A Day out Diving with Barakuda
At 09:00 in the morning... the Pasadena is waiting and
ready to go. To the diver's delight, everything is set. The
equipment has already been hauled to the boat, the tanks are filled
and standing in line. The Captain is showing a big smile in
anticipation of a great day.
Slowly the boat cruises out of magnificent Ton Sai Bai, along the
rough limestone cliffs, leaving the longtail boats and the
route-cruisers behind. The water is clear, thousands of fishes romp
about to their hearts content. Peace of mind and high expectation
mingles in everybodys head as the Pasadena approaches the first dive
site, only half an hour from the jetty.
After the divemaster
has given an extensive briefing, everybody knows what to expect. We
are set and ready to go. Concentration prevails. Everybody in the
water! O.K. Thumbs down - this is it, the big fish are
waiting!
Already the first
glance...
under the surface foretells a great adventure. There
are fish everywhere and radiant corals cling to every surface -
rocks, boulders and cliffs. Even on snorkel-basis one would have
enough to do just to sort out the many things going on at once.
Small shoals of fish darting to and from in perfect unity. Shrimps
and crabs busily scurrying along on the bottom and in
crevices.
Further down, Christmas-tree worms unfold their
fascinating flower-like beauty. Large boulders, balanced on top of
each other, form intriguing swim throughs. And finally, as the eye
gets used to the overwhelming surroundings, the biggies and the
carnivores make themselves seen: moray eels protrude from the rocks,
leopard sharks lying still on the sand together with
rays...
The instructor knows exactly where to go, what to do
and points out the wonders: hidden scorpionfish, shy lobsters and
camouflaged giant oysters.
Before one even notices, time is up
and it's back to the surface and into the boat for everybody. The
Captain, who has followed the trail of our bubbles has brought the
boat to the exact spot. No need to swim back.
The atmosphere
is different now...
everybody has a story to tell: what they saw,
what the creature did and how serene it felt to be in the midst of
planet earth's beautiful marine world. A few minutes later the
Pasadena moors in one of Phi Phi's many superb bays. We do not cast
anchor, we want to preserve the corals.
It is lunchtime. The
crew serve a delicious lunch and a nice desert of assorted tropical
fruits. The divers are relaxing, enjoying the sun, some take a swim
to the beach to snorkel a bit.
One more dive is
awaiting!
Pasadena's engine springs to life again, the captain
takes us on further to the next dive destination.
This time
there's a reef to explore, with all its inhabitants and guests.
There's no need to dive deep - the stars will soon be on the
stage.
Leopardsharks! It is really a breathtaking experience
to watch the large animals in their own element. Lucky, that they
are vegetarians..! Lots of time to take pictures - to supplement the
ones carried home in the mind. It is not easy to follow the
divemaster's instructions about not touching these animals - but of
course, no responsible diver would do that. Time flies - we have to
go back. Back on board, the divers sit silent for a while - it takes
some time to digest the impressions.
On the way
back...
...everybody knows that these pictures in their mind will
stay forever. The time is three o'clock, still we have a long
evening with happy memories. Tomorrow is another day...!
