15 January Ko Muk
A bit of haze filled the otherwise sunny sky. Luckily we
had high tide to make an easy launch of the kayaks. Chris offered us the option
of an easier, more direct, day of 12.5 kilometers than originally planned, and
we quickly agreed. We headed southeast to the twin island Ko Chueak (Rope
Island), where I snorkeled among corals and fish on the east side, and saw a
moray eel lurking in a crevice.
Day 8: Ko
Ngai to Ko Muk
(We did not kayak around Ko Ngai, nor did we visit Ko Waen and
Sapphire Beach.)
We approach Ko
Chueak (Rope Island), but climbing onto it is forbidden except for those with
permission.
You can see a small
shelter on the left for people who harvest bird’s nests.
Another view of Ko
Chueak
We then continued to the northwest side
of Ko Muk and stopped on the south side of a pinnacle, a spot recommended by a
boatman to Chris for “coral flowers.” But I found only sparse corals while
snorkeling, though the spot had marvelous pink and white corals with bright
yellow stems, perhaps a kind of fan coral. A variety of hard corals and whip
corals live in the depths here as well. Fish were few, but I got to see some
anemone clownfish. I had to swim against a strong current back to the kayaks. We
passed beneath towering cliffs on the north side of Ko Muk, then made a rest
stop at Lo Dung Beach.
Lo Dung Beach on Ko Muk
Nearing our destination on the final 2-kilometer stretch, Areeya caught sight of numerous starfish in the shallow water—all red with black bumps along the arms and all about the same size—then went snorkeling to see them up close. I joined her and also noticed sea grass, sea cabbage, and the symbiotic goby fish and shrimp in which the nearly blind shrimp dig a home in the sandy seafloor and the goby maintains vigilance against predators. Mook Mantra Resort Sea Front—our home for the night—turned out to be one of our fancier places and included luxuries of air-conditioning, hot shower, and a mini-fridge. Roads and lots of motorbike traffic made Ko Muk seem almost urban. Restaurants abound here, and we had lunch at nearby Good Luck Restaurant, then dinner at Happy Restaurant, both with very tasty food.
Evening on Ko Muk