30/4/2007 - Whaleshark
There was no morning boat going out from our diveshop. It was bad wheater and probably high waves. But the wheater wasn't that bad.
It was around eleven in the morning. Our captain said other diveshops spotted a whaleshark. The biggest fish in the sea!
It is only around april and september that there is a slight change of seeing them. Some people have made 2000 dives on Koh Tao and never saw one. Others were lucky in their Open Water course.
I was suppost to teach Deep en Peak Performance Buoyancy for the advanced course.
With just 8 of us (including vdo camera) we went to Chumphon Pinnacle where it was seen. There were no other boats, what is amazing here on Koh Tao. We went in the lunchbreak from the big shops. We were all very exited on the boat. I got the nerves, my heart was going rapid and was crossing my fingers for good luck.
Down at 30 meters I did the narcosis test with my 2 students. Came up more shallow and I don't know why I suddenly looked up, but there she was.......... Almost at the surface and from down at 25 meters it looked like a boat.
The whaleshark!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I stole this picture from internet, for you to have an idea.
I had no tankbanger to warn the others and she was too shallow to follow. After a couple of minutes she was gone. Beautiful creature! Come back please!!!!!!!
Steve (a divemaster) said on the boat that he would bang on his tank 3 times when he would spot the whaleshark.
Later in the dive I heard his tank banger and he didn't stop banging! I couldn't find out where I heard it. Sound is hard to determine where it comes from underwater. Then I heard a scream. Above me. It was Ali the VDO man who tried to get my attention. I worked.
I looked up and there she was. We followed her for at least 15 minutes. She cames so close, I went under her, next to her. She came straight at me and then over me. IT WAS AMAZING!!!!!!!! And the great thing was, us 8 were the only ones. That almost never happens on Koh Tao.
What a beautiful animal. So peaceful, so graceful, so big (although it was a baby about 4 meters)
Yesterday I saw her. We did another dive there and we saw her again. It was the second time for me.
2 years ago today I saw my first one (on Queensday).
Yesterday night we saw the VDO. Great VDO and ofcourse I get a copy.
This is my office, people. The sea. How great is that!
Love,
Jazz
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