Come 27th August, I will head out with 15 other divers to Manado in Sulewesi, Indonesia.
We will leave at 10.30pm by chartered bus from Centerpoint, One Utama to reach the causeway in Johor bahru by 4am to avoid the jam into Singapore. We are taking Silkair and should reach Manado by 1pm for nasi padang lunch. We will then put up 3 nights at the sea front Tasik Ria Spa and beach resort. The next 2 days we are scheduled to do 6 dives around Bunaken National Park. I remembered very well some of the dive sites there...lots of walland drift dives ..quite similar to Sipadan . I will go hunting for my favourite squat lobsters amonst the many feather stars there. There are probably more squat lobsters here than anywhere in the world.
After 3 days here, we will move to Kungkungan Bay resort, another 4 star resort at Lembeh, the Muck diving capital of the world. We will stay here for another 3 nights and do about 7 dives including one night dive. We expect to see eerie creatures and great macro stuff.
Our dive package arranged by yours truly is very cheap at only USD650 for all meals, diving, transport and accommodation at two wonderful 4 to 5 star resort.
Our flight back is on 2nd Sept and we should celebrate Merdeka in Manado at Tasik Ria resort. Maybe we get some fireworks ..but then again, we do not want to pollute the air or the sea.
I cannot wait to go.....only 2weeks more and my wet suit is getting moist.
Monday, August 11, 2008
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Monday, June 30, 2008
Blue Planet
The Blue Planet series of Videos is worth buying. I brought the BBC series which comes in both Chinese and English languages that have 5 DVDs in it and you can get it in any Speedy Video outlet.
The videos contained so much footages of sea animals that we seldom get to see and there are so many interesting things that I have learned. Sadly, most of the filming are done in temperate waters in North America.
If I have the money, these is what I will do:
1.0 The great June sardine run where million and million of sardines swim close to the
shores to feed on the planktons brought up by the ocean currents. They form a black
patch which can be seen from the air and is a few miles long. Here you will get
to see more than 100 dolphines, tunas , sharks and even whales chasing and eating the
sardines. From the air, birls feel on the sardines that are forced to the surface by
the dolphines. You just need to avoid being the 'sardine' and get bitten.
The cameraman that was filming this almost got bitten by Tunas as the sardines darted to
the cameraman to seek shelter. Imagine if the sharks were chasing these sardines.
2.0 Cocos and Galapagos islands. One of the few places left in the world where you can see
hundreds of hammerheads that come to the sea mount for cleaning. You get a special
cloth made up of fine sandpaper and you help to clean the hammerheads. Wow...far out.
A trip like this would cost around RM12,000k and I am still searching for a dive shop that
is prepared to cut of my little toe for the cost of the trip and use it as fish bait for the sharks.
3.0 Real possibility is diving in Tasmania, Melbourne or south of Perth to see the Leafy sea
dragon, a close cousin of the sea horse but they are large, some up to a feet in length.
Mmmm....maybe I will do this when I next go there.
I now need to rob a few banks to make my dream come true.
The videos contained so much footages of sea animals that we seldom get to see and there are so many interesting things that I have learned. Sadly, most of the filming are done in temperate waters in North America.
If I have the money, these is what I will do:
1.0 The great June sardine run where million and million of sardines swim close to the
shores to feed on the planktons brought up by the ocean currents. They form a black
patch which can be seen from the air and is a few miles long. Here you will get
to see more than 100 dolphines, tunas , sharks and even whales chasing and eating the
sardines. From the air, birls feel on the sardines that are forced to the surface by
the dolphines. You just need to avoid being the 'sardine' and get bitten.
The cameraman that was filming this almost got bitten by Tunas as the sardines darted to
the cameraman to seek shelter. Imagine if the sharks were chasing these sardines.
2.0 Cocos and Galapagos islands. One of the few places left in the world where you can see
hundreds of hammerheads that come to the sea mount for cleaning. You get a special
cloth made up of fine sandpaper and you help to clean the hammerheads. Wow...far out.
A trip like this would cost around RM12,000k and I am still searching for a dive shop that
is prepared to cut of my little toe for the cost of the trip and use it as fish bait for the sharks.
3.0 Real possibility is diving in Tasmania, Melbourne or south of Perth to see the Leafy sea
dragon, a close cousin of the sea horse but they are large, some up to a feet in length.
Mmmm....maybe I will do this when I next go there.
I now need to rob a few banks to make my dream come true.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Donsol Whale Shark Trip
For those who have no seen a Whale shark, you must head out to Donsol, a small sleeping coastal village in the region of Sorsogon in Luzon, Philippines. Here during the months of January to June, whale sharks in the tens decend into the bay to feed on the planktons. An average of about 10 sharks are spotted daily and these figures are less than last year's average because some fucking taiwanese are directly or indirectly killing whale sharks for their fins for the Asian shark fin market.
I went there last year and this year and the differences were strongly felt. Last year I saw about 9 whale sharks on our own ( the rule is that only one boat can approach a whale shark and that only 6 swimmers can swim along a whale shark at any one time ) whlist this year I only saw 3 and there were something like 18 swimmers in the water trying to get a glimpse of the shark.
As there were so few sharks and so many boats ( 77 on a Saturday morning ), everyone broke the rule and just jumped in.
The whale shark interaction as it is called is very unigue. Swimming with a whale shark especially the huge one that is around 10 meters in length with its mouth wide open and heading towards you is one hell of an experience. I almost wanted to swim into the mouth and out thru one of its 6 gills openning located just behind the head as I sometimes feel like a tiny plankton besides this animal. The whale shark is such a playful and gentle animal and if it does not feel threaten, it will just swim around you. Someone must tell the shark to maintain a 3 meters distance from humans as it is sometimes not possible for us to do this. Most times you can easily reached out and touch the shark but we are not allowed to do this as we can remove the protective membrance of the shark and it will then suffer from bacteria attack. This i was told. I strongly feel that the only sea animal or rather mammal that I want to touch is dolphine.
Besides the whale sharks, Donsol offers great diving at Manta Basin where we saw 6 mantas in 3 dives and lots of macro in nearby St Migual islands.
I would definitely go there again next year as where can you only spend less than USD500 for a 5/4 nights vacation with whale sharks.
I went there last year and this year and the differences were strongly felt. Last year I saw about 9 whale sharks on our own ( the rule is that only one boat can approach a whale shark and that only 6 swimmers can swim along a whale shark at any one time ) whlist this year I only saw 3 and there were something like 18 swimmers in the water trying to get a glimpse of the shark.
As there were so few sharks and so many boats ( 77 on a Saturday morning ), everyone broke the rule and just jumped in.
The whale shark interaction as it is called is very unigue. Swimming with a whale shark especially the huge one that is around 10 meters in length with its mouth wide open and heading towards you is one hell of an experience. I almost wanted to swim into the mouth and out thru one of its 6 gills openning located just behind the head as I sometimes feel like a tiny plankton besides this animal. The whale shark is such a playful and gentle animal and if it does not feel threaten, it will just swim around you. Someone must tell the shark to maintain a 3 meters distance from humans as it is sometimes not possible for us to do this. Most times you can easily reached out and touch the shark but we are not allowed to do this as we can remove the protective membrance of the shark and it will then suffer from bacteria attack. This i was told. I strongly feel that the only sea animal or rather mammal that I want to touch is dolphine.
Besides the whale sharks, Donsol offers great diving at Manta Basin where we saw 6 mantas in 3 dives and lots of macro in nearby St Migual islands.
I would definitely go there again next year as where can you only spend less than USD500 for a 5/4 nights vacation with whale sharks.
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Shark fin soup is not for you
I was so disgusted last night when I watched Astro Animal Planet on a detective series about Shark fin. More than 100 tonnes of shark fins are harvested each year from the sea and the manner that the sharks are caught and have their fins removed is so cruel. The sharks are first caught in a net, hooked up to a boat and the fins cut and removed whilst the shark is still alive. Then the whole shark is thrown back to the sea. The people do not care whether what species are the sharks and even whale sharks and the great whites are caught despite they being on the endangered species list. Most of these shark fins are sent to Taiwan and from there to China and Hong Kong, the biggest market for shark fins.
As shark population is declining, they are even catching baby sharks for their fins. There was one video clip of a Manta dragged onto the fish market and sold at just USD150. If I was there I would have been bizzared and killed all the fishermen.
I am trying to find out when that programme will be repeated and I will make copies and send it around. We must do our part, say "NO" to shark fin. Shark fin on its own is tasteless, has no nutritional value and even contain a lethal dose of mercury. I hope all those who eats shark fin dies of mercury poisoning.
As shark population is declining, they are even catching baby sharks for their fins. There was one video clip of a Manta dragged onto the fish market and sold at just USD150. If I was there I would have been bizzared and killed all the fishermen.
I am trying to find out when that programme will be repeated and I will make copies and send it around. We must do our part, say "NO" to shark fin. Shark fin on its own is tasteless, has no nutritional value and even contain a lethal dose of mercury. I hope all those who eats shark fin dies of mercury poisoning.
Thursday, March 6, 2008
How I wish to be underwater now..
God,please get thie Election over and let the good guys or gals win for once. The corrupt politicians must pay for their sins and all their properties and their relatives which are acquired by unlawful means during their dictatorship must be confisicated and given back to the people.
What a wish! Daydream boy for I do not see it happening.
A wish that most likely to happen to me is ...being underwater and see all the marine traffic pass me by. Pure fantasy. No toll. Me with my Bare wetsuit with a camera or video in hand snapping at all the macro stuff with an occasional pelagic be it a shark, manta or whale peepping over my shoulder.
I am going to Layang Layang at the end of this month with a group of really fun guys who works hard and play hard...sometimes drink too hard. I cannot hardly wait. You see, when you dive in places like Layang Layang which is in the middle of nowhere ( some 600km offshore of Kota Kinabalu, Sabah ) you have no time to think of politics or problems back home. Your mind is just engrossed in what you will see, whether your air is going to run out, whether you have gone too deep or where are your dive buddies. No time for stuff like Bodohwi has lied to the people although when I return from my dive trip...petrol prices would have been raised to RM2.50 per litre. Then i just sell my car and dive more.
How I wish i was underwater now..........Hadi hadi where are you now?? Hazel????
What a wish! Daydream boy for I do not see it happening.
A wish that most likely to happen to me is ...being underwater and see all the marine traffic pass me by. Pure fantasy. No toll. Me with my Bare wetsuit with a camera or video in hand snapping at all the macro stuff with an occasional pelagic be it a shark, manta or whale peepping over my shoulder.
I am going to Layang Layang at the end of this month with a group of really fun guys who works hard and play hard...sometimes drink too hard. I cannot hardly wait. You see, when you dive in places like Layang Layang which is in the middle of nowhere ( some 600km offshore of Kota Kinabalu, Sabah ) you have no time to think of politics or problems back home. Your mind is just engrossed in what you will see, whether your air is going to run out, whether you have gone too deep or where are your dive buddies. No time for stuff like Bodohwi has lied to the people although when I return from my dive trip...petrol prices would have been raised to RM2.50 per litre. Then i just sell my car and dive more.
How I wish i was underwater now..........Hadi hadi where are you now?? Hazel????
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