Goodbye Katie...

Goodbye Katie…
Time sure does fly when you are… flying I guess! Today the ocean from my balcony window is more like a lake. Many clouds are hanging heavily, dragging there feet on the water. We are near a low pressure system – which is benign when so close to the equator, but there is rain. Lots of it, well that is if you are in the wrong place (or right place pending on your desire for rain or not!) The major change is that the wind is calm. For a pilot of a little airplane such as me, it is heaven. This is when flying becomes a real pleasure and it can hardly be called work. Of course, it is you won’t hear a beep of a complaint.
The last few days have been busy. We have had bucket full’s of sharks on the south and the boats have been going out daily. The only down side has been the strong wind making the sea a little bit more than rough; many people have been seasick. Strangely enough, they would feed the fish (if you know what I mean) then hop back in for a swim with the whale sharks and call it, “the best day of my life!” ;)
We had to say goodbye to Katie. Katie has been pivotal in the way the MCSS operates today. She has been the star volunteer turned professional whale shark guide, looking after not just tourists on the boats but also the new interns. Together with Luke they basically run the show, which has given Dr David Rowat time off to pursue his research in more detail. Of course everybody loves Katie and we had a hard time to say goodbye. Katie has started her master’s studies at UNI in the UK. Who knows, maybe she will be back in a year…
In my own way, after four years of working with Katie (We were roomies for a week before she left) it has become difficult not to think of her every time a white vested chaser would swim after a shark. It has become second nature to listen to her excited chats on the radio and I have no doubt that customers on boats would instantly fall in love with this good looking blue eyed girl, sporting a white rash top with a bikini bottom, dripping wet while giving instructions about how to make the best of your whale shark encounter. I can imagine it was like listening to a real life bond girl! Even at our after dive socials Katie took centre stage making everybody laugh. Heck, I would not be surprised if some customers returned year after year just to experience Katie! She is probably missed way more that what anybody is letting on. Katie, we love you and miss you!!! :)