Bumphead Parrot Fish

[TimA]

Now you got me really interested. "Nam prik kapi" is one of my favorite Thai dishes but I prefer to have it with some freshly fried "pla-too" and an omelet with "cha-ohm". I'm lucky I got a Southern Thai wife who makes it for me the real Southern Thai way. After a meal with her "nam prik" I am normally in tears and cannot talk for about 15 minutes or so...

Now you got me good. "kai jeeo cha-om" w/ "nam prik kapi" smeared on the top. Your messin w/ my head now. Next time back to Phuket I will bring some "cha-om" branches back with me.
All you have to do is stick it in the ground and walla..6 months later your in cha-om heaven. They have "sa-tall" everywhere here so that not a problem. Pla-tu also plentiful.
Steamed veggies with nam prik kapi......

What all this has to do with Bumphead Parrots eating coral and making beautiful white sandy beaches is now inconsequential....

 

[TimA]

Eagle Rays, Bumpheads, nudis....and I'm sure lots more. Have you seen many sharks?

Lots of sharks including Tigers but they are seemingly well fed with turtles...Its the salt-water crocodiles that have got my attention. :shocked2:

 

[Bowmouth]

Next time back to Phuket I will bring some "cha-om" branches back with me.

You don't have to. We have it in our garden!

Tiger sharks in Sumatra? For real? Tell me all about it!

 

[TimA]

You don't have to. We have it in our garden!

Tiger sharks in Sumatra? For real? Tell me all about it!

Ok about the Cha-Om!

We be surfing at a lefthander in front of the turtle sanctuary called oddly enuf Turtles.
Tigers wait for the hatchlings and just pick them off. Normally they are (from my understanding) dawn and dusk feeders. But we see them cruise by regularly.The boogie-boarders usually get out the water fast becuz nothing looks more like a turtle more than a boogie-boarder. I did couple of dives there but never saw them in the water..probably becuz the sharks are generally in the wave impact zone and I am diving 50-75 meters outside the impact zone. I know there are Tiger for sure becuz I have befriended two shark fisherman from Meulaboh. Part of their catch they showed me was a 10ft Tiger and a couple little ones. They usually catch the sharks but unlike other parts of the world they eat the meat along with finning them for sale as so called medicinal purposes. On a trip from Sibolga to Simeulue about 6 years ago on a cargo boat while passing thru the Banyaks I saw couple crocs. I thought they were all gone but on the last trip to Bankaru a private boat saw one on the beach and sure enuf there were tracks everywhere. All my dives (about 60 of them so far) have been solo dives so I tend to avoid the reefs nearby the mangroves. I understand saltwater-crocs can hold their breath for a long time and the one made track on the beach was a big one. For the most part, now that I have scuba equip along with surf stuff its made staying here much mor interesting and enjoyable. It great that the Aceh separatist movement has for the most part ceased and this area is opening up for exploration. Surfers have been here for years: They will traipse thru raw jungle, sleep on ladders, risk malaria, and live in swamps for months to surf a good wave. I am going to start taking my camera underwater with me to take photos.

 

[Bowmouth]

Ok about the Cha-Om!

We be surfing at a lefthander in front of the turtle sanctuary called oddly enuf Turtles.
Tigers wait for the hatchlings and just pick them off. Normally they are (from my understanding) dawn and dusk feeders. But we see them cruise by regularly.The boogie-boarders usually get out the water fast becuz nothing looks more like a turtle more than a boogie-boarder. I did couple of dives there but never saw them in the water..probably becuz the sharks are generally in the wave impact zone and I am diving 50-75 meters outside the impact zone. I know there are Tiger for sure becuz I have befriended two shark fisherman from Meulaboh. Part of their catch they showed me was a 10ft Tiger and a couple little ones. They usually catch the sharks but unlike other parts of the world they eat the meat along with finning them for sale as so called medicinal purposes. On a trip from Sibolga to Simeulue about 6 years ago on a cargo boat while passing thru the Banyaks I saw couple crocs. I thought they were all gone but on the last trip to Bankaru a private boat saw one on the beach and sure enuf there were tracks everywhere. All my dives (about 60 of them so far) have been solo dives so I tend to avoid the reefs nearby the mangroves. I understand saltwater-crocs can hold their breath for a long time and the one made track on the beach was a big one. For the most part, now that I have scuba equip along with surf stuff its made staying here much mor interesting and enjoyable. It great that the Aceh separatist movement has for the most part ceased and this area is opening up for exploration. Surfers have been here for years: They will traipse thru raw jungle, sleep on ladders, risk malaria, and live in swamps for months to surf a good wave. I am going to start taking my camera underwater with me to take photos.

The tigers may show up if you bring them a little snack while diving. I'm not sure if you should bring the snack while solo-diving though; it may be best to have someone with you there to watch your back! I've been foolish enough to solo dive with "shark-snacks" and got pinned down under a big coral head for more than half an hour with three large Silvertips buzzing me. I was not happy then and was seriously worried the sharks wanted more than the fresh bonitos I brought them...
I've never seen a tiger while diving but have some buddies who regularly dive with them in South Africa. They always bring some bait to get the tigers coming close and in general the tigers behave very well. They move slowly and gently and are quite curious.They do like cameras though and occasionally will take one from a diver and chew on it for a while. Or swallow it, completely with strobes and all...
Brrrr, crocs does not sound good. I dived in Irian Jaya a few years ago and they have the salties there too. It's possibly the last animal one would (like to) see while diving.

Your comparison of a boogie-boarder and turtle has hurt my feelings quite a bit. My head may look like a turtle but my body is still very streamlined.

 

[TimA]

The tigers may show up if you bring them a little snack while diving.

Your comparison of a boogie-boarder and turtle has hurt my feelings quite a bit. My head may look like a turtle but my body is still very streamlined.

My sentiments exactly about the crocs.
Impetuous 10ft Tigers I don't want any close encounters either, they can get their own snacks.

I don't think you need to worry Bowmouth; I'm sure the Tigers will be confused by your 2 different size, color, style of swim fins.

 

[Bowmouth]

I don't think you need to worry Bowmouth; I'm sure the Tigers will be confused by your 2 different size, color, style of swim fins.

They may go for my "Yum-Yum Yellow" left foot fin. Then I'll only need a parrot to turn myself into a real pirate...

irate5:

 

[lord khram]

I've just come home from a few hours at Nai Harn. The waves were great today and there was only the four of us "ridin' and slidin".
I bet one day we'll be boarding together; or diving, or both...
I will bring you then a nice present as well. A fine bottle of "nam pla" and a pot with the smelly shrimp stuff "ka-pi"!

You're right about LK. I find it also frightening that he's agreeing with so many of my posts lately. Not too long ago that used to be a very different story...

I will always agree when people talk good sence, I only object when people state ill informed/incorrect facts or tell me I am not entitled to voice my own opinion.
And to be honest whilst I have picked up a little usefull info from here since I joined, at the end of the day I just consider a discussion forum as a bit of fun when I have nothing better to do.
long may the fun continue.

 

[surinboy]

Ok about the Cha-Om!

We be surfing at a lefthander in front of the turtle sanctuary called oddly enuf Turtles.
Tigers wait for the hatchlings and just pick them off. Normally they are (from my understanding) dawn and dusk feeders. But we see them cruise by regularly.The boogie-boarders usually get out the water fast becuz nothing looks more like a turtle more than a boogie-boarder. I did couple of dives there but never saw them in the water..probably becuz the sharks are generally in the wave impact zone and I am diving 50-75 meters outside the impact zone. I know there are Tiger for sure becuz I have befriended two shark fisherman from Meulaboh. Part of their catch they showed me was a 10ft Tiger and a couple little ones. They usually catch the sharks but unlike other parts of the world they eat the meat along with finning them for sale as so called medicinal purposes. On a trip from Sibolga to Simeulue about 6 years ago on a cargo boat while passing thru the Banyaks I saw couple crocs. I thought they were all gone but on the last trip to Bankaru a private boat saw one on the beach and sure enuf there were tracks everywhere. All my dives (about 60 of them so far) have been solo dives so I tend to avoid the reefs nearby the mangroves. I understand saltwater-crocs can hold their breath for a long time and the one made track on the beach was a big one. For the most part, now that I have scuba equip along with surf stuff its made staying here much mor interesting and enjoyable. It great that the Aceh separatist movement has for the most part ceased and this area is opening up for exploration. Surfers have been here for years: They will traipse thru raw jungle, sleep on ladders, risk malaria, and live in swamps for months to surf a good wave. I am going to start taking my camera underwater with me to take photos.

That sounds amazing...real adventure rather than the sanitised versions you find in many other places. Crocs sound scary.

I dont know what Suringirl is doing but I am definitely going to come and take a look next year.

Did Jacques or Oliver make it over there?

 

[TimA]

Just got back from Banyaks yesterday.

For the waveriders it was average 4-8ft perfection Treasure Island (the 200 meter long righthander)
Photos will be posted on our website soon.

One day it was outta control 20ft ground swell from the Swest.
Too much water moving thru the reef to surf.

Just these giant Hawaiin size waves.

Surfers are constant asking me what those giant fish are swimming under them. And I tell them they are Bumphead Parrots. They are everywhere!

I am truthfully finding the the majority of reefs here wrecked by dynamite but have found some gems amongst all this.

In the next 2 weeks we will begin a 1 month survey of the northwest coastline of Simeulue Island. We will be about 30 kilometers from the epicenter of the 2004 earthquake that caused the Boxing Day tsunami.

Local lobster fisherman have told us of some reefs there with lots of sharks.