Whale Sharks, Blackwater Diving and a Journey Through Thailand’s Marine National Parks
This trip was just awesome! We left Phuket on the 18th of December with 15 fantastic guests and explored four of Thailand’s best Marine National Parks.
We started down south, near the Malaysian border, with Tarutao National Park next to Koh Lipe. We then dived around Koh Lanta National Park, exploring the famous sites around Hin Daeng, Hin Muang and Koh Haa, before heading around Phuket to explore the North Andaman National Parks of Surin and Similan Islands, right next to the Myanmar border.
What an adventure!
A rainbow of marine life beneath the surface
The two whale sharks were not the only gift we got on this trip. There was a rainbow of critters in all shapes and colours, from wonderful Batwing sea slugs to pretty Harlequin shrimp. These colourful little crustaceans are sometimes described as the Hannibal Lecters of the sea because of their specialised diet, and they certainly make memorable subjects for underwater photographers.
We also found a mama clownfish — a Clark’s clownfish to be precise — eye to eye with her nearly hatched babies. Watching a clownfish guarding its eggs is always special, but seeing the tiny babies so close to hatching made this encounter even more memorable.
Several ghost pipefish were spotted along both our North and South routes, together with Napoleon fish and reefs absolutely steaming with life.
Blackwater diving on every trip: We love it!!!
Just like on every other trip, we did an optional Blackwater dive and met a myriad of fish larvae, all cuter than can be, as well as cephalopods and drifting crustaceans in various stages of development.
Blackwater diving gives us the chance to encounter some of the most unusual and delicate creatures in the Andaman Sea. Many of them spend their early life drifting in the open ocean before eventually settling onto the reef, so every night can bring something completely different.
Schools of fish everywhere
There were also plenty of schools of fish to keep our eyes and cameras busy around the reef. From the southern dive sites around Koh Lipe, Hin Daeng, Hin Muang and Koh Haa to the reefs of the North Andaman, the underwater scenery was constantly changing, with huge numbers of fish adding movement and colour to the dives.
Whale sharks and a shy tigertail seahorse
But I must admit my favourites this week were the two whale sharks and this shy tigertail seahorse.
After travelling through four of Thailand’s marine national parks, encountering so many different habitats and seeing such a variety of marine life, the two whale sharks were certainly among the highlights of the trip. And then, in complete contrast, we had this tiny, shy seahorse to photograph — another reminder of just how much variety there is beneath the surface of the Andaman Sea.
Four national parks, one incredible liveaboard adventure
From Tarutao and Koh Lipe in the far south, through Koh Lanta, Hin Daeng, Hin Muang and Koh Haa, and all the way north to Surin and the Similan Islands, this cruise gave our 15 guests an incredible tour of Thailand’s Andaman Sea.
And with colourful reef life, fascinating macro creatures, schools of fish, blackwater encounters and two unforgettable whale sharks, it was certainly a trip to remember.
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