When I go to the sea, if possible, I like to snorkel.
For the uninitiated, with snorkelling it means swimming to the surface to see the fish through a mask and snorkel.
Snorkeling is therefore an easy alternative and affordable for everyone (just know how to swim, also not good if you have fins) to scuba diving.
Sure, you will not see the most remote seabed and the biggest fish they see divers, but we say that snorkeling can give her great satisfaction.
I have several years I do snorkeling, I started in the Maldives (read my post on the Maldives), then move on to the Red Sea (see my post on Egypt).
And I must say that of all the places seen (that are not cmq many), perhaps the best snorkeling I've tried in the Maldives, at least to the size of the fish :-)
Snorkeling is nice, but it's also nice to take pictures and video memory, so you need to gear up.
At the time of the Maldives I had bought a hermetically sealed envelope made for put inside the camera, for the modest sum of 100 Euros: o
A blunder, but I lasted for years, although it actually had become a little 'uncomfortable when I changed camera.
In the Philippines (read my post on the Philippines) Instead, I discovered the existence of cellular envelopes door tightly sigigllate, with whom I was able to immerse myself with my smartphone ... for the modest sum of 1 euro ... as changing time: D
Sure, a little 'I was scared to use such cheap envelopes, but they seemed shut really well.
This year though, because at work I was given a good beautiful Amazon, I bought an underwater camera.
The Fujifilm FinePix XP80, nothing exaggerated and professional, but does his duty.
Another change this year was the mask.
One of the shortcomings of traditional masks with snorkel mask is that after a while 'water boarding or tarnish (especially if it is a professional mask), while the mouthpiece, at least to me, after a while' makes me sick: -)
So this year I bought the decathlon a special mask, which envelops you the entire face and with the mouthpiece positioned high, so you do not wet your face and you do not put anything in your mouth.
Of course, this is not a professional mask but in my opinion embarks less water (which still puts a lot more to turn up in your eyes or mouth) and gives you more independence ... I also did 3 hours of snorkeling without problems.
The only thing is that if you hold too, after a while 'makes you a little' hurt the chin and forehead, also is heavier than a traditional mask ... but you can not have everything in life, no? :)
Here is a photo of my armory:
Returning to snorkeling made in Thailand, I practiced in the following locations:
At Railay actually I have not practiced on the spot, but made a few trips to nearby islands.
In Koh Phangan instead I practiced right from the beach (Haad Yao and others), as well as in Koh Tao (Tanote Bay and Shark Bay).
What about ... what I like the most was the fact snorkeling in Koh Tao: why do you want to Tanote Bay the reef you had just entered the water, either because the water was not murky, either because there was more sun :-)
Among other things, always in Koh Tao, more precisely in Shark Bay, I saw sharks and a turtle.
Sharks in question are obviously harmless and indeed, they are the ones to be afraid of you, so that is not easy to be able to photograph them because they run away ... in fact I was not able to make him even a photo: p But I filmed a glimpse , which I then added to this video playlist:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwFi9zK4muw&list=PLCBrso9WwkFZS31-9lqeJzPOg3cQ5MdQq
Unfortunately taking photos while snorkeling is not easy, so in order to have decent photos I usually take a photo tide and if it is okay if it saves 1 out of 10 :)
On one side there is the difficulty to frame the target because of the small display to see under the water, the other is the difficulty to stand still and finally it is a matter of light.
In fact, if for example the water is not very limida pictures can be blurred, or not very bright if there is little sun.
The ideal would be to dive and photograph the subject from the bottom to the top or to the limit at the same level, in order to have more light.
Despite all these difficulties, by dint of trying, some decent photo is still coming:
And with that with Thailand's it ... at least for this year :-)
To see the rest of the photos I leave the link to the full gallery, enjoy!