Our expedition started in Phuket towards the pristine waters of the Southern Andaman Sea near toward to Malaysian border.

Our first check dive was at Koh Haa, located within the boundaries of Lanta National Park, where our dive offered a glimpse into the underwater wonders that awaited us in the days ahead.
With everyone geared up and ready, we ventured next to Hin Deang and Hin Muang, also known as the Red and Purple Rocks, situated in the open ocean. These magnificent rock formations, adorned with colorful soft coral, served as the backdrop for three exhilarating dives. As we explored the vibrant reef, we were greeted by schools of Red Tooth Triggerfish, Chevron Barracuda, and Red Snapper, accompanied by the occasional sighting of Golden Trevally and Tuna Mackerel.

As our expedition progressed northward, we embarked on an overnight journey from Koh Lanta to the Similan Islands, passing by the shimmering lights of Phuket by night and arriving at the Similan Islands on time to dive it the following morning. We were greeted by the breathtaking beauty of this renowned marine paradise with a first dive at Shark fin reef.

Continuing our journey northward, we reached the Surin Islands on Day 6, where we spent the final three days of our expedition exploring iconic dive sites such as Torinla Rock, Aow Pakgad, Richelieu Rock, Tatchai Pinnacle, and Kho Bon. These sites are renowned for their incredible biodiversity and pristine underwater conditions, offering unparalleled opportunities for marine exploration. From the intricate dance of Harlequin Shrimp to the ethereal presence of Ghost Pipefish, each dive revealed new wonders waiting to be discovered. Massive schools of Chevron Barracuda, Big Eye Trevally, and Longnosed Emperor added to the spectacle, creating a truly unforgettable underwater experience.

As our expedition drew to a close, we reflected on the incredible journey we had undertaken and the wealth of knowledge we had gained from our esteemed guest, Gavin Miller. His passion for marine conservation and dedication to sharing his expertise enriched our expedition experience, leaving us with a deeper appreciation for the wonders of the ocean.
We extend our heartfelt thanks to our guests on board for their enthusiasm and camaraderie, making this journey truly unique and memorable. Additionally, we express our gratitude to Trent, Gavin, and Craig for their contributions to this blog post, helping to illustrate the beauty and diversity of our marine science expedition.
For those interested in joining us on future themed expeditions, you can find more info on Special expeditions here.

We also did our blackwater dives around the Similan Islands. Venturing into the depths beneath the cover of darkness, we were met with a mesmerising display of mysterious marine life. Amidst the inky abyss, we marveled at the sight of intricate worms and delicate juvenile fishes, their ethereal forms illuminated by the gentle glow of our bright line and torches. These captivating encounters offered a glimpse into the mysterious world that thrives beneath the surface, reaffirming the boundless wonders of the Andaman Sea.
Did you know we are the pioneers in blackwater diving in Thailand's Andaman Sea and still the only operator offering blackwater dives on every trip to our esteemed guests? Come try it!!!

Our voyage culminated in the idyllic shores of Kho Lipe, where macro wonders awaited beneath the surface. From Seahorses to Ghost Pipefish, each dive offered a glimpse into the intricate tapestry of life that thrives within the coral crags and crevices. A highlight of the day was the tranquil sighting of the Coral Cat Shark, a testament to the pristine ecosystems that abound in these pristine waters.today and dive into a world of endless possibilities

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!

This week we welcomed guests from Switzerland, France, Costa rica, America, Italy, Netherlands, Australia, Philippines, and Swiss for 6 days in the North Andaman Sea, to explore and dive in Surin and Similan National parks and what amazing encounters we had this week!!!

First day
Our journey begins at the enchanting Surin National Park, where excitement fills the air. On our first day, we eagerly plunge into the crystal-clear waters, ready to be captivated by the wonders beneath. To our delight, a graceful marble ray glides gracefully past us, a reminder of the grace and beauty of marine life.
As we dive deeper, we are greeted by a vast school of sweet lips, their vibrant colours creating a stunning display against the backdrop of the reef. The sight fills our hearts with awe and reminds us of the interconnectedness of all beings in this underwater realm.

Moving along, we encounter a squadron of barracudas, their sleek bodies and menacing looks adding an exhilarating rush to our adventure. Nearby, a regal long-nose emperor fish swims gracefully, accompanied by a loyal entourage of trevallies. It's a sight straight out of a fairy tale, and we are filled with gratitude for being able to witness such natural beauty.
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Our exploration doesn't stop there as we discover the delicate and vibrant world of nudibranches, those charming creatures seemingly painted with colours straight from an artist's palette. Their unique patterns and hues add a touch of whimsy to our underwater escapade...

​On the second day of our adventure, we set our sights on the most renowned dive site in the Andaman Sea - Richelieu Rock. Known for its breathtaking beauty and incredible biodiversity, we couldn't contain our excitement as we descended into this underwater paradise.

As we descended deeper into the blue, we were greeted by an astonishing array of marine life. Barracudas darted swiftly through the water, their sleek bodies illuminated by the rays of sunlight piercing through the depths. Long nose emperors and trevallies danced gracefully, showcasing their elegant movements. The vibrant colours of groupers and yellow snappers added a splash of brilliance to the underwater landscape.

Yet, the true marvels awaited us just beneath the surface. Against all odds, we were fortunate enough to spot the elusive harlequin shrimp diligently scouring the ocean floor. Its intricate patterns and vibrant hues made it seem like a living work of art, a truly rare and precious find.

But the surprises did not end there. Our keen eyes led us to discover the fascinating ghost pipefish, perfectly camouflaged among the swaying corals. Their ethereal appearance and graceful movements left us in awe, showcasing the wonders of nature's creativity.

While being the highlight of the dive and the highlight of the cruise, this blanket octopus wasn't the only cool subject met that night!

​Similan dive sites are always beautiful and often have really good visibility. The water is getting warmer and that makes us feel so happy! West of Eden was amazing and we enjoyed a large array of macrolife hiding in the garden of hard corals. There is some batwings sea slugs that is cute and we see spearing mantis shrimp which is big in the hole on the sand.

Koh Tachai, offers a combination of shallow and deep dive sites. The island is known for its beautiful coral reefs, large granite boulders, and vibrant marine life. Divers can explore the underwater caves, reefs, and walls, while encountering species such as whale sharks, leopard sharks, and eagle rays. The visibility around Koh Tachai was excellent, which adds to the overall diving experience!

On the sixth day in South Similan, we embark on an unforgettable adventure. As we glide through the waters, a dreamlike vision unfolds before us. Amongst the vibrant coral reefs, we are delighted to spot ethereal creatures - beautiful manta rays gracefully soaring through the depths. Mesmerized by their elegance, we find ourselves immersed in a surreal dreamscape, where the boundaries between reality and fantasy fade away (unfortunately no photos this time... can't get lucky every time...)

​The last day of the trip
On our final day of the trip, our hearts are filled with joy and wonder. As we explore the breathtaking underwater world at Donald Duck Bay, Deep six, west of Eden, Rocky Point, and Anita's reef, pure bliss surrounds us. A wave of happiness washes over us as we encounter magnificent bull sharks and playful marble rays. A grand spectacle unfolds as a shimmering school of chevron barracuda creates a mesmerizing dance in the azure waters. Delightful moments follow as we stumble upon a camouflaged octopus, its tentacles gently waving in the current. Everywhere we look, vibrant and colorful fish decorate the pinnacle, painting a picture of pure happiness. With each encounter, our spirits soar, and our smiles grow wider, cherishing the memories of a truly magical experience. 

​Congratulations to Mary-Ann and Joram to finish the Advanced Open Water Course and Sabrina for finishing the Nitrox course. At last, we would like to say thank you for all the customers, without you all the trip cannot run. We hope you all have a wonderful trip with us on board and have a best holiday.

Exploring the Underwater Wonders of Andaman Sea: A Week of Adventure
 
It was a pleasure welcoming back several returning guests this week and forging new friendships, our week was a celebration of exploration, discovery, and the marvels beneath the ocean's surface and a Big thank you to the Photographers (Greg, Yana and Shelley) for the wonderful photos illustrating this article!
 
This cruise welcomed an exceptionally large number of snorkelers onboard as a French family of 4 decided to join as non-divers and another scuba divers had to remain on the surface most of the time due to a health issue.  They were all delighted to be introduced the wonders of the underwater world in the glorious Andaman Sea.

First day  of diving at Koh Lanta National park :
 
Our diving escapades commenced at Koh Ha Lagoon, a haven adorned with an array of nudibranchs and comet long fins. Ghost pipefish enchanted both divers and avid photographers, setting the stage for an underwater symphony of colors and shapes.
 
Hin Muang Hin Muang unfolded a spectacle of Longnose Emperors and Trevallies in a hunting frenzy. Amidst the reef's nooks, Cleaner Shrimps, Morays, Scorpionfish and two bulky stonefish captivated our adventurous souls.

Venturing twice to Hin Daeng that afternoon, we witnessed a fish extravaganza—yellow fusiliers hunted down by some massive giant trevallies for the third dive, and we got invited to a true nudibranch party on the night dive : bornella, pink cowries, flat worms… If sea slugs arent’your thing, loads of shrimps and crabs scurried around from decorator spider crabs to old hermit crabs passing by the abundance of saron shrimps.
 
Some morays (some massive) came out of their holes on the hunt for their last meal of the day.
 
But not every creature is active at night and we also saw a sleepy filefish, dozy porcupine fish and, tucked underneath a shelf of coral, a yellow longnose butterfly fish sleeping upside down.

Second day : Lipe and Tarutao National park
 
At 8 miles, we were greeted by vast schools of trevallies and a charming baby Tigertail Seahorse.
Our second dive at 8 miles coincided with a huge school of big eyes trevallies and giant trevallies heading up to the cleaning stations.
We saw loads of othe schooling reef fish including red toothed triggerfish and quite a few Titan Triggerfish.
 
Pattaya corner in the afternoon was home to a baby Tigertail Seahorse and many cute nudibranchs. Only one frogfish could be found that day, but who knows how many looked at us passing by…
Filefish are usually quite shy, but we met a very inquisitive individual that let us come very close so we could appreciate its intricate details.

3rd day : Koh Lanta National Park
 
Back to the purple rock of Hin Muang, we got enchanted by the big schools of trevallies, rainbow runners, tunas and makerel in the blue…
The stone fish were still in their hiding spot and so were marble shrimps, cleaner shrimps, all types of moray eels (yellow moray, giant moray, fibriated moray…) an eclectic mix of marine life, including an adorable baby Indian Toby, longfin comet fish and Moorish idols.
Hin Daeng painted a canvas of vivid colors with yellow-edged lyretail, peacock grouper, and a diverse congregation of two dots snappers mixed with checkered snappers.

A couple of Indian sailfin surgonfish was grazing around following eachother on the reef and it was nice to take a closer look at the many sea cucumbers and seastars of all types and colors. The prettiest is probably the crown of thorns with its many purple arms, we love them for their look but hate them for their diet as they feed on the polips leaving dead coral in their trail.
 
Koh Haa  cathedral housed a delightful array of nudibranchs like Bornella Anguilla and Blue Dragons, rendering the dive site a colourful, underwater wonderland.
A crinoid opened up for our curious eyes to show a clingfish in its abode. Many cute blennies, my favorite being the bluestriped fangblenny with 2 very bright blues tripes often seen taking a bite of fishing coming for a clean…

Fourth day : Similan national park
There was nice blue warm water at Shark Fin Reef with white tip sharks coming to say hi and plenty of fish to add colour to the underwater scene. We saw clown triggerfish, fairy basslets, butterfly fish, bannerfish, moorish idols, angelfish, morays and so much more….
We were joined by powderblue surgeon fish and lined surgeonfish up at the safety stop.
 
Elephant Head had provided sightings of ribbon eels, skeleton shrimps, black blotched porcupine fish with giant trevallis patrolling the top. I had fun with a jawfish who played with my laser. Our divers saw Orange Pipefish hiding in plain sight on the identically colored rocks.
 
Three Tree had a stronger current, but the shallow reef was gorgeous with plenty of tropical fish roaming around – plus a turtle. Yellow margin triggerfish were frequent along the sandy patches, which are also home to large groups of garden eels.
 
Night dive at Koh Bon was good but outdone by the Sunset Dive which was super fishy with hunting action!
The dark bay whispered tales of parrotfish preparing their bubble beds and the serene presence of cuttlefish, evoking a sense of underwater tranquility.

Fifth day : Bon and Tachai
 
We saw a massive marble ray and a jenkin ray the next morning close to a very pretty pinnacle. A massive school of batfish with attendant Rabbitfish kept us company and we spotted Hawkfish posing on corals.
 
Koh Tachai was also thick with many trevallies, emperors, groupers and schools of bannerfish. There were multiple seafans, small and large, and even a lobster colony.
A spectacular vortex of barracudas, including one or two giant barracudas, patrolled the site. It is always fascinating to watch octopus change their colour and texture to match it’s surroundings – and then disappear like a magician.
 
The happy snorkelers saw multiple sharks (black and white tip) nearly every day, as well as several turtles, banded seakraits, schools of squids and Moray eels out on the hunt.  They were frequently joined by large schools of Chevron and Yellow Tailed Barracudas and Emporers as they swam along the surface, with the Emporers changing colour as they foraged for food.
 
They even tried blackwater snorkeling that night (along with intrepid divers), where they saw many salps and tiny juvenile mantis shrimp, amongst other alien looking creature.

The topography of Richelieu Rock was a canvas adorned with treasures—a couple of spotty boxfish, bannerfish gracefully swaying in the currents, and an array of nudibranchs such as Chromodoris anulata, flabellina exoptata, and moridilla brocki, offering a kaleidoscope of shapes and colors.
 
Amidst the coral landscape, baby angelfish and trumpetfish found refuge, while the ever-watchful mantis shrimps added an air of mystery to this thriving ecosystem.
 
As the day unfolded, Richelieu Rock revealed its intricate details, beckoning us to explore further. Every sighting, from the smallest sea slug to the grandest trevally dance, painted a picture of the sea's infinite wealth.
 
The Surin National Park's depths proved once again to be a haven of awe-inspiring beauty, leaving us with memories that echo the splendor of the ocean's wonders.
 
The very last dive took place at Boonsoon wreck were we appreciated the honeycom murrays and myriad of porcupinefish pattroling the top under a thick cloud of fusiliers, makrels and trevallie on top. It was hard to spot the surface as the schools of fish were so dense. We found a small pipefish on the sand and cute nudis on the ladder of the bridge. We also spotted a rare ringed puffer (arothran Hispidus) with psychedelic rings of yellow around its pelvic fins.
A school of barracudas completed the picture and while it was hard to head back to the surface we could only be grateful of the wonders we had uncovered once more.
 
Our week of underwater marvels was a testament to the beauty of the Andaman Sea, where every dive revealed a new chapter in the rich tapestry of marine life. As we bid adieu to this captivating journey, we carry with us the memories of an adventure that continues to echo beneath the waves.
Until we meet again, let the ocean's allure guide us to new horizons and undiscovered treasures.