North Andaman : 15th to 19th of 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 !!!!
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 !!!!
 |  |
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.
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.
 |  |
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!
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!
 |  |  |
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!
 |  |
 |  |
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!
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!
 |  |
Some photos from this season’s refurbishment, crew and boat are ready for new adventures in the Andaman Sea!
 |  |
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?
Quiet dive sites, tropical seas and no quarantine? What are you waiting for to book?
RSS Feed
