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| One,
two, three, dive: Tourists follow instructions from an
instructor before heading into the depths. — VNS Photos
Hong Thai |
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Ripping
up reefs: Divers around the Black island get a lesson
in coral reef preservation.
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C’mon,
‘try-a-dive’ in Nha Trang
by
Hoang Trung Hieu
Anyone who’s
been to Nha Trang recently can attest to the growing popularity of
snorkelling and diving around the bay’s nine major islands.
This thriving
business only got underway in 1995 but already the number of operators
has grown to five, with almost every hotel and coffee shop along the
Tran Phu beach strip acting as booking agents.
Tam (Silkworm)
island, 12km offshore, has a quiet beach and is favoured by people
wanting the fast thrills of parasailing and jetskiing.
It also offers one
of the cheapest dives in town – a 20 minute dip for only VND120,000
($8).
Black
island
Not far from Tam
is Mun island, identified by the black rocks covering its shores, which
is probably the most visited destination for divers.
Located 10km from
town, it takes 15 minutes to get there by boat and is so popular it can
have up to 10 boats moored off its shores at any one time.
Most of the dive
operators offer a three-day training course, wetsuit and scuba
equipment, along with insurance.
First-time divers
can pay VND350,000 (US$22) for a 30 minute "try-a-dive" off
Mun (Black) island. This charge includes a boat trip, basic training,
supervision, meals and snacks.
Divers are taught
how to snorkel and communicate with hand signals. Trainers are in the
water to follow divers closely, ensure they don’t touch sea anemones
or pocket coral and help them should any trouble arise.
Mun island is the
scene for well-known sites such as "Madonna Rock" and
"Coral Garden" where divers can view the kaleidoscope of
bright fish and coral.
"If you
don’t visit the islands, you can’t say you’ve been to Nha
Trang," one local advised.
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Jump
to the unknown:
Adventurous tourists get a different view of the water.
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| Back
on board:
A diver gives the universal "all ok" signal. |
Swimming at a
depth of 3-5m, the sea bed abounds with colourful fish of different
varieties, such as the mao tien duoi van (Minus monodactylus) and
buom (Chelmon rostratus).
"I didn’t
feel like myself, it was as though I had dissolved in water,"
first-time diver Le Quynh Huong said.
Afterwards divers
talked about the beauty of the diffused light which filters through the
deep blues of the water to illuminate the reefs.
Hung, a local
diving instructor, said he inherited his love of the sea from his
grandfather and father who were fishermen.
"My
aspiration is to raise my son to be a good diver and a sea lover like
me!" he grinned.
One Japanese
tourist said he had been on ten dives in different countries but Mun
island stood out as his favourite.
If a full dive is
not your cup of tea surface snorkelling is also relatively easy with
basic equipment offered on island tours which cost about $6.
You receive a mask
and snorkel on all the island tours and weak swimmers can get a
life-buoy. However, some of the islands can be dangerous close to shore
from the razor sharp ha (a kind of oyster) which can slice
swimmers’ feet and hands.
But if all this
sounds too energetic, try out the five-hour trip in glass-bottomed boats
for VND145,000 ($10) from Marine World Company which takes in Mun, Tam
and Mot islands. You can gaze at the dazzling array of marine
life without having to ruin your hairdo. — VNS
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