I was very excited to take this trip out during the “summer season” as tour leader on MV Scuba Adventure. All season the local sites from Phuket had been performing so well, with lots of great visibility dives and an abundance of marine life both (very) big and small. I also knew that during the high season the dive sites of Hin Deang and Hin Maung are awesome, but I didn’t know what to expect from a trip this time of year?

Scuba Adventure

… It was not a disappointment!

So here we go:

Day 1:

Shark Point – Great visibility to enjoy all the lovely soft corals, fans, sponges and tons of marine life including the odd leopard shark. Hi-light of the dive: a large marble patterned tiger tail seahorse.

Shark Point

Koh Bida Nok – Again tons of marine life, especially the trevally and schools of fusiliers, and a nice big hawksbill turtle at the start. Hi-light of the dive: absolutely the 10-20 black-tip sharks seen during the dive, especially getting up real close to 5-10 of them in the bay, before they finally torpedoed passed us.

Koh Bida Nok

Koh Ha Yai – A beautiful late afternoon dive to enjoy the caverns (known as the Cathedral) and swim-through’s. Hi-light of the dive: the view looking out at the silhouetted divers the from the back of the Cathedral.

"The Cathedral"

Koh Ha Lagoon – A comfortable night dive in the protected lagoon between islands 2 and 4. Our group explored the east side wall of island 2 and the sloping reef between. Hi-light: For me the macro life amongst the vivid soft corals on the wall, for others the giant barracuda following us!

Day 2:

Hin Muang – Oh my God! The visibility! We could see the bottom… and which ever side you are on, it goes down a very long way! Lot’s of life; and the soft corals looking bigger and more colourful than ever. Hi-light of the dive: All of it, in stunning visability. It was like a scene from the movie The Abyss but with the lights on! Diving – the best reason in the world to get up with the sun.

"Stunning Visibility"

Hin Deang – Awesome vis continued, we could even see the outer pinnacle from the main rock! Whichever way you looked there was marine activity and mild currents meant an easy swim to appreciate it all. Hi-light of the dive: Did I mention the large manta ray that made it’s way around the rock to the outer pinnacle!

"Manta Ray"

Koh Ha Neua – An early afternoon dive made the best of the huge purple soft corals on the southern side of this site. The shallow hard coral reef at the end of the dive was full of fish, whilst weaving in and out of the soft-coral coated rock channels rewarded us with nice nudi’s and a brilliant yellow tigertail seahorse. Hi-Light of the dive: A spotted eagle ray hovering over the purple soft coral field.

"Sea Horse"

Koh Bida Nok – With the currents reversed and an exciting dive the day before, we chose to go again from the other side of the island. This dusk dive showed us some more big fish (black-tip sharks), kuhl’s rays, mantis shrimps, morays, nudibranchs. Hi-light of the dive: I guess taking the time to see all the things we hadn’t noticed on the other dives – Bida Nok is one of the richest and most varied dive sites. Oh, and it being a dusk dive so some of us could visit Phi Phi Don and enjoy an evening on land.

Day 3:

Koh Bida Nai – Yet another sunny day, this early morning dive provided more sharks and a small school of big pick-handled barracuda. Hi-light of the dive: Swimming through the hundreds of fusiliers and trevally that hang out in the sunshine over the beds of stag horn coral, then back up the reef to the glittering chevron barracudas.

Koh Bida Nai

Anemone Reef – Of course anemones but also lots of colorful soft corals make this a beautiful pinnacle in good visibility… and it was! A turtle, lot’s of fish, little current, nudi’s and a few bamboo shark made it even better. Hi-light: A pale-yellow seahorse out in the sand (I like seahorses!)

Anemone Reef

Koh Doc Mai – A nice surprise… an extra dive thrown on to the end of the trip! This wall dive is awesome for macro – wonderful nudibranchs, ornate ghost pipefish, more bamboo sharks, all sorts of morays, this site can have it all. Hi-light: We got to dive again, ha!

Koh Doc Mai

Apart from the great visibility and relaxed diving (with it’s heart racing moments – sharks, manta, eagle ray), for me it was the wonderful variety of dive sites and marine life that made the trip one of the best. Also helping to make the diving awesome was that, during most of the trip, we were the only boat diving the sites… well, we were on the Scuba Adventure!

"Another first for Scuba Cat Diving"

Green Star Award Program 

 Go green and earn recognition for your conservation practices
with the new Green Star™ Award

On January 20^th 2012, Awarded Scuba Cat Diving, 5 * CDC, Phuket, Thailand, the Green Star Award for our dedication to environmentally responsible business practices and commitment to conservation of underwater habitats.

We are proud of being the first dive business in Thailand to be awarded such prestige. We are committed to to push our eco programs and practices to ensure the future sustainability of our Ocean Planet.

  Green Star Award Program

Did you fall in love with the aquatic realm the first time you went underwater? If you’re like most divers, your first experience meeting and greeting the denizens of the deep most likely left a lasting impression – and sparked a deep sense of caring about the health of our ocean planet.

On a more practical level, the commitment of divers to environmental conservation helps preserve dive sites around the world — so divers like you can return to favorite sites year after year.

There’s more to going green than simply jumping on the eco bandwagon.

The Green Star Award identifies Scuba Cat Diving as one that cares about the environment and is acting to protect it.

About the Award  

Dive Centres and Resorts who have earned the Green Star Award demonstrate a dedication to conservation across a wide range of business functions, including (but not limited to):

• Water conservation
• Energy use
• “Environmentally friendly” transportation practices
• Optimized waste management
• Use of sustainable materials
• Conservation leadership

Project Aware is a non-profit worldwide organization that was established in 1995 by in response to divers concerns about the potential damage of coral reefs through recreational and commercial water activities. The diving community has become aware that the man’s activities and natural disasters have led to a reduction in the natural reef systems worldwide.

Project Aware advocates, “Conserving underwater environments through education, advocacy and action”

Project Aware has several regional offices in USA (the Head Quarters), Asia Pacific, Europe, Japan and International.  These offices have been responsible for issuing grants to worthy causes. Over a 20 year period the Foundation has awarded grants ranging from $500 to $3000. The areas of funding have included:

Coral Reef Conservation

Shark Protection

Sustainable Fisheries

Ecotourism related to underwater activities

Aquatic education especially children

Direct conservation of underwater resources, for example, mooring buoys

In 2009 the Foundation expenditure for grants was a staggering $275,000 worldwide for 116 projects.

The Foundation is presently reworking the grant-giving program in order to align with Project Aware’s new mission and action plans for the future. It is hoped that details will be available from September 2011.

Education is paramount and Project Aware has many educational resources available including posters, publications, activity and learning kits, exhibits and lectures to mention a few. Education is a critical component in the protection of our oceans.  The oceans have been put under pressure due to the Earth’s expanding population and the ever-increasing use of disposable goods, which become discarded and can eventually make their way to the ocean, for example, plastic bags.  The Foundation actively encourage the education of children and have devised the AWARE Kids program, which teaches children about the underwater world and encourages activities for them to participate in, for example, beach clean-ups. There is an AWARE Kids Activity Book, which topics include coral reefs, sharks, whales, dolphins, whales, turtles and kelp forests. All the student activities correlate to National science Education standards. Education of children is important, as they are our ambassadors for our future.

Project Aware encourages regular events, for example, beach clean-ups, coral monitoring and donate as you dive campaigns. It is an organization that encourages divers worldwide to participate in activities such as underwater clean-ups, monitoring and reporting the state of the marine environment. Armed with information from divers it is possible to lobby governments for action on preservation and the conservation of the marine environment.

"Kath"

Project Aware has recently acquired a new logo and has become pro active in two main conservation areas. These campaigns are known as Sharks In Peril and Marine Debris. It is known that less than 1% of the ocean environment is protected. The shark campaign is trying to secure shark protection worldwide. Unfortunately, there are some species of sharks that are on the brink of extinction and without action the shark population will continue to be decimated. There is currently a petition, which will put pressure on Governments, particularly in countries that matter, to enforce policies to protect the shark population. There has been a victory in Europe, which has enforced a shark-finning ban.  The shark petition is in the form of a widget, this being the 21^st century online version of door-to-door canvassing. The widget can be uploaded to websites and blogs, so signatures can be acquired online.

The Dive Against Debris campaign enables divers to participate in a year round citizen science project highlighting the negative impact of trash in the marine environment and how to address the issue.  Data that is submitted to Project Aware gives a true picture of the debris issues. Currently, there are 180 countries that are actively collecting and reporting online with the help of a data card the type of underwater rubbish that is found. The data can be used to highlight “hot spots”, thus promoting further action in these areas. The diving community can be pro active and use tools available from Project Aware to connect with other divers who are organizing conservation activities in the area. The Foundation is an inspiration to divers who are the key to addressing debris issues on a global scale.

Project Aware has produced a book, which gives information on issues facing the underwater ecosystems. The environments covered include: coral reefs, temperate and tropical regions, oceans, lakes, rivers, fisheries management and diving aware. It is a comprehensive book that is used as teaching tool for the Project Aware Specialty. This is a worthwhile course and gives the diver a wealth of information.

One way of contributing to Project Aware is to make a donation when you are being certified for any Scuba Diving Course. The donation is 100% and goes to worthwhile causes. In return you will receive a limited edition certification card. This organization has been inspirational to many divers and continual action will make a difference!!

"Limited Edition"

Scuba Cat Diving has been offering the Nitrox Enriched Air Specialty since ‘s introduction of the course in 1996. Once considered to be dangerous, it now is widely accepted and very accessible. Diving with Nitrox Enriched Air allows us to safely extend our bottom times and after all, time underwater is what it’s all about!

Since its introduction in recreational diving 1985, Nitrox Enriched air has slowly changed from being controversial to widely accepted. It is now our most popular Specialty Program and all our Daytrip boats are equipped with Oxygen Clean Compressors, which enables us to make Enriched Air available to all Nitrox certified customers.

Diving with Nitrox Enriched Air is most beneficial on dives between 18 and 30 meters. The reduced Nitrogen in the breathing gas means less Nitrogen loading and thus longer dive times.

What is Nitrox?

The air we breathe every day typically consists out of 78% Nitrogen, 21% Oxygen and 1% other gasses. In simple terms, Nitrox Enriched Air in Scuba Diving is any breathing max with an oxygen percentage exceeding 21%. The most popular mixes are EANx 32 (with 32% oxygen) and EANx 36. For recreational diving, breathing gases enriched to 40% oxygen are acceptable and up to 60% with Semi Closed Rebreathers.

Most scuba equipment, including regulators, BCD’s and dive computers are compatible with Nitrox Enriched Air up to 40% when they come from the factory, however you should check the manufacturer’s guidelines.

The normal air we use in scuba diving mainly consists out of Nitrogen (approx. 79%) and Oxygen (approx 21%)*.  Dive tables and computers are based on calculation of theoretical Nitrogen loading. This loading is expressed in Foot Sea Water (fsw), which is directly related to the Partial Pressure of Nitrogen. So, as most divers already know, the nitrogen loading is based on the depth of the dive and the amount of time we spend underwater. Besides these two elements, the third factor that determines our nitrogen loading is the percentage of Nitrogen in the gas we breathe.

In Scuba Diving, Enriched Air Nitrox is any gas mix with more than 21% oxygen. Our body doesn’t use the extra oxygen in the mix, but we do benefit from the reduced Nitrogen. The reduced nitrogen will reduce the partial pressure of nitrogen when we dive and reduce the nitrogen loading, thus extending our bottom time.

Nitrox Enriched air was first introduced as a recreational breathing gas in 1985, which caused major controversy among Scuba Diving experts. It took another 11 years before it became widely accepted with ‘s support of Nitrox Enriched Air as a recreational breathing gas and its introduction of Educational Material and the Nitrox Enriched Air Speciality course in 1996.

Most dive centres have Nitrox Enriched Air available and some boats have Nitrox available onboard.

Scuba Cat’s MV Scuba Adventure, includes several free Nitrox fills on every trip to allow longer dive times. MV Scuba Fun and MV Scuba Cat both have the facility for Nitrox on board meaning that you can take your Enriched Air Diver Specialty during your diving with us no matter which boat you are on. The course is available as a Elearning course, so you can complete the theory from your own home and enjoy the diving on your vacation.

The Seahorse is one of the “must see” critters amongst divers in Phuket.

They are found in tropical and temperate waters worldwide often in sheltered areas, for example, sea grass beds, coral reefs and mangroves.  Seahorses belong to the fish genus Hippocampus, a name derived from ancient Greek, Hippos meaning horse and Kampos meaning sea monster. The Seahorse has been named for its’ equine profile. Although the seahorse is classified as a bony fish it does not have scales, but has a thin layer of skin that is stretched over a series of bony plates.  There are fifty species of Seahorses worldwide ranging in size from 1.5cm to 35cm each having its’ own distinct number of plates.

Seahorses are poor swimmers and are found often resting with their prehensile tail wound round a stationary object. They are territorial with the male staying in a 1m square of their habitat, whereas the female may travel up to 100times that area. All species of Seahorses swim in an upright position with the dorsal fin moving rapidly up to 35 times a second!!!  The pectoral fin is positioned behind the eyes and this is used to steer. There is no caudal fin. Each individual has a coronet on the head that is unique to the individual. They also have eyes that move independently.

It is believed that Seahorses mate for life, but there is no data to prove monogamy. However, it is known that a breeding pair will be together for the breeding season.  The courtship between the male and female cements the bond between them and is a very important part of the relationship and may take several days. The courtship behavior synchronizes the movements, so when the female is ready she can deposit her eggs into the male brood pouch. One of the unique things about Seahorses is that the male incubates the eggs. The Courtship dance is also known as the “pre-dawn dance” They may change colour, swim side-by-side holding tails and spiral in unison. Once the pair have bonded and the female is ready to transfer her eggs a courtship dance lasting up to 8 hours will take place. During this time the male will pump water into his brood pouch, which is on the ventral or front facing side, expanding it.  As the pair drift upwards the female inserts her ovipositor into the male’s pouch depositing her eggs.  Once the eggs are transferred the pair sink and the female swims away.  The amount of eggs laid depends on the species ranging from 5 to 1500, but the average is 100 to 200.

Once the male has the eggs they are fertilized and are surrounded by a spongy tissue. The pouch acts an incubator and provides oxygen and a controlled environment where the salinity is regulated to prepare the young for life in the sea. By the end of the incubation period the male consumes a third more oxygen than before mating. The female energy expenditure while generating the eggs is twice that of the male during incubation. The gestation period is 2 to 4 weeks during which time the female will visit the male on a daily basis interacting for about 6 minutes.  When the fry are formed the male contracts the pouch releasing the young into the water column. The birth normally happens at night allowing the male to receive more eggs from his partner the following morning. Once the young are ejected into the water they are independent as there is no parental care.

It is estimated that less than 0.5% of the fry survive to adulthood. The survival rate is higher compared to other fish due to the protected gestation of the male. It is believed that the male takes the role of incubator because the female takes a long time to produce eggs. This reduces the time between clutches, thus increasing the amount of young.  When the eggs are ready they must be transferred to the male’s pouch within a few hours. If this is not possible the eggs are ejected into the water. Once the eggs are laid the female reduces in size. The eggs are equivalent to one third of her body weight!!!

The Seahorse has an unbelievable appetite and eats constantly. It is possible for an individual to eat 3000+ brine shrimp in a day. They will also consume minute fish, crustaceans and plankton.

Unfortunately, there is very little data on Seahorses, so it is impossible to assess the population and whether or not it is endangered. The use of Seahorses in traditional Asian medicine has put pressure on the population as this type of medicine will only use fish from the natural habitat and will not consider individuals from captive breeding. This combined with the deteriorating habitats and souvenir collecting does point to the extinction of some species.

"Take that purrfect shot"

The Seahorse is a prized treasure amongst underwater photographers, as getting the perfect shot can be a challenge due to the coyness of the creature. If you would like to capture “the shot” why not consider doing a Digital Underwater Photography Specialty Course, and now be able to spend more time learning to take the photographs why not take the theory for the Speciality with E learning?