Location: Koh Tao, Thailand

I showed up to Roctopus this morning surprisingly bright eyed and bushy tailed – despite the ass-o’clockness of the hour. Today we are heading out first to Chumphon dive site: a long pinnacle with a huge fissure on one side you can pass through that has so much happening everywhere it’s hard to know where to look. I was lucky today and had dive master Meikke all to myself, which meant the dive would last as long as I could conserve my oxygen. I saw the biggest grouper I’ve ever seen in my life lurking in the fissure and it was almost unnerving swimming towards it, even though I know it’s not a dangerous fish. Three different white-eyed moray eels swung lazily out of their lairs, waiting to hunt with companions (apparently this is what they’re signalling when they sway?). Meikke and I had to surface finally after 55 minutes because we were going to be late for the departure – and I still could have gone another 10 minutes with how much oxygen I had left!

I was pretty pleased with myself considering the last time I dove with my sister I got so excited under the water we had to surface like half an hour early because I hyperventilated all my oxygen away so fast!

Meikke and I ate sesame cookies and chatted all the way to our next dive: HMS Sattakut wreck. A wreck dive!!! I’ve done a couple before but they are always so exciting. HMS Sattakut was a WWII ship that Thailand held onto, unused, for like 70 years until finally the country decided to sink it off the coast of Koh Tao to use for wreck diving purposes. It’s cool to think of it as some kind of pirate ship but purposeful sinking is fine too! We descended right on top of the captains quarters and watched as fish swam in and out of the wreck that coral and anemones had grown all over. As if on cue a chevron barracuda (it must have been like a meter long) slinked out from under the ship and started hunting, sending schools of small silver fish darting around. A group of smaller barracudas joined in, essentially herding small fish around and snapping into the middle of them so fast it was hard to see. Talk about zero to sixty!

I loved this dive so I was riding a bit high on the way back to the island – energized and ready to explore! I scooted to Aow Luek beach, a bright blue haven of pure sun with two little coral reefs on either side perfect for snorkelling. I found a chair, sat down for what was meant to be just a minute and ended up falling asleep for like two hours! So much for energized! Good thing I put on sunscreen beforehand – I still turned out a little bit pink!

I swam and hung around Aow Luek for the afternoon, finishing my book and drinking iced teas. I eventually made my way back to Summer hostel, but even with the nap I knew if I hung around too long I’d fall asleep again. Sooo sleepy from the early mornings! I begrudgingly got off my bed which suddenly seemed so comfy and headed out the door. I ran into Nina and Ethan, an American couple I have bumped into a few times over the week that have been travelling for like 6 months together, and will be joining me on tomorrows final dive day! They recommended a beach bar called Fizz, that had a good happy hour and bean bags right on the beach with a perfect view of the sunset.

Umm yes please?! Sounds like the perfect way to end my day before I crash at what seems to be an increasingly early bedtime…

Sav