Viz report - Thailand....post Tsunami

[fishchaser]

Has anyone came back from a liveaboard to the Similans and can give a non-biased report?
Members who said they'd post here, please do.
Thanks

I posted my report in the Asia section, for a LOB on Jan 6-8. It's here: Dive report of Similan Islands, Jan 6-8

 

[Deepman]

we were on the Corona VI liveabaord, one week after the tsunami, we went to Koh Similan and Koh Bon and Richeleu Rock. the boat was half full after half the bookings were cancelled, but man did we have the time of our life. We decided to go anyway, thinking what are the chances of a second one anyway, and we really wanted to express our support to the thai community in phuket.. we were going to volunteer in the local hospital if the diving was not possible, being both medical staff. but they didn't need anyone there, except for forensic teams for the tedious and arduous identification process of the unfortunate victims..

Phuket otherwise was the same as always, there was no atmosphere of disaster like the one in Banda Aceh in Indonesia, understandably the scale of the disaster was far far less here, only Khao Lak beach was severely hit and Patong beach was moderately damaged...the beach strip only, and the fishing villages in the surrounding areas on the west coast of the Andaman ... the other beaches escaped unscatehed.. Kata, Karon, Rawai...we met some instructors form hong kong that lost thier equipment on Kata beach and were bruised and bandaged..with 2 of their students they were buying new equipment at the dive shop in Ao Chalong..one of their students was flown to Hong Kong for treatment.... but they were planning the resumption of the course...isn't that some wonderful spirit....

The diving was remarkable, a few broken corals, that we helped reposition and a little cleaning of the table corals..which gave us a sense of mission ....the viz was just great for this time of year... we spotted and enjoyed the magical company of a manta ray, young one only 3 meter wing span, at Koh Bon, oh my God that was just breathtaking....and we saw cuttle fish mating and changing colors in Richeleu rock,octpui, the currents were strong but added to the fun of the diving, a leopard shark running scared being chased by a trigger fish... schools of baracuda, banded pipefish, sea horses and all manner of colorful microlife...schools of batfish in Similans, banded snake eels green turtles, and many many many pleasantries and the fish was notably in larger numbers compared to last year perhaps because there were fewer divers and diveboats....

I have to say that we had a very good time, we felt great about having went ahead with our travel plans and not canceling.. we don't feel mean or pathetic about doing that.. after all we took a ride with this taxi driver who lost "18 members of his family to the tsunami" but was grateful and tearfully grateful for us coming, because we are as tourists his only source of income...

to tell you the truth I think the thai people in phuket will survive a bad tourist season this year, they can actually survive without tourism at all, I think, they will just not be able to become rich or well off. or lead a more affleunt life.. so I am less worried about that...

but it is the tourists that will miss out by not going there to see the wonders of phuket and phang Nga...and especiaslly the divers...

we are going back to Koh Similan and Richeleu Rock....it was just awesome

 

[Batfish]

Deepman, thank you for your report. And thank you for not cancelling. There have been too many cancellations in January and I think some people were a bit hasty and may now be kicking themselves. Customers of ours who have come over the last couple of weeks have thanked us for our advice. They have had great trips. I have added a link to this post on our news page where you can find other links to videos and web pages with latest information.

(www.sunrise-divers.com/news.htm)