Duiken in de Andaman Sea in Thailand met Mike Newman

Mijn grote vriend Mike Newman uit Thailand heeft een hobby en wat voor een hobby!! Hij gaat heel graag duiken, 

Zie hier zijn verslag van deze geweldige duiktocht.

Ditmaal maakte Mike ook nog een video, die ik hier ook zal vertonen.

Mike zou het erg leuk vinden als jullie commentaar willen geven op de foto's en de video, stuur het maar naar mij dan stuur ik het zeker door!!

Bedankt alvast namens Mike!!

Andaman Diving - March 2013

Another Andaman Sea dive trip with the wonderful vessel, MV White Manta.

First stop is Phuket to wait for transport to the boat.

I like to stay in Patong at the Tropica Bungalow hotel. It's right on the beach and just around the corner from amazing Bangla road.

But Tropica is an oasis of calm in the madness that Patong has become. It's an older hotel, but has been kept up well.

The garden and pool are very pleasant.

The entrance drive is walled with ancient style fired bricks. At the end, to the right, is the ocean.

Yes, Phuket has a brew pub: Full Moon Brew Work. This is their dark ale with a spicy Thai beef salad. The pub is located in the Jung Ceylon shopping center in Patong.

The Surin Islands.

This is a Dorid Nudibranch, probably a Chromodoris (Richelieu Rock)

Mantis Shrimp (Richelieu Rock)

Banded Coral Shrimp (Richelieu Rock)

Tigertail Seahorse (Richelieu Rock)

Batfish (Koh Tachai Pinnacle)

Harlequin shrimp (large on the left, small on the right) munching on a sea star leg. (Richelieu Rock)

Tiny sea star, maybe 3 cm (just over an inch) in diameter. (Koh Bon Ridge)

Similan Sunset

This scorpionfish fills the full frame: open mouth on the left, eyes center top, pectoral fin and tail at the bottom right. (Three Trees, Similan Islands)

Barrel anemones (Turtle Rock, Similan Islands)

Map (?) puffer (Three Trees, Similan Islands)

Giant Clam - Tridacna (Three Trees, Similan Islands)

Donald Duck Bay, Similan Islands

The White Manta is a great dive boat. the cabins are spacious and well laid out.

Hin Daeng/Hin Muang, South Andaman Sea

Sunrise at Koh Haa, South Andaman Sea

Tour leader Chris creates one of his famous three dimensional dive site maps.

Cathedral Caverns, Koh Haa

Food on the White Manta is terrific; as are the boat crew.

Clear water, beautiful scenery at Koh Haa.

Can't wait 'till next time....

Short YouTube video by yours truly.

Larger, high definition version here: Andaman Sea Diving March 2013

My friend Mike from Thailand was diving in the ocean of Saipan

Mike mailed me this last week

Saipan - Diving the Grotto I went to Saipan last week to visit my daughter and her two sons. I took some time off to scuba dive The Grotto, one of the most interesting dive sites I've ever experienced. I first dove The Grotto in 1980 with the legendary local diver, Ben Concepcion.

The Grotto is a collapsed marine cave. You enter The Grotto by hiking down over one hundred steps through what was once the cave's roof. At sea level there is a huge rock which serves as a diving platform. There are three underwater passages from The Grotto to the open sea.

Please take a look at all Mike's pics!! and please give a comment, I will sent him all!! He will like it!!