Phuket,
Thailand
Saturday, December 16, 2006
I book three days diving in the Andaman Sea, lured by images of whale sharks, manta rays and leopard sharks. It turns out I see none of the above but the diving is fine - great reefs alive with luminous staghorn corals, anemones, mantis shrimp, pink-and-white camouflaged scorpionfish. Moray eels and lionfish hide in crevices. Shoals of barracuda and snapper sail through the blue. Highlights are a large eagle ray two yellow tigertail seahorses, a ghost pipefish and two thrilling attacks from titan triggerfish.
The diveboat passes Ko Phi Phi, famous from 'The Beach' and now overrun by speedboats full of day-trip snorkellers.
