Cold warm water diving (Feb. 1/09 - Nha Trang, Vietnam)

We didn't think it was possible to have such cold water this close to the equator, but when we were handed 5mm wetsuits with hoods and felt the cold splash off the back deck of the boat, we learned pretty fast. Our computers said 73°F, which is almost 10°F cooler than the warm water you would typically expect in the tropics. With enough rubber on though, it was pleasant. We were diving off Hon Mun Island, which is one of the nine outlying islands just off the coast of Nha Trang. Rocky cliffs plunged into the clear blue water, and we moored in the shallows before jumping in. The shallows were full of hard corals of all different types, with small fish like damselfish, goatfish, and gobies hiding amongst the branches. Tube worms and feather stars decorated the coral heads, and we found lots of anemones with resident bridled anemonefish and easter skunk anemonefish. The bottom below about 20 feet was extensively damaged, likely by drag fishing on the bottom or from boat anchors. Coral heads were sporadic outside the shallows, and big pieces of dead coral littered the bottom. It didn't help to see the divemaster grabbing onto coral to show us things - you would think they would know better and have an interest in helping to conserve what's left down there. He even swam up to us once holding a poor little pufferfish in his hands that he had clearly squeezed intentionally to make it puff up in defense. Way to set a good example! We did find some beautiful nudibranchs, including a bumpy blue and white one and an elegant orange and white one. Other fish we came across included hawkfish, angelfish, triggerfish, some weird guys with long pointy noses, some large grouper, and even a very brief glimpse of a mantis shrimp that was hiding under an overhang. It's too bad we scared it away so fast because these things are rare and amazing creatures - about 6 or 8 inches long with a brightly coloured shell, these guys have huge eyes and lethal claws that can puncture a camera lens if you get too close.

We managed to stay down for over an hour before getting too cold, but the second dive one bay over didn't last quite as long! Each time though, we were the last two back on the boat - or the floating lodge as you could call it, as this was definitely the biggest dive boat we'd ever seen! Eighteen divers and six or seven staff members and it didn't feel the least bit cramped. Anyway, we enjoyed our chilly but better than average dives off this part of the coast, and though it was definitely better here than off Phu Quoc, we are definitely looking forward to the guaranteed warm water, great viz, healthy reefs, and other superlatives that await us in southern Thailand!