famous diving location, Monad Shoal.  Last week Exotic received a visit from a representative from one of our much valued agents, Ultimate Diving. Hats off to Mr. David Churchman for recording this magical moment a Thresher Shark decided to leap from the water above Exotic's very own cleaning station. Occasionally seen leaping by our guests who are not yet in the water, we know of no other instance where this phenomenon has been recorded from under the water. You can't top this so until next week....

Wednesday, April 22, 2015

It's a PADI Rescue diver special

PADI instructors simulating panicking divers on an Exotic Rescue course in Malapascua, Philippines
Exotic dancing competition
When asked to assist on a PADI Rescue course a few days ago, the Blog was as usual overcome by excitement. After turning up and being confronted by people standing on wash basins waving their arms around, the Blog was slightly scared and confused. However, there was no need to be. It was just Master Instructor Joa Lofstrom conducting dry practice of rescue excersise 2, diver falling into a wash basin from height..... only joking, the panicked diver exercise which would later be acted out in the water.


PADI Rescue students practising in water mouth to mouth resucitation in Malapascua, Philippines.
Rescue breathing
                                                                          Later in the day saw our two budding Rescue divers, Patrick and Manfred practising their mouth to mouth rescue breathing skills. Assistants, Kathy and Scott played their unresponsive diver roles admirably as the lads repeated this complex skill until it was virtually perfect. The PADI Rescue diver course is a fun and challenging couple of days and doing it somewhere as perfect as the Philippines and Malapascua certainly adds to the experience.



Padi Rescue diver student Patrick lifts unresponsive diver, Kathy from the water in Malapascua, Philippines
It's all innocent
Malapascua can at times have a romantic feel about it but don't be fooled, it's not what it look like! This was only Patrick practising the removal of an unresponive diver from the water and onto the boat. Again please note Kathy's sublime acting as she manages to keep a straight face throughout despite much provocation.
Manfred, PADI rescue diver student carries victim from the water in Malapascua Philippines
Baywatch
At the beginning, this Blog was intended to be about Patrick and Manfred visiting Malapascu to undertake their PADI Rescue course. But it seems to have turned into the Kathy show. Anyway, move over Hasselhof, here's Manfred practising the fireman's carry using Oscar nominated you know who. In truth, she'd been dropped and knocked about so much by this point I'm not sure if she was acting or not.  The bottom line is, come to Exotic and do your PADI Rescue course.











Monday, April 6, 2015

It's Hammerhead season again so here's another picture of a Whale shark

Malapascua diving, cebu diving, philippines diving, hammerhead malapascua
It's a Whale shark
Stop the press! It's that Hammerhead time of year again and despite there being many sightings over the last couple of weeks the Blog has decided to feature this picture which was taken by one of our guests, Dirk. After being treated to several encounters with Hammerheads at Kemod Shoal, this giant cruised by while  they were doing their safety stop. Diving Malapascua is the gift that keeps on giving and make no mistake about that.


Malapascua diving, cebu diving, diving philippines, malapascua efr
one, two, three, four.....
Our Divemasters at Exotic are second to none in all respects ranging from their ability to find the cool stuff that people want to see, through to their attention to all things safety related. So periodically they attend days where they review their First Aid skills. The Blog poked it's nose into an Emergency First Response refresher session being held with two of our
malapascua diving, cebu diving, diving philippines
no words needed
Divemasters Ted and JR. Above we see Ted perfecting his CPR skills while to the right we see what happens if you place two grown men in a classroom with a box of bandages! It's important to make things fun and keeping Ted quiet for a few minutes was an added bonus.





And finally, Nudibranch of the week comes roaring back to the Blog this week and with some style too. Picking up the trophy this week is Dutch rescue diver Melissa. Both she and her mother, Gerda, successfully completed the rescue course at Exotic last week and here they are all smiles after twisting the Blogs arm behind it's back to make this post. :) A well deserved appearance.

malapascua diving, cebu diving, diving philippines
majestic entry
philippines diving, malapascua diving, cebu diving, philippines padi
Melissa and Gerda