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Season reopening: First cruise, wonderful memories!

22/10/2021

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North Andaman : 15th to 19th of October 2021

trip report october 2021

That's it! Surin and Similan have reopened on October 15th and that's the date we set sail for our first cruise of the season around the Surin Islands and the Similan Islands National Parks

Flat seas, great visibility, reefs covered with glassfish. What a treat!
​
We had the pleasure of welcoming 12 friendly divers, some courageous pioneering tourists coming all the way from France and England for their holidays, others expatriates based in Thailand. Most of them already shared the joys of a cruise with us in the past and it was a pleasure to welcome them back onboard. 
What did I like most on this trip? It was particularly nice to be the first to dive Richelieu Rock this season (and all alone on the dive site !!!!
sea anemone
school of fish
We saw beautiful schools of fish around the pinnacles: fusilier, trevali and barracuda where dancing in the blue. In surin, we found a nice colony of Pikachu nudibranchs (we foresee a very good season for nudibranchs, macro amateurs, grab your camera!) 
Colorful parrot fish, curious sea krait, ghost pipefish, scorpion fish, cuttlefish, moray eels ... Nature looked like it enjoyed the break from divers and offered us a beautiful premier show.
pikachu nudibranch
parrot fish
Other notable on this cruise: 2 clusters of clown fish eggs well guarded by their loving daddy, the female, once she has laid eggs, spends a most of her time feeding to recover and only has the secondary role. 
We also saw on a night dive a ribbon worm next to a razorfish it just killed! While it is not the sexiest critter on the reef, it was the first time for all dive guides onboard (all with 10-20 years experience in the area), so it is rare enough to report it!
ribbon worm
ribbon worm in the sand
ribbon worm next to razorfish
Did you know: while this one was not particularly long, ribbon worms can grow longer than a blue whale making them the longest marine species in the ocean! Despite their dull appearance, ribbon worms are fearsome predators stabbing their prey with immobilizing toxins and digestive juices before swallowing their whole!
banded sea krait
scorpion fish
squids
clown fish eggs
We also launched our Blackwater diving line and tried the ultra powerful torches we bought for it! Among our best photos of this very special night dive: a baby golden triggerfish and a christmassy little squid. 
The Smiling Seahorse is now offering Blackwater Dives on every cruise, so don't hesitate to contact us if you want to try it out!
golden trigger fish black water
squid black water
Some photos from this season’s refurbishment, crew and boat are ready for new adventures in the Andaman Sea!
shipyard
The MV smiling seahorse
We also had this great news last night: Thailand is reopening its borders without quarantine for 46 countries on November 1st, including France, the rest of Europe and the United States :) more details here.
Quiet dive sites, tropical seas and no quarantine? What are you waiting for to book?

Did this story make you want to go with us?

Check our schedules here 
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    The Smiling Seahorse Diving Blog

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    ​The Smiling Seahorse has been running dive cruises from Ranong since 2012.
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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
      • Mergui Archipelago >
        • Marine life in the Andaman Sea
        • Burma's best dive sites
        • The Ultimate Underwater photo Guide to diving Burma
  • ABOUT
    • Our Boat >
      • DELICIOUS FOOD
    • Guest Book
    • Diving in Thailand in 2022-2023 >
      • Ranong Departures >
        • 3D Thailand: Surin National Park
        • 4D Thailand from Ranong 5pm-7pm
        • 5D Thailand: Surin and Similan
        • 6D Thailand: Surin and Similan end to Ranong
        • 7D North Andaman: Surin and Similan from Ranong
        • 8D Thailand: North & South
        • Alternative itineraries for full charter >
          • 4D4N Evening to morning - Surin Similan
      • Khao Lak Departures >
        • 5D North Andaman from Khao Lak to Phuket
        • 5D North Andaman: All of Surin and Similan
        • 6D North Andaman: All of Surin and Similan
        • 6D North Andaman: From Khao Lak to Ranong
        • 7D North Andaman: All of Surin and Similan
        • 7D North Khao Lak to Khao Lak
        • 8D North & South Andaman Thailand
      • Phuket departures >
        • 5D North Andaman from Phuket
        • 5D South Andaman: Lanta and Tarutao National Parks
        • 6D North Andaman: Phuket to Khao Lak
        • 8D Thailand: South & North
    • Blackwater diving in Thailand
    • Marine life in Thailand's Andaman Sea
    • Diving in Myanmar | Burma dive cruises >
      • 6D Burma : South Mergui Archipelago
      • 7D Burma: dive Black Rock
      • 8D Burma: Undiscovered Mergui
      • 9D Burma: Exploration trip
    • Dive Courses >
      • Learn to Dive
      • Continue diving education
      • Rescue diver
      • Professional Dive Courses
      • Hone your dive skills with a PADI specialty course
      • Photo coaching in Thailand on the Smiling Seahorse
    • FAQ
  • Plan your trip
    • Accommodation in Ranong
    • SHA+ hotels in Phuket
    • Bungalows in Koh Phayam
    • Khao Sok National Park
    • Taxi services >
      • Taxi services to and from Ranong
      • Taxi services to and from Phuket
      • Taxi services to Tap Lamu and Khao Lak
    • 10 things to do around Ranong
    • Covid-19 news & infos >
      • COVID-19 update travel to Thailand
      • Covid-19 protection on-board
  • PROMO
    • HOT DEALS
    • Whale shark expedition - 4 Feb 2023 - North and South
    • Manta rays expedition - 19 Mar 2023
    • Photo clinic + Blackwater 23 Jan 2024
    • UW Photo clinic North Andaman 31 Jan 2024
    • Manta rays expedition - 18 Feb 2024
    • Whale Shark Special - 19 Mar 2024 - North and South
  • gallery
    • Photos
    • Videos
  • CONTACT
  • BLOG
    • Most popular posts