Friday, January 09, 2009

SWV: Part 3

As a new diver, I've got much to learn and see. As a new diver also, if you were to ask me what's my favourite marine life, I wouldn't be able to give you a definite answer.

I know I enjoy looking at big fish, the pelagics. First of all, it takes no effort (read: crowding around a particular coral, magnifying glass in hand) in spotting them. Secondly, big things are always good. Look at the Petronas Twin Towers, the Statue of Liberty, the Great Wall - they are all BIG.

Sipadan was H-A-V-O-C.

Barracuda Point rocks! Upon descent, we were treated to a wondrous sight - a school of jacks and a school of bumpheads.

Crusing alongside the bumpheads is one of the most awesome feeling ever.

They make look nasty with those huge teeth of theirs, but I think they're special like that, and I love them!

Barracuda Point wouldn't make sense if we didn't see no barracudas. And that actually was the case for our very first dive there. The 2 subsequent dives - finally - a wall of barracuda - literally thousands of them!

Words cannot describe how I felt the first time we saw them. Two different schools of barracudas, then eventually merging into one huge wall. The second sighting, we had to swim, and swim and swim and swim to catch sight of them after the dive master spotted their shadows in the distant.

For both sightings, we only saw them towards the end of our dive. Thank God kan? But no, them barracudas weren't in their tornado formation. Just a wall of them.

Amazing.

Sharks were everywhere, and you don't even have to look for them.

Don't get me wrong - I like small things too. Diamonds are small, but who's ever complained of receiving them right? *grins* A nudibranch is always pretty to look at. And you don't have to swim or chase after them. They just sit there. The orang utan crab is hairy and cute!