It is already that time of the year! It is time to close the chapter on 2019! But, boy, what a year it has been! From whale sharks to liveaboards and zeros to heroes. Here are some of our favorite moments from 2019 and some hints of 2020 may have in store!
2019 started off a little bit windy for us in Koh Tao. With the wind it is common for certain bays around Koh Tao to collect little bits of trash that are blown in from the mainland. Luckily we have the resources to help combat this problem! This was such a great day we had. All the DMTs came out to do a reef clean up at Ao Mao Bay. We also had a very special guest with us that day, PADI CEO Drew Richardson! It was so cool to see the big boss down here with us helping to preserve the beautiful island of Koh Tao. This was without a doubt a real highlight of 2019!
From here we decided to take a few days break from the island. This year was the first year that we did a Sairee Cottage Divemaster Liveaboard. This was an exceptional experience for our Divemaster trainees! We were able to board the Smiling Seahorse for a 4 night ocean excursion. Here we were able to see what Liveaboard life was like. We were able to put our newly obtained NITROX and Deep certifications to use. It is always such a cool experience to see marine life on the other side of Thailand. The experience of been out to sea with 16 of your best friends who all love to dive is like nothing else. 2019 trip was such a success that we are already planning a 2020 DMT Liveaboard trip!
Join the Divemaster program at Sairee Cottage to be a part of this unforgettable experience!
Once back in Koh Tao we had some great marine life sightings. We had quite a few sightings of the forever loved Whaleshark. We were blessed with great visibility all year round. There were a few times when visibility dropped which is to be expected. But overall the diving conditions of 2019 were absolutely amazing. Here is an awesome selfie of Divemaster Mike with a whaleshark.
Of course we don’t only have fun in the water but out of the water too! We had many snorkel tests this year! A final celebration for our newest Divemasters. A time when we can check their knowledge, their skills and quite possibly their dance moves! Check out Team Wilson!
Finally, one of the things we are very proud of this year is training some of our Thai and Burmese staff to experience the underwater world. Our instructor team at Sairee Cottage Diving took their time to teach shop and boat staff M, Yada, Fah, Lyn and Chit how to dive. This was a great time for everyone, with nothing but smiles. M has now even completed his Divemaster internship and has gone from been shop staff to being a full time Divemaster! Well done M!
Overall 2019 you were a beautiful year and you brought us a lot of happiness, new friends, and beautiful conditions. Congratulations to all the Sairee Cottage Divemasters who completed their internship in 2019. The year would have been nothing with out all of you! Unsure of what 2020 has in store for you? If you want to spend your 2020 the way that these guys spent their 2019 then please do not hesitate to contact us.
All it takes is one dive.
About the Author
Maddy left Canada in 2013 with the plan of traveling South East Asia for six months. Those months have now turned into years. On her travels she became a certified PADI dive instructor and now runs the PADI Divemaster program at Sairee Cottage Diving..
Leave a Reply