SUBMARINE SENSATION

At last, my wish was fulfilled! I'd finally returned to the Spratlys after vowing to do so following my first visit there three years before. Once again, I was on board the luxurious, Thai-registered MV Dive Master I, which operates dive trips from Labuan to Malaysian-held islands in the Spratly group during what is the off-season along Thailand's Andaman coast.

A long but very worthwhile journey by boat from Labuan, the Spratlys boast some superlative dive sites and a stunning variety of marine life.

A brief diving stop at Cement Wreck, not far from Labuan, gave us a glimpse of eerie creatures like the giant frogfish, leaf fish and sawblade shrimp, none of which I'd seen here on my previous visit. This time around our dive masters were very familiar with the area and as soon as our heads dipped below the surface they led us straight to a few choice locations. Back on board again, we set off on the long, 16-hour journey to the Swallow Islands aka Layang Layang, which wasn't that bad thanks to the calm weather. We were accompanied by several boats participating in the annual Labuan deep-sea game-fishing tournament. The Malaysian Spratlys consist of several atolls in seas that can reach depths in excess of 2,000 metres. Game fishing is a popular and well-established activity in these waters, much more so than scuba diving.

On arrival at Layang Layang, our boat manager went to check in at the military base as usual. The Spratlys actually cover an expanse of ocean measuring more than 400,000km2 but less than 5km2 of the total is dry land, sovereignty over which is hotly contested. The 650-odd reefs, islets, atolls, cays and islands are claimed by no less than six countries: China, Taiwan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Brunei and Vietnam. Ownership of some are still bitterly disputed - which is why we had to report to the Malaysian military when we entered their zone.

After a disappointing morning dive (we didn't see a single hammerhead shark), we headed off to Dallas Reef aka Terumba Laya, another Malaysian-claimed atoll a 1.5-hour journey to the north of Layang Layang. The shallow reef encloses a lagoon. The water was nice and clear, with the sunlight creating different shades of blue and green depending on the depth. Only some parts of the reef can be seen above the water at low tide. We jumped in next to the southeastern wall of this huge atoll, but after 15 minutes suspended in this deep, blue body of water our hopes of seeing hammerheads or other large creatures faded. As we headed back to the reef, yellow soft coral dominated the wall, although lots of other coral species could also be seen. Just before we surfaced, a large, black manta ray slowly glided by. What a splendid sight!

Dives at other sites on the reef heightened our excitement. A huge marbled ray, grey reef sharks, whitetips, a school of oceanic triggerfish emerging from the depths to lay their eggs; these and many other species were observed near the reef which was adorned with beautiful sea whips and sea fans.

Since the wind seemed to be on our side, we decided to head northwards for another 2.5 hours to Mariveles Reef aka Terumba Mantanani. This huge sandy cay, surrounded by two lagoons and a reef, has been occupied by Malaysia since 1986. After reporting to the soldiers stationed there, we headed to the southeastern corner of the reef. Nobody in the boat, not even our dive leaders, had dived here before.

We used the dinghy to get close to the reef, rolled back, let out the air, dived down - and then I froze! I wasn't reacting to perceived danger but simply to the tremendous vista around me: Masses of huge sea fans extended their branches from a wall of various types of soft and hard corals. I felt like I'd just discovered a primitive virgin forest of giant trees. In more than 10 years of diving I'd never laid eyes on a sight like this! Untouched, undamaged by human activity, all the sea fans were completely intact. These marvellous corals extended from below me - I was at a depth of 35 metres - right up to the shallower reef above my head. The fact that I could see so much meant that the water here must be very clear, allowing sunlight to penetrate to, and corals to flourish at, depths of more than 40 metres.

Forgetting to look for large fish, I just swam around admiring the beauty of my surroundings. Thanks to the nitrox (mixture of nitrogen and oxygen) provided by the boat, I was able to stay underwater and enjoy the site for longer than usual. Later, it transpired that everybody in our party had had a similarly euphoric experience. We all wanted to go back down for another look but, sadly, the wind picked up and we were forced to head back to Layang Layang in search of more tranquil seas.

Although we didn't bump into any large marine creatures on that trip (the water was too warm; the big fish normally come in on cold currents), we later saw ample evidence that such giants do exist in the Spratlys. By the time we got back to Labuan, the game-fishing tournament had ended and the catch was on display - a host of two-metre-long tuna and barracudas plus giant groupers weighing 85kg that had been hooked in the same areas where we'd been diving, although not, of course, in as close to the reefs as we'd been.

That dive at the marvellous Mariveles was, without a doubt, the most impressive, most inspirational I'd ever done. It has also had the effect of substantially increasing my expectations. I'd dearly love to go back to the Spratlys again, to rejuvenate a heart weary of city living by spending more time in that untouched natural environment, having sensory adventures in a multi-hued wonderland far below the waves.