Whale Sharks, Dolphins and an Epic Andaman Sea Liveaboard Charter
We had, once again, a fantastic trip on the Andaman Sea this week! Joining us from Switzerland, a lovely group of fun divers chartered the boat and brought a lot of good vibes with them.
Aurélie, Eva, Yan alias Loudou, Coranda, Tanguy, Damien alias Titi, Marilyn, Gilbert, Alex, André, Roxane, André, Jean Louis, Thomas and Nadia: thanks for joining us!
The cruise started late on the 4th of January, as the group had just landed in Phuket that morning and were waiting for their PCR test results to clear. Once everyone was ready to go, we set off for eight days of fun and explored some of the best dive sites of the Andaman Sea, travelling all the way from Richelieu Rock to Koh Lipe.
And the highlights of this trip were certainly the dolphins and whale sharks!!
Excellent visibility and hunting action at Richelieu Rock
The cruise started very well with excellent visibility at Richelieu Rock. We had the chance to witness emperors, trevally and tunas hunting the glassfish covering the reef. With predators charging through enormous clouds of tiny fish, there was plenty of action to keep everyone’s eyes and cameras busy.
Unfortunately, Franck wasn’t in the water this week, so we have fewer underwater photos than usual but a lot more surface photos 🙂
A whale shark at Koh Tachai
We continued our journey to Koh Tachai the next day, where we enjoyed two wonderful dives on the pinnacle. One of them was made even more special by the appearance of a majestic whale shark!
Dolphins, or rather pilot whales, on the way to Koh Bon
On the way to Koh Bon, we got lucky enough to see a pod of pilot whales from the boat! It was so exciting to watch them travelling alongside us, and it was one of those unexpected encounters that makes a liveaboard trip even more memorable.
Donald Duck Bay and the Similan Islands
The next day we visited the infamous Donald Duck Bay and viewpoint in the Similan Islands. The weather was super nice and we had amazing views over the beach and surrounding islands.
A surprise green turtle visit
During our surface interval, we had the surprise visit of a huge green turtle checking out the boat. The turtle stayed around long enough for us to get into the water and swim with it for a few wonderful minutes.
It was a pretty special surface interval and another reminder that some of the best encounters on a liveaboard don’t necessarily happen during a dive.
Blackwater diving in the South Andaman
In the South Andaman, we did some nice dives around Hin Daeng and Hin Muang, as well as a cool Blackwater dive — a first experience for most of our guests!
For divers used to exploring coral reefs, Blackwater diving is a completely different experience. Instead of following a reef, we head out into the darkness and search the open water for tiny pelagic animals drifting towards the surface. Every dive is different, and there is always the possibility of seeing something completely unexpected.
Another whale shark near Koh Lipe
The next day we travelled to Tarutao National Park near Koh Lipe, where we met a second amazing whale shark. It came again and again during the whole dive — we just could never get tired of it!
After already seeing a whale shark at Koh Tachai, having another encounter further south was an incredible bonus for the group. Encounters like these are always special, but having the same whale shark stay with the divers throughout the dive made this one particularly memorable.
Hin Muang, Koh Haa and a wild night
Hin Muang was amazing, with crazy visibility and no current at all: just a pure delight!
And speaking of delight, we enjoyed our special barbecue night surrounded by the scenic islands of Koh Haa, with our traditional “aperitif” to start what became a wild evening.
Some threw themselves into the water in the middle of the night at Koh Phi Phi, while others who had not asked for anything were thrown into the water… poor people.
Finishing the cruise at Bida Nok and Shark Point
We ended our journey with nice dives at Bida Nok and Shark Point, with amazing visibility once again and some curious Blacktip sharks. We also caught a glimpse of tigertail seahorses — a perfect way to end our cruise!
What a trip!
Eight days, two whale sharks, pilot whales, a green turtle, Blackwater diving, incredible visibility and some seriously fun moments onboard — this Swiss charter group certainly made the most of their Andaman Sea adventure.
Thanks again to our amazing guests! We loved this trip and can’t wait to welcome you onboard again! 🙂
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