Rob: Diving at the moment is really breath taking. February is a perfect time to visit Koh Lanta or the Similan Islands. Normally every day you will see cloud less skies and glorious dazzling sun. The Andaman Sea is normally flat and believe me it has very chrystal clear warm water with most dive sites averaging 30 meters plus visibility. Perfect diving conditions!

I have dived around Koh Lanta for 6 dive seasons and I still found myself being amazed at how good the diving and conditions have been. It really is like swimming in a magical aquarium with some of the most incredible creatures around and on a recent dive Oh ( a Thai dive Instructor ) and myself where like little children with big grins being marvelled with the beauty surrounding us.

This video taken at Koh Ha highlights every kids / adults dream of swimming with a turtle. If you watch very closely he gulps up a tiny jellyfish. So cool to watch and be so close to the turtle.

The next video shows an Octopus. It was taken around 5 minutes after the above Turtle video at Koh Ha. At the start of the film watch the Octopus leg shoot out at the Grouper.

Hope you enjoy the videos!

Rob:When I first came to Koh Lanta it never had any paved roads. They where just dirt tracks and every time it rained more wholes would appear. After the rainy season ended the roads would become solid and dry and cars passing created big red dust clouds. Believe me everything I wore became red and even in my house was a layer of this red dust.

New road being set in Khlong Dao

Now ever thing has improved, mainly due to the tourists visiting and the greater number of cars and minivans on the road. Now from Saladan there is a four lanes to cope with all the traffic from the piers and also a pavement running all through Khlong Dao which is great when walking at night.

4 Lanes and new pavement from Saladan

2 years ago the road on the west side was completed to the Pimalai Resort which is situated on Kantiang Bay. After this you will then experience how Koh Lanta roads used to be like as luckily development has reached this area yet. It is very tricky on a motor bike and four wheeled pick up trucks are mainly used so please be carefull especially at night.

Road after Kantiang Bay near Bamboo Bay

Rob: It really has been an exciting few days. We have dived a few dive sites I haven’t dived this year. We went to these sites as many divers have been bragging that they have seen between 20 and 30 Black Tip Reef Sharks on the dive and also around 4 Leopard Sharks.

On one day we visited Hin Bida. It is a dive site in between Koh Lanta and Koh Phi Phi. Its a great site for doing a second dive of the day as the maximum depth is 18 meters. We got our depth and followed the sandy floor in search of the resting Leopard Sharks. After around 40 minutes my friend came the other way giving me the Shark sign and pointing me in the right direction.

This is a short video of the Leopard Shark we spotted. If you take your time you can slowly swim up to it very closely. There is a special feeling when you get to lie down next a shark.

The shark swam off so we slowly followed it in to around 6 meters of water. What a surprise when it stayed with us for the next 10 minutes swimming around. What a great way to make a safety stop.

After a couple of days we headed over to the Phi Phi Islands. When we arrived at the dive shop Gannon was explaining about all these Black Tip Reef Sharks being sighted at Palong Bay. Now normally we start in the bay and go South. So I gave all the divers the choice. Either go find a Turtle and Ghostpipefish or we can turn right heading North and stay shallow to go in search of the Sharks.

Obviously everyone wanted to turn right with very excited grins on there faces but we where not sure what to expect.Swimming over to the rock I looked down to see a Leopard Shark resting on the floor so we dropped straight down. What a great start! After this we headed in the shallows around 10 meters. Wow! after 5 minutes the first shark came into view then the next then 3 came round a rock together maybe all around 1.5 meters in length. Sadly not all guests got to see these which was pretty frustrating as maybe they wouldn’t believe me. So we carried on diving and got our depth finding a nice turtle, box fish, shrimps and a juvenile harlequin sweetlips but no more sightings of the Sharks.

After around 40 minutes we headed back into the shallows around 6 meters and cruised back. Before you knew it there where Black Tips cruising every where. It was so good and exciting that the 60 minute maximum dive time was simply ignored and we ended up diving for 73 minutes.

When I got on the boat I skipped lunch and went back in with Tid one of the boat boys as he has never experienced a Black Tip before. Knowing where they hang out now we went straight there. Not even 1 minute dive time and we had experienced 2 sharks already but that was quickly topped with 2 more sharks cruising around a rock in front of us with a big boy cruising through on the left shortly followd by 4 more. Yep 7 different Sharks in 30 seconds all in 6 meters of water. I can’t wait to go back!

Below are a few pictures of the speed boats used on all snorkeling trips and quick boat transfers. Depending on how many people are in the group depends on the size of the boat used.

Rob:One of the best things I like about working a dive season is seeing all the Juveniles. I especially like watching them grow into an adult fish as normally they have to change their shape and colors which is quite amazing.

When you first find a Juvenile they are always hiding in a crevice or in between corals or amongst other fish where they can find protection. They always stay in the same area and after a few weeks you can see them get bigger and braver as they start to venture out a little further each time. But get to close and they will dart into their hiding places again which makes them quite hard to take a photo of.

This is a Juvenile Emperor Angel Fish. Found on most dive sites but in abundance at Hin Daeng. If you dive with me you know I get very excited when we spot them.

The Juvenile Clown Trigger Fish found at Koh Ha Yai. You can see its a baby due to the white spots covering all its body. When its an adult the white spots are allot bigger and only appear half way up its body.

Can you believe this is a picture of a Juvenile Parrot Fish, Its a really cool fish and its pretty extraordinary how it progresses into a Parrot Fish with a multitude of colors.

This video is of a Juvenile Oriental Sweetlips trying to hide in the corals. It was taken at Koh Bida Nok where I find them the most.