"An Around-the-World-Ticket for Two, Please."

Diving in Pulua Weh

Posted by Sarah O'Neill , Saturday, 16 October 2010 03:24

The reason we are here is because our Dive Master in Koh Lanta told us he thought this place had some of the best diving. Today we found out he was right! The dive sites are a lot more difficult than those on Koh Tao, and Koh Lanta. There is a LOT more current to contend with, and sometimes some sites cannot be dived at all, so you have to go to plan b. This worried me slightly! However, current = fish, so dug deep for the bravery I have been cultivating and got on with it! Here the dive boat is a lot smaller, and the regular dive boat was full, so a group of us were taken out on an even smaller boat. A new skill for me to learn, getting into the water by sitting on the edge and falling backwards! We had always been on big boats and done a ‘giant stride entry’, basically as it sounds, a big step into the sea! This was a whole different scenario! Managed it fine, and the dive was good. The corals are really good and there are certainly a lot more fish here! When we came up we found out that one group had seen a turtle, and another group had seen a shark! Ben was gutted, as he is desperate to see a shark!

Got back for lunch and then went out on the bigger boat (it’s still small in comparison) for our second dive, still had to enter the water by falling backwards in! The diving was good, like being in ‘fish soup’! But again, we did not see anything big! We saw a trumpet fish which was pretty cool, and a very long moray eel out and about which is unusual!

The next day was Friday and there is a rule, no snorkelling or diving, we think it’s to do with the fishermen. So we used to the time to research and book a place for Singapore. We’re flying back to KL on Sunday, and then hoping to get the night train down to Singapore, as long as we can get tickets on the day! Booked a cheap (cheap for Singapore, which is a very expensive place!) hotel and grabbed some lunch.

This dive was at their ‘most illusive dive site’, where two seas meet and there can be lots of current, so the diving is always ‘conditions permitting’. As we headed out on the boat the waves got bigger and bigger and we were rolling up and down! Got nearer and nearer, and then it was decided that we could not dive there today, so turned around for a different site. The diving there was good again, and our Dive Master gestured that there was a shark ahead, one of the guys at the front saw it, but when we got there it was gone! Ben was gutted! The smaller boat went somewhere different and one group saw 5 sharks!!!!

Had a nice evening and chatted to a Scottish couple who dive in the UK. I think Ben will probably be wanting to take up diving when we get home, and we were talking all about how much kit costs, and how to clean and store it! I think we’ll need a house with a garage and a hose pipe before I can cope with it all, they said their flat is a dump for days after diving, washing and drying out equipment on any available surface!!! We were both surprised to hear how much they enjoyed diving in the UK, however, it is VERY cold!

On Saturday morning we went for my final dive and Ben’s second to last one. We were heading to a different site that was also ‘conditions permitting’, so not certain that we would make it. The waves were pretty high, but it seemed that we were going in! In these places it’s important to descend as quickly as you can to the bottom as the current is less strong there. After a few seconds on decending upright the guide nose dived and I followed suit. I happened to be looking at him as he made the sign for shark, looked ahead into the blue, and there it was! It was like a picture from a postcard, just a dark shark shape ahead in the blue sea! I looked back to get Ben’s attention, but as soon as I turned back around it was gone! I was gutted for Ben, and wished he could have seen it rather than me! We had a great dive, my favourite so far, the dive site was amazing and packed with fish! We saw a lot of big tuna, and a gigantic fish called a Napoleon Wrasse! Getting back on the boat was really difficult and I kept slamming against the side while I was trying to get my equipment off, but managed eventually. Ben lost a wetsuit shoe in the process, really hoping it’s not too much to replace!

After lunch Ben went off for his final dive hoping to see a shark! Unfortunately he did not! It wasn’t the right site for it, but he did get to see an octopus and a new type of anemone and anemone fish that no one had seen before!

Hoping to Skype with my Grandma, Mum and Emma soon which will be great, however, the internet connection here is awful, hence no photos uploaded, so we will see. Really hope it works out!

Leaving on a 7am bus tomorrow, then ferry, taxi, and plane back to KL, then another and hopefully the night train if we can get a ticket, it’s going to be a LONG day!

Sarah x