27 Sep 2009
by Ubiquityin Uncategorized Tags: dive
After watching Indonesia Uncovered on Animal Planet last night, I’m inspired to dive with the Mola Mola. A bizarre-looking fish, Mola Mola or The Ocean Sunfish looks prominently like a fish head with what is left of it’s body being short and flattened. The fish is native to the tropical and temperate waters around the world and the average adult weight is about 1,000kg.
Mola Mola (The Ocean Sunfish)
Mola Mola mainly feeds on jellyfish. Apart from it’s vulnerability of being consumed by sharks, sea lions and orcas, Mola Mola is considered as a delicacy in Japan, Korea and Taiwan.
12 May 2009
by Ubiquityin Globetrotting Tags: dive, travel
Hello, how have you been? Not good? Well that’s too bad for you because I’m feeling just fine today. The seasick is long gone and the backache has subside. Oh, and I’m an advanced diver! *beaming proudly*
The ‘live-aboard’ trip has been a success. Good dive, good food and good company. We did a total of 7 dives; inclusive of a night dive and a deep dive.
Our journey to Pulau Tioman, Malaysia, started with choppy waters. Halfway through, there was a storm and it was pure torture.
Me ; Bummed
My tolerance for boat movements is zero so sleep was scarce and the loud blaring of the engine made it even worse. We had a room on the boat and it was very crampy. We were like sardines tightly packed in a tin can!
Our bunk
I can still remember how thankful I was when I woke up safe and dry that morning. I survived! The sea finally calmed down and the weather was perfect in the morning. Right after breakfast we did our first dive at Shark Cave where the visibility was superb!
About 10 – 12m I think. Unfortunately, as the dive site name suggested, there were no sharks. Just lotsa spiky sea urchins, colorful fishes and corals. During the dive, James went through with us the practical skills of navigating with a compass.
The next two dives was at Scorpion Wreck where SURPRISINGLY, it was teeming with nurse sharks hiding in the nooks and crannies of the ship wreck.
A baby moral eel which wasn’t too happy when James took video of the sharks instead of his.
All tired and weary, we were greeted by a beautiful sight of the sunset on the way back to the bay.
The last dive of the day was at Tulai Bay where we did our 1st night dive. How was it? Honestly, I wasn’t too thrilled about plunging into the pitch black sea. It was stressful and there wasn’t much to see. James gave us the bearing to where a reef was supposed to be and we had to navigate there. Swimming against the current, and constantly having to check our compasses while maintaining the correct direction to the destination, the dive wasn’t as enjoyable as it could’ve been.
Thankfully, after the dive, we were treated with a barbeque back on the boat.
Very early next morning, we were awaken by James. The boat has taken us to Pulau Aur, Malaysia, during the night and where we did our 1st deep dive (42m) at a site called Secret Garden.
I’ve always thought the visibility deeper in the sea wouldn’t call for much to see but once again, I was wrong. It was easily the same 10 – 12m we got during our shallower dives. There were moray eels again and plenty of starfishes littered the around sandy seabed.
There were also plenty of weird-looking grey-colored stem as long as 1m sprouting everywhere. As we slowly ascended, we also saw a school of giant bump-head parrot fish.
By the time we did our next dive at the Diver’s Lodge House Reef, I was already exhausted and seriously on harboring the thoughts of giving up. Which of course I didn’t.
And we dived again practicing our navigational skills with the compass.
Half an hour later we were back on the boat on our way to the last dive of the trip to the Pinnacles, where if we are lucky enough, we MIGHT see some manta rays and even whale sharks! But of course, we weren’t as lucky as we have been with the weather. There were none of those exciting fishes.
This dive has tested my endurance. I was absolutely ‘kaputt’! I didn’t even have the strength to fin anymore.
Look at that! I look so ‘narced’!
After the last dive, we finally made our 8 hour journey home.
Voila ! The group photo!
And I have never been happier to be back on land.
Twitter
Facebook
