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Thailand Diving
Tue 14th.
Pretty uneventful 3 hour bus ride from Khao Sok to Phuket, however we manage to buy limes and some nibbles from the market to
go with the bottle of rum we've been saving for the boat. We are dropped off at the Scuba Cat shop and are
met by Pip who gives us forms to fill
in and a low-down on the conditions to expect on the boat and in the water. Pip takes us the 100 metres or so to the pick-up point where we dump
our gear then go shopping - well, the exchange booth first then we pick up some more nibbles. Blimey! it's busy here, you can't move for tourists,
taxis (Tuk-Tuks), mopeds or people thrusting goodies into you face - not my idea of paradise. Hurry back to the restaurant next to the pick-up
point for a quick dinner (it's 7:30pm and we get taken to the boat at 8:00). Unfortunately, Amanda orders the fish which they have to go and catch
first. It arrives at 7:55 and she manages a few mouthfuls (it's delightful by the way) before we hurriedly pay and rush back to see our luggage
being loaded onto the van. We meet some of the crew and other guests before being transferred to the jetty and off to the Scuba Adventure. Luckily
for us, there are only 8 guests in total, 2 of which will join us tomorrow so on board it feels very spacious. John (our guide) gives a boat
briefing and shows us to our cabin - we settle in before joining the rest of the guests on the upper deck. Karen and Disha (Swiss and Thai couple),
Victoria (New Zealander) and Ben (Aussie). Our DM is Rob (Dutch) who speaks fluent English, French and German - I suspect a few others too. The
boat leaves Patong Beach for the Similans - a voyage which takes all night and we arrive at 04:00 - I, of course, am fast asleep and wake at 07:00
for a cup of coffee before our first dive briefing.
Wed 15th.
Similan #7 'Morning Edge'
Gear up, jump in and do a quick buoyancy check - a bit heavy but descend anyway. Get to about 5M and
can't equalise - descend very slowly. At 8M Victoria's brand new camera housing floats past me so I grab it. Finally get down to find a large
bommie covered in Glassfish.
Every now and again Trevally dart in and pick some off like some kind of WWII air raid. Loads of fish including
Lionfish,Skunk Anenome Clownfish, regular Clownfish, Yellow Margin Moray, Titan & Picasso Triggerfish, Huge Lobster and black and white
Banded Cleaner Shrimp. Not very relaxed and use lots of air. Vik pleased to have her housing back. Surface for breakfast.
Similan #9 'North Point'
I remove 1k and am down to 3k, Amanda loses both her 1ks and dives with nothing - blast still too
heavy. Vik has installed a camera in her housing and found a better method of attaching it to herself.
Get down slightly faster this time but left ear still slow to equalise. Descend through a shoal of Fusiliers to find lots of large boulders.
Saw Banded Shrimp, Moray and Scorpion fish then, above us, a small Turtle. The boulders turn into a coral garden and a Batfish follows us as we
bimble along. See nudibranch and near the end a partner Shrimp and Gobi - try to show Amanda but Shrimp shy and doesn't reappear. We ascend and
board the boat - It's funny, we all settle down to write our logs when a meal appears, I learn that this is normal and tuck in.
Similan #9 '3 Trees'
I remove another weight and dive with 2k - this seems about right. Drop on to coral garden stretching out
to a sloping sandy plateau, we stay along the edge of the coral keeping one eye into the blue. Loads of Damsels and Glassfish and a few Cleaner
Wrasse stations, more Partner Shrimp & Gobi. Saw 2 Blue Spotted Rays and towards the end of the dive, the Trevally were darting in for Glassfish.
Ascend for yet another meal.
Similan #8 'Wreck of Atlantis'
The Atlantis was a liveaboard that sank, it's upright with the bow at 17M and the stern as 25M. A
few Batfish hang about but not much else. We poke around for a few minutes then move onto the reef. The reef is badly damaged, partly due to dynamite
fishing and partly because of the tsunami. We see a few Lionfish, Bumphead Parrotfish and several Partner Shrimp & Gobi but little else. Somewhat
disappointing but hey, it'll be dinner time soon and we can crack open that bottle of rum... Actually, dinner comes first so Amanda waits until it's
all cleared away and we have a rum and lime nightcap - only a small one you understand, I mean we know a major cause of decompression sickness is
dehydration and alcohol tends to dry you out, but we reckon as long as you don't have a hangover, it'll be ok.Top
Thur 16th.
Koh Bon 'Pinnacle'
Eager with anticipation as apparently this is the place to see Manta Rays, we make a negative entry and drop
to 18M. As we get to 25M and swim between some boulders we see a sleeping Leopard Shark.
We go over and investigate - he doesn't seem bothered by us
so we hang around for a few minutes. As we round the boulder a Black-tip Reef Shark swims past, it's almost at the edge of my vision, in fact Amanda
doesn't see it at all. Gauge reads 34M so ascend over rocks and hang on to edge watching the Trevally and Jacks hunting. Very funny moment as 2 large
Trevally end their chase and devour a fish about 1M behind Amanda. Vik and I see this but Amanda is oblivious. Ascend using SMB.
Koh Bon 'West Ridge'
We pick up the 2 Germans (Christian and Manny - both homicide detectives) and on descent we see a sea snake swimming down,
keeping one eye out to the blue in case the Manta appear we swim along a coral garden which ends in a ridge. Hang on to the ridge for a few minutes
before returning to the reef. Looked for the Leopard Blenny and Egg Cowries but couldn't find them. Still, we did see another sea snake (or perhaps it
was the same one) and a huge shoal of Goatfish being spooked by something big. Saw large shrimp - well just it's antennae, and a Scorpion fish. Ascended
separately using SMB.
Koh Tachai
Drop down mooring line onto Batfish cleaning station, lots of large boulders to swim around. There is a huge shoal of snapper all around
us. The current is quite strong so we find a ridge to hold on to while we get our breath back. Lots of Oriental Sweetlips here and a nudibranch - different
to the usual warty ones. On a yellow coral is a lovely yellow shrimp and 2 small crabs. I'm low on air so head for the mooring line when my buddy
abandons me and joins John and Vik back on the ridge! I get the hump and have to rely on the Germans as buddies.
Koh Tachai 'Jetski Rock'
Enter water just as the sun is going down. All I saw were lots of Fusiliers, lots of Glassfish, lots of Feather Stars
moving about, Still, we proved that our little torches work. Did see a Moray (not it's head though) and Glassfish being chased by a school of very small
Trevally.
Fri 17th.
Richlieu Rock
Early start finds us moored off the rock. Plop in and descend into crevice where John points out the Harlequin Ghost Pipefish, Ben
shows me an inside-out Anenome and I show him a Bearded Scorpionfish. Amanda sees a Turtle and shows me the hole of a Mantis Shrimp - but I don't see anything.
A lone Barracuda joins us and poses for photos (it even has a small remora attached). There are Glassfish everywhere and a huge shoal of Goatfish, we see more
Scorpionfish, Lionfish and Crown of Thorns Starfish. Keep looking out to the blue but there are lots of other divers there (not what I want to see). Amanda
found me a Boxer Shrimp and at the safety stop we are surrounded by Barracuda.
Richlieu Rock
I entered the water first then the crew started shouting and waving, I looked down to see I was almost on top of a Whale Shark! Wow.
Everyone else joins me but it is swimming away.
We descend onto the reef where a lone Barracuda checks everyone out - when it's further than 1 metre away
it's exciting, when it's closer it's a bit scary. So scary in fact that Vik has to hide behind Amanda (who has a great photo of a very close up, out of focus
Barracuda). 
Just then the Whale Shark comes back and this time we're ready for it - I'm expecting some good photos guys. Meanwhile, back at the reef, there
are tons of Glassfish, a group of 5 Lionfish, Moray, Boxer Shrimp, Scissortail Jacks and more Barracuda. The Whale Shark swims by again and this time I notice
all the Remora and Suckerfish hanging on. It doesn't get much better than this.
Koh Bon 'West Ridge'
Whales sighted from the boat (probably Minke) - Ooops sorry, had to stop for an ice cream break. Where was I - oh yes, diving. We started well
away from the reef in the hope of seeing something big (Manta) but no joy. Back on the reef I didn't actually see very much just the odd partner Shrimp & Gobi.
John showed us 2 beautiful Cowries - jet black with silver metalflake. Turned the corner past the ridge and saw Apaches lots of other divers. We did see a
Leopard Shark resting on the bottom but too deep for us to get close. Saw one warty nudibranch (think Amanda has photo), getting low on air but Amanda is a good
buddy today and stays with me.
Similan #5 & #6 'East of Eden'
Night dive. Saw loads of groovy shrimp (my favourite) starting with about a dozen small transparent ones, then some pink
ones that move like lightning and a couple of more ornate plump red jobs - we looked them up in the book later but I failed to make a note of the names. Saw Moray,
Banded Snake Eel and some crabs - small mauve one on a coral and a large round red one (I have a feeling this is called the Round Red Crab!). Amanda and I turn off
our torches and stir up the bioluminescent plankton, Ben comes over to see if we're in distress but soon twigs and turns off his torch. We try to show Victoria but
only succeed in freaking her out - then act with a bit more decorum and she sees what we mean, spend a few minutes writing our names and going nuts. At the safety
stop our torch beams show up all the tiny creatures (Krill, I guess) and we ascend into the most glorious starlit sky.
Sat 18th.
Similans 'Boulder City'
Assured by the other liveabord there are 3 Leopard Shark down there - they lied! Dropped down the mooring line onto sandy bottom with
large boulders. Saw a Blue Spotted Ray with a short tail but the current was quite strong and it was hard work to make any headway. Saw Lionfish, partner Gobi but no
shrimp and Bumphead Parrotfish some distance away. Amanda's logbook says there were Bigeyes all over the place.
Similans 'Shark Fin Reef'
Drop down mooring line onto sandy bottom with large boulders, not too much coral but plenty of tropical reef fish. We swim through
a hole between 2 rocks and John shows us a Ribbon Eel.
A Leopard Shark swam by (getting a bit blasé about these now). Also saw partner Shrimp & Gobi, some
nice Clownfish and John showed us some Cowrie shells and another Ribbon Eel (also black but with a fine yellow stripe along its back). At the safety stop we saw the
Leopard Shark again.
Well that concludes our dive of the Similans. It's just after lunch and the boat heads back for the 4 or 5 hour journey back to Patong beach. The crew have washed all
our gear and we hang it on the railings to dry. A strange mood falls on everyone as we don't have anything to do - no more diving (sigh), no more of John's superb
briefings and worst of all we've run out of limes! Still we're no longer liveaboard virgins and the experience has been brilliant, we've made some new friends all of
who I'd be proud to dive with again - Oh crap, I've obviously run out of things to say, better sign off...