Diving liveaboard in Thailand and Myanmar
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  • ABOUT
    • Our Boat >
      • DELICIOUS FOOD
    • Diving in Thailand in 2024-2025
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The exclusivity of Surin Islands for this VVIP trip

25/11/2021

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trip report 19-25 nov 21
A very intimate atmosphere for this last cruise in the Surin Islands: indeed, we welcomed 4 guests who had the chance to enjoy the boat and the crew to themselves! And since we were the only boat on a cruise this week, we also got to enjoy being the only divers underwater, from the first to the last day.
The sea was lovely and calm, life under the water buzzing and amazing.


The Smiling Seahorse now offers blackwater dives on every cruise and this week, our blackwater dives were a success: We were able to observe many species at the larval and pelagic stage: flounder, jellyfish, pineapple fish, nudibranch, squids, shrimps, trigger fish, barracudas, worms ...
larvae flounder
Larvae flounder
jellyfish
Jellyfish
Barracuda
Barracuda
Undefined worm
Undefined worm
Scribble Filefish running after a jellyfish
Scribble Filefish running after a jellyfish
Pelagic nudibranch
Pelagic nudibranch
Sea butterfly larvae
Sea butterfly larvae
Squid
Squid
Pineapple fish
Pineapple fish
baby trigger fish
Baby trigger fish
shrimp
Shrimp
Pelagic sea snake
Pelagic sea snake
We also twitched our itinerary slightly this week, in order to be able to do a twilight dive at Richelieu Rock: a magical moment! The colors under and on the water were fabulous, to the delight of all our photographers on board.
barracuda scribble filefish jellyfish
bannerfish and jellyfish
jellyfish
Jellyfish have many enemies but I love them equally!
spanish dancer's eggs
spanish dancer s eggs close up
Spanish dancer eggs ribbon, a wonder to see underwater. New spot for blackwater diving?
Scorpion fish
Scorpion fish
All photographers onboard used our dedicated photo room and we shared some editing moments to share our shots and tips to improve our underwater and blackwater photography.
blurry effect
Trying out the blurry effect. What do you think? Tell us in the comments below.
Another very nice group with whom we really enjoyed diving and living on the boat. Thank you to this team from all over the world for these few days.
relaxing time for divers
divers team
If you would like more information about our itineraries, our boat or our various training courses, do not hesitate to contact us.

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Clear blue sky and dolphins dream for our second trip of the season on the Andaman Sea!

2/11/2021

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Rain was falling on Ranong when we reached the boat, but the sky cleared as soon as we got away from main land...

Clear blue sky and dolphins dream for our second trip of the season on the Andaman Sea!
Rain was falling on Ranong when we reached the boat, but the sky cleared as soon as we got away from main land and apart from 1 or 2 short rain showers, we had a clear blue sky and bright sun the whole trip!
 
This was a special dolphin trip as we got two pods of dolphins giving us a show. On the first sunset, dolphins appeared in the distance right under a rainbow, a truly magical moment and we were surprised to get to experience an even more incredible moment when 40 dolphins accompanied the boat for a good 30 minutes on our way to Koh Tachai. We saw babies close to their mums playing in the wake of the boat and visibility was so clear we could see them right under the surface as if we were part of the same world!!!
Dolphins come to welcome our boat
Beautiful dolphins in the blue
This was the second trip of the season and it was a blast underwater as well as above water with a bunch of awesome guests that really made the difference!
A few return guests as well as teachers on holidays, that’s all it takes to create good vibes ;)
Congrats to Petra, Maurice, Julien and Dominic who completed their Enriched Air Nitrox certification, to Alek who completed the Adventure deep and night dive and to Erin (10 years old) and (Tintin, 12 years old) who enjoyed the cruise like pros and learned new technics to dive in current when needed with minimal efforts.
Our cutest guest ever! 10 and 12 years...
Our cutest guest ever! 10 and 12 years...
The underwater adventure started really well on Surin islands on our first day the highlight for one group being a Hawksbill turtle, a bunch of Thecacera Sp AKA Pikachu, some huge Jenkin wipe ray and a very nice school of sweetlips…!
Another group got lucky spotting napoleon fish, hump head parrot fish and a guitarfish at night.
Thecacera Nudibranch
Thecacera Nudibranch
Beautiful green turtle and coral reef
Beautiful green turtle and coral reef
Sweetlips in formation for the show
Sweetlips in formation for the show
Second day was split between Koh Bon and Koh Tachai, with beautiful conditions, mild current and good visibility, we were delighted to be alone on their premier dive sites…
 
The reef was absolutely stunning, teeming with life from the millions of glassfish and the squads of predator darting at them, making it look like a wave constantly moving!
Jacks, barracuda and this very friendly Titan triggerfish ;)
Picture
reef teeming with life
Titan triggerfish at Koh Tachai
Titan triggerfish at Koh Tachai
Giant seafan at Koh Bon
Giant seafan at Koh Bon
Marine landscape in Koh Tachai
Marine landscape in Koh Tachai
Scorpion fish at Koh Bon
Scorpion fish at Koh Bon
We headed south west of Koh Tachai until we found enough depth (about 80m) for the Blackwater dive, (a new service on offer on every single trip this season).
We were very pleased with the water quality, so clear with almost no particles ! Baby ribbon eels were everywhere! Absolutely mind blowing !
We also spotted some surgeon fish larvae, shinny little crabs, minuscule krill and this baby needle fish at the end of the dive posing for me below the surface…
Baby ribbon eel on black water dive
Baby ribbon eel on black water dive
Needlefish on black water dive
Needlefish on black water dive
Baby surgeonfish on black water dive
Baby surgeonfish on black water dive
Cool tiny crab on black water dive
Cool tiny crab on black water dive
Baby pufferfish on black water dive
Baby pufferfish on black water dive
Last but not least, our last 4 dives were spend enjoying the riches of Richelieu Rock, once more alone on the dive site!
Myriads of glassfish carpeted the entire reef!
The concentration of marine life is exceptional, from the tiniest tiger egg cowrie to the biggest school of giant trevallies constantly circling the rock crossing path with barracudas, longnose emperor fish and jacks.
Trevallies hunting glassfish at Richelieu Rock
Trevallies hunting glassfish at Richelieu Rock
Red grouper on a beautiful barrel sponge
Red grouper on a beautiful barrel sponge
Red groupers, glassfish and soft coral
Red groupers, glassfish and soft coral
Cowrie at Richelieu Rock
Cowrie at Richelieu Rock
Picture
Longnose Emperor hunting
Beside the incredible dives we all enjoyed, atmosphere onboard was excellent. Some fun board games in between dives got very popular and everyone loved our barbecue feast and dancing the night away after the last dive.
 
I can’t wait to get wet again! For those out of Thailand, have you heard that Thailand has finally reopened to international travelers? Only 1 test, 1 night and you’re free to enjoy this yourself. What are you waiting for? ;)
 

Do you know black water dive?

Black water dive in Thailand
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    The Smiling Seahorse Diving Blog

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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
      • Professional Dive Courses
      • Hone your dive skills with a specialty course
      • Photo coaching in Thailand on the Smiling Seahorse
    • Guest Book
    • FAQ
  • Plan your trip
    • Our hotels recommendations
    • 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
  • 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
  • BLOG
    • Most popular posts