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Trip Report: Thailand Andaman Photo Clinic From 31st January to 7th February 2024

20/2/2024

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For this trip we are pleased to welcome on board divers from France, Wales, Bangladesh and Romania...
As the sun rose on the horizon, our group of divers from around the world gathered in anticipation of an unforgettable adventure exploring the underwater gems of Thailand's Andaman Sea. From January 31st to February 7th, 2024, we embarked on a photo clinic expedition led by the skilled photographer and Blackwater specialist, Alex Tyrrell.
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Setting sail from Khao Lak, we cruised towards Surin's Island National Park, our first destination on this thrilling 8-day journey. The ocean sparkled under the morning light as we prepared for our check dive at Ao Pragaad. With eager hearts and cameras in hand, we dove into the turquoise waters, encountering our first glimpses of the captivating underwater world beneath.
Surin's Island National Park
Surin's Island National Park
Wonderful giant seafan
Wonderful giant seafan
Dives 2 and 3 transported us to macrophotography paradise in Torinla and Yellow Rock. Here, the ocean revealed its hidden treasures, from the adorable Pikachu nudibranch to the rare sightings of Robust Ghost Pipefish in vibrant shades of green and orange. As the sun dipped below the horizon, we plunged into the darkness for a mesmerizing night dive in Ao Pragaad, marveling at the mystical marine life that thrived in the shadowy depths.
The highlight of our expedition awaited us on... 
Orange ghost pipefish
Orange ghost pipefish
Pikachu nudibranch
Pikachu nudibranch
White and orange ghost pipefish
Harlequin white ghost pipefish
Harlequin marble shrimp
Squat shrimp are so sexy!
Day 2 as we arrived at the legendary Richelieu Rock. Like a cathedral rising from the seabed, this iconic formation served as our playground for the next four days, offering a kaleidoscope of marine marvels for our lenses to capture. Harlequin Shrimp danced in the currents, Ghost Pipefish swayed amidst the corals, and schools of Big Eyes Trevallies shimmered in the sunlight.

​Under the expert guidance of Alex Tyrrell and Franck Fogarolo, our photographers honed their skills, immersing themselves in the art of underwater photography and emerging with stunning images that immortalized the beauty of this underwater realm.
Harlequin shrimp
Harlequin shrimp
Big Eyes Trevallies
Big Eyes Trevallies
Porcelain crab
Porcelain crab
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Day 6 greeted us with crystal-clear waters and ideal diving conditions at Koh Tachai. The pinnacle dive unveiled a spectacle of marine life, from graceful Batfish to intricate coral formations that painted the underwater landscape in a riot of colors. As the day drew to a close, we embarked on a surreal Blackwater Dive, plunging into the abyss to witness the mysterious creatures that emerged from the depths. Larvae and post-larvae stages of familiar reef fish morphed into otherworldly forms, their delicate silhouettes illuminated by the gentle glow of our lights.
Our journey culminated on... 
Pelagic sea snail
Pelagic sea snail
Baby shrimp, blackwater dive
Baby shrimp, blackwater dive
Drift fish
Drift fish
Juvenile eel
Juvenile eel
Larval flat worm
Larval flat worm
Codlet
Codlet
Squid, blackwater dive
Squid, blackwater dive
Day 7 at Kho Bon, where we explored the North Ridge, Western Ridge, and the Pinnacle. The expansive visibility offered a breathtaking panorama of the underwater world, teeming with Marble Rays, Batfish, and the elusive Bull Sharks that patrolled the depths. As we bid farewell to these pristine waters, our hearts were filled with gratitude for the remarkable experiences and unforgettable moments shared in the embrace of the ocean.

Our photographic expedition through the Thailand Andaman Sea had not only enriched our portfolios but had also deepened our connection to the wonders of the underwater realm. Each click of the camera shutter captured a fragment of this mesmerizing world, a testament to the beauty that thrives beneath the waves. As we sailed back to shore, our hearts brimmed with memories that would forever linger in the depths of our souls, a memento of our remarkable journey into the heart of the ocean's embrace.
A cute clownfish
A cute clownfish
Batfish on patrol
Batfish on patrol
CHEERS!!!!!
CHEERS!!!!!
Nemo next generation...
Nemo next generation...
Clownfish eggs macro photo
Clownfish eggs macro photo
Longnose Emperors
Longnose Emperors
RELAX... HAPPY...
RELAX... HAPPY...

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Our underwater photographer’s essential guide to the Surin and Similans in Thailand

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Blackwater Expedition: Exploring the Nocturnal Ocean Wonders

3/2/2024

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Greetings, fellow adventurers! It's been an exhilarating week filled with awe-inspiring marine encounters during our Annual Blackwater expedition from January 23rd to 29th, 2024.

Day 1: We embarked on this journey with divers hailing from Germany, France, Thailand, Singapore, and the UK, each bringing their unique zest for exploration and love for the ocean's mysteries.
Special thanks to the return of Alex Tyrrell, a seasoned photographer and on of the pioneers Blackwater divers in Thailand, whose insights and expertise enriched our experience profoundly. It was amazing seeing everyone's photos improving throughout the trip, and everyone thoroughly enjoyed his daily presentations and photo reviews!
A warm welcome to our guests!
Alex's presentation: Photo technics for Best Blackwater photos
Juvenile cusk eel blackwater
Juvenile cusk eel blackwater
Day 2:

Our expedition kicked off with a check dive at West of Eden in the Similan National Park. Amongst the grand granite boulders adorned with vibrant hard corals, macro enthusiasts found paradise with an abundance of nudibranches, shrimps, and tiny crabs. A mesmerizing spectacle unfolded as we found ourselves surrounded by a massive school of Fusilier, akin to being engulfed in a fireworks display. Ventures into the deeper realms revealed elusive sharks lurking in the abyss, adding a thrilling edge to our dive.

The adventure continued at Elephant Head, where divers and photographers alike explored a playground of underwater wonders. We meandered around and beneath colossal granite boulders, discovering hidden swim-through teeming with sea fans and hard corals. Keen observers were rewarded with sightings of the elusive Ribbon Eel in its various color phases. Our encounters escalated as we stumbled upon an array of sharks, including white tips, nurse sharks, and a majestic guitarfish evading our lenses. Some massive Jenkins rays were also resting on the sandy bottom at 25 meters and it was a bit frustrating to come back up with so many interesting subjects to photograph. Thankfully we were diving Nitrox, but often times bottom time just seems to be too short…
Humpback red snappers
Humpback red snappers
Crown of Thorns Starfish
Crown of Thorns Starfish
Huge school of barracudas
Huge school of barracudas
Clark’s anemone fish
Clark’s anemone fish
We concluded the day with our first Blackwater Dive of this dedicated blackwater diving expedition, delving into the mysterious depths of the ocean's night realm. Amidst the pitch-black waters, we were entranced by the peculiar beauty of tiny creatures, with the male Paper Nautilus stealing the spotlight.
Paper Nautilus blackwater diving in Similan
Paper Nautilus
filefish on blackwater dive thailand
Filefish
Thailand blackwater diving fish
Puffer fish
Blackwater diving Baby crab Thailand
Baby crab blackwater dive
Day 3:
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Our exploration continued with dives around Koh Bon, where encounters with massive Marble Rays and schools of Chevron Barracuda set the tone for an exhilarating day. Moving on to Koh Tachai Pinnacle, we were greeted by more barracudas, batfish, and a playful clown triggerfish, painting a vibrant underwater tableau.
Big spotted marble ray and vivid seafan
Big spotted marble ray and vivid seafan
Chevron barracudas
Chevron barracudas
Batfish in the blue
Batfish in the blue
Wonderful red soft coral
Wonderful red soft coral
The day ended with another wonderful blackwater dive off the Similans
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Days 4 and 5:

Our expedition took us to Thailand's top dive site: Richelieu Rock, where we could enjoy 7 enchanting dives. This haven for marine diversity offered a tapestry of underwater marvels for both wide-angle and macro enthusiasts. It poses only one issue for photographers: choosing which lens to hone for the next dive as there are so many interesting subjects to photograph!
Those going with macro lenses could photograph harlequin ghost pipe fish, tapestry shrimps, harlequin shrimps, hairy shrimp, zebra moray, tiger egg cowry or families of Clark’s anemone fish nurturing their eggs! 

Those going down with wide-angle lenses took wonderful shots of the vibrant coral reef with the rivers of emperor-long-nose patrolling and changing colors as they hunt.
Huge school of big eyes trevallies and rainbow runners were also seen in the blue and made some nice shots.
Safety stops were not too shabby either as we mingled with batfish, and giant trevallY at the top of the rock and even saw a blacktip reef shark getting chased by these silver giants!
Couple of Harlequin shrimps
Couple of Harlequin shrimps
Long nose emperors and big eyes trevallies
Long nose emperors and big eyes trevallies
Clark’s anemone fish nurturing their eggs
Clark’s anemone fish nurturing their eggs
Clark’s anemone fish eggs
Clark’s anemone fish eggs
Giant moray eel
Giant moray eel
Ghost pipefish
Ghost pipefish
Small Hairy shrimp
Small Hairy shrimp
On the 4th night we did a wonderful sunset at Richelieu Rock and stopped early to indulge in our special Barbecue Night, one the 5th day, we had a late start with 2 morning dives at Richelieu Rock followed by two amazing Blackwater dives on the 5th night! We got super lucky spotting a pelagic seahorse and Sargassum Frogfish (also a pelagic species: they leave offshore, never on the reef) .
Sargassum frogfish
Sargassum frogfish
Fish hiding in salp chain blackwater
Fish hiding in salp chain blackwater
Pelagic seahorse
Pelagic seahorse
Shrimp of a pile of excrement to mimick a venomous siphonophore (much less appetising than shrimps)
This Shrimp carries a pile of excrement to mimick a venomous siphonophore (much less appetising than itself)
Small fish in blackwater dive
Small fish in blackwater dive
Baby crab blackwater
Baby crab blackwater
Day 6 and 7:
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Returning to Koh Tachai Pinnacle and Koh Bon the next days, we immersed ourselves in surreal dives amidst thousands of jellyfish, witnessing nature's ballet unfold before our eyes. The school of barracudas was spectacular, circling us in their embrace. 
Elegant red jellyfish
Elegant red jellyfish
Koh Bon, Similan Islands
Koh Bon, Similan Islands
A very Special Blackwater Expedition:
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The highlight of our journey was undoubtedly the Blackwater dives, where we delved into the depths to discover pelagic wonders in their larval and adult stages. 
We experienced some remarkable sightings during these 6 blackwater dives, including numerous male Paper Nautiluses and pretty squids, a pelagic seahorse, a charming Sargassum Frogfish hitching a ride on its Sargassum raft, a stunning Cusk eel, a sea robin, and a tinny larval Crocodile Toothfish (Champsodon sp.) captured on our final night.
Blackwater diving inspired new passion by unveiling the mysteries of the ocean's depths, leaving us in awe of its vastness and complexity.
As our expedition draws to a close, we extend our heartfelt gratitude to all our esteemed guests who made this journey possible and incredible. Your passion for exploration fuels our adventures, and we hope that you've found as much joy and wonder in these underwater realms as we have. Until the next expedition, may the call of the ocean continue to beckon us toward new horizons.
Happy diving! 🌊🐠📷
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Picture
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Jellyfish with juvenile fish hitching a ride
Jellyfish with juvenile fish hitching a ride
Pelagic sea snail
Pelagic sea snail
Pirosome hiding a small shrimp
Pirosome hiding a small shrimp
Male paper nautilus on jellyfish
Male paper nautilus on jellyfish
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Amphipod on salp
Amphipod on salp
Baby fish in salp similan
Baby fish in salp
Blackwater seahorse in thailand
Pelagic seahorse
Thailand black water crustacean
Crustacean trying to camouflage
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    The Smiling Seahorse Diving Blog

    A blog about our diving adventures in Burma and Thailand. Diving trip reports, guest reviews, fishy stories, wildlife fun facts and much more...
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  • When & Where
    • Schedule and Prices
    • Destinations >
      • North Andaman Thailand >
        • Similan Islands
        • Surin Islands >
          • Richelieu Rock
        • The essential Underwater photo Guide to diving Thailand
      • South Andaman Thailand >
        • Phuket & Koh Phi Phi National Parks
        • Koh Lanta National Park
        • Koh Lipe and Tarutao National Park
      • Mergui Archipelago >
        • Liveaboard diving holiday in Myanmar
        • Burma's best dive sites
        • The Ultimate Underwater photo Guide to diving Burma
  • ABOUT
    • Our Boat >
      • DELICIOUS FOOD
    • Diving in Thailand in 2024-2025
    • Diving in Myanmar/Burma in 2024-2025
    • Blackwater diving in Thailand and Myannmar
    • Marine life in Thailand's Andaman Sea
    • Marine life in Mergui Archipelago
    • Dive Courses >
      • Learn to Dive
      • Continue diving education
      • Rescue diver
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      • Hone your dive skills with a specialty course
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  • Plan your trip
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    • Taxi services >
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    • 10 things to do around Ranong
  • PROMO
    • HOT DEALS
    • Special Expeditions >
      • 8D Special Marine Bio with Gavin Miller - 10 Nov 2025
      • 8D Whale shark expedition - 20 March 2026 - North and South
  • gallery
    • Photos
    • Videos
  • CONTACT
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    • Most popular posts