29th November: First Dive at For Sea AirWreck

Dive 132: Dakota (D2) Plane
Max Depth: 21.9m ; Bottom time: 39 min
Water Temp: 29c; Visibility: 2-5m

Dive 133: Dakota (D3) Plane
Max Depth: 17.9m ; Bottom time: 38 min
Water Temp: 28c; Visibility: 2-5m

Comments: A windy day off Bangtao Beach, Phuket for the celebrated first dive at the newly sunk wrecks. The dive site is officially named For Sea AirWreck Dive Site (despite the politically motivated TDA - CMAS organization attempt to call it something else). Descending into the stirred up sandy bottom, visibility was at best 5m or so. We reached the Dakota D2 at 20m, sighting it for the first time. The plane is intact, sitting upright, secured tightly by ropes and cement blocks to the bottom. The interior is easily penetrated, wide open with opening for sunlights from both sides. Its body however is littered with "self-proclaimed" stickers and banners by TDA & CMAS, creating an ugly image (looks like all of those damm bill boards selling property on the island) for the artificial reef. Please support in the conservation of our Andaman sea, AVOID businesses who support or associate with any organization whose is "placing graffiti" on dive sites promoting their own self-indulgence dive businesses.

Due to the tide changing & windy conditions, the wreck is quite challenging for beginners or inexperience divers. However, I do foresee if condition is favorable later in the season, this is one fantastic dive site for wreck lovers. To dive this dive site, please contact any dive businesses who support Thailand For Sea Foundation, the non-profit organization whose interest is to raise awareness to the plight of the seas surrounding Thailand.

Photos: Dakota D2 (top); Broken Self-proclaimed TDA & CMAS canvas sign that can hurt unsuspected turtles (middle); Dakota D3 (bottom)

more photos are found at my Facebook album.

19th - 21st July: Wreck & Deep Courses

Danny led Richard through his specialty training dives for Deep and Wreck at Racha Yai Island. Conditions were spectacular again, with the guys having a great time going through all of the tasks and skills. Brendan joined the courses as a DMT and responsible for some awesome photos of the Andman Eagle Wreck in Racha Yai, Bay 1. Check it out in Brendan's Picassa album.

20th May - Racha Yai Island

Dive 71: Bay 2, Andaman Eagle Wreck
Max Depth: 26.9m ; Bottom time: 37 min
Water Temp: 30c; Visibility: 5-10m

Dive 72: Bay 2, Andaman Eagle Wreck
Max Depth: 26m ; Bottom time: 40 min
Water Temp: 30c; Visibility: 5m

Comment: a new wreck sunk recently in bay 2 off Racha East coast. She's a wooden sailboat, sunk in 26m, near the cement blocks area, creating a new attraction for Racha Yai. More photos will follow when condition improve.

May Day, 2008: MSDT PREP

Dive 62: Scuba Cat Wreck Bay 2, Racha Yai Island**
Max Depth: 31.9m ; Bottom time: 35 min
Water Temp: 30c; Visibility: 20m
Comment: Spectacular Visibility for our deep dive. The wreck is in great shape. With very mild current, we had no trouble spending our full 20 minutes exploring the hull and the inside.

Dive 63: Do Little Do Bay 3, Racha Yai Island
Max Depth: 17m ; Bottom time: 50 min
Water Temp: 30c; Visibility: 20m
Comment: Must see TV... check out the action scene between "kung fu Joe vs Johny trigger fish" below:

Monday, 17th: Phi Phi Overnight Trip (Day 1)

Dive: 28
Dive Site: King Cruiser Wreck
Max Depth: 30.7m
Bottom time: 39 min
Water Temp: 29c
Visibility: 5-10m
Activities: Deep dive with Danny & Jisook, Danni also came along for a fun dive. Condition was quite good, mild current, and Greta was the only boat on the wreck when we got there. More debris fell off the ferry, littering the port side with more hiding places for common lionfish. A school of juvenile yellow tailed baracudas swirling near the bow, creating quite a cool spot to hover & watch the feeding action.

Dive: 29
Dive Site: Ko Bida Nok
Max Depth: 21.3m
Bottom time: 52 min
Water Temp: 28c
Visibility: 15m
Activities: Viz improved when we descended down on the west side of Bida Nok. A mild current moved us along, blue spotted stingrays, soft anemone corals, school of yellow tailed tuna cruised the reef & fed on glassfish. A relaxed easy dive ending in the bay between the Bida islands.

Dive: 30
Dive Site: Maya Wall, Phi Phi Le (*)
Max Depth: 16.4m
Bottom time: 60 min
Water Temp: 29c
Visibility: 10-15m
Activities: I have not dive this dive site recently, the last time was quite a few years ago. boulders, deep canyon, & swim through were the typical topography at the north end of Phi Phi Le. The dive is changed to wall, with whip corals, gorgonian seafans, and various types of hard corals lining the wall and boulders. We spotted a leopard shark chilling out at 12m, Jisook, Danni & Danny first encounter with this specie. A must dive site for those who frequent PP, if you can persuade a dive operator to take you here.

Tuesday 23rd: Shark Point Marine Sanctuary

Dive: 3
Dive Site: King Cruiser Wreck (*)
Max Depth: 31.4
Bottom time: 44 min.
Water Temp: 28C
Visibility: 10-15m
Activities: Wreck Instructor Specialty Course, with Mikael.
comments: superb condition today, no current and good visibility. I can see the wreck 3m into the descent. We were rewarded with a 1m Leopard Shark, resting peacfully on top of the car deck, 17m deep. Features: bamboo shark in the same tire in the sand at the stern, school of Bigeye snappers, glass fish, rainbow runners, jack trevallies, and a beautiful bright yellow Chromodoris sp. slug crossing through a black sea urchin.

Dive: 4
Dive Site: Hin Musang (Shark Point) (*)
Max Depth: 17.3
Bottom time: 51 min.
Water Temp: 28C
Visibility: 10-20m
Activities: Navigation specialty Instructor course
comments: moderate current moving South from pinnacle 1 toward 3. Pinnacle 1: feeding blue spotted stingray, white eye moray eels rock is spectacular, 20-30 eels feeding, swimming through school of glass fish covering the rock. Common lionfish hung out in group of 6-8 hiding behind giant gorgonian sea fans. Pinnacle 2: a leopard shark at shark point :-), walking devil scorpionfish in the sand between the pinnacles, extremely healthy field of giant gorgonian sea fans (spanning 2-4m wide). Pinnacle 3: haven't been here in months, covered in soft anemone corals, almost gotten ran over by a school of black trevallies (50+cm) cruising through the channel between pinnacle 2 & 3.

Dive: 5
Dive Site: Ko Doc Mai
Max Depth: 16.4
Bottom time: 51 min.
Water Temp: 28C
Visibility: 10-15m
Activities: wall dive
comments: the living wall rewarded us with non-stop feeding action, covering in school of glass fish. Full of phyllidia sp. wart slugs, banded boxing cleaner shrimp came out in full view. Calmer sea in the afternoon ride home.