Save Koh Tao marine conservation

Back in 2009, the project was creation of the ‘Hin Fai’ biorock structure. A series of domes were laid underwater off Koh Tao’s north-west coast, with a weak electric current passed through the structures to stimulate coral growth and create an artificial dive site.

For 2010 the project is even more spectacular, with the creation of Koh Tao Buoyancy World near the popular Twins dive site.

Koh Tao’s ‘Twins’ dive site is a series of coral covered shallow pinnacles lying off the west coast of Koh Nangyuan. The shallow depth, massive variety of marine life and flat sandy areas just off the dive site make Twins a popular dive spot for PADI dive training. Understandably a lot of divers visit the Twins dive site each day.

In an effort to ease pressure on the dive site and offer Koh Tao scuba diving instructors a valuable training aid, Buoyancy World will be an artificial reef structure custom designed for PADI dive training. The artificial reef will incorporate:

• Hoops and rings, perfect for peak performance buoyancy training
• Caves and swim-throughs
• Hover weights and balance beams
• Permanent fixed CESA lines for the PADI Open Water course (for the controlled emergency swimming ascent skill)
• Underwater navigation way-points, ideal for fine tuning natural and compass navigation
• Transects for coral reef monitoring / Reef Checks

In addition, work will also be undertaken to encourage corals and marine species to inhabit the artificial reef including:

• Coral nurseries and anchoring points
• Fish nurseries
• Divers habitats for coral reef species

Finally, some sculptures and art work will be added to the artificial dive site to enhance the diving experience.

Work will be taking place between the 6th and 10th Febraury, with the main deployment taking place on the 7th. For this the project has the use of one of Koh Tao’s large night boats to help simplify logistics.

All dive schools are asked to avoid diving Twins between 12pm and 6pm on Feb 7th, to allow the work to take place unhindered.

                          

Well done to Matt, Vicki, Alex and John on completing their Padi Open Water course here at Simple Life Divers, Koh Tao.

The guy’s arrived at Simple Life Diver’s through the recommendation of other travelers. Arriving on Koh Tao on one of the morning ferries, the team were ready to start their PADI Open Water course that same afternoon. The first day was a nice and relaxing session starting with an orientation and watching the PADI Open Water videos.

The next morning off the team were rested and ready to start the confined water skills session in the afternoon. With our equipment prepared and buddy checks completed we headed to beach. The guys were excellent in the water and breezed through all the skills, more than ready for their first two open water dives of the course.

The third day we finished the rest of the videos and quizzes, then made our way out to our newly painted and serviced dive boat. We headed out to the always excellent Twins and White Rock dive sites off Koh Tao’s western coast. The guys really enjoyed themselves and could not wait for the next days trip to the spectacular Chumphon Pinnacles dive site.

For the final two dives of the PADI Open Water course they weren’t disappointed. There were sharks aplenty and many other fish around the dive site and the group got to enjoy some fantastic diving.

Thanks again guys for making it a fun course, and remember, ‘keep it Simple’!

                          

At the moment, there are many big bill sharks living around the Koh Tao dive site, reaching around 3M in length. This makes for a truly spectacular shark dive. Yesterday, Simple Life dive shop manager Haydon reported seeing 9 bull sharks circling the pinnacle on a single dive.

Newly certified PADI Open Water and Advanced diver Chris Slaughter sent in the following feedback from his morning dives:

“Amazing! One dive, 27m, 40 minutes and at least 10 Reef Sharks swimming and feeding.  But not only was the first dive great; the dive site was so great, the staff made an executive decision and altered the trip and we went down the same dive site… so TWO absolutely great dives swimming with the reef sharks of Koh Tao.

And to top it off, learning to dive with Simple Life was just over the top… Wos was a great instructor and made the whole group feel comfortable diving and exuded calm. He is exactly what a dive instructor should be.  I’m hooked for life…

Thanks to everyone at Simple Life Divers for making my ’round the world trip over the top!”

(And for your information, the sharks aren’t an issue for divers. Although bull sharks have a fearsome reputation, attacks are reported from areas such as river estuaries with poor visibility and shallow water. Scuba diving here in Koh Tao we have clear water and large fish populations, and there has never been a problem with the sharks. Nevertheless, as with all aquatic life it’s important to remember that we’re a visitor to the underwater world, and should be passive spectators, treating all aquatic animals including the sharks with respect).

Amazing! One dive, 27m, 40 minutes and at least 10 Reef Sharks swimming and feeding.  But not only was the first dive great; the dive site was so great, the staff made an executive decision and altered the trip and we went down the same dive site... so TWO absolutely great dives swimming with the reef sharks of Koh Tao.