French Kiss Divers, a beautiful meeting in Malapascua

Karim BELLI, Breton by his mother - he told me Nantes, the War of 100 years and Anne of Brittany - and Jijelien (little Kabylie) by his dad - he described me Algeria, the beautiful, the welcoming , very different from the one we use the media. And all this in a little corner of paradise, the island of Malapascua.

A degree in applied foreign languages, a long time in computer science, another in real estate and then diving has become essential. It is Karim BELLI's career and the creation of French Kiss Others with two other associates, Jean-Christophe we saw a day and Martin glimpsed while he was going on vacation. French Kiss Others Philippines is on the beach, next to the Hippocampus hotel and the Legend hotel, in the next few weeks they will have another local on Bounty Beach.

 

It's Julien, Staff Instructor in training at french kiss, who welcomes us in a funny way:

- Ha hello! You must be 1000 and 3000!

- ???

- Yes, we've had reservations for a few weeks with divers of 10, 20 or maximum 40 dives, so when we saw that you had 1000 and 3000, we said wow! and we renamed you!

Julien & Karim

After checking the basic documents, insurance, dive books, level cards, we are supported by Jean-Christophe and Karim who explain the operation of the club, where to store our stuff, diving with the banca (the local rocker boat), diving schedules. Everything is very professional and lapped. For those who do not want to bring their equipment and rent the club, the equipment is new, maintained and clean, brand Aqualung.

Julien brings us to the storage room where everything is ordered, slippers stored on shelves, stabs, combis, regulators and fins hanging on rails, the 4 large rinsing trays are close to the entrance and we easily circulate in the room. A bag-net is assigned to each diver to store his equipment.

 

The diving bag is worn by sailors on the banca. Depending on the waves and the tides, it is directly accessible on the beach, otherwise transport to the banca is provided by a small boat. Banca is an entity in its own right. Karim arranged the plan in such a way as to conserve as much space as possible in the center and initiated an innovation that he had difficulty in getting the workers to admit, to build a sundeck above the cockpit, and as it is the only the island to have it, it must be said! Completed, it was necessary to make custom and with the launching the banca was (free) blessed by the Pastor of the Protestant Church. Karim tells “I'm an atheist and so I looked at him a bit puzzled and waited for the rest. He got on the boat, on the beach in front of the people and he preached loud and clear blessing the banca, he harangued the crowd like in American movies and he was full of humor. It was a beautiful ceremony ”  and it reassured everyone, that's me saying it!

 

The dives:

Everyone equips their block while waiting to arrive on the site. The walks are pleasant, the air is warm and the water is announced at 29 ° -30 °, happiness! My favorite sites:

Monad Shoal : LE site of the fox sharks. Seen 3 sharks foxes at the same time with a fierce step that passes and passes in front of us and above the divers, a beautiful big octopus that stayed a long time beside me and who was walking quietly on the wall. We did two dives on this site and the fox sharks were there.

On the same site, the blue-ringed octopus, which I had never seen and heard so much about. It's a very small thing 5 to 6 cm long, very agile, very cute and deadly!

Cat : White tip sharks sleep in a corner of the tunnel, we cross the cave and at the exit a nice surprise, twenty cuttlefish in full love parade and I have no battery ...

 

The Tapilon : the wreck of a Japanese freighter on which beautiful gorgonians have grown. The wreck was looted but there are still some big pieces left. A beautiful, curious cuttlefish followed us for a long time.

 

Chocolate Hills : nudibranchs everywhere-everywhere-everywhere, it's the festival of macro, shapes and colors. We liked it so much that we did it again, sometimes that we forgot. Special dedication to my friend Ripa who loves looking for little things in the water. See the pictures : https://scuba-people.com/photo/albums/visayas

The Dona Maryline : victime of a typhoon, it is a beautiful wreck of 90 m of long whose diving is sporty because of the current. Life has clung to sea fans and huge corals and abundance of small fish.

What I liked

* The pro side of the whole team, their kindness and the charisma and sincerity of Karim that gives the momentum.  

* The free training of all sailors in diving, Karim makes them pass the Open Water plus a free level every year for those who want to continue. They know what diving is and why no effort is made afterwards. In French Kiss Others When you return from diving, you take off your stab at the bottom of the ladder, a sailor comes down to take it and climbs it on the bench. Thanks to Gino, Pepito, Jerome, Danry, I enjoyed it.  

* Sailors become divers are aware of the ravages of dynamite fishing and over-fishing 

* After the first dive, during the surface interval, we are entitled to donuts, local cakes, bananas, mangos or pineapples, tea, coffee and fresh water. For diving elsewhere in Visaya this is not always the case.

* Day diving, picnic and walk on the island of Carnassa, with caves guarded by bones and human skulls

* The blow of the blackout, the search for the new site and the laughs which followed, that is a special dedication for K! 

Get to know more Karim Belli, go to 7'.52 '', here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PyiUGRXV0ic

To conclude French Kiss Others in Malapascua, it is a very good address, I had great moments, and in addition you will have the beautiful smile of Jesamé!