TRAVELSPECIAL
Camp fire and dinner cooking on Idiha island whilst trying to refloat MV POMSAC at the back
After dropping the anchor in the water , we found the line was vertical and off we went to pull up the anchor and try to redeploy again . It was very easy to pull it up , as the shackle had come completely undone .
Th impromptu POMSAC search and recovery team was deployed without much planning . After everyone had a general underwater swim around the area and enjoyed the rest of the dive looking at the reef wall , we decided to draw up a plan in the upcoming committee meeting to retrieve the anchor again the following weekend .
There were a few minor episodes during the recovery mission . We tried lifting the anchor with bags , but they failed to reach the surface . Meanwhile , most of us were distracted by various sharks cruising in the blue . We decided to mark it as our dive site to commemorate this mission , and our accidental discovery of that rather scenic wall on the barrier reef .
Bootless Bay
If you ’ re passing through the POM area and have a little time to spare , there ’ s always scope to go diving . Dive operators ProdivePNG and Loloata Resort both operate in Bootless Bay , a 30-minute drive from downtown Port Moresby . The dive sites accessible from Bootless Bay typically consist of ‘ bommies ’ – a local term for coral pinnacles – which act as fish magnets , though currents can be strong at times .
Aerial view of Bootless Inlet ’ s island Motupore , with Manunouha in the background
Brown ‘ stubby ’ beer bottles now serve as a home
A Bargibanti-type pygmy seahorse , found on the purple gorgonian fans
MV POMSAC in action during the weekends
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