Going Underwater Again

In July 2006, again, I ventured into the marine world. This time it happened under the water somewhere near Tioman Island.

Much to my disappointment, there wasn’t much to see this time. The visibility was poor. The wave and current were strong. I threw up many times, on the way to the diving spots, under the water and also on the water surface. It was horrible. I felt terrible.

I remember I got lost during one of the dives. I was busy snapping photos at that time that I didn’t realise I was actually making a 180^o turn. I was carried farther away from my buddy due to the heavy underwater current. I was out of the view of the other divers. It wasn’t long when I knew I had lost them. I panicked and shot straight right up, trying my best to resurface as fast as I could (something that I should not have done). In no time, I was already out of the water, gasping for air, screaming and praying that anyone would see and rescue me. Now, that sounds a little bit too dramatic, doesn’t it? But that was what actually happened to me. There were a lot of things playing in my mind during the ascent. Sharks, creepy creatures, monsters, ghosts, those ‘supernatural’ things, oh damn, there’s a lot more!

Lesson learned, lesson learned… never leave your buddy and always stay alert. In any situation, try to stay calm and ascend slowly if you need to resurface.

Alright! Got it!

Despite of the miserable feeling I had during the trip, I managed to complete six dives and snapped as many photos as I could. There were photos of Giant Clam, Behn’s Damselfish, Parrotfish and Red-breasted Wrasse and short clips of White-eyed Moray, Remora, Lizzardfish and Blue-spotted Ribbontail Ray.