Diving Similan - A blast from the past ...

My last holiday of the year was a blast! The dive adventures with Similan Diving Safaris (SDS), a 4 day/4 night liveaboard on the M/V Dolphin Queen have far exceeded my expectations. It is, to date, the most professionally conducted trip I've been on. Sprinkled with surprises (God, I love surprises!), fun, laughter (loads of these from Samy Vellu & Angkasawan jokes to silly underwater antics), and easygoing folks from Italy, the Netherlands, Germany, Hong Kong and the six of us from Malaysia. Not to mention the ever courteous Thai captain, his family and at-your-service boat crew.

The dive trip included 11 day dives and three night dives to some of the world's best diving sites found in the Andaman Sea - Similan Islands, Koh Bon, Koh Tachai, and world famous Richelieu Rock.

The most coveted sight which the divers all saw at Koh Bon at different times and dives were the leopard sharks. While I didn't get to say "Hi! Merry Christmas!" to the whale shark, it was very good indeed that we sighted the leopard shark, not once, but thrice. That was a real treat!

Leopard Shark, Koh Bon, Andaman Sea (Dive # 91)

Video courtesy of Peter Seow

The Malaysian team was fortunate to be the only group on SDS 15 to see the gentle giant - the Manta Ray. I've seen a few of these while I dove Manta Point, Bali in August, but one never tires of experiencing the awe of swimming in the same ocean with a glorious and majestic creation.

Manta Ray, Koh Bon, Andaman Sea (Dive #92)

Video courtesy of Peter Seow

On our way back to Khao Lak on 26 December, we had a final dive at Boonsung Wreck - what I consider as the "richest in marine life" of the trip. There were so many moray eels inhabiting the wreck - from baby ones to adult ones - the white-eyed and the honeycomb morays. There were also the rare sighting of the frogfish at the bottom of the buoy line, the ghost pipefish, the scorpion fish, lobsters, boxer and dancing shrimps, a cuttlefish couple, schools of baraccudas, trevally, and finally, the large Catostylus stingless jellyfish as we did our safety stop while hanging on to the buoy line at 5 meters.

The trip about sums up the "adventures" of 2007 for me. There were many key highlights that alluded to the ups and downs of 2007, although I am only now mentally processing these experiences in dribs and drabs. The revelations are trickling in, as are the underwater photos, I imagine!

Perhaps, the best way to share highlights of the trip are through pictures that paint a thousand words, although these are the first batch of on-the-boat and land pictures courtesy of my dive buddy Lorraine - check out http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=23618&l=5fe0d&id=655406221

A few underwater pictures courtesy of fellow diver Vincent at http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=23691&l=c5262&id=655406221