To accompany us for this seventh cruise of the season and our very first blackwater diving expedition, we had the pleasure of welcoming back for the very first time international guests coming all the way from France, they braved the travel restrictions and traveled to Thailand to come and do this very special cruise with us. Thank you! We haven't seen any guests from abroad since March 2020 and it was amazing having you back!
Among these amazing crowds, we had a diving legend, 81 years-young, who was amongst the first underwater photographers ever and still dive like a fish!
Conditions were not easy on this trip as we had strong wind and waves which made it tricky to get back onboard, we had to change our itinerary slightly to find some shelter and explored new areas around the similan we never dived before.
Among these amazing crowds, we had a diving legend, 81 years-young, who was amongst the first underwater photographers ever and still dive like a fish!
Conditions were not easy on this trip as we had strong wind and waves which made it tricky to get back onboard, we had to change our itinerary slightly to find some shelter and explored new areas around the similan we never dived before.
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We were surrounded by a team of extremely well-equipped underwater paparazzi. Our Photo Room has never been more crowded by camera, cables, chargers and hundreds of batteries!
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We didn't do as many blackwater dives as we would have hoped because of the weather but here are a few of the best shots we took this week on the blackwater and bonfire dives:
 Jellyfish |  Baby Squirel fish |
 Another cute baby |  Sea Butterfly |  Such a pretty Jellyfish |
 Thousands of Shrimp swam in our torches |  Diamond squid |
 Juvenile lezardfish |  Salp |
 Mantis shrimp |  Diamond squid |
 Juvenile bobbit worm, how cool! | This worm can live up to 100 years according to scientists, and some think it can grow up to 9 meters. At night, the bobbit worm pops its head out of its burrow, standing upright with part of its body exposed. If a small sea creature swims near, the worm launches a snake-like strike at its victim. It has four long, hooked jaws that clasp around prey, two of which are barbed to prevent a victim from escaping. The bobbit worm strikes with such force that some small victimes are sliced in half when the predator strikes. |
 A tiny crab larvae |  Some cool phosphorescent crustaceans that can turn on and off on demand! |
As I said, the weather was not on our side this time, which prompted us to modify our itinerary . When life gives you lemon, make lemonade, this was a perfect opportunity to try bonfire dives sheltered from similan islands.
Bonfire dive is similar to blackwater diving in the sense we use powerful lights to attract plankton and larvaes at night but while the blackwater dives are done drifting offshore over very deep water, bonfire is done closer to the reef, over a sandy slope with a static line.
In the yellow colors, we found a few seahorses on Richelieu Rock this week, as well as this cute yellow boxfish and some big Pikachu nudibranch.
Bonfire dive is similar to blackwater diving in the sense we use powerful lights to attract plankton and larvaes at night but while the blackwater dives are done drifting offshore over very deep water, bonfire is done closer to the reef, over a sandy slope with a static line.
In the yellow colors, we found a few seahorses on Richelieu Rock this week, as well as this cute yellow boxfish and some big Pikachu nudibranch.
 Yellow pygmy seahorse |  Yellow boxfish  Pikachu nudibranch |
| We also had the chance to photograph 2 pairs of ornate ghost pipefish, porcelain crabs in their anemone and clownfish eggs guarded by their parents.  Porcelain crab |  Ornate ghost pipefish |
We explored the west coast of Koh Tachai and discovered a side of the island we never explored before and the sea quieted enough to allow us to do our last dives once again alone on a Richelieu Rock full of life!
 Massive lobsters on Tacha Pinnacle |  Barrel sponges |
 Barrel sponges and soft coral in the simila |  Hard coral are the ultimate reef nurseries |
 ...emperors, trevallis...  Clown fish in their beautiful purple anemone |  Banded sea krait says"cheese" |
The weather looks better, we are heading back south! What about you? How are you wherever you are and when are you coming for some underwater adventures?
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