Thailand Manta Ray Expedition: Meeting Joony and Exploring the Andaman Sea
Arguably one of the best experiences a diver could ever have is diving with giant oceanic manta rays. We are lucky to encounter them regularly during our cruises in both Thailand and Myanmar, and we are always happy to contribute to their research and conservation whenever we can.
Although oceanic manta rays are protected in international waters and by the laws of certain countries, they often travel through unregulated waters and are still being fished in many places. This makes research, identification and long-term monitoring particularly important.
This week, we had the chance to welcome Jamie, leader of the Thailand Manta Project, onboard The Smiling Seahorse. Jamie shared invaluable information about manta rays in the Andaman Sea with our guests through daily lectures, helping everyone better understand these incredible animals and the importance of manta ray research.
Surin National Park and Richelieu Rock
During the first couple of days, we explored Surin National Park. After an easy check-out dive around the Surin Islands, we headed straight towards the swarms of fish at Richelieu Rock, one of Thailand’s most famous dive sites.
A giant grouper had been staying around the rock that month, and it was HUGE! We had three dives to explore the site from different sides and saw it on every dive. What a treat! At around 100 kilograms and remarkably calm, this enormous grouper really made you feel as if you were looking at a prehistoric creature.
Groups of longnose emperors mixed with trevally were hunting all over the rock, while a large school of barracuda could be seen hanging out in the bay. Unfortunately, we did not have many photographs from this week, but we did have a video — and it is worth a thousand words!
Meeting Joony, a New Manta for the Thailand Manta Database
After Surin National Park, we moved south towards Similan National Park, where we met the star of this manta ray expedition: a very special melanistic oceanic manta ray.
This beautiful black manta was a real highlight for everyone onboard, but it was particularly special for Jamie, who was able to add the manta to the Manta Trust database. We were the first to record her, and we were so proud to name her Joony, the magic black manta!
What an amazing creature! She was so elegant and beautiful. Seeing her felt like a dream come true. A quick glimpse would have been nice, albeit frustrating, but Joony graced us with her presence for the whole dive. We could not have asked for a better encounter.
Mobula Rays and More Encounters in the Andaman Sea
We were also very lucky to spot a gorgeous mobula ray on a bluewater dive near the end of the continental shelf. Of course, this being a manta expedition, everyone was delighted by these two graceful rays, but they were not the only cool things we saw during this 9-day, 8-night cruise.
Along the way, we were able to observe a leopard shark, blacktip reef sharks, a huge giant grouper of around 100 kilograms, octopus, incredibly fishy dive sites and beautiful coral reefs in warm, crystal-clear blue waters.
Blackwater Diving in Thailand
Last but not least, we offered two amazing blackwater dives during this cruise. Blackwater diving is a fantastic way to encounter pelagic and deep-sea creatures that we would otherwise almost never see.
During these two dives, we saw a paper nautilus, flounders, juvenile squirrelfish, flutemouth, moray eels, salps and jellyfish in all shapes and sizes, and so much more. This is exactly what makes blackwater diving so exciting: every descent into the darkness can reveal something completely unexpected.
A Leopard Shark to Finish the Cruise
And on the last dive of the cruise, we met this lovely leopard shark! How cool!!!
Thanks to our lovely guests for choosing to dive with us. It was wonderful sharing this adventure with you all!
Hope to see you again very soon!
Join a Manta Ray Expedition with The Smiling Seahorse
Do you dream of diving alongside these gentle giants? Our next manta expeditions will take us to Myanmar, where you can join The Smiling Seahorse and explore the Mergui Archipelago on a liveaboard adventure dedicated to discovering the incredible marine life of the Andaman Sea.
As a Manta Trust-approved operator, we are proud to support manta ray research and contribute to the identification and monitoring of these magnificent animals whenever we encounter them during our cruises.
