On Tuesday, a bunch of DMTs (Divemasters in training), instructors and other folk (like me and my dive buddy) all chartered a boat and headed off to Sail Rock, which lies 45 KM off of Koh Samui, about 1.5 hours by boat from Koh Tao. For reasons which I don’t fully understand, I didn’t take any pictures of Sail Rock itself – alright, it’s not that interesting above water – but I did take a bunch of the people and the party on the boat.
Sail rock is a pinnacle that goes from the surface down to 36 meters at the bottom. Above 17 meters, the visibility was stunning. Below that, it was like swimming through mud. Imagine standing on top of a mountain and looking down into clouds – it was like that, only with sand and other particles. So, staying above the sludge line, we saw tons of beauty. 6-banded angelfish and highly poisonous rockfish (both rare, apparently, in that area); tons of damselfish and hex grouper and sweetlips, schools of jack and other fish. Some of the fish were so blue it was hard to believe they were real. Most of the day was incredible. And then there was much rejoicing. Also much beer. If for some reason you’re not seeing the photos in their flimstrip at right, click here to have a look.