Welcome on board for this special photo and video expedition. The guests are coming from America, Germany, Switzerland, France, and Brazil. We are honored to have Mr. Walter Marti (a very talented underwater videographer) with us on board. During this trip, Walter and Franck shared their knowledge with our guests to improve underwater video and photos.
Here are a few photos from our guests. We are super proud of their results! Well done everyone!    

Credit picture by Robert Vogt 
A massive blotched stingray was encountered in Similan National Park. The reef was full of life in Richelieu Rock, with schooling  barracudas, harlequin shrimps, and super fishy all around.   

Credit picture by Merry-Jane Wolborsky 
From left to right: A clark anemone fish portrait, white eye moray eel sharing home with a Fibrillated moray and a clown fish home!

Longfin batfish in Similan national park. Credit picture by Linda Blanchard

Small tooth emperor hunting with Bluefin trevally, two batfishes, school of chevron barracuda, huge school of trevally with curtain of glass fish, colourful reef with Redcoat squirrel fish at Richelieu Rock and our dear friend Julien enjoy sidemount diving!

Some nice nudibranches, tiger egg cowry, harlequin shrimps in Richelieu Rock and giant seafan in Koh Bon pinacle.

Longnosed emperor passing by a school of chevron barracuda.

Blackwater diving was epic with a curious flying fish coming into our lights. You can also see above a pelagic anemone, a larval moray eel (pretty hard shot to get sharp!), se butterfly and triggerfish...

A big thank you to all our guests for making this trip amazing.
Congratulation to Aline for her Advanced Open Wate and Nitrox certifications and to Corrine her Nitrox certification! 
And a big thank you goes out to Walter for coming over, we look forward to the next photo and Video expedition with you next season!

** Mantis Shrimp ​Fun Fact #1: The Peacock of the Sea**

The peacock mantis shrimp earns its dazzling nickname due to its vibrant and iridescent coloration. These marine gems come in a range of spectacular shades, including vibrant greens, blues, and fiery reds. Their bodies are adorned with intricate patterns, making them a true art piece. 

** Mantis Shrimp Fun Fact #4: Mantis Shrimps are Neither Mantis, nor Shrimp

​While the name "mantis shrimp" might suggest a curious fusion of a praying mantis and a shrimp, they're neither related to mantises nor actual shrimp. These captivating creatures belong to the stomatopod family, a group of marine crustaceans that have evolved into a unique and independent branch of the evolutionary tree. So, the next time you're pondering their peculiar moniker, just remember that mantis shrimps are in a league of their own, defying conventional categories in the animal kingdom.

Mantis shrimp have a fascinating life cycle. Fertilized eggs are attached to specialized swimmerets on the female's abdomen using a sticky secretion. The female protects and fans the eggs, ensuring oxygen circulation and preventing the growth of harmful fungi or bacteria during the incubation period, which lasts several weeks.
Once ready to hatch, the female releases the eggs into the water, where they become tiny larvae known as nauplii. These larvae go through multiple developmental stages, feeding on plankton and small organisms until they reach maturity, just like other crustaceans. We can see them very regularily on our blackwater dives. After reaching maturity, they settle on the reef.

The raptorial appendages of the mantis shrimp have different shapes depending on the species. Some have claw-like appendages known as "spearers," while others have appendages that resemble hammers, giving rise to the name "smashers."
The peacock mantis shrimps are "smashers" and are particularly fascinating because they can strike with a force greater than most other animals, despite their relatively small size.  It is believed that this incredible punching ability is a result of the mantis shrimp's unique muscle structure, which combines spring-like mechanisms with a locking mechanism to store and release energy rapidly.
Below are a few photos of Spearing Mantis Shrimp (Lysiosquilla maculata). They are much lighter in colour and live in a vertical burrow in the sand, while peacock mantis shrimp prefers rocky areas on the reef.

Guests: America, China, Switzerland, Taiwan, Andorra, Spain, Norway, New Zealand, Canada, Luxembourg, Bulgaria, Germany.
Our North and South Andaman cruise embarked on a week-long journey filled with exploration, adventure, and a delightful mix of guests from around the globe. From April 25th to May 2nd, 2023, we set sail from Tap Lamu pier, eager to uncover the captivating underwater wonders that awaited us.
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Surrounded by an international camaraderie, we began our expedition with a remarkable start. The first day brought us to the renowned Surin National Park, where the marine world welcomed us with open arms. Delving into the turquoise waters, we were greeted by the mesmerizing sight of Kulh's stingrays gliding gracefully across the sandy seabed. The garden eels and vibrant fish added to the vibrant tapestry of marine life. With exceptional visibility, the underwater realm unfolded before our eyes, revealing its true magnificence.

Next on our itinerary was the legendary Richelieu Rock, a destination that left us in awe. This submerged pinnacle proved to be a cornucopia of marine diversity. As we descended into its depths, we were surrounded by an abundance of life. Schools of fish in all shapes, sizes, and colors, ghost pipefishes hiding among the soft and hard corals, and the regal presence of Harlequin Shrimps captivated our senses. Everywhere we turned, glass fishes twinkled in the sunlight, creating an ethereal spectacle that will forever be etched in our memories.

To our esteemed guests, we hope you thoroughly enjoyed the trip and experienced unforgettable moments. Your presence and enthusiasm added an extra layer of joy to our adventure. We extend our sincere gratitude to each of you for choosing The Smiling Seahorse as your gateway to the wonders of the Andaman Sea.

Continuing our journey south through the archipelago, we arrived at the Similan National Park. The second day was spent exploring the vibrant dive sites of Koh Tachai and Koh Bon followed by the wonders of Three Trees, Elephant Head Rock, and West of Eden, treating us to four exhilarating dives, including an enchanting night dive.

​Our encounters with turtles, lobsters, barracudas, trevallies, fusiliers, and the delicate beauty of Spanish dancer eggs added to the tapestry of marine life we witnessed.
The blackwater dive that night added an extra touch of intrigue, revealing the mysterious creatures that inhabit the depths of the sea.

The following days we crossed over to the South Andaman Sea starting with Hin Daeng and Hin Muang. These dive sites in the Koh Lanta National Park offered a different perspective, emphasizing macro marvels and showcasing a plethora of nudibranchs and crustaceans as well as a cool albeit grumpy Stone fish. The rich biodiversity hidden within the coral reefs was a testament to the delicate balance of nature.

As we ventured further, the stunning coral reefs of Tarutao National Park near the pretty Koh Lipe island captivated our senses. The impressive underwater landscapes dazzled us, offering glimpses into a thriving marine ecosystem.
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Our journey culminated in the enchanting Phi Phi Islands and Shark Point. Here, we encountered the graceful blacktip reef sharks, alongside a multitude of beautiful nudibranchs and flatworms. The marine life surrounding us was a testament to the splendor and diversity that the Andaman Sea has to offer.

We split ways in Phuket with hearts full of gratitude, reminiscing about the extraordinary marine encounters and the shared moments of awe and wonder. To our esteemed guests, we express our deepest appreciation for joining us on this extraordinary adventure. The memories we have created together will forever be treasured.

We hope you all enjoyed the trip and had an amazing time with us.
Thank you for choosing The Smilling Seahorse! 

Our diving adventure took us to Similan National park and Racha Noi next one our way back to Phuket and what a dream come true. We saw everything from Kuhl's stingray, big schools of barracuda, nudibranch, and even wipe coral shrimp. 

The Similan Islands have been made famous for the wealth of their coral reefs teeming with wildlife and usually great diving conditions it is rare to have bad visibility here and both divers and snorkelers can see a number of marine species and brids more diverse than anywhere else. The beach stop are not to shabby either!

Our guests this week came from France, Austria, Germany and switzerland to dive with us, and we had a blast!

First day of diving, we were at Surin National Park and it was incredible! We saw some reef sharks and a lot of school of fishes.
​The Surin Islands (Thai: หมู่เกาะสุรินทร์, Thai pronunciation: [mùː kɔ̀ʔ sùrin]) is an archipelago of five islands in the Andaman Sea, 60 km from the Thai mainland. Administratively, the islands are part of Tambon Ko Phra Thong, Khura Buri District, in Phang Nga Province, Thailand.

The following days we were at Similan National Park. The visibility was good about 20 meters +.
The Similan Islands (Thai: หมู่เกาะสิมิลัน, RTGS: Mu Ko Similan, Thai pronunciation: [mùː kɔ̀ʔ si.mi.lan]) is an archipelago in the Andaman Sea off the coast of, and part of, Phang Nga Province in southern Thailand. It was established as Mu Ko Similan National Park in 1982 by the forestry department.

​We saw a group of long nose emperors, group of blue fin trevally, big eye trevally, fusiliers, glass fish everywhere, a group of banner fish, and much more.

For the first dive and the sunset dive, there always have a lot of action. It's the time that all the fishes come out and feed themselves and the dive will always make you think that you are in the heaven (surrounded by tons of fish).

This trip was amazing, the diving itself, the food, and we’re trying our best to take an excellent service to make our guests have the most wonderful vacation with us… MV The Smiling Seahorse.

Thank you for choosing us.

Hope you all had a good one.

Cheers!!

This week marked our third collaboration with Thai Whale Sharks, as we welcomed Marine Biologist and the founder of the project, Kirsty Magson onboard for 8 days of diving as we explored the north and south Andaman on the lookout for the world’s biggest fish. Kirsty delivered daily lectures on all things' shark as she educated guests on Whale Shark Ecology, Shark Biology, Threats to Sharks, Ecotourism, Whale Shark Conservation, Whale Shark Feeding and the Process behind Whale Shark ID. The trip was built around dive sites that offered the best chance to spot some of these gentle giants, so a lot of time was spent looking in the blue, but how did we get on?

Departing from Phuket the first stop on the agenda was Koh Haa and Lanta National Park to dive Hin Muang and Hin Daeng. Theses dive sites famous for the Dendronepthya soft corals which give these sites their names offered a lot of very fishy encounters as we were surrounded by schooling jacks, emperor fish and some were lucky enough to find 2 stone fish relaxing on the reef. Unfortunately, no signs of anything big in the blue this day but we did encounter some very large sea hares (Dolabella auricularia).

Day 2 and 3, we headed to Tarutao National Park, for dives sites such as steps, 8 miles Rock and of course Stonehenge. These 2 days provided us with Frogfish, seahorses, cat sharks, sea slugs, a wide array of hard and soft coral diversity and even a quick hello from another of the gentle giants, the Manta Ray (unfortunately not in front of Franck's lense so no photo...)

Day 5 and we headed North to the Similans to explore Shark Fin Reef, Elephant Head and Three Trees. Octopus and Ribbon Eels were high on everyone’s list of must-see animals. The Similans also provided an opportunity to jump off the boat and feel sand between our toes as we headed to the beach at…….. and the chance of an encounter with the Nicobar Pigeon. We ended the day with a sunset dive at Koh Bon and a blackwater dive, the first for many aboard (and most certainly not the last) with snake blennies, paper nautilus and so much more being seen.
The next day brought us to Koh Taa Chai, encounters with Black Tip and White Tip Reef Sharks as well as Eagle Rays and the school of Barracuda made for some amazing diving.

Day 7 and it was off to Richelieu Rock for 4 dives, and what a day we picked. Conditions were incredible with amazing visibility, low currents and of course some of the best diving in Thailand. The schools of jacks, glass fish, rainbow runners and emperor fish meant there was activity all through the water column and closer to the ground, we found Harlequin Shrimp, Seahorses, Sea Slugs, Peacock Mantis Shrimp and more.

To round off the trip, we ended with 2 dives on the Boonsung Wreck ahead of landing in Khao Lak. The wreck was destroyed in the tsunami, but offers a wide array of marine life living in all the nooks and crannies that can be found. Cat sharks, sea slugs, cuttlefish, and the honeycomb moray eel were favorites of the day and a great way to round off the trip.
Whilst we weren’t lucky enough to encounter any whale sharks on this trip, we were fortunate to enjoy some incredible diving with some amazing marine life. So, until our next adventure, thanks for reading. 

Wanna learn something new from Kistry on our next Whale shark and marine bio expedition?! 
​Save the date for the next edition!

Special trip for special guests coming from Israel, Malaysia, Canada, China, Hong Kong and Thailand. Diving with us and conduct some research on the reef, to understand more about the cleaning stations and the different coral species interactions.

One of the main goal of this trip was to locate a cleaning station, we settled down some cameras where we found loads of cleaner wrasse, and leave them during our surface interval, hoping to capture some pelagic images when no divers are diving on the site.

Amazing day in Richelieu, dive site is always full of life and specials encounters.
Franck managed to capture on a picture the egg of the clown fish around the anemone, Ghostpipefish, seahorse and the most wanted harlequin shrimps.

Diving in the Similan National Park for the next 4 days, Koh Tachai, Koh Bon and the Similan islands number 7 to 9 were our research field. While the divers examine the reef, we were lucky to see some sharks and rays in the blue and some beautiful Nudibranchia on the reef.

It has been a fascinating trip, the surface interval was busy with some presentation on the different species of coral, their threats and some ecological solution to save our reef !

Dedication for the special shrimp we found and were so happy to discover for the first time in the archipelago..... the..... hairy..... shrimp ! Well done Camille !