Diving in the Similan Islands, in the Adaman Sea.

Another early morning tuk tuk pick up, from the Big Blue Diving company. It was nice to have some English couples to chat to while we drove to the boat that would take us out to the Similan Islands. The islands are made up of 9 islands and named as such! Their Thai names starting from island 1 are; Huyong, Payang, Payang, Miang( which is a national park), Ha, Hock, Payu, Similan, and Ba-ngu.  We were bound Miang, and west of Eden Rock. On our ride out, the water was like glass it was so calm. It took us a little over an hour in a speed boat, and during that time our guide/ dive master, Craig, went over the itenary for the day, what we could expect to see and we made sure all the dive equipment was working and functional! Always a good idea!

After we dropped all the snorkellers off on Miang for the morning, we headed out to west of Eden Rock! I can never get over the clarity of the water! Visibility in the water was 20 - 25 meters! Temp. Of water...31c!!!!! Lol my kind of diving!!! We suited up and took the plunge!!! Douglas and one of the other girls had a terrible time equalizing, in the meantime the other couple and I descended and watched in awe. I love being in the water... So quiet, peaceful, it takes you into such a different world! We all got going and followed the drift current. Schools of fish, in purples, yellows, orange, angel fish... It was fantastic! The little blue fish about two inches long, come and take nibbles at you...they are commonly known as cleaner fish. The rays swim over to a school of these fish, hovering there while the cleaner fish go to work, cleaning them! Didn't get to see that though...

Saw lots of small, sea slugs, sea warts, sea snails, nudibraches  all in spectacular colours and designs. Tons of fish, hiding in the tree-like coral. Again the colours are unreal... And would take forever to describe the sea world we saw. Saw a few Nemo's hiding in anenomes...they are the only fish to be able to do that, as they have a protective coating they doesn't allow them the sting of the anenomes! It fascinates me... Sea eels, over twenty of them, tails buried , while their bodies rise up out of the sandy floor, dancing and weaving like blades of grass blowing in the breeze. You definitely have to look at everything differently down there, as nothing is as it seems. Lion fish, with their beautiful stripes and fairy, wispy fins. Anyways you get the picture... So beautiful...
We were taken back to the Miang island for lunch , traditional Thai food eaten on a white powdery beach. This beach is certainly in our top five beaches. Having said that... There were a few inhabitants that I wasn't too thrilled about.... Fruit bats, hanging there like mini draculars, in all their ugliness!!! Huge things, all furry and ugly, and batty and ugly... Lol. We saw a couple of birds that are very similar to pigeons, apart from the fact that their feather were iridescent blue and green.

Douglas was having major problems with his ears and has now decided to NEVER dive again! And that was that! So he stayed at the beach and hiked up to a look out point that required crossing bridges between bolders, rope climbing..he was in his element , as I was in the deep blue sea. We went to a different site, lots more corals this time as well as plenty of fish..needle fish, tiny fish, schools and schools of them.
Diving done for the day, we picked up the beach folks and headed in.... Got back, had my swim, Douglas refused to get back into the water...lol!! He swears that he drowns through osmosis!!! Hahaha...  Had an early night, started packing and organizing , cut Douglass's hair and I coloured my hair!!! :) and a good thing I brought my Colour....because there wasn't a hope in hell of me finding a Goldwell Salon there!!! Lol :)