Kat's Tioman dive trip + Open Water experience!

Exploring the underwater world has always been a dream of mine, and Tioman allowed me to do so. Not only did I complete my Open Water certification in Tioman, but I also had a thrilling encounter with a reef black tip shark and a sea turtle. Here’s a glimpse into my unforgettable diving adventure.

Touching down Tioman, we were greeted by greenery, a forest and an extremely large mountain. I was so excited to explore the area and enjoy the scenery. My friend and I were greeted by a really big mountain in the middle of Tioman island and checked into our accommodation for the trip, it was a really small room but felt cozy.

On the first day, my friend and I learned the theory portion of scuba diving, essential skills such as buoyancy control, underwater navigation, and emergency procedures. My instructor, Mr Alan Firwandy, was knowledgeable and supportive, ensuring I mastered the necessary skills in a safe and enjoyable manner. After the theory, we practiced in shallow waters before moving on to more complex dives. Each dive was a step closer to achieving my dream of becoming a certified diver. During the first dive i was just really excited to finally be able to dive after dream for the day to come. (dive 1: max depth 3.4m and dive time 47 mins) (dive 2: 5.2m and dive time 58 mins)

The evening of the second day, we had a boat dive, where we were required to display our skills we learned during the shore dives and the theory lessons. Once we had the skills sorted out, we discovered the reef around. As I explored the reef, I suddenly noticed a sleek silhouette gliding gracefully through the water. It was a reef black tip shark! One of the ocean’s most elegant predators. My heart raced with a mix of awe and excitement as sharks are my favourite fish in the world and I've always wanted to see one and swim with one side by side. The reef shark moved calmly and seemingly undisturbed by my presence, which allowed me to observe it closely. The encounter reaffirmed my passion for diving and my commitment to marine conservation.

On the third day we did another dive where we spotted a sea turtle munching on a jellyfish which was really a eye-opening experience, being able to see one to the most talked about sea creature in front of my eyes. Additionally we spotted many groups of sea urchins on the seafloor. Spotting them made my friend i cautious on our diving trying our best not to disrupt and hit the sea urchins with our fins. After the dives we explored the forest and found a rock fall. At first we were disappointed by how small the waterfall was as it was roughly below two meters however after a while we enjoyed the sounds of the water crashing and the sounds of the forest and ended up loving the rockfall.

Overall it was a wholesome experience which gave me the relaxation I needed from school. Although it was expensive to afford this trip I managed to save money from my work pay and my allowance to pay for the course on my own, in the end it was all worth it!

This is Katheleen Foo signing off see you soon!

-Katheleen Foo, 17