Under the Sea

Well I have another “favorite” to add to the list of reason I love Thailand. Koh Tao. Oh yes, this little tourist trap is quite the wonder! Yes it is crowded with tourists and Western things, but it holds so many precious finds!

First off, it is a prime place to learn to scuba dive, and this is what makes it so popular with the tourists. Everyone should take the chance to do a simple “Discover Scuba Dive” course. If you have the time, money, and interest, get a full certification! Cause when in Thailand right?! There are at least 66 different dive shops situated around the island, making it difficult to choose the right one. Some shops offer accommodation with the dive course, some don’t. That’s where the differences end really. All are PADI certified and recognized, and all of them have certified hundreds if not thousands of people.

(Marie, Emilie, Mitch, and I getting our DSD on!)

We chose to stay and dive with Coral Grand Divers. This is a decent little resort up on the main beach and our stay there was pleasant. I had an unfortunate run in with some bed bugs and a spider the size of my face (not even a joke, this thing was massive and I screamed a little bit) the first night there, but once moving rooms, everything was much better! The staff was very helpful and kind in helping to get me moved and with everything else.

Then came the Discover Scuba Diving course! Whoo what an adventure! Our instructor, Mitch, was phenomenal! He went over all the equipment, safety, and rules of scuba with us before actually working with the equipment. Next we practiced the skills in the pool. We practiced breathing and getting familiar with the art of breathing under water. After struggling with the equipment and getting used to carrying around scuba tanks and vests with all sorts of gadgets on it we swam in circles around the pool learning how to control our depth.

Break for lunch.

(Photo credit: Marie Bordeleau)

Finally! To the ocean! After a hearty meal, we headed off to sea on the Diving boat. We were accompanied by other groups doing various other courses- one was a Master course, one a Safety and Rescue course, a navigation course, and then there was our little trio of DSD.  Being the newbies, it took us a bit longer to get acclimated to art of scuba, but once we started descending the rope and the world under the water opened up, man was it breath taking! We were not any more than 15 meters under the water, but even at that depth there were so many wonderful things! The coral, the fish, the random cement blocks! Everything was amazing!

We went to two dive locations, the second of which was called The Japanese Gardens. Mitch told us that this was his favorite dive site because this was his first dive location. It was gorgeous! Spectacular! Astounding! The coral here was so colorful and it was all so different and unique! The fish were equally amazing. There were the usual simple little fishies and then there were larger, more colorful fish! You know Gil from Finding Nemo, well he was there, but he was so large! Much larger than I’ve ever seen those fish! Also the rainbow colored angel fish and long nosed fish that dart in and around the coral and people were there greeting us.

It was such an unreal experience to be under the water and looking at the world from a different perspective. It was an experience I’ll remember forever, and now… I want to get a full certification some day!

After a full day of adventuring, we were utterly spent from our time under the water, but we came home with more than just pruning fingers and salt water in our eyes.  We have memories that will last forever!

(Our wonderful modes of transportation around the islands)

The next day, my friends and I rented some kayaks and set off to a nearby island, Koh Nuang Yang. It was about a 30 minute trip of rigorous work there, but once arriving, we hiked and swam, and snorkeled in the crystal clear water! There’s a sandbar connecting the islands and it is a popular place to visit for the amazing view from a top one of the island’s peaks. After hanging out for a few hours, we started the trip back to Koh Tao, this time going at our own pace- aka, it took about an hour. We stopped to take photos and jump off the kayaks, and marvel at the wonders around us.

(Koh NuangYang)

On Koh Tao, I saw some of the most beautiful sunsets ever, met some fantastic people who shared their love for diving with us, ate the best Massaman curry, and was able to explore with some good friends. I couldn’t have asked for a better start to my April adventures!