| Two hundred plus dives in the Similan National Park | | | | clearly the rightful proprietor of its little coral patch. |
| had brought me my first whale shark and a | | | | The clown frog fish was fixed onto the side of a |
| subsequent two more. Mantas! Again after never | | | | piece of coral, utterly at one with its surroundings. So |
| seeing one I have since become an expert observer | | | | still that it was looked glued to its perch. I was |
| of the beautiful water gliders as they cut through the | | | | mesmerized. I wanted to move closer. Meanwhile, my |
| 'air' swimming effortlessly through currents and circling | | | | customers took a quick snap and moved on. After |
| divers, sightings of which, like the whale shark, | | | | the dive they professed that they didn't understand |
| produces a new genre of 'adrenalin junkie' divers who | | | | what all the fuss was about. Why become so excited |
| dive simply for the 'hit' of seeing the big stuff. That is | | | | over a tiny indistinct fish when the reef is swarming |
| of course until time and multiple dives pulls you over | | | | with the most beautiful and exotic fish just screaming |
| to what has become to be termed the 'dark side'... | | | | out to be noticed and admired? |
| Several weeks ago at Koh Tachai Plateau a fellow | | | | Strangely enough, although I had been a virgin frog |
| guide gave me an insight into a new addiction; an | | | | fish viewer, the experience was repeated the very |
| addiction of finding what spends its life, and the lives | | | | next day. Perhaps this was because my eyes had |
| of its species before it, trying not to be found. After | | | | received its first lesson in obscure marine life |
| jumping on off our Similan Liveaboard trip - the guide | | | | identification. Or perhaps it was just luck. However, |
| swam over to me excitedly pointing at his compact | | | | my second ever encounter on the Similan Islands |
| camera and waving his arms frantically. Meanwhile, a | | | | was equally as intriguing. |
| manta soared over our heads. I replied with a | | | | At Koh Tachai Plateau at 27 meters there stands a |
| confused look and a raised arm towards the | | | | barrel sponge. Sitting directly on the top, wedged in |
| performer. If he had a great shot of the manta I | | | | between the circular rim is a large, red, about the |
| would rather appreciate it later back on the boat, but | | | | same size as a football, an utterly ugly, utterly |
| at the moment I was enjoying the live show. My | | | | delightful frog fish. Instantly I was mesmerized. Tiny |
| friend spared it a glance but clearly felt his camera | | | | little eyes glazed over in what looked to be a deep |
| deserved all of our undivided attention. I felt reluctant | | | | state of meditation, mouth slightly agape in a way |
| to draw my eyes away from the giant pelagic | | | | that actually made it look to be taking slow and |
| dancer, but humored him. He rapidly pressed the giant | | | | controlled inhalations. The creature really did belong to |
| buttons on his digital camera until he found his prize. | | | | another world - the underwater one - and upon |
| Through the excitement, the sea water and the thick | | | | closer examination it was possible to see its inbuilt |
| plastic housing I saw a red blob. 'Great. I'll return to | | | | fishing line extending from its first dorsal spine and |
| my manta thanks.' That was his first frog fish. I'd yet | | | | hanging above the gaping mouth. Invisibly observing. |
| to see one, but all was to change on my last | | | | Invisible. It was eerily still. It was incredible. |
| liveaboard... | | | | Ultimately what these two encounters have taught |
| East of Eden, 17 meters, just before a renowned | | | | me is that there are alternatives to the adrenaline |
| sandy patch which I must have swam over countless | | | | hits of having a whale shark charge through your |
| times. A patch of rubbley indistinct coral. A tiny piece | | | | dive group or a manta circle you. In fact part of the |
| of rubbley indistinct coral. A miniature rubbley piece of | | | | beauty of the ugly frog fish is the dedication it takes |
| fish, commonly known as a 'clown frog fish', white | | | | to spot, which can result in such a sense of |
| adorned with orange spots and extremely cute. It | | | | satisfaction, causing dive instructors to dance around |
| was reminiscent of a garden gnome, well hidden but | | | | at 20 meters in front of a digital image. |