Whale Shark Expedition in Thailand: 8 Days of Diving the Andaman Sea
This week marked our third collaboration with Thai Whale Sharks, as we welcomed Marine Biologist and founder of the project, Kirsty Magson, onboard for 8 days of diving as we explored the north and south Andaman in search of the world’s biggest fish.
Kirsty delivered daily lectures on all things shark as she educated guests on Whale Shark Ecology, Shark Biology, Threats to Sharks, Ecotourism, Whale Shark Conservation, Whale Shark Feeding and the process behind whale shark ID.
The trip was built around dive sites that offered the best chance to spot some of these gentle giants, so a lot of time was spent looking in the blue. But how did we get on?
Day 1: Hin Muang and Hin Daeng
Departing from Phuket, the first stop on the agenda was Koh Haa and Lanta National Park to dive Hin Muang and Hin Daeng. These dive sites, famous for the Dendronephthya soft corals, which give these sites their names, offered a lot of very fishy encounters as we were surrounded by schooling jacks, emperor fish and some were lucky enough to find 2 stonefish relaxing on the reef.
Unfortunately, no signs of anything big appeared in the blue this day, but we did encounter some very large sea hares (Dolabella auricularia).
Koh Lanta and Lanta National Park offered plenty of marine life to keep everyone busy, even though our search for whale sharks would have to continue.
Days 2 and 3: Tarutao National Park
Day 2 and 3, we headed to Tarutao National Park for dive sites such as Steps, 8 Miles Rock and, of course, Stonehenge.
These 2 days provided us with frogfish, seahorses, catsharks, sea slugs, a wide array of hard and soft coral diversity and even a quick hello from another of the gentle giants, the manta ray (unfortunately not in front of Franck’s lens, so no photo…).
Day 4: Koh Haa and Shark Point
Day 4 marked our return to Koh Haa, but this time we explored the Cathedral, the perfect place for a photo op, and Chimney before a sunset dive at Shark Point on the lookout for the Leopard Sharks, also called zebra sharks.
Across the groups we encountered not 1, not 2 but 3 zebra sharks, so there were many happy faces upon the return to the boat.
Days 5 and 6: Similan Islands, Koh Bon and Koh Tachai
Day 5 and we headed north to the Similan Islands to explore Shark Fin Reef, Elephant Head and Three Trees. Octopus and Ribbon Eels were high on everyone’s list of must-see animals.
The Similans also provided an opportunity to jump off the boat and feel sand between our toes as we headed to the beach at…….. and the chance of an encounter with the Nicobar Pigeon.
We ended the day with a sunset dive at Koh Bon and a blackwater dive, the first for many aboard (and most certainly not the last), with snake blennies, paper nautilus and so much more being seen.
The next day brought us to Koh Tachai. Encounters with Black Tip and White Tip Reef Sharks, as well as Eagle Rays and the school of barracuda, made for some amazing diving.
Day 7: Richelieu Rock
Day 7 and it was off to Richelieu Rock for 4 dives, and what a day we picked.
Conditions were incredible with amazing visibility, low currents and, of course, some of the best diving in Thailand. The schools of jacks, glassfish, rainbow runners and emperor fish meant there was activity all through the water column and, closer to the ground, we found Harlequin Shrimp, seahorses, sea slugs, Peacock Mantis Shrimp and more.
Day 8: Boonsung Wreck
To round off the trip, we ended with 2 dives on the Boonsung Wreck ahead of landing in Khao Lak.
The wreck was destroyed in the tsunami, but offers a wide array of marine life living in all the nooks and crannies that can be found. Catsharks, sea slugs, cuttlefish and the honeycomb moray eel were favourites of the day and a great way to round off the trip.
Until the Next Whale Shark Expedition
Whilst we weren’t lucky enough to encounter any whale sharks on this trip, we were fortunate to enjoy some incredible diving with some amazing marine life.
From the southern Andaman and Tarutao National Park to the Similan Islands, Koh Bon, Koh Tachai and Richelieu Rock, the expedition took us across a fantastic variety of dive sites. With Kirsty’s daily lectures adding another dimension to the trip, everyone came away with a better understanding of whale sharks, sharks and the conservation challenges facing these incredible animals.
So, until our next adventure, thanks for reading.
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