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Please ask for my permission if you would like to use any of the pictures that I've posted. Would really appreciate it. All pictures posted are taken by me unless stated. Thank You! :)

Feb 27, 2011

Under The Sea - Mabul Island Day 4 & 5

In the morning of the 4th day, I awoke pretty early. Before breakfast, I took my camera out to play again.

The villagers around our area.
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It was still high tide, this kid decided to go swimming.
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The 1st dive of the day was at Pang Lima back in Mabul Island.

My favourite nudi - Pikachu!
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Didn't really take anymore pictures because our underwater camera died on us again. So after lunch, My sis and I walked all the way to Sipadan Water Village to get some juice for the camera. Along the way, I took some pictures of the village kids and these are my favourite.

This is what they do everyday I suppose.
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After lunch, we went to Kapalai Island for a change. Went diving in Cleaning Station, Kapalai.

We saw that bubble shrimp we saw in Day 1, puffer fish, box fish, turtles, nudibranches.
Even saw a turtle's shell!

Highlights of this dive...

Yellow Leaf Fish!
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Grey Frog Fish
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Peekaboo Blue Goby 
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My sis loves seeing these small fishes all gathered together on a coral.
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Before dinner, went for the very last dive of this trip, my 2nd sunset dive :D
And the main reason for this sunset dive is for....


MANDARIN FISH!!! A cute, tiny, colourful fish with a pouting mouth!
*Click on the picture to enlarge*
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Too bad we didn't get to see them mate :(
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On the last day, we left after lunch. Before leaving we had a massive camwhoring session.

These are the few favourite ones..

My sis, Ah Fatt and I
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Julia and us.
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The big guy is Big John, next to him is some random dive instructor, Ah Fatt hiding being us, another dive master, that's Ozman in front of us and Dugong in front of him.
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The fun lot!!!
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I had sooo much fun, it was sad to leave. Planning to go again next year during the same time. And this time, CousinAmanda's coming along!!!

Feb 26, 2011

Sipadan Island

Third day of my diving vacation is the main reason why my sis and I chose to go - Pulau Sipadan. A marine reserve that only allows 120 people into the island a day. (I heard they're planing on decreasing the number of permits). 

Pulau Sipadan is an island just for snorkelers and divers in for a day, meaning there's no resorts whatsoever for people to stay in. Besides the island doesn't really look that appealing at all, but when you go underwater...... mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm~~~~~

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White smooth sandy beach.
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Our 1st dive sport - Mid Reef. (Wall dive)
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Some of the marines we saw.

White Tip Shark.
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Turtles!! Lots of them in fact. Not as big as the ones I saw in Mabul though.
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Saw a bunch of different Nudi Branches! A.k.a sea slugs.
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The highlight of this dive - A school of Bumpheads!!!
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2nd dive was at Hanging Garden also a wall dive.


I thought this picture was pretty funny because that fish won't stop following this poor turtle everywhere.
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Camwhoring session with Mr/Mrs Turtle
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Well too bad you can't really see the colourful corals in the picture below. Sipadan has the most colourful corals I've ever seen!!!
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Dive 3 was at one of the best dive spots in Sipadan Island - Barracuda Point!
What more can I say, the name speaks for itself.

Variety of fishes in Barracuda Point.
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Barracudas!!!
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It was pretty scary at 1st, seeing thousands of barracudas swimming together creating sort of a tornado shape! The coolest part, if you dare, you can swim from under and into the 'tornado'.

**Warning: Never wear anything shinny when being around barracudas!**
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Before ending, saw a school of tetra looking fishes.
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Before dinner, My sis went for an extra dive with Big John's dive masters.
A night dive under and around our accommodation. And these are the interesting creatures they saw.

Boxing Crab (very tiny)
As you can see on the right, instead of claws like any other crabs, it's claws are white, and it looks like boxing gloves.
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Flounder (if you can spot it)
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Harlequin Crab. Very pretty crab!
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Feb 22, 2011

Under The Sea - Mabul Island Day 1 & 2

Ok, super outdated post. So I went on a diving trip with my sister (CousinAmanda was suppose to join but...) Anyhooo, she can join us on our next trip back. This 1st official diving trip was amaaaaaazing! Had sooo much fun and realized that there were so many marine creatures under the sea, some that I've never seen before or even thought existed. Just magical!

I flew to Kota Kinabalu 3 days before this trip to Mabul. Camped with my sis and her friends, even took a refresher dive.

Flew to Mabul with dear sister via Air Asia.
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Got picked up from Tawau airport and off we go to Semporna (about an hour plus drive), from Semporna took another 45 mins to 1 hour boat ride to Mabul Island.

 Spent about RM 1500 for my 5 days 4 nights trip which includes accommodation at Big John, food (3 meals a day), diving gears such as wet suit, mask, fins, BCD and oxygen tanks included; excluding air ticket.

 Big John's a basic budget accommodation located in a fishing village. No air-cond, no hot water, but a pretty fun and nice place to stay in.

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The fishing village behind Big John's.
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This is how the area looks like during high tide.
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Went for a dive after lunch. The underwater camera casing had a little error, so we brought down with us without the camera. Saw sooo many interesting creatures and 3 gigantic turtles and couldn't snap pictures, sigh...

Soon, it was sunset, went for our 2nd dive. My very 1st sunset dive (and I'm actually not allowed to since I'm still an open waters diver).
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Lion Fish
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We saw Mandarin fishes, a huge hermit crab and a big cuttle fish. This time, the camera failed on us. =.='

After dinner, the workers were by the side of the accommodation, fishing for sotongs.
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Day 2


I was up bright and early, as early as 6:30am! It was already bright and sunny and the villagers were blasting bloody beiber songs! Couldn't sleep anymore, so I took my camera out to play. Below are some of the pictures I snapped before breakfast.

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They were so cute, rowing themselves in their self-made boat with slippers as their paddles.
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Whilst loading our gears and oxygen tanks on to the boat, our dive master - Ozman, spotted a really interesting and highly poisonous fish just next to our jetty.

Finger-Dragonhead according to another dive master - Julia.
The colours on it's back is sooo beautiful. And there's a Letter A on it's mouth!
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During our 1st dive of the day, these are the interesting creatures we saw.

Different types of Nudi Branches. The 1st yellow is known as Pikachu (I don't know how true that is,but that's what they call it. Anyone who knows the real name, please tell me)
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Yellow moray eel
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Bubble Shrimp. And according to my sister, if you come across a red spec on this bubble coral, that's a Orang Utan Crab. Didn't get to see one :(
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Another type of Lion Fish
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Camera died on us again so we didn't manage to snap much. At least we managed to snap the highlight of this 2nd dive. This really tiny Sea Horse.

Pygmy Sea Horse! (Click on the picture to enlarge)
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After the 1st dive, went back for lunch and off we go again for our 2nd dive

This time, we dove at Mabul House Reef. A place famous for the school of Jack Fishes.

Sweet Lips - I love how this little fish swims. But it looks kinda ugly upclose.
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This is another interesting fish - Pink Leaf Fish.
When I fish saw it, I thought it was just another coral. Lol!
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Highlight of my 2nd dive, Jack Fish!!
The whole school of them came out from no where.
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3rd dive was at Paradise I.

Ghost Pipe Fish
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Another type of ghost pipe fish
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Stay tune for my trip into Sipadan Island and my last 2 days in Mabul Island. More underwater pictures to share!!! :D