LONG DUE DIVE TRIP

 As MCO was relaxed recently.

I thought of taking advantage of it and go on my long due dive trip.

I called my dive master Mr.Ben to plan a dive trip.

Currently  East Coast of Malaysia close due to Mansoon.

As such we planned to make a trip to Mabul/Simpadan at Sabah taking advantage of low price due to limited movement due to pandemic.

We took 5 days dive package.

Our flight was booked from KL to Tawau.So we had to drive a day before from Penang to KL.It was a smooth drive though there were heavy traffics on the highway.Beside that  all the R&R are full of visitors till no place even to sit.It made one wonder; is there anyone worries of Covid and SOP!

We reached Mr.Ben’s fiancée place around 7pm.I was amazed by the residential area of his fiancée.As it is one of the most expensive suburban which I have ever stayed.It is a gated and high security guarded residence where all the  rich and famous stays, I suppose.

It was a wonderful catchup up with his fiancée and family.They were very welcoming and full of hospitality.We had an exquisite dinner at nearby restaurant and good night walk of the residential area before hitting the sack.

The next day we headed to the airport as our flight to Tawau was around 1pm.The airport not much people though the flight was almost full.It was around 3 hours flight journey.

Then it took another 2 hours of road journey to reach Semporna which is  a layback  seaside town.We put the night there, as by the time we reach there it is already dark.

Early morning we went to jetty to crossover to Mabul  Island.We put up at Sea Horse Resort which organised  our dive trip.

On the same day at 2pm we went for a dive at Garden Eel nearby the resort which was around 20 minutes boat ride.

There is lots of school of fishes of various size and even we saw other creatures like nudibranch and star fish.Beside that plenty of soft and hard corals with reasonable visibility.

It was invigorating and nostalgic after a year to do the dive which I was initially a bit clumsy and nervous.Once into the depth of the ocean.All  the previous experience helped me to regain  my buoyancy and equilibrium to enjoy the dive and the beauty of surrounding lively fauna and flora.One creature I must mention here, I saw one of the biggest turtle which was as big has quarter the size of Peradua Kanchil with sucker fishes on its back.It was resting on soft corals.It glides slowly from the resting place on seeing us coming near to it with camera.

The night spend on imbibing the serenity of the sea and the resort with the bright sky with full moon till I drift into deep slumber.

The second day morning got up after  quick wash up. The morning dive at Kapalaya which was at Artificial Rift site.

Artificial reefs were made from big robes in many small huts and big tunnel like.There are so many types of  school of fishes and small creatures like nudibranch.

There were unimaginable amount of beauty of God’s creation which was a real eye wash, mind boggling and soul soothing which we able to see.

The last day was the best dives of us.As it was long waited dive spot which is Sipadan Island.This island is world best wall dive area with so much to see at these dive spots around the island.We had  three dives to do at this island.

The first dive spot was at South Point to watch for school of spiralling Jack fish.But we got to see a brown tail shark, many turtles with hardly any Jack fish.

The second dive was at Barracuda point.Here we were lucky as we able to see a very long , large spiralling barracuda school of fishes  practically doing a tantalising dance as they swim pass us in thousands.It was eye soothing and satisfying to have a watch of school of barracudas doing the spiralling move infront of us.

The third dive was around 2.30pm after lunch at the island  near the South Point for recheck on Jack Fish.This time around we got to see thousands of Jack  fish spiral pass us by mesmerising with large and long spiralling long distance till our eyes can see.Later we saw more number of turtles at its natural habitat having its food, swimming away or napping at the corals.

The whole dives at this island was very fulfilling because the visibility was very good and minimum under current.Beside I was able to descend to the depth of 35 meters along the wall of soft and hard corals with bottom of wall unable to see as it goes few hundred meters down into the deep sea.

Well, there happened a mishap which I had to share before I end my dive trip.As we ascend the boat after our dive.I noticed the other group dive master was lying down semiconscious and weak.At a sight, I realised  he was having compression sickness.Perhaos going to deep and ascending fast with no rest stop.

I made him lie down flat on the floor of boat.Got Mr Ben the senior and experienced  dive master to attend to decompressed diver by lying him on the side and covering sick diver with warm and dry tower.To our surprise no oxygen box available in the boat.

We had to rush him to Mabul Island to get him oxygen therapy.He improved after oxygen application by fully  awakening and numbness of limbs improving.He was then taken to hospital from there by dive centre staffs.

My long waited  dive trip and recharging of myself came to good end by having heart thrilling dives and  experiencing  with handling  decompression sickness which made me do my healing duty even during vacation.