Whilst Surin Islands might not assume the position of my "number one" dive spot, it is a very special location . . and as our Dive Operator said "If you can't recognise that . . . there is something wrong with you". I would have to agree. It might have been a fairly epic 19 hour journey from Dubai to Koh Phra Thong . . . it was worth the trip.

We travelled and dived with Blue Guru, an established and well run organisation with welcoming staff and an obvious passion for their location and a business that was created with fundamental Enviromental Principles. The remoteness of the area presents its own logisitical challenges which were managed as well as they could be, with unfailing positivity from all the staff. If you cannot recognise and celebrate the successes in a location such as this you are destined for lifetime of disappointment in diving. A welcome and far cry from the excess of Dubai . . . the diving was a welcome change also!!

After the neccessary and important formalities of paperwork and insurance we waited for slack water and completed our "local" dive, we got to know our Guide, our required weight and an insight into what Koh Phra Thong had in store . . . our expectations were suitably managed and we were very impressed, lots of small stuff, nudis, crabs, worms but a nice and enjoyable experience getting acclimatised to the area. The simples things made us happy . . . GREAT visibility (although we were informed we were VERY lucky) No complaints . . . far from it, however the agenda was very much fixed on the next trip, Surin Isands and the much anticipated Richelieu Rock.

Its location in Northern Thailand meant Blue Guru operate one of the few "Day Trips" to the Surin Islands, with the option of staying over night and really making the most of the experience . . . we decided to do both. Although a little choppy, our smiley toothless Captain Ying ensured we arrived safely. . .  this is a man who is all business . . . well, Half Business. . . . impecible suit trousers, no shoes and a bare torso . . . he looked a little "City Boy Pirate Chic'" . . we loved him. As we sail with Myanmar in the distance a collection of dive boats are the only indication that we are approaching Richelieu Rock . . . unfortunately we began to witness an onslaught of water entries . .  if the diving abilities were directly linked to the quantity of cameras and diverity of colours we would have no concern under the water . . .  unfortunately this was not the case. A world famous dive site, discovered by our sub aquatic leader, the big JC himself . . now shattered by a continuous flow of divers in unfortunate need of improved guidance, and dare i say it training. . .  Some of the most outstanding coral i have seen in over 19 years of diving is at risk of becoming a relic, our guides ensure we are the exception and our group is guided impecibly . . unfortunately we seem to be as rare as the Manta Rays & Whale Sharks that used to visit this site . . . i do not blame them for leaving, i am actually glad we didnt see any . . . i cannot imagine the furore and damage that would ensue.

The Surin Islands in the distance do seem not celebrated enough, Jurassic Park-esque in their isolation, steep hills, white beaches and crystal waters are fortunately a part of a National Park which will hopefully protect them for years to come . . . as you dive the islands you can only imagine what would have happened if the protection had come earlier . . . although beautiful and teeming with life . . the destruction and damage to the coral gardens cannot be missed, it is extensive . . . I feel like an ungreatful child at Christmas who was just given his Nintendo Wii . . . with only 4 games instead of the 5 he wanted. The diving was beautiful, the surrounding scenery was from another world . . however the pangs of what might have been remain, if only we had visited earlier . . and an overwhelming doubt of what the Surin Islands will be like in the future. We were asked by our guides to monitor and record the turtle sightings and other life we saw, this information was then transmitted back to local conservation groups and organisations, amazing that our 7 turtles were going to be used for more than just facebook updates  . . . dont get me wrong I LOVE telling Facebook i saw turtles!, i am just very happy we told people who record this information rather than just "like" it . . the irony being, my photos and videos are already on Facebook . .  just not on here yet!