Well that was an interesting bus journey, not sure why I can't sleep on these buses anymore. I think it was the concern that I realised we must be arriving at the ferry port at 3am and I knew the boat wasn't leaving until 7am. True to form the one time you want a bus to be late it arrives on time, so at 3am we are kicked off the bus and most of us take refuge in the cargo room. We find any kind of blanket or comfy things in our backpacks, lie it on the floor and to protect our belongings we use our bags as pillows and return to sleep. Luckily at 7am someone comes in to wake us up and shuffle us half asleep humans onto the right boats.

On the boat we continue to sleep as fishing boats start thier busy days. We whizz past the secluded paridise island and to our destination, Koh Tao translated..... Turtle Island and I believe that this name has nothing to do with any turtles on the island, shame. As usual people our already on the boat telling you to stay here and as Koh Tao is famous for diving also saying dive with us. Totally unprepaired again, even though we had advice we went with the big company "Big Blue". They sold it on free transport, so hopped on board with our bags to Sariee beach the main area.

Before we knew it we were checked in, diving booked for the following morning and even Rachey was book to have a practice dive. We were now left to explore our new surroundings, Hana & I were excited this was a new place for us too. It was a small island, it still had 7 eleven and ATMs but it had charm. We wondered the small streets only suitable for scooters, passing only little resturants, dive shops and pharmacies. An island set up for just divers. Soon realising that there is so much choice with better cheaper packages, but we were happy with our choice and hey if it's cheaper they maybe they are cutting some corners. We found ourselves a lovely little resturant to have some lunch and enjoyed the view over the sea and beach, it was so blissful and sunny I knew I was going to enjoy my time. With an early diving start the next day we just pottered around and relaxed in paradise.

No time for chilling, the alarm is screaming again it's 6am!! However it had been a lovely sleep in a comfy bed with beautiful air con so we were nearly fully of energy. Eyes still ajusting to the sunrising sun we collect our gear, pack our bag and wait for the boat. It is a special holiday weekend for the Japanese, and it appears they our out in force on this island. Wow it's like a gadget show watching the huge huge cameras with all kinds of extras parading down into the boats. Sometimes these cameras are bigger than them, maybe it's a male ego to compensent for something. We wait patiently being introduced to our overly happy divemaster Steve, a yorkshire lad. He rounds us up and we are whizzed to the big boat on little long boats before setting off into the sea to our dive sites South West Pinicle & Shark Island. Little secret we didn't really fancy diving straight away but the excitement on the island of Whale sharks being spotted here was too much temptation for us to try and catch a glimpse too. Steve too was praying to the fish god we would see it so did our briefing early so we could be the first kitted and booted and in the water before everyone else. He's moto the big stuff gets scared and he wants to the be the one doing the scarying. As planned we were all ready, buddy checked and jumping off the side first, I was very excited for my birthday Hana had brought me my own new mask one that wouldn't hurt my bridge of my nose and was small for my face. I couldn't wait to test it but worried it may leak. However it was fine as we gave the ok to descend, after our problems on the liveaboard we had popped all the right pills and was enjoying a lovely dive. Our experience is growing and confindence is sky high as we too point out marine life while gliding through the water. Unfortunately it wasn't our day to see the whale shark, but that didn't spoil the dive. Visabilty was amazing the pincle was teaming with life and best of all we were all out breathing our divemaster (this means we had more air in our tanks than the professional). Our time below was coming to an end the computer wasn't happy and our divemaster was running low on air so we started our ascent. Reaching the surface we soon realised although the first down we were the last up!!! I think their were a few divemaster who were jealous of our group.
Here is a list of what we saw ..... Brown Marbled Grouper (he was huge!), Scorpion Fish & a baby one, White eyed Moray Eel, Golden Trevelly, Baby Yellowtail Barracuda, Swam through masive schools of Yellowstripe Scad, Banner Fish and Fan Coral & Bannded Coral Shrimp.

All equipment changed we had a quick fruit and tea break before starting it all again. This time we were diving Shark Island, again not because sharks hang out here but because the rock sticking out looks like a sharks fin. Although aprently baby sharks do come in and fed at dusk around here and you can snorkel with them for free. Again we were the first ready, first in the water and under swimming around in no time. Steve now knew we could have another long dive if a little shallower and was excited to show us cool stuff again. Again it was an awesome dive with no problems, it had restored all my faith. We saw some crazy stuff and Hana & I grew to enjoy the small marine life more and more.
Here is what we saw this time....... Teira Batfish, a cool Flatworm, Polka dot Nudibranch and played with lots and lots of Christmas Tree Worms.

After a great morning of diving we were heading back, wading up the beach to see a little nervous Rachey. She was being indroduced to diving very soon and after her briefing was being to wonder what she had signed up for. We didn't have long before we were turning around and back on the boat supporting Rach. Hana was doing her best to calm her down explaining everything in great detail in a fun way, the instructor said Hana should take his job. We waited until everyone had left the boat before getting the gear onto Rachel and her first skill the jumping in!!! Luckily she had her friend me equipt with our camera to capture her splended stradle jump. She bobbed up to the surface and was taught through her skills, doing a typical beginner diver of holding her breathe every time she descended. Hana & I left her with her instructor so she could gain her confidence and explored the surroundings. It was funny snorkelling watching the others diving, but it was still teaming with fish. We found a few rocks and swim throughs that we played with, diving down to swim through the schools of fish. Soon our attention was distracted by a diver we recognised, Rachey was swim below us bubbling away with the fishes. She looked like she was enjoying herself, so we left and headed back to the boat. However Hana wasn't finished with me and even though a little naughty she threw biscuits in where I was swimming attracting a lot of fish that took to nibbling at me!!! Arrrgh I scream to stop just before we got told off.

Finally Rachey surfaced and we were like proud parents, excited to hear all about it. We wanted to know what she had seen. We then continued to confince her to have another go, as this would just be fun no drills just bobbing. She finally gave in and got suited up again not looking so nervous until we teased she would have to jump backwards. We took some more pictures just before we swam off again for an amazing snorkel session. We were so proud of ourselves we were started to identify fish, diving to find better things and were so excited when we found nudibranches which we are starting to love now!!! We got some cracking pictures, we are both so happy in the water I could see myself living her. Back at the boat again we were excited to meet up with Rachey to see if she had loved it the second time, she had as was glad of the experience but so tired. With everything finished we headed back to land but after a busy day we all K'od for an early night.

Steve had asked us to dive again with him on his favourite dive sites Chumphon Pinnicle & White Rock. As it was such a pleasure to have good divers, but that ment another 6am start!! Not impressed but we knew what we were doing so was better prepared. We had planned to have deep long dives so that ment being in quickly again which we did him proud on!! Again we had our fingers crossed for the famous Whale Shark, but it was a busy site and it would have been too noisy. I was excited as Steve had given me my own computer to use, mainly because I sometimes went a bit deeper so it was to make sure I didn't hit Deco. We swam out and into the blue to see if any bigger fishes were about but we were alone, so we went back to the rocks and dove to our deepest ever 33m still no nargosis though :(!! We searched for all the cool little fellas and saw heaps, it was amazing diving again I was so at peace. We were underwater for ...... A record again for us and still had plenty of air but we had to return to the boat.
We saw all this........ A Moray Eel out swimming, One Spot Snapper, 2 White-eyed Moray Eels playing or fighting in a hole, a Junvinille Teria Batfish (so funny as he has to grow into his back fins), a Live Shark Sucker that attached himself to Steve, Orange Trevally that swam into our masks.

We were the first ready for our second dive and were planning for a very long dive. Our poor divemaster had to do some meditating to slow his breathing to keep up with us before we took the plunge. We saw heaps and heaps of stuff, things we had never seen. Steve was awesome helping us practicing our fish identify and even took us through some swim throughs, we had to push our bodies and dive abilities a few times.
We saw ........ Brown Banded & Whisked Pipefish, Crocodile fish (very hard to spot), Cleaner Shrimp, Risbecia Tryoni Nudibranch, Jams Pipefish (a favourite of mine!!), Dancing Shrimp, Bigfin Reef Squid, Scrawled Filefish and a huge sea snake. But not only that we were under for 72minutes!!! It was crazy and has given Hana & I the bug to want to do more diving and live this lifestyle.

Back on land Hana & I meet up with Rachel but were super exhusted that we feel asleep in the resturant. We had planned to go snorkelling with the sharks in the afternoon but we just weren't alive. So we crashed and burned but came alive in the evening. Of course we did we had planned to leave the next day for Koh Samui so it was obvious that our few beers would continue to buckets and on to happy hour hopping while watching fire shows. Hana became restless and dragged Rachey to go make friends in the SEA!!! However we realised the time and tried to head back to bed, but oh dear our hostel was pumping. We couldn't resist and joined in with the other divemasters until Hana & Rachey decided it was swimming time. They went off for a late night swim came back all wet and sandy and the night was over. Luckily our accomodation was in the dive resort so we didn't have to go anywhere and after a quick shower we were asleep.

It was a slow start, holding a few heads but we had the pleasure of a 9am start so it felt late as we went to start our boat trip to Koh Samui.