Went snorkling and met Nemo!

I felt the highlight of the Bintan trip was the snorkling.

It costs $40 per trip for 1.5 hrs.

You can book a trip at the Nirwana Beach sea sports centre.

Each trip requires like 6 persons to set off, BUT, they will set off with less than 6, so don't fret if they tell you not enough people have signed up.

They will take you out to sea in a speedboat. Along the way, there's some nice scenary. Like a hill surface plastered with tiny indonesian-styled villas. It looks very exclusive and expensive.

The boat ride was okay, but I felt a bit sea sick after that.

The guide took us to barracuda bay. He taught us simple tips:

1) make sure your gear fits --> Life vest secure and snorkling mask is air tight
2) breath through your mouth and blow if water gets into your snorkling mask
3) stay away from jelly fish!

Fyi, I was a lousy swimmer but with the life vest, i was able to float comfortably. I also didn't wear flippers cos I felt uncomfortable and my toe was hurt. Think it is easier to navigate without flippers BUT you swim much slower so i had to peddle like mad.

The water is clear with a slightly greenish cast. I didn't have an underwater camera, but what you see is something like this -->
just a bit more greenish (i think cos of algae) and a bit less clear.

Managed to see clownfish and anemone.

They gave you some bread which you are suppose to feed to the fish. I am quite short with short arms lah. So when i extended my arms with the bread... the fish all came swarming right into my face! wahahaha.

After that, I got smarter... if you dun wan to swim into a mesh of fins and scales, pls strategically place the food somewhere lower k?

Actually the snorkling trip was quite hilarious. Cos my friend and I are lousy swimmers. So... when we first jumped into the water and couldn't touch the ground, we panicked! She was grabbing me. I started yelling "don't grab, don't grab"! But everything came out muffled cos I was biting too hard on my snorkling tube. Scared drink sea water mah...

Then the guide saw us and he dived down, took my friend's arm and left. Later I found out he took her to the deep sea where she saw a barracuda! Jealous. Later she kept telling me she had a 1 on 1 session with the instructor. "Private tour you know?" grrr. wahahah. happy she enjoyed herself despite being scared shitless. wahahhaah.

I took a few minutes before I got the courage to right my body, look down and saw... lots of yellow and silver fishes! So happy! =)

Saw lots of corals as well and quite a few blue fishes. Thought of our ex-boss then cos he's an avid diver. Also thought of my daddy who's an avid swimmer. That's when i felt lonely cos my friend was having the time of her life with a fit and trim snorkling instructor. wahahaha.

Later on the snorkling instructor came and took me to see Nemo!

My first snorkling experience and it was great!