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“Anne and I have logged over 100 dives” |
Everyone surfaced and climbed into the dive boat. Emotions were running high. One of the women, Julia, immediately told us that it made her cry. A second woman, Thelki, said she laughed so hard that the creases around her face made an opening for water to pour in and flood her mask. Anne was awestruck and felt like she was being visited by beings from another world. As for me, I raised my arms with clenched fist and yelled as loud as I could as if I was on a stranded island and the rescue plane was doing an "I see you" fly by. Few things in this world can bring the coexisting emotions that surrounded our group that day. A full squadron of Manta Rays is one of them.
I've seen Spotted Blue, Southern, Eagle, Bat, and Grey Stingrays, but nothing compares to having five Manta Rays in a row flap their wings directly above you. Everyone was so emotionally charged that our group unintentionally ended up separating in the strong ocean current. This resulted in us having to ascend after a fruitless one minute search for each other. After we found each other on the surface, we quickly went back down to watch the underwater acrobatics of these amazing creatures. They did complete loops, turns, and downward spiraling spins to feed on the plankton enriched currents of the Andaman Sea. I don't think I can fully explain the sense of well being that these docile giants, with wingspans the size of small Cessnas, made us feel. They are truly impressive. For anyone reading, I can't encourage you enough to make the small commitment of getting your dive certification, something that will bring rewards beyond belief.
We spent three days and two nights on our liveaboard dive boat, and in total, we completed nine dives. The living quarters on the boat were snug, but everyone got along well. Once again, we had the typical mini United Nations with representatives from Holland, Germany, Switzerland, Australia, Thailand, and the United States--all with varying levels of dive experience.
To date, both Anne and I have logged over 100 dives in nine different countries and the Similan Islands ranks among the very best. The diversity of sea life is astounding, ranging from multiple types of Angel fish to odd creatures that are nearly impossible to spot with their adaptive camouflage. At times, the colors would rank as high as Fiji, while the marine life is second to none.
Similan is a Malaysian word that means 9. The chain of islands is all of that and more, proving to be a huge source of income for both the diving community as well as the local fisherman. The dives with the Mantas were just north of the Similans, on the small island of Koh Bon. It's no wonder you find the rays there either. The currents and thermoclines were incredible. One minute you are warm, the next you are hot. Neat stuff for two people from Corporate America.
bkh
previous travel blog entryComments or Questions for the Author
Annari says:
We are headed to Thailand in 2 weeks and are interested in the liveaboard trip you described. Would you be willing to provide the dive center or booking service you used, or boat name on which you lived? The length of time -- 3 days/2 nights -- would be a perfect fit with our timeframe. We enjoyed reading your entry. Thank you very much.
The Hallgrens says:
We dove with Sea Dragons. They have a number of packages, and being we were on a budget, we picked the cheapest which might be a bit rustic for some. They are in Khao Lak (sp?), which is just north of Phukett maybe by an hour or so.
Aiiiyaah says:
Enjoyed reading your journals and like your writing style. Thanks for sharing them.