A cruise focused on learning new UW photo skills and daily Blackwater diving in Surin and Similan islands
Blackwater diving is an extraordinary new way of night diving!
What is Blackwater diving?
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Blackwater diving is an extraordinary new way of night diving!
You will dive on top of very deep water with no other reference than a downline fitted with powerful lights. Blackwater dives give us the opportunity to encounter marine life never seen on usual dives, such as all types of larvae and baby fish, crabs or shrimps still floating mid-water until they are strong enough to settled down on the reef or deep sea creatures who will never visit a reef such as this Paper Nautilus we encountered last March! How will this cruise work?We will plan 3 day dives and 1 Blackwater dives per day!
The days will be something like this: 7am, wake up, coffee, briefing 8am 1st day dive 09:00 substantial breakfast 12:00 2nd day dive 13:00 lunch 16:00 3rd day dive 17:00 Snack and watch the sun go down 20:00 4th dive, Blackwater 21pm Dinner. |
You will see all kind of baby fish such as this juvenile Sailfish
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Itinerary: North Andaman
Day 1: Embark on The Smiling Seahorse between 2pm and 4pm Departure at 5pm in Phuket and wake up on the dive site the next morning! Day 2 to 6th: 3 day dives per day in the North Andaman best national parks: Surin, Similan + 1 blackwater dive every night 7th day: 2 dives and back in Khao Lak around 3-4pm. The last dive ends no later than 1 p.m. We will take advantage of this special "blackwater" cruise to go diving at the edge of the continental plate, a few hours west of the Similan Islands and we will have the opportunity to dive above hundreds of meters of water. |
Baby bannerfish
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What can we see during the day dives?
Macro and wide angle...
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What can we expect to see on the blackwater dives?
Cephalopods
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including the Paper Nautilus
you might even get lucky with a Pelagic sea snake
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Daily free presentations about UW Photo By Alex Tyrrell !After years of experience as an underwater photographer, Alex set up his own underwater photo school in 2012 and is now a leading underwater photo instructor in Thailand.
Alex's images and technical articles have been published in numerous dive magazines and he regularly wins international photo competitions. Optional private lessons: Learn new photo or editing skills with Alex TyrrellAlex Tyrrell will be exceptionally available on this cruise for one-on-one training you can choose 1 of these 2 options:
1. a course of 7 hours, 2-dives included for 8,000 THB 2. boat based theory sessions, dives non-included for: 2,000 THB for 1 hour 3,700 THB for 2 hours 5,000 THB for 3 hours |
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Whether you shoot Jpg or RAW learning about photo editing will give your shots a massive boost.
Adapting to your very need, Alex can explain you the basics you need to know about softwares like “Photoshop” or “Lightroom” or go into much more detailed lecture. He can also be your private guide and underwater photo coach for a dive (count 2h for an hour dive + 30 minutes briefing before the dive to set session objectives or look at your gear set up + 30 minutes debriefing for a short image review session). |
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If you are a photographer, you will love our boat!
Designed by Camille and Franck Fogarolo (a seasoned underwater photographer) and built at the end of 2018, The MV Smiling Seahorse is perfectly fitted to match photographer's expectations.
Not only is it a very comfortable vessel to explore the Andaman Sea, but it is also the only liveaboard in Thailand with a camera room or offering photographer's coaching and blackwater diving!
Not only is it a very comfortable vessel to explore the Andaman Sea, but it is also the only liveaboard in Thailand with a camera room or offering photographer's coaching and blackwater diving!
The exclusivity of a boat for only 16 guests
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plenty of space and plugs for editing sessions
our camera room and dive deck
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Diving certification required
Because you need to be a diver prior to bring a camera down, we ask you to be certified up to 30 metres by any dive organisation like Padi, Naui, ssi, Cmas or similar, and you need good buoyancy skills. Nitrox is available for EAN certified divers.
Blackwater dives cannot be guided and are only suitable to divers able to dive safely as a buddy pair; it is essential to have a control over you buoyancy and air consumption.
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BLACKWATER DIVING EXPEDITION
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INCLUDED
• Full accommodation and board (Breakfast, Lunch, afternoon bites, Dinner) • All soft drinks, drinking water, fresh coffee & tea • Fresh fruits, yogurt & snacks all-day • 12 L scuba tank, Weights & Weight Belt • PADI Professional Dive Guide (for up to 4 divers) • up to 22 Dives • Towels, reef-friendly amenities • Sunbeds and Thai seats • 5 Blackwater dives |
NOT INCLUDED
. Marine Park Fee * 2,600 THB / diver *subject to government's change . COMPULSORY IF YOU DON'T HAVE YOUR OWN: - PERSONAL INSURANCE (General Travel insurance is highly recommended) - Computer rental 300 THB/day - Equipment rental 600 THB/ day . OPTIONS: - 15L Tank 250 THB / day or 1,500 THB for the whole cruise - Nitrox : 250 THB/tank or 4,500 THB for the whole cruise - Private guide 3,000 THB/day . COURSES: - PADI Courses - Photographer private coaching . Transfers to and from the boat on-demand (prices) . Alcoholic drinks and cigarettes . Gratuity/ tips (1000 THB / day /pers is common practice) |
Be careful, these special trips are rare and fill up quite quicky!!! book ahead of time
1 of the lates reviews on our liveaboard
The Smiling seahorse Andaman Dive cruises
Review:
5, based on
176 reviews
"I hope heaven will have the Smiling Seahorse" by
Josh, written on
April 09, 2023
First off, I don’t usually write reviews because I’m a bit of a knit pick, but in the case of the Smiling Seahorse I feel if I didn’t leave a review it would be an injustice. The owner of the boat, Frank, was on board the whole time and his team looked after everyone from the moment we stepped on board to meals, from before every dive making sure each person had what they needed to return to the boat and having your fins taken off by the crew who also helped keep you stable making sure your tank was properly placed. The rooms had great air-conditioning and stayed at a nice cool temperature at night. The daily schedule was written out for everyone to see so we all knew exactly how the day would proceed and we knew when to be where.
The boat itself was also put together with care. The main deck was set up with tables and a nice place to stretch out in comfort with cushions and pillows that surrounded the back of the boat as you look out at numerous islands, sunrises, and sunsets. The upper deck had a huge awning where you could enjoy the cool breeze while driving to the next location while resting on the hammock, fold-out pads, or the furniture. There was also a nice sunbathing area for serious sun seekers. I loved it here during sunrises, mid-afternoon nap time, sunsets, and watching the stars at night. The lower deck is where all the scuba equipment was stored and we each have cubbies for our things. There was a nice couple of tables for anyone with cameras to dry off and do any adjustments.
The food on the boat was exceptional. There was a fabulous cook who had food waiting for you at all times of the day. Coffee was made before we woke up, breakfast was hot after the first dive, and the next meals were ready to be eaten immediately after we finished the remaining dives. Not only was the food hot and ready in a buffet style, which I loved because I could choose how much I ate, but the food itself was fantastic. We had Thai food, western food, barbecue, and steaks for the final meal. And there were mid-afternoon snacks that hit the spot like fried bananas with ice cream! YUM!
If I were to end here, you may think the cruise sounds pretty good and possibly be interested in giving the Smiling Seahorse a shot, but this is really only half the experience. The dives picked out each day by the crew are to give the divers the best options due to the current, moon, and other conditions. If there are a bunch of people loading up at one site, we may make a change to not be overcrowded. The diving was fantastic! I saw beautiful and vibrant hard and soft corals, rays, turtles, octopus, shrimp, nudibranchs, and countless fish big and small. If you look online at the Similan Islands, they speak for themselves.
The most important part of the experience for me was the crew and Frank the owner. The crew was always greeting people each morning with a smile and were extremely friendly. They were willing to answer any questions whether good or bad. My guide was James, a true professional and enthusiast. He knew the dives like the back of his hand and was always looking out for the divers safety. He also knew exactly where to wait for the big schools of fish!
And last but not least, was Frank. Frank is a tall, French, fish-loving guide, friend, and entertainer. He walks around like a Thai fisherman wearing local clothes and a winter hat to keep the wind out of his ears. He has fantastic communication skills to make the trip very detailed and loves to crack jokes to keep things fun. Frank jumps in the water each day along with the divers purely because he loves diving and taking AMAZING pictures. His setup looks like he taking rigging to video a professional sporting event with strobes, gimbals, and a serious housing kit for his camera. The pictures he has taken are top-notch. But there is still more. Frank sat and talked to me about remedial camera skills, settings, and techniques to take the best pictures even though his level of photography is light years beyond what I’m doing. He is genuine, kind, insightful, and informative. Now if I stopped here, I still would not be giving the whole scoop. You can tell that Frank loves being on the boat with the divers and making friends, and because of that you get treated like his friend from the food he plans like the barbecue night with massive ribs, chicken, and potatoes and opening some rum for everyone to enjoy (at no cost) as the music plays and people let their hair down. Then the final meal was mouth-watering steak, with pasta, and delicious veggies in a cream sauce. When you are treated like the owner's friend on his boat, you get the best of everything. Most times in life when you purchase something you look for the best deal, and even then you may feel like you paid too much. Taking a trip on the Smiling Seahorse to me is like feeling that I should have had to pay more for the trip than I actually did, and I’m a bit of a cheap skate. I love to get the best deal, even if that means having to put up with some not-so-nice things. This trip I feel like I got so much more than what I paid for. I cannot say enough about this trip. I’m sad it had to end and now any other live aboard I go on in the future will have a very, very high bar. Thanks Frank and the team!
