Thailand underwater
December, 2009
Underwater Thailand: Intro to Scuba and Night Snorkeling
Thailand has some of the best scuba & snorkeling in the world, so of course we couldn't leave without getting down there and having a look for ourselves. We decided to try out two different underwater experiences: nighttime snorkeling and a half day "Intro to Scuba," which can be done without certification.
We had actually considered taking a Scuba certification class during a three- to four-day sea voyage to several islands, but that was before my knee required surgery and a paper bandage in lieu of stitches. After I was water-safe again, we didn't have enough time for full-on certification, which is probably just as well since Scuba is an expensive hobby. We were excited to learn about the "Discover Scuba" half-day option for non-divers offered on Koh Phi Phi. The same dive shop also had a night snorkel trip, which sounded like it might be fun, seeing a different selection of the underwater population, so we signed up for both trips on consecutive days.
The dive site, from Thailand - Diving Scuba Discovery
On the day of our Scuba dive, we woke very early to meet the party at the shop. Our underwater camera was on the fritz after serving so faithfully through all our cave trips. Basically, it started leaking water into the nanoscopic space between the two glass panes that made up the view screen. The image had just started to flicker and buzz, so I was sure that any minute could be the camera's last and it wouldn't be worth the risk. Besides, we'd only be allowed to wield it on the second of the two dives we were scheduled for as beginners. So, all the pictures you see here were taken by Dennis and Kyra, who were in our dive group and rented an underwater camera.
Dennis and Kyra, from Thailand - Diving
The night before, when we signed up for the trip, we had to watch an instructional video which went through all the basic instructions and told us what we'd be learning in the morning safety drills. Once we were all assembled, it turned out that we were the only ones who'd watched the video, so everyone had to go through the safety instruction again. That was fine, because it meant that we learned the skills well and passed them off easily once we got underwater.
Underwater, from Thailand - Diving
It's quite nice to dive in such warm water as Thailand's got. We wore short wetsuits with exposed arms and legs, so swimming around was pretty easy. I've got a list of creatures we saw, constructed from fresh memory once we got back to the boat, but the highlights were seeing moray eels, zebra sharks, barracuda, lion fish and tiger fish, stone fish, sea snakes, spiny lobsters, and – my favorite – a brown octopus out for a stroll. It rolled its eight legs across the sand and scurried swiftly under a nice, shady rock on the ocean bottom. I was really excited to see it, and the other divers on the trip only saw a (different) sleeping octopus hiding in the dark. Of course, then we met some girls on another trip later who'd seen an octopus out for a stroll, merrily changing colors as it rolled, so that just goes to show that someone's always got a one-up on you. Oh well, it's not like I can even share the experience with you that well since we didn't have the camera. But it was fun and we were delighted to see the octopus out and about like that.
Zebra shark, from Thailand - Diving 
Sea anemone, from Thailand - Diving
On the first dive, we spent most of the time learning and passing off our safety skills. Then we had a little free time to swim around with our instructor (Ryan and I had our own guide to ourselves – one of the reasons we went with the dive school we did was the maximum 3:1 student to teacher ratio they stick to. Other schools allowed 4:1. It worked out especially well since everyone else on our trip came in a pair, so there were no trios and every couple got their own instructor.
Stone fish (very toxic), from Thailand - Diving
After the first trip we surfaced and rested a bit with some snacks on the boat. The boat's skipper also works as its chef and while we were underwater, he was preparing a big kettle of curry soup for lunch.
On the second dive we had a lot more time to explore, and our instructor took us down quite a bit deeper. He also let us stray away from him more than in the morning, so I got to spin myself right 'round as I like to do and watch the ocean floor as a ceiling, or turn myself perpendicular to the reef cliffs and orient them in disorienting ways. Underwater weightlessness can be quite a lot of fun.
Looking up, from Thailand - Diving
The life we saw was spectacular, colorful and entertaining – that goes without saying in Thailand, right? – but the experience of scuba diving itself is also worth describing. For the most part, working with an air tank is pretty easy. I think Ryan had a little trouble equalizing his ears on the first dive, but he did eventually get the hang of it and everything was fine. I do remember one moment of potential panic when I really grokked that I was deep underwater and if anything went wrong I was completely screwed. It's not like being stuck in a tree, or missing a bus, or even cutting your finger and passing out. In those, you can either wait for assistance, or the default condition of survival takes over by – default. Underwater like this, you've got no escape route, and that can be quite scary. Of course, then you remember that you spent all morning drilling safety skills, that you're never alone down there, and that if you just hold your breath you'll be fine while someone comes along with some air. But still, realizing that you could open your mouth at the wrong time and gulp in a lungful of air, and then it'd be over before you know it – that makes you pay very careful attention to what you're doing so you don't make any dumb mistakes. And, I'm happy to say, we both survived the underwater experience and had a great time!
Grumpy fish, from Thailand - Diving Night Snorkel
We returned the next day for a night time snorkeling trip with the same company. Where the scuba trip had taken us out to some really nice island reefs, for the night trip we stayed right near Phi Phi Don and just swam up and down the rocky coast. The best experience for me happened right at the beginning when there were the fewest lights to pollute the darkness. Although we weren't supposed to turn off our headlamps, I separated myself from everyone else and went into the dark, black water and turned out my own light. The fluorescent dinoflagellates were so beautiful, like stars in a pitch black sky. I could have stayed there all night, swirling my arms through the water to see those illuminations.
For the rest of the excursion I stayed closer to Ryan and our guide, but what we was was pretty limited. We saw corals and some night fish, but nothing spectacular, and again we have no pictures. We stayed out about an hour or so, less than two, and then we were getting cold so we headed in and called it a night. [The most interesting thing I saw was a black lionfish. --Ryan]
More pictures...
0 comments:
Post a Comment