Sunday, October 09, 2011

Barracuda Point @ Sipadan Island

On our holidays long time ago, we used to snorkel at some of the resorts we visited...
While it was very enjoyable, I wanted to go deeper, and swim with the fishes instead of looking at them from the top...
The sunburn from snorkeling was not very nice, anyway...
Plus, I particularly envied the scuba divers at the resorts...

My dive buddy aka suweeto-haato feeling comfortable, suspended in mid-water at Barracuda Point.

So I said to myself... if these people can do it, why not us?
But my missus was not so keen...
'I am wearing contact lenses', she said...
Took me years to persuade her to take a scuba diving course with me...


Barracudas circling above us...

Then, while holidaying at one of our favorite resorts one day, we saw an elderly Japanese couple... scuba diving...
And, I said to my missus...
Hey, let's chat with them...

They had just started diving a year before...
And they regretted not doing it earlier...

A close shot of the barracudas...

Wooh, that was what I needed to persuade my missus....
I imagine it to be quite un-interesting to be diving 'alone'...

The following year, we found ourselves at at Koh Tao in Southern Thailand...
It took us five days to undergo the course and it turned out to be a miserable experience...
Why, it was raining almost every day...

Jacks almost always make an appearance at Barracuda Point...

I shivered and shivered as we did the routines in the water...
Back at the chalet, the towels were perennially wet...
We seriously wondered if it was worth the while...
Come to think of it, that was in March 2001...

My dive partner 'walking' on water, observing the jacks...

Since then, we have been scuba diving for most of our holidays and we must say that it has been a very rewarding experience...
Our last trip to Sipadan last July was equally enjoyable, albeit too short...
Most recreation divers go to Sipadan with one thing in mind...
That is, to dive Barracuda Point...

Bat fish can be seen at the shallows at Barracuda Point...

We were lucky to be able to see the barracudas on the two occasions we were there...
Some divers come away disappointed as sometimes the barracudas could not be seen...

11 comments:

  1. Facing a challenge with your new template haha. It's so lovely underwater and a great experience to scuba dive togehter with wife. You are lucky to have seen barracudas in your last trip.

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  2. Bananaz... yeap, just playing with blogger... I am very lucky to be able to share the same hobby with my love...

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  3. Good that you shared the passion with your wife. :)

    Oooohhh those are awesome underwater photos. You made me wanna go learn to scuba dive too. ^^

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  4. lina... bet you will not regret trying...

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  5. Your photographs are absolutely fantastic. You've shown the beauty that can be encountered while scuba diving. I'm glad your wife decided to give it a try.

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  6. That's wonderful that you both sharing the same joyous adventure.

    Your under water photos are stunning.

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  7. Underwater beauty is one thing i will not experience in this lifetime, i have height and deepwater phobia, or maybe it is just psychological. I got swimming in College to get rid of that, but it stayed. I am sad i can't see the underwater garden in Anilao, Mabini, Batangas which is at our backdoor. Those jacks are so big and i love eating them! And i thought barracudas are dangerous to swim with!

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  8. P.S. A friend joked that instead of learning scuba diving inland, i must enroll with the School of Fishes!

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  9. Icy BC... am forever thankful to my missus for joining me underwater... thank you for your compliment...

    Andrea...actually, it feels sooo nice to be underwater... it is so peaceful and delightful... you should give it a try, at least once... we are fiddling with the idea of going to Moalboal...

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  10. It is so good to see there are so many ways to derive happiness.

    Your ways, and my ways.

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  11. rainfield61... likewise my friend... life is to enjoy...

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