Seahorse and then some...actually a lot...
I've always been curious ever since I stumbled upon a Dive Cambodia website sharing the abundance of Seahorses in Sihanoukville. After a 12 hour bus ride from Saigon to Sihanoukville Beach road and a 2 hour boat to Koh Rong Samloem, my first two dives were quite disappointing as I was practically diving blind with 1 mtr viz and having the owner of the dive shop as my guide He seemed to be an excellent instructor but had no skill whatsoever in spotting critters (later I learned he had trouble seeing in the dark while he took us home from the jetty). The other group led by a khmer guide named Chana found seahorses on the first two dives (...envy)., then, I was notified by the shop I stayed in that electricity on the island would only be till 10pm (an important detail not shared by my dive operator....now how do I charge my batteries for tomorrows dive). By this time, I started cursing why I took this trip
Then came my nightdive with the local dive guide Pirom which renewed my faith in having great finds in Koh Rung Samloem. Our 107 minute dive was critterific, seeing a total of three octopuses, a seahorse, several reef squids, cuttlefishes and a host of decorator crabs. On my second dive day, did solo diving early morning and again spotted a hippocampus kuda and a lot more critters. I've also met a huge yellow fin barracuda (aprox 5-6ft in length) which for the first time frightened me since not only was I diving alone, I left my dive knife... plus the stories that a solo barracuda is in 'hunting mode', ...I rushed back to the jetty to regain my peace of mind, where again, a seahorse came swimming towards me... was like saying... welcome home buddy. Finally on our 5th and 6th 85 minute dives, despite the poor visibility and strong swells, Pirom again managed to find me sea horses and a host of nudibranches and a huge travelly accompanying us during our dives which made my diving in Cambodia highly enjoyable.
If you want to see corals, want great visibility and expect the big stuff, do 'pass' diving Sihanoukville... but if you're a muck addict, Koh Rong Samloem will delightfully deliver the critters, and yes, the Seahorse hype is very much real
further reading http://www.ecoseadive.com/
Then came my nightdive with the local dive guide Pirom which renewed my faith in having great finds in Koh Rung Samloem. Our 107 minute dive was critterific, seeing a total of three octopuses, a seahorse, several reef squids, cuttlefishes and a host of decorator crabs. On my second dive day, did solo diving early morning and again spotted a hippocampus kuda and a lot more critters. I've also met a huge yellow fin barracuda (aprox 5-6ft in length) which for the first time frightened me since not only was I diving alone, I left my dive knife... plus the stories that a solo barracuda is in 'hunting mode', ...I rushed back to the jetty to regain my peace of mind, where again, a seahorse came swimming towards me... was like saying... welcome home buddy. Finally on our 5th and 6th 85 minute dives, despite the poor visibility and strong swells, Pirom again managed to find me sea horses and a host of nudibranches and a huge travelly accompanying us during our dives which made my diving in Cambodia highly enjoyable.
If you want to see corals, want great visibility and expect the big stuff, do 'pass' diving Sihanoukville... but if you're a muck addict, Koh Rong Samloem will delightfully deliver the critters, and yes, the Seahorse hype is very much real
further reading http://www.ecoseadive.com/
toy used for photos- Olympus xz1
Pros- Excellent Pictures. Full Manual Control. Olympus housing allows full access to all controls plus lens port having 67mm thread for easy wet lens attachment (no more adaptors necessary). As of 2011, Biggest sensor among compacts (albeit Panasonic's LX5). Bright/fast Zuiko 1.8 lens. Good internal ND filter for sunbursts
Cons- Video capture is poor. Navigating menu can be a challenge on the onset. Maximum shutter speed at 1/2000, flash not available in super macro mode. Wide angle limited to 28mm (vs Lumix 24mm range)
Bottomline- A must for advanced underwater shooters, wont disappoint and can churn out any creative underwater idea you may have. Its a pity HD video capture is pretty lame otherwise would have been the ultimate compact
recommended review/discussion http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/olympus-outlet/380755-olympus-xz1-sucks.html
Cons- Video capture is poor. Navigating menu can be a challenge on the onset. Maximum shutter speed at 1/2000, flash not available in super macro mode. Wide angle limited to 28mm (vs Lumix 24mm range)
Bottomline- A must for advanced underwater shooters, wont disappoint and can churn out any creative underwater idea you may have. Its a pity HD video capture is pretty lame otherwise would have been the ultimate compact
recommended review/discussion http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/olympus-outlet/380755-olympus-xz1-sucks.html