Destination Tarutao
Uncommon weather contributes to wonderful days during the high season
On a recent trip to Tarutao, we encountered strange weather for that time of year. A storm developed up near Burma which created some swell down in southern Thailand. There was a bit of wind, but nothing really abnormal. It hadn't been a problem until one certain day. On this particular morning three of us set out from the serene bay where our bungalows were situated. Rich (our guest), Zae (our Thai guide) and I set out to paddle around Ko Adang. Our bungalows, as it turned out, were situated on the lee side of the Ko Lipae (Lipae island.) We had no idea what we were about to experience.
We loaded our three kayaks on a longtail boat. We wanted the longtail (Thai motorboat) to take us over to Ko Adang so we wouldn't have to do a paddle what we'd paddled previously.
As soon as the longtail rounded the first corner, we were hit by a HUGE swell! These waves were really impressive. Luckily, they were spaced properly for the length of our longtail. They were smooth too - a lot of 'green' water as it's called; they were not breaking. Our longtail captain knew what he was doing. He was a local young man with a nice boat. We figured he was used to this sort of action - Rich wasn't. Rich turned to me after the first couple of waves and asked if this was normal. I, of course, not wanting to frighten him, said, "oh yeah, this is fine!" Deep down, I wished I was out of the motorboat and in my kayak. Kayaks have crossed oceans; this would be nothing in a kayak. In fact, it would be time to play. Zae would have been happy to be out paddling in the waves too. Alas, we were committed to this motored vessel.
We went just a bit further and the seas calmed right down. Why the swell was affecting one area and no others is a mystery.
Our longtail dropped us off at a very nice secluded beach. We saw rain off in the distance. In fact, there were isolated showers all around us. It was beautiful seeing rain streaming down from shadowy clouds with very distinct edges. Rays of sunlight shown through the gaps in the clouds.
Rich was concerned that we were going to get into some waves like we'd just experienced. I assured him that we weren't. The swell was coming from the wrong direction. I knew that it would be bumpy; I knew equally that he was capable of handling it. Rich was an athletic type and he caught on fast. This was the seventh day of an eight day trip. I knew with confidence that he would be able to handle it. I've been teaching paddlers how to deal with apprehension about their kayaking skills and confidence for more than two decades now. It used to be in whitewater, now it's in the seas. To help ease his mind, we chatted about Eastern Philosophy and how it espoused the virtues of being calm in the midst of chaos. Rich seemed to come to an understanding. Zae, on the other hand, just wanted to get out there and paddle. I reassured Rich time and again both of his paddling ability and of my rescuing ability. We don't take chances with guests and this wasn't risky. The worst thing that could happen is he'd capsize. As assisted rescue would have him back in his boat in no time.
I chatted more with Rich to keep his mind off of what he was seeing. We were in the middle of an area of clapotis. This is that fun situation when the swell (waves) come into a rocky shore and rebound out to greet the oncoming waves. The result is very busy, bumpy water. Some paddlers call them haystack waves. To add to the drama, it was hammering rain as we paddled through the bumpiest section of coastline. That part actually got Rich excited. He lives in rainy Portland, Oregon. I remember mentioning that there had to be hundreds of paddlers in Oregon that would give anything to be out here paddling in these conditions - pouring warm rain, bouncy warm water, and warm weather.
We paddled on and it calmed down a bit. Ko Adang is a big island in both directions - it's a long way to paddle around and it's overshadowed by a towering mountain. There were plenty of beaches to visit and the huge trees gave the paddle a remote feeling. Normally, trees this big and this accessible would be cut down. These have been spared the saw.
Fishermen occasionally went past us in their wooden longtail boats, but we saw no one else. This was a big part of the plan; this is why we visit this area. A kayak makes it easy to get away from other tourists.
Further around, we passed a couple of fishing villages. Fishermen worked on their boats, both new and old. Everyone waved at us as we passed. Thais in general respect active people like kayakers. They always show us a bit of respect for what we're doing, especially while paddling in imperfect weather conditions.
A short way past the last fishing village, we stopped at a spot Zae found. He noticed a barely perceivable creek coming out to the sea from the mountain. It turned out to be a waterfall we heard about, but never really found. We all walked up the cascading falls. There was a surprising amount of water flowing into a series of clear pools. The granite gave good purchase to bare feet.
We also had the pleasure of experiencing a special tree in bloom. Its flowers were thick-petalled with a deep orange tint. The fragrance was sumptuous.
We returned to our bungalows just before sunset. The total paddling distance that day was only eight nautical miles, but it was very enjoyable. We had wild weather, stunning surroundings, and the sense that we'd accomplished something special. We won't soon forget this day.
Destination Tarutao
A Once in a Lifetime Sighting
One day while our group was island hopping and snorkeling, I was fortunate enough to witness something that I doubt I'll ever seen again.
There's a group of islands south of Ko Butang that feature great snorkeling and some wild rock formations. This particular event occurred a couple islands away from Butang. We beached our boats at high tide. We were on spring tides, so the water was exceptionally high, not much beach to speak of on this island.
Everyone stayed close to the beach to explore an area that usually harbors a couple huge moray eels and some fairly large groupers. I chose to swim away a bit since none of us had ever checked out the other direction. A couple hundred meters away, a Banded Sea Krait (sea snake) was poking its head in the crevasses of the underwater boulder garden. A wide variety of exotic reef fish swam in the area too. The snake stopped looking around and started heading up. I swam closer. As its head broke the surface, so did mine. It was taking a deep breath. Sea snakes have lungs that are nearly as long as their bodies. This was very interesting to say the least, but this wasn't the main event.
I decided to swim even further; the lure was too strong. I found myself in the middle of a massive school of small fish. For some reason, I looked forward instead of down at the coral. Suddenly, a Black-napped Tern plunged into the water to catch a fish! It was only a couple meters from my face!!! I couldn't believe what I'd just seen. Sticking my head out of the water, I saw two terns sitting on a nearby rock. I guess one of them was the one that just gave me the birder's dream visual souvenir. They squawked a bit, but they allowed me to swim closer. Hmm, I wondered if that would work on two Pacific Reef Egrets that were sitting on a different rock. It did. These birds also let me get a lot closer than egrets usually allow.
Feeling ecstatic about what I'd just witnessed, I kept swimming. At least four huge groupers dashed for cover when my shadow spooked them. A big moray swam freely across the bottom. They usually do this at night, spending the daylight hours wiggled backwards in coral gaps or rock.
The weather had been perfect during this trip. This particular day was no exception. We paddled and snorkeled until the sun was just off the water on the horizon. We timed it so we'd be in a channel between two islands. The air was perfectly still. We'd glide over the coral, watching the fish moving about. The detail we could see was incredible. Who needs to snorkel when the water's this clear? It turned dark way too soon. Someone asked rhetorically, "why can't this time of the day last longer."
Tarutao Marine National Park is soon becoming our favorite destination in southern Thailand. This season is over unfortunately. The weather is unpredictable and boat service to the outer islands is on a day-by-day basis. We'll start offering trips to Tarutao again next November. If you're interested in seeing this remarkable area, our next trip is scheduled from November 12th through the 19th. If that doesn't fit your schedule, we can run a trip during your preferred dates... just let us know what you want
