lava tubes at Twin Tunnels in the Florida Islands,
offering a fantastic deep dive. The tubes are
encrusted with small sea fans and whip corals and
join and exit into the blue at around 40 metres.
Another notable dive here is the Mavis Flying
Boat, a Japanese seaplane sunk by the allies
during a covert ambush in WWII which sits on its
belly, reasonably intact, at about 30 metres.
Between excellent meals, the chef prepares
snacks of fresh warm cookies and huge bowls
of buttered popcorn. Wonderfully, most fresh
produce has been traded directly from the
islanders for the 25 years since the Bilikiki started
touring this area. From their dugout canoes, the
islanders trade fully grown produce for seed
packets, enabling them to grow more food. It’s
a total win-win and a real pleasure to see the
floating markets approach along with broad,
beaming smiles and friendly waves.
SDOP
74
11 A large school of
chevron barracuda
RUSSELL
ISLANDS
12 The Bilikiki
liveaboard above a
thriving, colourful reef
13 Islanders trading
fully grown produce for
seed packets
MBOROKUA
ISLAND
14 A local dancing
display
The islanders trade
fully grown produce
for seed packets,
enabling them to
grow more food