Phuket, THailand - Dive Report

[MoonWrasse]

What do we do if we see a sea snake? I've never seen one and frankly I'll be scared if I did.

Banded sea snakes are 8 times more poisonious than any land snake.

Whenever I've seen one, generally I chase them, however they're fast swimmers.

Once when I was at my safety stop at Shark Point, I saw a snake swim to the surface nearby, amongst other divers who were at the surface, including one with only board shorts on.
Fortunately the snake avoided swiming up his shorts, but sadly my camera was already turned off

 

[malaysia-islands]

Actually I've written on one of my travel journals that king cobra is the world's most deadliest snake. I guess I have to change that to banded sea snakes then.

 

[stevenl]

Actually I've written on one of my travel journals that king cobra is the world's most deadliest snake. I guess I have to change that to banded sea snakes then.

Only if you make it: theoretically most deadliest snake, because it nearly never tries to bite, and were it to try, the mouth is too small to bite a human being, only e.g. between the fingers could it sank its teeth.

 

[Jason Ooi]

Poisonous snake......deadliest

Banded sea snakes are 8 times more poisonious than any land snake.

Whenever I've seen one, generally I chase them, however they're fast swimmers.

Once when I was at my safety stop at Shark Point, I saw a snake swim to the surface nearby, amongst other divers who were at the surface, including one with only board shorts on.
Fortunately the snake avoided swiming up his shorts, but sadly my camera was already turned off

 

[MoonWrasse]

Actually I've written on one of my travel journals that king cobra is the world's most deadliest snake. I guess I have to change that to banded sea snakes then.

No, the inland taipan seems to be #1. The king cobra isn't even on the top 10 list.
However, our friend the banded sea snake is #6 of the 10 deadliest.

http://snake.fol.nl/Page2.html
http://www.manbir-online.com/htm2/snake.22.htm

 

[Jason Ooi]

What is the most poisonous snakes in the world?:06:
Here the link

http://www.biology-online.org/biology-forum/about1419.html

 

[scottfiji]

yes, dive sites were crowded
weather was great
vis was variable, due to tidal changes, i put the vis in my dive reports (follow the link)
yes, there are a few day trips that offer a night dive, limited to 35 minute dive time though.. i really enjoyed the night dive from shore though, you can easily do that over an hour

how did this turn into a sea-snake thread? lol

btw, I just returned from similan islands, vis was great, but there was more marine life at shark point

scott

 

[Quero]

how did this turn into a sea-snake thread? lol

scott

Well, Scott, SB threads do tend to meander.... just like banded sea snakes out hunting, LOL

These snakes' mouths are tiny. Unless you picked one up and it bit you some weird place like on the skin between your fingers, it simply coudn't get its teeth into you. The threat is mainly to people trying to take a snake out of a fishing net.

Once when I was at a resort in Indonesia I came upon a banded sea snake on land going across a path into the undergrowth. I am glad I didn't step on it in the dark, but even if I had I probably would have been more at risk of death from fright than from bite.

Glad you had a good time in our part of the world!

 

[candy jade]

Those pics are cool. Your info was helpful as we plan to go to that side now for next Febuary. The vis will be better then won't it? We want to go to Phi Phi any acomadation recomendations? We were told Krabi was a good place. what do you know of the diving?
Cheers
Candy

 

[stevenl]

Also in February the vis will vary a lot. At some sites like Racha Yai, Racha Noi and Similans guaranteed good, and other sites no reliable prediction possible.

Krabi (meaning Ao Nang) is nice, as is Phi Phi. Most of the diving from Ao Nang is done at the same sites: Bida Nai, Bida Nok, Shark Point, King Cruiser and Anemone Reef, occassionaly also Hin Daeng, Hin Muang and Koh Ha.
Just keep in mind, that to go to the Similans you leave from either Phuket or Khao Lak. Since most of the boats leave early eveing/late afternoon, you can easily make it in one day from Ao Nang or Phi Phi to Phuket.