Thailand Reopens: Our First Surin and Similan Liveaboard Cruise of the Season
Surin and Similan Islands Reopen for the New Season
That’s it! Surin and Similan reopened on October 15th, and that’s the date we set sail for our first cruise of the season around the Surin Islands and the Similan Islands National Park.
Flat seas, great visibility, reefs covered with glassfish. What a treat!
We had the pleasure of welcoming 12 friendly divers, some courageous pioneering tourists coming all the way from France and England for their holidays, and others who were expatriates living in Thailand. Most of them had already shared the joys of a cruise with us in the past, and it was a pleasure to welcome them back onboard.
What did I like most about this trip? It was particularly nice to be the first to dive Richelieu Rock this season—and all alone on the dive site!!!!
Beautiful Reef Life Around Surin and Richelieu Rock
We saw beautiful schools of fish around the pinnacles: fusiliers, trevally and barracuda were dancing in the blue. In Surin, we found a nice colony of Pikachu nudibranchs — we foresee a very good season for nudibranchs, so macro amateurs, grab your camera!
Colourful parrotfish, curious sea kraits, ghost pipefish, scorpionfish, cuttlefish, moray eels… Nature looked like it enjoyed the break from divers and offered us a beautiful premiere show.
Clownfish Eggs and a Very Rare Ribbon Worm Encounter
Another notable highlight on this cruise: two clusters of clownfish eggs, well guarded by their loving daddy. Once she has laid her eggs, the female spends most of her time feeding to recover, leaving the male with the primary role of guarding and caring for the eggs.
We also saw, on a night dive, a ribbon worm next to a razorfish it had just killed! While it is not the sexiest critter on the reef, it was the first time for all the dive guides onboard — all with 10–20 years of experience in the area—so it is rare enough to report it!
Did you know? While this one was not particularly long, ribbon worms can grow longer than a blue whale, making them the longest marine species in the ocean! Despite their dull appearance, ribbon worms are fearsome predators, stabbing their prey with immobilising toxins and digestive juices before swallowing them whole.
Our First Blackwater Diving Experiments
We also launched our Blackwater diving line and tried the ultra-powerful torches we bought for it! Among our best photos from this very special night dive were a baby golden triggerfish and a Christmassy little squid.
The Smiling Seahorse is now offering Blackwater Dives on every cruise, so don’t hesitate to contact us if you want to try it out!
The Smiling Seahorse Is Ready for a New Season
Some photos from this season’s refurbishment, crew and boat are ready for new adventures in the Andaman Sea!
Thailand Reopens to International Travellers
We also had this great news that night: Thailand was reopening its borders without quarantine for 46 countries on November 1st, including France, the rest of Europe and the United States 🙂
Quiet dive sites, tropical seas and no quarantine? What are you waiting for to book?
