Mobula rays in the Med!

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Elba, Italy 20/6-2013

N42°43.872´
E10°09.402´

From Messina, our sailing continues north along the coast of Italy.

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The nights are spent both out at sea, as well by anchor at the smaller islands off the coast.

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Day by day the weather is getting calmer and calmer... No wind, nor waves...

... perfect conditions for finding pelagic life... though it needs a good look out and lots of patience...

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The mast becomes a good spot for searching, but the hours are passing by without any sign of pelagic company. The only thing we see is water, water, and even more water...

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Suddenly, we see shadows just beneath surface... What is it??

It does not take long before both fins, mask and camera are in the hand and not even a blink of a moment later I am in the water...

Double check, double check, are all the camera settings in right mode? Yepp, all good and ready for recording...

... but where did the shadows go?

There they are... Wow, it is pelagic raysI! :)

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Suddenly I am totally surrounded by a big group of Mobula rays. Such graceful and admirable creatures!

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It is almost 1000 meter of blue pelagic water beneath us and it truly feels like flying when free diving together with my new gentle company.

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Mobula rays are not a common sight in the Mediterranean and we are all very happy for our encounter. Days of constant searching finally give result!

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Our time together with the rays truly spread lots of happiness onboard... :)

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 Now, it is soon time to leave Italian waters and head for France... Dives in Corse are waiting ahead!

.... :) ....

Greece - Italy

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Messina, Sicily, Italy 10/6-2013

N38°11.975´
E15°33.570´

From Kefalonia island we continue our sailing further north...

 

... and in Korfu we make our last harbour stop in Greece. After spending the last nights in small silents bays, it is a big contrast to come to this touristic city... and it does not take long before I am longing back out at sea again...

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Finally!! Our new crew member arrives and the weather forecast looks promising. :)

Before being able to head west, we sail some hours along the coast of Albania. Such a beautiful scenery to watch the cloud formations smoothly touching the Albanian mountains...

We leave the great scenery behind, and start heading west towards the greek island Othonoi. The sight makes me happy, also Othonoi gives us a lovely cloudy scenery!! So much beauty everywhere! :)

Othonoi is a small island north-west of Corfu and gives us some shelter for the night before making the crossing over to Italy.

Early next morning we start our sailing before sunrise. The winds are in our favour and we get a great speed towards our new destination.

Time to say good bye to Greece and hello to Italy...

From the eastern part of Greece it does not take long time before reaching Italy, and already in the afternoon we have the Italian coast in sight.

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With the wind in our back we continue our voyage south in daytrips. Already the first day after arriving Italian waters we get lovely company...

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... dolphins!! :) Those acrobatic mammals seem to be very social today and gladly they spend long time close to our boat several times the same day. It truly gives me pure positive energy to watch those playful animals!

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We reach the southern part of Italy. When arriving Messina, at the north east coast of Siciliy, we make our first harbour stop and walk on italian ground.

The Tyrrhenian Sea is now waiting ahead, but before that it is getting time for a real Italian pizza in great athmosphere. After some days at sea this is nothing less than really, really delicious... Yammie!!

Though I already look forward to soon continue the trip... very soon... ;)

__/)__ :) __

Crete - Kefalonia

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Agia Efimia, Kefalonia, Greece, 31/5-2013

N38°18.176´
E20°36.054´

After lots of work and reparation of the zodiac, the crew onboard strongly starts to long out at sea again...

Yeahh, finally we are ready!!

We leave Crete and start heading north, towards the Ionian Sea.

Shorter stops are made at the small island Antikythera and in the village of Pilos in Peloponissos before entering the waters among the Ionian islands...

.... so the trip continues ... :)
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Kilada - Antikythira - Crete

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Chania, Crete, Greece 13/5-2013

N35°31.141´
E24°01.192´

Wohoooo!! Finally we are out at sea! What a great feeeling to be surrounded by water again... :)

After lots of work on the boat at the boat yard in Kilada we are all happy to set sail and start our voyage.

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From the greek village Kilada in Peloponnese we continue our trip south. The first night out at sea we spend by anchor in a small sheltered bay.

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The next day we wake up with the sunrise and continue our day out in the great blue surrounding. It is a warm and sunny day and we all feel a "bit" sunburned when we arrive the small island, Antikythira, where we spend the night.

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Next morning we leave Antikythira with great wind in our sails. The wind is soon increasing to a gale force and even with reefed sails we have a good speed all the way to Chania in Crete. Here we will now spend some days to prepare our upcoming voyage further west... :)

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The boat is getting ready... :)

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Kilada, Greece 9/5-2013

After far distances out at sea and nearly 1,5 years on the boat it is needed to give our great travel companion a good service and new paint.

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With other words we are currently up on dry land and have been working hard to get the boat ready for the water again.

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What a lovely feeling to start seeing the end of a "never ending project"!! :) After lots and lots of work the boat is now finally ready for launching.

Wonderful... In just some hours my beautiful castle will become a floating castle again! Wohoo!!! :)

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