I went looking for a "Christmassy" shot to put in this post and found this one from my most recent trip, to Hin Daeng and Hin Muang in Thailand’s South Andaman. Like several pictures I end up with, it’s ‘pretty’ but I don’t end up using it because it’s not ‘of’ anything.

Here’s wishing you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

While the Lembeh Strait is renowned for muck diving, it does have some patches of coral reef. The reefs aren’t large, but they are quite pretty, and experts say they display a very rich diversity of corals and related marine life.

Ever have a dive where you thought, "There’s too many fish down here"? I’m being a bit facetious of course, but it almost seemed that way on my most recent dive on Batu Bolong near Komodo Island in Indonesia. The photo above may give you an idea of how, uh, "crowded" it was down there.

A Spiny Devilfish "walks" along the sandy bottom

The first sight of this guy was quite intriguing, since it was indeed "walking" along the bottom. I wondered if maybe it was a shrimp that looked like a scorpionfish, but once back on the boat I confirmed it was in fact the Spiny Devilfish.

Thanks again to Two Fish Divers and their guide Franz for a great trip.

Ghost Pipefish – there is small stuff around Bunaken

I’m also staying at Two Fish Divers resort in Bunaken. They are one of only two or three resorts with operations in both locations. The big advantage with this is that I didn’t have to stop diving hours before the transfer so my gear would have time to dry out before I packed it. Instead, Two Fish puts my wet gear in one of their own day bags for transfer between their resorts along with my luggage.

Two Fish Bunaken resort.

In addition to convenience, Two Fish is a very nice operation. The accommodation may not be posh, but it’s comfortable and well maintained, as is their equipment. Their staff – not just the dive guides but also the reception and restaurant – are all friendly and helpful.

A Seahorse

Pink Painted Frogfish (?) – the same color as the sponge.

A Flamboyant Cuttlefish

I’m staying with Two Fish divers in Lembeh. Really nice folks there, and as you can see, some really good dive guides.

The important work of updating the site’s guide to the Similans is already done, so this will just be an overview of the trip.

This was a seven day, six night cruise aboard the MV Nautica. We departed from the pier in Taplamu up in Phang Nga, which is much better than making the long slog from Chalong on Phuket. We left in the late afternoon and were anchored in Honeymoon Bay in time for dinner.

We followed the typical route up through the Similans to Koh Bon, Koh Tachai and on to Richelieu Rock. I didn’t get to the rock on my first trip to the Similans. It was too early in the year and conditions were too rough. This time, at the peak of the high season, there was no problem getting there, and spending the day there. Of course, with such good conditions, nobody else had any trouble getting there either. There were at least five other dive boats there at the same time. However, the thing about Richelieu is that it’s a really big dive site. Even with five dive boats on the site, you won’t necessarily have to contend with a lot of other divers in the water at the same time on the same side of the rock.

While Richelieu Rock is definitely the star attraction of the Similans, I did have a few other favorites: Koh Bon pinnacle was definitely one of the best sites. You have to dive it at slack tide, as there’s no mooring line and it’s not that big of a site. I also like Elephant Rock. But, the real standout for me was the Boonsong Wreck. A lot of dive guides downplay it, and it’s true that, as wrecks go, it’s not that interesting. However, the wreck is home to amazing array of sea life, including an incredible number of harlequin morays and other distinctive critters. I’m definitely considering returning to Khao Lak again for a few days, just to dive the Boonsong a few more times.