Just got back from Sipadan & Layang Layang. Had a great time, even though the hammerheads stayed away. Trip report here:
http://www.photosafariindia.com/articles/B...eo_may07_1.html

Comments & feedback welcomed.

Cheers,
Vandit

I love that devil rays photo and the one of that snake. Lovely stuff, but I wouldn't mind seeing what kind of whale shark photo you got with that 100mm lens!

Heh, I didnt even try. The dive guide started laughing at the expression on my face when the whale shark swam by.... apparently, it was visible even through the mask and hood.



I think I am going to pack a small digital compact housing and clip it to a D-ring on all dives.

Vandit

A friend of mine won a (macro) competition with a photo of a whale shark eye taken with a 105mm lens and ring flash at Richelieu Rock.

Alex

I think I may have seen that photo, actually. I was thinking of something like that, but ultimately, the whale shark didnt come close enough and didnt linger long enough either.

Vandit

Hey vandit,

great trip report on layang-layang and sipadan. makes me miss sipadan already!

the seafan under seaventures is really in a very poor state..its a wonder the single pygmy is still alive after getting fried by strobes everyday.

by the way, did the dutch couple you were with at Semporna happen to be Niels and Monica?

Yeah, that pygmy certainly gets whacked a lot. The other group was literally folding that sea fan around in an effort to get the pygmy to pose. Poor fella.

Nah, the Dutch couple was Huup & Ellen - they only did 2 days diving there. Not sure if you bumped into them... which would make this an even smalller world!

Vandit

Vandit,

Thanks for the report. Really enjoyed your writing. Sorry I didn't see this earlier!

That's been my concerns of going to Layangx2. I've heard from other local divers that the diving is so so if you don't get a hammerhead sighting.

Ah, your report wants me to go ahead and start making reservations for Sipidan/ Mabul!

Mike, glad to hear that you liked the article.

My thing with LL is - even if you *do* see hammerheads, it isnt from up close. Most of the people that saw hammerheads while we were there did so from quite some distance - and brief views at that. To be honest, given my tastes in diving, seeing a hammerhead for 10 seconds and then nothing for the remaining 45 minutes would make it a pretty dull dive. I prefer seeing variety for the entire time.

Sipadan was very nice - and what made it even more exciting for me was the realization that we have a couple of dive sites that match up tp Barracuda Point. However, Mabul totally blew my mind. Again, goes back to the whole "seeing variety." White tip sharks are nice, but they are sharklets. OTOH, all those little bugs.... aaah.

I think I'll be going back there quite often - it is an easy destination for me to get to (as it is for you). And if I stay in Semporna, it is quite cheap as well.

V.