Shark Talk

(written 30/08/09, posted on 13/10/09)

Up at 6am, again. On the boat out there are only five of us. The beauty of diving off season and the advantage over the Red Sea as it’s much quieter. I’ve been discussing with the staff on the boats my next move which I’ve been thinking will be Koh Tao. Everyone on the boat who has been there tells me Phi Phi is better as it’s quieter and as it’s the ‘wrong’ time to be here weather wise, all the learners will be at Koh Tao splashing about in the water and annoying everyone else.

There’s a lot of Shark Talk on the boat too and I haven’t seen one so far so I’m not going anywhere just yet. The first dive is a cool 29m down to the side of the wreck. We’re only out of the water for just over an hour before it’s time for the next one, Shark Point. I’m expecting good things.

I’m the first in. A giant stride, put my face in the water in and there’s a Leopard Shark swimming about below me. I take out my snorkel and shout, ‘Shark!’ I’m even waving my hand against the top of my head using the sign for Shark. Everyone else is too busy doing jumping in or faffing around with their masks so I happily put my snorkel back in and put my face back under to watch the Leopard Shark slink around and off. A fellow diver, J, can’t believe I’ve seen one and neither can C, our instructor. By the end of the dive we’ve spotted one swimming around (it could have been the same one) and one asleep on the sandy seabed which is often where they are. It could have been the same shark each time but seeing them/it in three different ways is amazing.

The third dive at Anenome Reef doesn’t disappoint either as we see Box fish, Lion fish, lots of Golden Spotted and Giant Moray eels, Clown fish and banded Shrimp. By the end of the three dives I’m no longer holding a small disappointment at the different visibility. It is just as good here as in the Red Sea, just some different species and in fact in some ways it’s better as it’s so quiet.

The weather is still pants so I can’t resist booking another set of dives tomorrow with my first night dive in the evening. Just for a bit of variety! Doesn’t look like I’ll be heading to Koh Tao just yet if at all.