Embarking on a Spectacular Underwater Journey Across Thailand's Pristine Waters...
Gathered from distant corners of the globe, a diverse band of adventurers—hailing from England, the USA, Switzerland, France, and Germany—joined us aboard for an expedition that promised not just a multinational escapade but a passage through time itself, courtesy of a vintage PADI Advanced Open Water certification from the enchanting year of 1985, graciously provided by the remarkable American guest, Craig.

Our underwater odyssey commenced with a lovely dive into the depths of Surin National Park, unveiling a canvas teeming with vibrant marine life. The check dive served as a tantalizing precursor to the grandeur awaiting us at Richelieu Rock. The iconic rock, a tapestry of vibrant soft coral in all colors and life, offered a dazzling showcase of aquatic wonders—seahorses, harlequin shrimp, and an array of captivating fish species turned the dive into an exhilarating spectacle.

Journeying to Similan National Park: Encounters with Sharks and Barracudas...
Our vessel cruised towards the illustrious Similan National Park, where the ocean revealed its secrets in subtle yet profound ways. The sight of reef sharks, guitarfish, nurse sharks, and the majestic school of barracudas added a thrilling dimension to our underwater exploration, casting a spell of awe over our diverse band of intrepid voyagers.

Exploring Koh Lanta National Park's Hidden Treasures...
Venturing further, we navigated towards the Koh Lanta National Park, a realm brimming with unexpected encounters. Some among us were graced by the presence of manta rays at Hin Meaung, while others delved into the mystique of ghost-pipefish sightings at Hin Deang. The expedition continued its southern trajectory, leading us to Tarutao National Park, where the depths unraveled an assortment of wonders.

Tarutao National Park's Kaleidoscope of Marine Marvels...
In Tarutao's embrace, our diving escapades transcended the ordinary. The ocean floor was an exhibition of rare and captivating marine life—a symphony of ghost-pipefish, seahorses, colossal pipefishes adorning the sandy bed, a juvenile cuttlefish, vibrant nudibranchs, and the charming sea moth delighted our senses, painting an unforgettable underwater tableau during the day and we could do a blackwater dive that night with many more creatures to discover.

Rediscovering Manta Rays and Final Encounters...
Returning to Hin Deang - Hin Meaung, we sought out the elusive manta rays once more. Some among our cohort were fortunate enough to witness their ethereal presence, marking a poignant highlight in our aquatic sojourn. As our expedition drew to a close, the pristine waters around PP Island and the final dive near Phuket revealed a parting gift—encounters with the elegant leopard shark, seahorses, and a myriad of colourful nudibranchs.

Gratitude and Farewells...
The Smiling Seahorse team extends heartfelt gratitude to our esteemed guests. Your trust in us to curate a memorable diving experience and enrich your holiday with unparalleled underwater adventures is deeply appreciated. We hope this journey has not only deepened your scuba diving prowess but has also etched indelible memories, infusing your vacation with unparalleled joy and wonder.

​Your presence onboard has illuminated our expedition, transforming it into an unforgettable passage through Thailand's mesmerizing aquatic realms. As you continue your ventures beyond these azure depths, may the memories of this odyssey linger as cherished souvenirs, beckoning you to explore the uncharted depths of the ocean once more. Until we meet again, dive deep and savor the beauty of our world's hidden treasures.

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There are many species of trigger fish who belongs to the Balistidae family. They live in shallow water near coral reef except for the oceanic triggerfish (Canthidermis maculata) who's spend his life in the blue.

The most know, specially for his aggressive behavior against divers, is the Titan Triggerfish (Balistoides viridescens). They are in fact protecting their eggs.

​Female will lay their eggs few days before new and full moon after male and female will perform some prespawnings behavior like blowing and touching, to create their nest on sandy or rocky area. They will blow water to create a hole in the floor where the female will lays his eggs. The male will protect and defend the territory from any species swimming too close, and also from the other male triggerfish. Generally, a male will fecund the eggs of few females within his territory.

They are known to attack diver who are swimming too close to their nest, and a common diver mistake would be to escape them by shallowing up. Their territory is in a cone shape from the nest getting bigger while going up. So the good reaction would be to swim away horizontal to get out of their zone quickly, keeping our fins in the direction of the fish to avoid any harm.

Another good way to avoid any attack would be to observe their change of behavior.

​They would rise their dorsal fin first, then lean on one side as a last warning, then finally if we are getting even closer to them, they will swim towards us trying to bite whatever they can catch.
This generally happen only when they are keeping an eye on their eggs...

Another trigger fish we love is the clown triggerfish (Balistoides conspicillum) with its white dots on the lower part of the body and its yellow blotch on the back and the face.
​They are less common than the titan, the redtooth or the yellow margin, but still can be found in the archipelago.

The redtooth triggerfish (Odonus niger) live specially on our pinnacle and like when there is current.
​They will go and hide in cracks and little cavities to rest. They form school and eat mainly plankton.

The yellowmargin triggerfish (Pseudobalistes flavimarginatus) is also very common in the archipelago. It lives in coral reefs and can grow up to 60 cm.

Ahoy! Me hearties! Get ready for a diving adventure reprot that will make your heart skip a beat!

The MV Smiling Seahorse has just taken off on an 8-day trip, cruising from the southern border with Malaysia to the northern border with Myanmar. We welcomed 14 guests from different corners of the world, all eager to explore the Andaman coast of Thailand with us. From Canada to Australia, everyone was thrilled to dive into the deep blue and witness the breathtaking marine life of Thailand.

Our first day kicked off in Mu Ko Lanta National Park, where we encountered an array of stunning sea creatures. We saw stonefish, mantis spearing fish, batfish, and even huge tuna swimming around the dive sites. As we explored the park, we learned that Ko Lanta was once known as "Pulao Satak," which means "Long Beach Island" in Malay. Later, many Thais, both Buddhist and Muslim, moved to the island making the island known as the island of "a million eyes" ("lan ta" in Thai).

Mu Ko Lanta National Park (Thai: อุทยานแห่งชาติหมู่เกาะลันตา) is a national park in the southern part of Krabi Province, Thailand, consisting of several islands, beautiful beaches and diverse marine life, it's no wonder people from all over the world flock to this destination.

On the second day, we ventured to Tarutao National Park and 8 Miles Rock for the first 2 dives, where we witnessed schools of fish hanging in the split of the current and huge trevallis! The famous Stonehenge saw our divers in the afternoon. it is such a stunning site with soft and hard coral mixing perfectly with barrel sponges and all types of anemone and we got super lucky meeting this cool fish: bearded leatherjacket (photo top left). Truly one of the weirdest fish you can encounter on a dive. With its distinct, tough-looking appearance and rough skin, this fish is truly a sight to behold. The bearded leatherjacket (Anacanthus barbatus) is typically found in rocky reefs and kelp beds in the southern hemisphere, and can grow up to 60cm in length. Despite its tough apparence, it's actually quite friendly and curious, often swimming up to divers to check them out. So if you're lucky enough to spot a bearded leatherjacket on your next dive, take a moment to appreciate this amazing creature!

A lot of people know Koh Lipe but don't know it is part of the Tarutao National Park with hundreds of small islands scattered from 20 to 70 kilometres from the south-westernmost point of mainland Thailand. 

Another exciting experiences we had on the trip was to take two blackwater dives. Pelagic nudibranchs, flounders, and pelagic snake hanging out with a remora in the darkness were all part of the fun! 

After lipe we went back west passing a day through Lanta National park again to dive more amazing dive sites around Koh Haa and then crossed overnight to the Similan islands where we leisurely explored Southern islands for a day and the northern islands for the second day.

Koh Bon and Koh Tachai are two very popular dive sites in the North of the Similans and had us spellbound: The schools of glass fish were so dense that it was difficult to see through them and the hunting trevalli were coming from everywhere at the same time for the feast!

The next day we were thrilled to stay around the great pinnacle of Richelieu Rock in the Surin National Park for the whole day. The photographer among us had a hard time deciding between their macro or wide-angle lens due to the abundance of marine life big and small!

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!

This week we started with a beautiful day in Surin National Park with a very international group of divers from France, Japan, Belgium, China, Germany, and the United States. As usual, Richelieu offered us some amazing dives, and we got lucky, witnessing a ghost pipe fish releasing its eggs and a harlequin shrimp eating a sea star. The reef was alive with big fish hunting in schools of glass fish.

Entering the Similan National and spending the second day in Koh Tachai and Koh Bon for 4 great dives including a night dive. Turtle, lobsters, barracudas, trevallies, fusilliers and some spanish dancer eggs. Cruising south in the archipelago and diving Three trees, Elephant head rock and West of Eden. We love those dive sites for the macro, nudis, crustaceans.

The following 3 days we dive around Lanta and Tarutao National Park. The dive sites are always wonderful, the amount and the diversity of the coral reef impress us every time.

Last day in Phi Phi island and shark point with black tip reef shark, lots of beauty nudis and flat worms. Congratulations to Coralie, Anthony, and Phoebe for their Enriched Air Nitrox course and Kevin for the double certifications (Enriched Air Nitrox & Advanced Open Water course)
Thank you all for choosing The Smilling Seahorse!
​Hope you had a great holiday!!

We welcome this week 14 guests from Switzerland, Luxembourg, Germany, Finland, Japan, United States and England and we had a blast, both on the boat and underwater. Thank you for choosing the MV Smiling Seahorse to “pass the cap” on board. 

Starting the trip in the Surin National Park, the highlight of the first day was a curious guitar shark visiting us on our very first dive! 

Big school of fish, trevally, barracudas and fusilier were  present around the famous Richelieu Rock. Looking on the reef we could spot ghost pipefish, a seahorse and 2 pairs of harlequin shrimps for the pleasure of all!

Cruising down south to the Similan National Park for the next two days, everyone really enjoyed Koh Tachai pinnacle which was teeming with life. it’s always great to see the diversity of this ecosystem and two dives are far from enough to see it all. 
The first night dive was at Koh Bon where we saw the tinniest Pygmy squid, plenty of moray eels hunting (some where huge!!!), cool crabs like anemone crab or decorate spider crab. The reef was alight with shrimps eyes shinning in our torches and getting closer we recognised Durban dancing shrimps, transparent cleaner shrimps, marble shrimps and tapestry shrimps (both are saron shrimp and oh so colourful!)

A smooth cruising down south to Koh Lanta National Park where we dove the next day around Hin Daeng and Hin Muang, including a wonderful night dive! On this second night dive this week we encountered many crustaceans and morays including another pair of harlequin shrimps!

Despite being tired by 4 dives that day, quite a few guests and most staff were also up for a big new year celebration, starting with a succulent barbecue and ending up dancing on the sundeck with music, hats and party favors! We all ended up drinking champagne (courtesy of the smiling seahorse) with  bright hats on our head, blowing party horns to the sea breeze :) Fun times! 

Back to Lanta National Park, the cameras flashed again in front of harlequin shrimps, a massive stone fish and the amazing wall full of soft coral of Hin Daeng (Red) and Hin Muang (Purple).
We spent the rest of the day in Koh Haa, hunting a variety of nudibranch that even some guides had never seen before ! We went through the scenic Cathedral and Chimney perfect prop for our annual group picture!

Last day but not least, Bida Nok with its many black tip reef sharks and their dense school of yellowback fusilier.
Last dive before heading back to Phuket was at Shark Point with the perfect finish to this wonderful cruise: a long and chill encounter of a Zebra Shark !
 
Stay tuned for our next adventure ! Thanks for reading, more fishy stories for you next week !

Merry Christmas to all, we had a really amazing Christmas trip and hope you also enjoyed the festive season with your loved ones. We had 15 fantastic guests coming all the way from France, Switzerland, Germany, Canada, and Sweden to visit the best spots of the North Andaman Sea of Thailand: Similan National Park and Surin National Park for a 7 day- cruise. What a blast!

Unfortunately Franck took the week off to enjoy Christmas at home with the kids, which was a treat for our family but means no underwater photos this week! Thanksfully our dream team took over with lovely photos onboard and it looks like everyone had a fantastic trip without us (Camille and Franck).

Great dives were had with lots of schooling fishes, cute nudibranch, octopus, and black tip reef shark. Torinla Rocks, In surin islands, were amazing this week, with Pikachu in their trees (hydroids) and kuhl's stingray flying over a bunch of garden eels.

Richelieu was incredible, we saw a seahorse, few ghost pipefishes, ribbon eel, zebra moray and a huge amount of fishes dancing over the rock, trevallies, barracudas, fusiliers, rabbit fishes, batfishes.

In the Similans, Three trees had strong current, but the school of barracudas were hovering over the reef which gave us a magical show!

Fun was had onboard, especially during Christmas eve as we enjoyed a wonderful Banrbecued Lamb shank and a few drinks! Thank you to our lovely guests for joining us this Christmas ! A

​ll the Smiling Seahorse team wish you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year !

Do you know how the Christmas Trees tradition started?

Long before the advent of Christianity, plants and trees that remained green all year had a special meaning for people in the winter. Just as people today decorate their homes during the festive season with pine, spruce, and fir trees, ancient peoples hung evergreen boughs over their doors and windows. In many countries it was believed that evergreens would keep away witches, ghosts, evil spirits, and illness...

Looks like our tree brought us luck this week and kept bad spirit away :)

How was your Christmas? Did you take a holidays?  Did you go diving somewhere cool?
Or did you stay home?
Did you get fun scuba-diver gifts under the tree?
Tell us all in the comment section!