The exclusivity of Surin Islands for this VVIP trip

Blackwater Diving and a Magical Twilight Dive at Richelieu Rock

A very intimate atmosphere for this last cruise in the Surin Islands: we welcomed just four guests, who had the chance to enjoy the boat and the crew almost entirely to themselves! And since we were the only boat on a cruise that week, we also got to enjoy being the only divers underwater, from the first dive to the last.

The sea was lovely and calm, while life under the water was buzzing and amazing.

Blackwater Diving in the Andaman Sea

The Smiling Seahorse now offers Blackwater diving on every cruise, and this week our blackwater dives were a great success. We were able to observe many species at larval and pelagic stages: flounder, jellyfish, pineapplefish, nudibranchs, squid, shrimps, triggerfish, barracuda, worms and more.

This is one of the most fascinating aspects of blackwater diving: you never quite know what will appear in front of your camera. Tiny and often delicate-looking creatures drift through the darkness, making every dive a treasure hunt for divers and underwater photographers.

Flounder larva photographed during a Blackwater dive — Flounder larva

Jellyfish photographed during a Blackwater dive — Jellyfish

Barracuda photographed during a Blackwater dive — Barracuda

Unidentified worm photographed during a Blackwater dive — Unidentified worm

Scribble filefish chasing a jellyfish during a Blackwater dive — Scribble filefish running after a jellyfish

Pelagic nudibranch photographed during a Blackwater dive — Pelagic nudibranch

Sea butterfly larva photographed during a Blackwater dive — Sea butterfly larvae

Squid photographed during a Blackwater dive — Squid

Pineapplefish photographed during a Blackwater dive — Pineapplefish

Baby triggerfish photographed during a Blackwater dive — Baby triggerfish

Shrimp photographed during a Blackwater dive — Shrimp

Pelagic sea snake photographed during a Blackwater dive — Pelagic sea snake

A Twilight Dive at Richelieu Rock

We also tweaked our itinerary slightly this week so that we could do a twilight dive at Richelieu Rock. It was a magical moment! The colours both under and on the water were fabulous, much to the delight of all the photographers onboard.

Barracuda, scribble filefish and jellyfish during a twilight dive — Barracuda, scribble filefish and jellyfish at twilight

Bannerfish swimming among jellyfish during a twilight dive — Bannerfish and jellyfish

Jellyfish during a twilight dive at Richelieu Rock — Jellyfish

Jellyfish have many enemies but I love them equally!

Spanish Dancer Eggs and Other Surprises

Spanish dancer egg ribbons are another wonder to see underwater. Seeing these beautiful ribbons of eggs raised the question: could this be a new spot for blackwater diving?

Spanish dancer egg ribbon at Koh Bon Pinnacle — Spanish dancer’s eggs ribbon at Koh Bon Pinnacle

Close-up of Spanish dancer eggs underwater — Spanish dancer’s eggs close-up

Scorpionfish photographed underwater — Scorpionfish

Underwater Photography Onboard

All the photographers onboard used our dedicated photo room, and we shared some editing moments together, looking at our shots and exchanging tips to improve our underwater and blackwater photography.

Trying a creative blurry effect in underwater photography — Trying out the blurry effect. What do you think? Tell us in the comments below.

Another very nice group with whom we really enjoyed diving and living on the boat. Thank you to this team from all over the world for these few days.

Divers relaxing together between dives onboard the liveaboard — Relaxing time for divers

International group of divers enjoying a liveaboard cruise — Divers team

Discover Blackwater Diving in Thailand

From tiny larvae and pelagic nudibranchs to jellyfish, baby fish, squid and crustaceans, blackwater diving reveals a completely different side of the Andaman Sea. With Blackwater dives now offered on every cruise, our liveaboard trips give photographers and curious divers the opportunity to explore this fascinating world after dark.