We departed Chalong bay around 5.30m and we headed straight to Racha Yai to make a night dive. Jurgen was the guide and we dropped Mika, Rolf and Petra on Staghorn reef just after 7pm. After we sat down for dinner and it was decided the schedule for the following day was Hin Daeng and Hin Muang.
Pictures at the bottom of the page. or the complete set can be downloaded by clicking on this link
http://www.spencerfinn.com/images/freepics/HinDaengHinMuang18-21Nov08.zipNOTE :- the zip file is around 93MB.
Day1Dive 1 - We jumped in at Hin Muang at 07.30 and made an easy descend down the wall to 30m looking for sharks or rays but we didn’t see any this time. Although Rolf managed to a look at a Grey Reef shark hanging around at 40-50m. We made a circuit around the rock and towards the end of the dive on the top of the rock we fund a sleeping hawksbill turtle who didn't mind the intrusion at all.
Dive 2 - Hin Daeng at 11.30 and we jumped in on the west side and descended down to 25m where we greeted by a Leopard shark cruising past. We were getting buzzed by blue fin travally, yellow fin Tuna and some rather large Giant Travally. There are loads of brown marbled groupers being cleaned by the hungry cleaner wrasse.
Dive 3 - Hin Muang at 15:30 and as we were heading down the turtle was gliding to the surface to grab some air before descending again to the top of the reef. Heading along the north side we encountered a chilly thermo cline and the viz went down to 7m but Jurgens group spotted a Manta ray gliding past at about 20m.
Dive 4 – Hin Daeng 17:30 and dropped in on the south end. We headed along the wall looking for the Manta ray as the often swim between the two reefs which are only about a 100m apart but it never showed up. But we did see a large school of pickhandle barracuda hanging out in the gentle current. A big group of giant travally and dogtooth tuna were busy harassing a large school of juvenile fusiliers.
Day 2-
Dive 1 -As the wind and the waves had picked in the evening before I decided to head to Koh Haa for the next dives and we jumped in on the chimney at 8am and headed through the cave which was swarming with copper sweepers. We then headed right and along the reef where we spotted a nice octopus and a juvenile banded sea snake.
Dive 2 We jumped in on Koh Haa Yai at 11:30 and headed into the large cave and explored the walls of the cave which were alive with Durban dancing shrimp. After exiting the cave we descended down through the swim through and followed the reef to the right around 25m.
Dive 3 – We descended down on island No. 4 along the wall and to the overhang at 18m where is spotted a very nicely coloured twin spot nudibranch and a 1m long brown marbled grouper. As we headed around the corner we were surrounded by a couple of hundred big eye barracuda hanging around the cleaner station. Nce everyone was on board we set sail for the Phi Phi island’s.
Day3 Dive 1 – Bida Nok was a bit choppy on the south side when we jumped in and we headed to the deeper sandy bottom to look for some leopard sharks but not today. There were large schools of snappers, rainbow runners, fusiliers. We spotted some moray eel’s and an octopus. We then headed to Maya Bay for some well earned breakfast.
Dive 2 – Bida Nai was again choppy so I planned to jump in where it was choppy so we could ascend at the end of the dive and be picked in the calmer water on the lee side of the island. We found a nice and co-operative leopard shark resting in the sand at 13m so we stopped to take some photo’s before descending further around the wall. After 60mins we were picked up on the clam side.
Dive 3 – It was still very choppy when the guys jumped in Shark Point. I decided to skip this one as I had a reverse block on the last dive and my teeth were still aching. Luckily for them they spotted 2 more leopard sharks to finish the last dive of the trip.
Was great diving with you guys and hope to see you again soon.
Spen
