After our long journeys from the UK and Australia, where Barb and I had been visiting family, we finally made it to KBR. We feel very lucky to be here, especially in light of all the travel chaos caused by the volcano in Iceland..and we thought we were coming to the ring of fire!!

Our first impression are, of course, what a wonderful resort. Nestled in Kungkungan Bay it is a wonderfully beautiful place, looking directly across the Lembeh Straights. All the staff are fantastic and it’s lovely to have TIm here for a few days.

So, the all important stuff..our first dives!! We’ve been looking forward to diving here many years, so there was a lot of expectation as well as anticipation. We started from the shore, as we felt that the House Reef should be the first place to try…..wow!!! Simply stunning. So much variety, lovely hard corals..I don’t’ think we travelled more than 10 meters from the dock in an hour. We saw Peacock Mantis Shrimps, Razorfish, Barramundi Cod, Juvenile and Adult Harlequin Sweetlips, Ringed Pipefish, Reef Top Pipefish, Zebra and Spotfin Lionfish, a Spiny Devilfish, various Nudis, a female Ribbon Eel and a host of reef fish, anemones, tube worms and hermit crabs…truely beautiful and all from the the dock.

In the afternoon I went on my first boat dive , to Nudi Retreat II. Here we saw a Pygmy Seahorse, Skeleton Shrimp, Caledonian Devilfish, Reticulated Puffers, more Lionfish, more Nudis, more juvenile Sweetlips, Crinoid Shrimp…marvelous

KBR and the Lembeh Straights have definitely more than exceeded our expectation and we are looking forward to diving everyday and discovering as many cool critters as we can. We look forward to sharing this all with you…

As I’m sure you have guessed from Kaj’s blog, it’s time for me to leave. Unless you thought that Kaj, Barb and I might be doing a treble-header. Now there’s a thought eh

I think we all recognize when we reach a point where it is time to move on; to look back at what you achieved – and to think of adventures new. And to spend time with friends and family who are a long way away.

Being the KBR Dive Manager has been hugely enjoyable. Most of the time. The KBR team are terrific. The diving has been fantastic. My photography has come on in leaps and bounds (pictures will be on www.timsimages.co.uk soon). It’s been a great experience. I’d like to thank the owner, Mark, and Kathryn for hiring me; and my colleagues here for being so supportive and kind; the many hundreds of excellent guests who have passed by – some of whom have become firm friends; my family for supporting me in coming to KBR; and the wonderful friends who have come and visited and who, too, have developed a strong affection for the resort. It may sound corny, but thanks too to the ocean for looking after me – for keeping me warm (most of the time) and keeping me safe. This risks turning into a Hollywood Thank You production. So I’ll stop there.

What next? God knows. Some of you who know me well knew I was hoping to go back to Afghanistan but that has not worked out. For the moment. So let’s see what new adventures appear.

Meanwhile, if you are looking to visit – or are thinking of visiting the incredible diving that is Lembeh, do take a serious look at KBR. You are assured of a warm welcome, to be looked after by a caring, smiling staff. And diving that is, frankly, just outrageous.

Thanks KBR. You’ve been great. And I will miss you.

Effective February 1st 2010 all divers in the Lembeh Strait must pay a one-time entrance fee of Rp 50,000 (~$5.35 or ~€3.78) and follow specific dive rules in the Lembeh Strait. If visitors leave the Lembeh Strait area the fee may be re-assessed. The Bitung government established this entrance fee, and diving rules to help protect this invaluable strait and promote good diving habits. The entrance fee can be paid at the resort.

The following diving rules are also in effect February 1st 2010:

• No touching or disturbing animals
• No anchoring
• Dive Ratio of no more then 4 guests per 1 Dive Guide
• Maximum of 15 divers per site including dive guide

Whether in the Lembeh or Strait or anywhere else, the Kungkungan Bay Resort asks you to learn about any local habitats, and always dive with minimal impact to the environment. Good Habits = More Diving.

If it’s not too late, let me wish you a happy New Year from KBR. Thank God we have got the 000s over. I never knew what to call them. “The Naughties”? You have to be kidding, right? But is it going to be any easier with the 2010-19s? I’ve heard them referred to as “The Teenies” which seems almost as bad as the Naughties. Is there anyone out there who knows what was said in the 1900s and the 1910s? Surely they wern’t called the Naughties or the Teenies. Roll on the 20s eh? At least we know what to call them. Although I shudder to think how old I will be then…….

…. well, moving on rapidly along…

New Year, New Reef: our Reservations Manager, Linda, had the sparkling idea of creating an artificial reef close to our jetty. She rightly thought it would be very cool to see how it developed – not that we are exactly short of reef! But what a wicked idea.  Linda very kindly donated a start-up structure – an old truck back – the kind that is used here on small pick-up trucks to make a people carrier. With enthusiastic support from the Dive Team, we have “netted” the whole thing – and, with huge excitement, sank it a couple of days ago. Within minutes a fish swam through. For the record keepers amongst you, this was a Bridled Monocle Bream – or Scolopsis bilineatus. (yeah, I did have to look that up)

It really was one of the most fun times I have had at KBR. The whole team wanted to be involved. The laughter,  jokes and cameraderie were fantastic. Thanks guys!

We have visited the reef a couple of times since the sinking: a very large reef octopus was there and, OMG, a rumiganey – the fabled pygmy sea dragon!

So, if ice, snow and cold were not enough to make you want to come and visit KBR, how about witnessing the development of a new reef? It’s in about 8m of water (24′) and is right in front of the jetty. In those fabled words, “you can’t miss it”.

On the word "3" - Heave!

A beautiful day here at KBR – blue skies, calm winds, calm sea, calm atmosphere – well, on the surface at least. Underneath? Different story altogether my friends….. I did two dives this morning, Makawide 2 and Tandu Rusa. On Makawide we found a mimic octopus – and on Tandu Rusa…. yeah, you guessed, YET another Blue-Ring Octopus. Man, those things are everywhere.

Me seeing Blue-Rings has meant the Dive Team have nothing to tease me about. Well, that was true up until yesterday….. do you remember that childhood song (well, it’s one kids sing in the UK anyway. OK, yes, right, they did in the 1950s. OK), “Oh dear What Can the Matter Be? Two Ladies locked in the lavatory” Well, alright, in the 1950s it was funny. Anyway, guess who went to the Dive Centre bathroom yesterday and the lock jammed on the bathroom door? It required a screw driver and some brute Mancunian muscle to get out. On re-appearing there was much hilarity, jeering and laughter from my erstwhile Dive Team colleagues. But hey, 35 years on the  front line of diplomacy does nothing if give you huge measures of sang froid and ability to make light of the most awkward of situations……. But how long before I live this one down?

Anyway, whilst I was repairing bathroom locks, the Dive Team have been busy with paint brushes and filler making sure the KBR boat fleet gleams for the coming Xmas season. No, we have not fitted them with fairy lights or antlers (tempting though, eh?). But they now look in great shape. Two down – one more boat to go.

And, in addition, courtesy of a bag of cement, some tiles and a few bricks, we have just replaced the slightly down-at-heel rinse tank that you might remember was used for wetsuit washing. The new one is a bespoke magnificence of gleaming white tiles, splashing water – all cleverly designed to be the perfect height. Honest, it would look great in a Scandanavia bathroom….. But don’t take my word for it. Check out the picture of our new Japanese instructor, Yuko, with Boat Captain Julius, giving the tank a wipe….. Yuko will be teaching the PADI Rinse Tank specialty for anyone wanting that really special specialty qualification. Orderly queue now, boys.  (for US guests this means please make a line nicely…)

Yuko and Julius measure the new rinse tanks

If, like me, you have no life and read this blog regularly, you will have spotted that I often quote Dr Samuel Johnson’s famous phrase, “If a Man is tired of London, he is tired of life”. Not because I think Dr Johnson was right. In fact quite the opposite: Dr Johnson was bonkers – 10 minutes in London and I have lost the will to live. But 10 minutes in KBR? (or Paris, Istanbul, Sydney, Rome, Manchester)  Life: bring it on – I want more of that!

So, let’s now fast forward a bit more…… you may have read that I have been teased by my Beloved Colleagues over the fact that I never saw a blue-ring octopus. Believe me, the laughter has rung in my ears a number of times when the boats come back to the jetty with yells of “Tell Tim: another blue-ring”. And, as they say in the Bible, verily There came from the Dive Manager’s Office a wailing and gnashing of teeth.

So, “duck” (Note: cricket term for zero) broken the other day, I saw not one but two Blue Rings on the Critter Hunt dive site. Yay! But, get this, the following dive I came across another one! Not only did I “come across” him (her? how do you sex a blue-ring? Would you want to?) after a couple of photos Brer Blue Ring started jetting towards me. Quickly. Dear Reader, remember that these rascals carry enough neuro-toxin to kill half of Bangladesh at a blink. So, did I hang around and watch our friend jet towards me? Well, what do you think? Nope. I did not survive 35 years as a diplomat without a finally honed survival instinct (some of those corridors of power are lethal). I bugged out quickly. And, yes, I kept looking over my shoulder just to make sure I was ahead of the pack.

Wow. So, Dr Johnson, “if a Man Is tired of London, he is tired of Life”. Let me quote another London saying back to you: “there’s never a bus when you want one. But when it does arrive, there will be two…..”

Blue-rings are like London buses : never around when you want one – but then two come at the same time…… and sometimes they might chase you.

I like to see the KBR dive operation as  a well-oiled machine. Well I would, wouldn’t I? On the surface you see serene, calm, efficient, fun, safe, good-natured, helpful and friendly.  Underneath I know the lads are beavering away like very busy things making sure it all works. Making sure you have a great time. But calm serenity is the Name of The Game.

Today we only have 3 guests! This is the first time for ages that we have been so quiet – but it is very much the lull before the next wave.  So once we waved the guests off this morning to dive Critter Hunt (to try and find the Blue-Rings again) we set to with a will: gardening, sanding, painting, fibre-glassing, knocking-down, building-up …. it is almost like that TV show where your house gets blown-up and rebuilt in 15 seconds. Frantic activity but well-drilled, precise….. yeah right. We are fixing boats, tidying up the garden, moving rinse tanks.

And, best of all, we are taking the resort staff diving. Thanks to our new Japanese Instructor, the lovely Yuko, we now have the capacity to show the non-Dive Team staff what diving is all about when we are quiet. Thanks so much Yuko! They are all emerged from a Try A Dive squealing with delight: Mega, Denny, Johannes….. a first time dive AND they saw a pygmy sea horse on the house reef. Not bed for a Try A Dive eh?!?

So, fancy a bit of diving? Come over to KBR and relax – and while you are out having fun, we’ll do an Extreme Makeover for your return.

PS: since publishing this, the Magnificient 3 have just got back. They saw the Blue Ring! YAY

Talking to Me?

The Holy Grail and the Loch Ness Monster – just two of the things that spring to mind that have driven individuals to distraction and despair in the hunt for a myth. Boston born Robert Harvey Rines spent  a lifetime hunting for “Nessie”.  His work led him to side scanning radar that helped find the Bismark and Titanic. But he never found the monster.

Blue ring octopus and KBR: I have become a butt of  KBR dive guide jokes for never seeing a blue-ring octopus. So many times guests have come back and taunted, yes, taunted me that THEY have just seen a blue ring. I never did. For me, blue rings were the Loch Ness Monster. The Holy Grail. The search for the indefinable. Yes, I have seen pictures in books. But do they really exist?

Well my friends, Robert Harvey Rines can eat his heart out. Yesterday at Critter Hunt I saw one. Cute little fella, slightly pink, darting about – and blue, blue rings! YEEEEEHAAAAA. And, even better, I got a pic – several actually. So, KBR colleagues, pick on something else to taunt me with. I’ve seen a Blue-Ring

Gotta say though – you don’t get too damn close to these little guys. If you read what I had to say about them some weeks ago, they can kill a human with a mere glance – well , yes, that’s a slight exaggeration. But a bite will almost certainly lead to a rather unpleasant death. Go on, you know you want to check out what Wikipedia has to say for Nasty Deaths: Blue-Ring Octopus.

So that’s it: Blue-Ring Octopus ticked off.

Holy Grail anyone?

Blue-ring Octopus pouts for the camera

Hey!

Yeah, the NEC Dive Shows in the UK and DEMA in the US were fun – but, damn, it’s good to be back at KBR. Just how much commercialism and fast food can a human take? I lived in the US for 5 years but had forgotten just how big portions can be. Is that a steak or a cow? Damn good cow though I have to say A few days in Oz on the way back though refreshed my taste for well-made coffee. If you can’t get your espressos in Italy, try Australia! That post-war Italian emmigration to Australia has paid dividends in the coffee stakes!

I flew into Manado  Wednesday afternoon and was back in the water Thursday morning. Phewwwwwwww – that nitrogen felt good, the water felt refreshing – and the simplicity of life washed back over me. On 20 September  1777, sitting in a coffee house, Dr Samuel Johnson said of life “No, Sir, when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life”. I’m sure Good Ol’ Doc Johnson was talking about any metropolitain area, but, frankly, he had clearly never been to KBR. Who would swap pollution, crime and excessive stress for life at KBR? I’m tired of ‘London” but “life”? I think not.

Not only am I not tired of life, I want more of it: after all, where else do you get to see something like this……

Cuttlefish at Batu Sandar 3

So if you are indeed “tired of London”, disagree with Doc Johnson and want more of life – just not That kind of life, come to KBR. I’m sure we will put you close to something that will bring you far more delight than anything Johnson’s London had to offer……

DEMA: It’s Ho Lee Smokes time again. I’ve been to some exhibitions in my time but, if you are in to scuba diving, DEMA is amazing. I felt like a kid in a candy store, a dog with two tails, a cat with cream and a fresh mouse…… WOW. And it’s SO big. When time allowed I wandered happily through the aisles oohing and ahhing adding up just how much I could dent my credit card. Mercy. “Happily” I settled on a new BC (thank you Zeagle for a stunningly good deal); and a Heinrichs Weikamp TTL convertor which has been repackaged by a German company into a seriously neat project. (if you want to know more, email me)

I was hoping to do a Live From DEMA blog but with the Convention Centre (center?) wanting a cool $99.95 a day for Internet access, I thought maybe not. How can they possibly charge a $100 a day for Internet! Clearly the days of highway robbery are not over.

The KBR stand looked terrific and hats off to KBR owner, Mark, for the design. Although the show was, I’m told (this was my first DEMA) quiet, the KBR stand had a steady flow of visitors. And, similar to the NEC show in the UK, there was lots of  really nice things said about the resort, the staff, the food and the diving. Cool.

So now there are LOADS more people in the US know about KBR and what we have to offer. So come on, don’t be left behind. Brilliant diving, fabulous resort, great fun, seriously relaxing, a Knock-Out DEMA special for the next few days… and I can show off my new BC and, errr, Heinrichs Weikamp convertor. Nerd anyone?

Mark, KBR's owner, and his wife, Rina, having thrown Tim out........

Tim tries hard not to show his excitement at his new Heinrichs Weikamp convertor.....