Diving liveaboard in Thailand and Myanmar
  • When & Where
    • Schedule and Prices
    • Itineraries & Calendars
    • 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 >
        • Marine life in the Andaman Sea
        • Burma's best dive sites
        • The Ultimate Underwater photo Guide to diving Burma
  • ABOUT
    • Our Boat >
      • DELICIOUS FOOD
    • Diving in Thailand
    • Diving in Myanmar/Burma
    • Blackwater diving in Thailand
    • Marine life in Thailand's Andaman Sea
    • Dive Courses >
      • Learn to Dive
      • Continue diving education
      • Rescue diver
      • Professional Dive Courses
      • Hone your dive skills with a PADI 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 >
      • Ultimate Underwater photo combo expeditions
      • Video & photo expedition North Andaman 05 Nov 2023
      • Blackwater expedition 23 Jan 2024
      • UW Photo clinic North Andaman 31 Jan 2024
      • Special Marine Biology - 18 Feb 2024
      • Whale Shark Special - 19 Mar 2024 - North and South
      • Manta rays expedition - 20 April 2024
  • gallery
    • Photos
    • Videos
  • CONTACT
  • BLOG
    • Most popular posts

Trip report from North - South Andaman 25 April - 2 May 2023

30/6/2023

0 Comments

 
Trip report from North - South Andaman 25 April - 2 May 2023
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.
​
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.
Whirlwind of Fish on the Reef
Whirlwind of Fish on the Reef
Diver with a giant seafan
Diver with a giant seafan
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.
Then beautiful and eccentric ribbon eel
Then beautiful and eccentric ribbon eel
School of Yellow Snapper
School of Yellow Snapper
 ornate ghost pipefish
Ornate ghost pipefish
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.
Goby on moon coral
Goby on moon coral
The beautiful and cruel Harlequin shrimp
The beautiful and cruel Harlequin shrimp
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.
Cute baby fish in blackwater dive
Cute baby fish in blackwater dive
Baby squid in blackwater dive
Baby squid in blackwater dive
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.
Thecacera pacifica AKA PikachuPicture
Thecacera pacifica AKA Pikachu
Picture
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.
​
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.
Doriprismatica atromarginata
Doriprismatica atromarginata
Cleaner Shrimp close Urocaridella antonbruunii
Cleaner Shrimp close Urocaridella antonbruunii
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! 
0 Comments

Trip report : North Andaman from 29th of March to 2nd of April 2023

22/5/2023

0 Comments

 
diving trip report April 2023 in Thailand's North Andaman
Ahoy there, fellow adventurers! We've just returned from an epic liveaboard dive trip in the North Andaman of Thailand, and boy oh boy, was it a blast!
Thank you to Jeremy and Clara to come back diving with us and Kristoffer and Mairead to visit your friend Mint
With twelve intrepid divers from all around the world, we set out on a new itinerary that took us from Phuket all the way to Khao Lak, traversing the Similan and Surin National Parks along the way. We had guests from Switzerland, Sweden, France, Canada, and the United Kingdom, all with one common goal – to explore the vibrant and diverse underwater world of the Andaman Sea.
​

We want to give a big shoutout to our repeat guests, Jeremy and Clara, for choosing to dive with us again.

​And a warm welcome to Kristoffer and Mairead, who came to visit their friend Mint and ended up having the adventure of a lifetime with us!
Special thanks also go out to Clara Chanson, who took the incredible underwater shots that we're using in this post. You rock, Clara!
Beautiful ribbon eels
We got so lucky seeing these ribbon eels out of their hole for a sexy dance!
Cuttlefish eye
Guess who? --- Cuttlefish eye
Now, let's get to the juicy details of the trip. We started off by cruising through the night to the Similan National Park, where we kicked things off with a check dive on Shark Fin Reef. This dive site is a heap of big boulders made of granite that form a stunning underwater landscape. And boy, did we see some amazing marine life there! Napoleon Wrasse, Humphead Parrotfish, massive box fish, Hawksbill turtles, and even a white tip reef shark to get us started. What a way to begin the trip!
Baby octopus on blackwater dive
Baby octopus on blackwater dive
On the second day of diving, we headed to the northernmost islands of the Similan National Park, exploring Koh Bon in the morning and Tachai Pinnacle in the afternoon.

​We saw white tip reef sharks, huge Jenkin's Whiprays, Barracudas, Ornate Ghost Pipe Fish, commensal shrimp carrying their eggs, and even a squad of Smalltooth Emperors with their friend Bluefin Trevallies hunting on the reef. Talk about a diverse ecosystem!
As we slowly made our way north, we explored some of the best dive sites in the park, including West of Eden and Elephant Head Rock. The former boasts an incredible coral garden, while the latter offers swim-throughs between huge boulders. We even got lucky enough to spot two ribbon eels completely out of their holes, swimming on the sand. So beautiful!

The final dive of the day was either a sunset dive in Koh Bon or the famous Blackwater Dive away from the reef around our pumpkin. And once again, Lady Luck smiled upon us, allowing us to meet a paper nautilus! Can you believe it?
Anemone shrimp
Anemone shrimp
Nudibranches always make our day!
Nudibranches always make our day!
The following day, we headed towards the world-famous dive site Richelieu Rock in the Surin National Park and dived around the horse shoe shape reef for the whole day.

Barracudas and Trevallies were hovering over the reef, swimming in between the mass of glassfish trying to get protection from the corals.

​Yellow, purple and red soft corals are growing all over the rocks, sharing the space with some different type of hard coral. Nudibranchs, juvenile fish, so many different crustaceans and loads of moray eels find some shelter in the cracks.
On the final day of diving, we explored the Boonsung Wreck for the two final dives, and it was a fantastic way to end the trip. We saw bamboo sharks, Kuhl's Stingrays, Cuttlefish, Nudibranchs, Octopuses, Crabs, Shrimps with their partner gobies digging the sand, and lots of juveniles seeking shelter on the wreck.

We want to thank everybody who chose The Smiling Seahorse to explore the Andaman Sea with us. It was an absolute pleasure to share our lifestyle with you all. We hope to see you again soon for more underwater adventures!
Wonderful porcelain crab in anemone
Wonderful porcelain crab in anemone
Cute gobi
Glass cleaner shrimp
Beautiful nudibranche on the reef
Coral crab
0 Comments

Trip report North Andaman from the 12th to 17th of March

13/4/2023

0 Comments

 
Picture
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.
Picture
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.
School of long nose emperors hunting
School of long nose emperors hunting
School of Travally
School of Travally
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).
Koh Bon
Koh Bon
Happy divers onboard The Smiling Seahorse
Happy divers onboard The Smiling Seahorse
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!!
0 Comments

Trip report: South& North Andaman sea from 10th to 17th of December 2022

19/12/2022

0 Comments

 
school of jackfish in North Andaman, Thailand
A small group for a big trip, this week MV Smiling Sea Horse had 7 lucky guests, coming from United States, France, Singapore and Israel. Franck, our co-owner and onboard photographer wasn't onboard this time so a big thank you to Boris Mekler for illustrating this blogpost with fantastic photos. Thanks a lot for coming back with us for the sixth trip in a year! It is always a pleasure diving with you! 
On Koh Haa Lagoon
On Koh Haa Lagoon
On Hin Muang
On Hin Muang
On Hin Daeng
On Hin Daeng
We start the trip cruising south from Lanta National Park, Hin Daeng and Hin Muang to Tarutao National Park. Harlequin shrimps were present for our first night dive in Hin Daeng, a big school of barracuda and some nice nudibranch. A Mobula rays few by us on 8 miles, next to koh lipe and a we also found a sneeky frogfish hiding in plain sight!
Arlequin shrimp
Barracudas school
Mobula Ray
Mobula Ray
Cool nudibranch
Cool nudibranch
Beautiful seafan
Beautiful seafan
sneeky frogfish
sneeky frogfish
Blackwater this week was fantastic so most guests asked to make a second black water dives this trip. We saw so many cool and weird creatures. The first blackwater dive was loaded with baby puffer fish blowing up in front of our masks as well as a baby stargazer! The second BW dive was full of baby Moray eels with long transparent bodies and sharp/tinny tooth! All the energetic babies were quite fast moving and so hard to photograph so we can't show you unfortunately this time, you'll have to come see for yourself! 
But we can still show you flying guenard, anemone, baby squids and octopus and a sea elephant.
Picture
Baby moray
Baby moray
Baby squid
Baby squid
Picture
Baby octopus
Baby octopus
Baby stargazer
Baby stargazer
After the crossing overnight from south Andaman to North Andaman contouring Phuket, we spent the second part of the trip between the Similan and Surin National parks. Visibilty was great, especially around Koh Bon and koh Tachai. 
On Koh Bon
On Koh Bon
On Koh Tachai
On Koh Tachai
Cuttlefish
Cuttlefish
On Koh Tachai
On Koh Tachai
On Koh Bon
On Koh Bon
On Koh Tachai
On Koh Tachai
In Surin National parks, we started around Torinla and ended in Richelieu Rock and its abundance of fishes. This pretty juvenile shaded batfish was the highlight of my dives in Surin, they are just so graceful! 
Red more about this emblematic baby :
all about the shaded batfish.

I love this photo of garden eels and it is always a pleasure meeting the plasma worthy Mr cuttlefish!

We found another pair of harlequin shrimps in Richelieu Rock but the rock was so so so fishy it was hard to take a look on the reef!

Gazillion of trevalli were surrounding us and crossing path with big schools of hunting emperors, barracuda all going for the thick glassfish cloud!
Thank you again Boris for sharing your pictures with us and the world and thanks to all our fantastic guests for choosing us and sharing this great time with us. We look forward to welcome you back for more fishy stories!
shaded batfish
shaded batfish
Garden eels
Garden eels
great athmosphere onboard mv smiling seahorse
fun time onboard!
0 Comments

21th April 2023, last Andaman trip of the season

3/5/2022

0 Comments

 

Our last trip brought us back to Ranong after 4 months mooring at Tap Lamu and Phuket, so it is with great pleasure that we are getting back in the departure routine we followed for the last 10 years!

21th April 2023, last Andaman trip of the season
After meeting our guests in our office, we are happy to set sail from Ranong at 5 pm with half of the guests, while the other half is waiting/chilling on Koh Phayam, where we can pick them up around 7pm.
 
As soon as everyone got onboard, we went through our traditional Departure Ceremony, praising the good sea spirits with a food offering and scaring the bad ones with fire crackers...
So happy in Richelieu Rock!
Family gathering onboard!
A spectacular first sunset
A spectacular sunset
After a lovely diner and first night onboard the real fun started in Surin national park for our check dive the following morning.

And because everyone was super confortable on this first dive, we decided to head out to  Richelieu Rock for the next 3 exceptional dives. Most of us went for a sunset dive but a few others opted for a night dive on Richelieu Rock. Both choices were not only good choices, the dives turned out to be absolutely spectacular
Bluefin trevallies
Bluefin trevallies
Huge glassfish school
Huge glassfish school
As I did the sunset, I will write about my own experience: the massive schools of big eye and bluefin trevally bolting at the dense schools of glassfish blanketing the reef: the hunt was simply mesmerising! The enormous bait balls of juveniles where the prey of all kinds of hungry adults making them move like a flock of birds…

The usuals macro creatures were there too, Harlequin shrimps were feeding on a sea star, ornate ghost pipefish where still numerous and we even found again the more elusive robust ghost pipefish and some smiling Tigertail seahorses :)
Robust ghost pipefish
Robust ghost pipefish
Beautiful school of fish
Beautiful school of fish
This week was a half-moon week, making the current a lot less strong than the week before, allowing us to truly get where ever we wanted disregarding the tide phases. We then could go and stay in the blue ahead of the current where it splits… this is where there is most action, all the time, but not always easy to get to.
 
The night divers came back from their dive with sparkles in the eyes… Richelieu Rock is teaming with life, in every hole you look you will find shrimps or crabs or nudibranchs and witnessing the night creature coming out of their hole there is absolutely fantastic! Their highlight was a sponge crab!
After this phenomenal day we are going south to Koh Bon for the next 2 morning dives…
 
We slept at Koh Tachai as the sea was very calm and made it to Koh Bon early morning… we all decided to dive the west ridge first hoping for Mantas but no luck, instead we had the nice resident baby eagle ray showing off passing in the middle of us as I was shooting some portrait for our guests on top of the big bummy in the north of the ridge…
There was also the squad of long nose emperor fish, blue fin trevallies and snappers coming and going hunting frantically in the reef!
 
The second dive some went for the pinnacle while others went back to the north ridge and both were delighted about it, the abundance in life is really heartwarming!
 
We went to Koh Tachai for the second half of the day as planned and I was glad to see the resident lobsters but sad not to see the regular massive school of barracudas… It is only once back on the boat that 2 groups told us that the barracudas were at the north pinnacle… bummer! I didn’t see them, so no photo
Arlequin shrimps
Arlequin shrimps
Huge variety of fish on the coral reef
Huge variety of fish on the coral reef
Titan trigger fish
Titan trigger fish
I could have gone again for the sunset dive but I preferred to go later for the blackwater dive…
 
The barracudas were there again and the action picked up with great hunting actions as we were happy to hear when the divers came back from the sunset dive. We could then sail toward west for the blackwater and decided to stop and set up the line above 80m of water…
 
Even if we didn’t make it to the drop off it was pleasantly rich in marine life… jellies, squids, crab, octopus, squirrel fish, soapfish, pufferfish and my first larvae scorpionfish!
 
Following this we had are great bbq night and the crowed on board made it very special! Starting with some fish imitations and the famous box game it really kicked off when we pulled out the disco ball! Thank you to Tatiana for leading the Zumba dance!
 
The party went on deep into the night! My big surprise to see every one up on time for the next and last day diving, but it was back to Richelieu Rock again and no one was ready to miss out!
Jelly fish
Jelly fish
Baby scorpionfish
Baby scorpionfish
Baby pufferfish
Baby pufferfish
Squid
Squid
Squirrel fish
Squirrel fish
Baby octopus
Baby octopus
Indeed, the 2 dives were as expected spectacular again! Richelieu Rock is a special place, one of the 10th best dive sites in the world but from 10 years of experience in the area I can say that Richelieu Rock was on fire!
 
I had a special request on this trip from Aiara as it was her birthday, she wanted few shots of her with fish… I tried my best to make her happy ;)
Zumba dance on The Smiling Seahorse
Zumba dance on The Smiling Seahorse
Super buffet on The Smiling Seahorse
Super buffet on The Smiling Seahorse
Cocktail time
Cocktail time
Happy birthday on The Smiling Seahorse
Happy birthday Aiara!
Was time now to head back to Ranong without forgetting to let some guests out on Koh Phayam…
We greated eachothers good bye and I must say I was a bit sad… this trip was the best one I could dream of as a last trip of the season….
Thank you all and see you soon again for more boat, fish, stories, pictures…!

​
Want to reed more fishy stories? Check our most popular blogpost!
0 Comments

6th April 2022: South Andaman dive trip report

12/4/2022

0 Comments

 

Heading back South Andaman after a month in the north Andaman. Was great!...

6th April North Andaman dive trip report
It is with 11 guests that we are setting sails. Four of them are return guests, which is for us the best review we can hope for! Among them, Pook is taking her photo skills to a new level and signed up for a full on photo coaching with Alex for the whole trip, while Nicolas is getting started with his brand new TG6 and signed up for 4 dives photo coaching with Franck.
After about one month spent in the northern part of the Andaman Sea, this week we are taking you back to the southern Andaman, going all the way to Koh Lipe, near the Malaysian border.
Picture
A great diving days ending with cocktails and barbecue
A great diving days ending with cocktails and barbecue
South Andaman Island
South Andaman Island
The trip started from Phuket and after everyone checked in we enjoyed our first shared diner and started cruising toward Koh Haa, where we planned to have our first dive the next morning.
​
The first dive to be the  check dive we picked the Laguna and had a nice and relaxed dive to start with allowing everyone to get back into diving mood and getting comfortable with the gear again…
We then went further south to Hin Daeng and Hin Muang for the rest of the day. Even though this is a famous dive site for manta sighting we were not lucky enough to spot one, but instead we were the happy witnesses of a big underwater ballet where the actors were trevallies, mackerels and tunas hunting into massive bait balls of glassfish moving like clouds again and again.
Divers under a boat with cool sunbeam
Divers under a boat with cool sunbeam
Lovely jelly fish and banner fish feeding on its tentacles
Lovely jelly fish and banner fish feeding on its tentacles
Tonight is the blackwater dive as well, off of hin Daeng we are very excited as the previous ones were absolutely mind-blowing…
6 guests out of 11 are game for the blackwater dive so we set up only one line and after half an hour sailing west we decide that it is deep enough, about 80 m of depth…
Picture
Lizard fish on blackwater dive, south andaman
Lizard fish on blackwater dive, south andaman
One hour later everyone was back on board, the dive conditions were good, but the visibility made it challenging to spot critters…
​
We still met some baby octopus, lizard fish, butterflyfish and loads of jellies and plankton like organisms making for a good but average blackwater dive.
It was time to sail overnight to Koh Lipe where we planned the morning dive at 8 mile rock…
The visibility was great, allowing us to see this abundance of life and magnificent soft coral covering the entire reef. 
Little shrimp on blackwater dive
Little shrimp on blackwater dive
blackwater diving of Hin Daeng Hin Muang
blackwater diving of Hin Daeng Hin Muang
Hard coral formation with a soft coral growing in the middle
Hard coral formation with a soft coral growing in the middle
The colour on the reef are so vibrant around Koh Lipe
The colour on the reef are so vibrant around Koh Lipe
Huge schools of yellow tail barracuda, jacks and giant trevallies are a regular there, the very mild current let us cruise around the pinnacle freely, we had 2 dives there exploring a bit further we found 2 ghostpipe fish ;)
Everyone was particularly blown away by the beauty of Stonehenge in the afternoon were on top of the vibrant colours we found the cutest baby seahorse! It is a dome like coral garden at about 20 m for the deepest part going all the way to 6 meters.
The site is covered with corals of all sorts mixed with barrel sponges and various clown fish inhabited anemones: it is an explosion of colours!  Absolutely stunning! Cruising the dive site we bumped into a massive school of chevron barracuda, it was the cherry on top making it a fantastic dive!
Diver over a school of fish
Diver over a school of fish
School of barracudas, Stonehenge, Lipe, South andaman
School of barracudas, Stonehenge, Lipe, South andaman
For the 4th and last dive we picked Koh Taru, a nice drift dive going with the current over the sandy patches looking for critters hiding there and in a lovely coral garden covered in yellow snappers, scorpion fish and fusiliers! 
After a well deserved night's rest, we headed back East for 3 more dive at Hin Daeng / Hin Muang before having the sunset dive at Koh Haa neua, aka the chimney! Everyone had a blast there, playing in the swim-through!
Cocktails were ready upon return to start up a lovely party with great food (yummy barbecue with  lamb legs, chicken wings, saussages and home made roated tomatoes, French fries and crunchy multi coloured salad). 

Fun was had by all, I won't tell you more...
Picture
The end of the cruise was coming and for the last day and we start with koh haa yai, aka the cathedral, a very scenic dive with a massive cave in front of a rich coral garden.
The last group got lucky seeing a curious whaleshark! But as not everyone had seen it, we decided to stay for one more dive giving us another chance… unfortunately, that whale shark must have been in a rush because it did not hang around and Franck not being part of the lucky divers, we have no photos to illustrate this fantastic encounter. We were really close to the reef, finding tiny nudibranch one after the other when it came right up to us to say hello! 
The Smiling Seahorse at Koh Ha/ that's where we saw the whaleshark
The Smiling Seahorse at Koh Ha/ that's where we saw the whaleshark
Another wonderful sunset...
Another wonderful sunset...
Our last dive, the 15th of the trip, was at Koh Bida Nok, a nice and easy spot inhabitted by a group of resident black tip reef sharks!
Turns out, every guest got to see them! Some of us were lucky enough to have a good look at them while they were cruising in front of us, others only got a furtive glance as they were running away from the bubbles...
Phuket was only a 3 hours ride away, giving us plenty some time to look at the pictures of the trip and say good bye to everyone…
Happy divers with yellow seafan
Happy divers with yellow seafan
lovely reef scene Koh lanta national park
Lovely reef scene, Koh lanta National Park
Thank you all for coming, we had such a great time! we hope to see you again very soon!
MORE ON OUR BLOG...
Most Popular

North Andaman
0 Comments

23rd Mars 2022:  Manta by day and Paper nautilus by night

29/3/2022

0 Comments

 

Female paper nautilus all over this week on the blackwater and 2 Manta visits!

23rd Mars 2022 trip, beautiful Andaman Sea and Manta show!
We started this fantastic cruise in Tap Lamu pier with a lovely mix of international divers from Austria, Germany, France and England and what a treat this week was!
Divers
Chris, one of our regular and talented underwater photographer
James hovering in the light
couple of diver
Day 1: woke to an amazing sunrise in the Surin islands. With our check-out dive at Koh Chi followed by Torinla Rocks, had lunch and during our surface interval we were greeted by a large male green sea turtle. Our next dives were at Yellow rock and we finished up the day with a night dive at Ao Pragaad.
Amongst others, we had the chance to see big schools of Fusilier, Trevallies, Batfish as well as lobsters and colourful nudibranch.
blue fin trevallis
blue fin trevallis
School of yellow back fusilier
School of yellow back fusilier
Richelieu Rock was our spot for the whole of the second day, with a calm sea to enjoy 4 these beautiful dives; and there was so much to see! Between the Ghost Pipe Fish, Peacock Mantis Shrimp, Longnose Emperor and trevallis hunting together, it was a lovely show for all, even for the most experimented divers diving Richelieu Rock throughout the season.
4 ghostpipefish together
not 1 ghost pipefish but 4!
reef landscape with tomato grouper and bannerfish
reef landscape with tomato grouper and bannerfish
silver sweetlips
silver sweetlips
The chef and his son prepared us a wonderful barbecue to end this perfect day! and to accompany this superb dinner, Franck prepared us a rhum based cocktail.
Music, good atmosphere, and fun discussions made this superb evening one we will remember.
Beautiful ghost pipefish
Enjoying a cocktail before the bbq
Barbecue and good vibes
Barbecue and good vibes

A big "surprise" 3rd day! 

We started the third day with 2 dives at Koh Tachai Pinnacle, large granite boulder formations on the south side and a beautiful coral garden to the north with many school of different Reef fish to keep us entertained. 

Our third dive for the day was at Koh Bon, diving the West Ridge where we spent the whole dive with a  majestic Oceanic Manta Ray and a Spotted Eagle Ray swimming a ballet around all the divers from the boat. Wow! Everyone came back on the boat with stars in their eyes, excited to share the moment and photos with the other guests.
Wonderful lionfish
Lionfish
Giant oceanic Manta ray
Hello again manta!
Star of the cruise: the Manta ray
Perfect belly shot for Thailand's Manta ray database
Lobsters on coral reef
Lobsters on coral reef
While the plan was to do only one dive at Koh Bon, we decided to stay and meet the manta again!​But that day was also the day we planned the blackwater dive and many people found it hard to choose between a manta dive and a blackwater dive so we decided to do both!
After dinner, we head offshore to the end fo the continental plateau for a perfect blackwater dive, what a great experience to see these pelagic and deep sea creatures we would never otherwise see. We saw the sea butterfly, paper nautilus, turnicates, jellyfish, a pelagic sea snake and so much more. 


​It was a first for most of the divers and everyone loved it! What a funny feeling to float motionless in this dark, but far from empty space!
Pelagic snake
Pelagic snake
Paper nautilus riding a jellyfish
Paper nautilus riding a jellyfish
Day 4: for our ur last diving day we decided to go back to Koh Bon Pinnacle and Koh Bon West Ridge and guess who decided to greet us again? If you are thinking Manta! You'd be correct, a friendly Manta Ray spent more than 20 minutes swimming gracefully around us! Second dive at West Ridge, our hopes were high to see again Mrs Flappy but no luck this time. 
A big thank you to mother nature for these two magnificent dives with these gentle giants!
Manta visit us again
Manta visit us again
Time to head back, but with a quick stop and dive on our way at Boonsung Wreck. There we saw Honeycomb Moray Eels, White Eyed Morays, Nudibranch with weird shapes and patterns, a school of Yellow Tail Barracuda, massive schools of rainbow runners and snappers and all the Porcupine fish you can imagine. The dive on the wreck was fantastic and concluded the this perfect week so well!

To top it all off, Franck gave us an amazing photo presentation documenting the trip and all the amazing things we have witnessed while we ate yummy burgers as we made our smooth journey back to the pier to say our goodbyes.  

Congratulation to Adrian, Laura, Jean Louis and Noelle for completing their Nitrox certifications and well done Xavier for your fantastic improvement with Franck's photographer's coaching. 
Sunset on Similan
Sunset on Similan
Divers and beautiful seafan in Thailand
Divers and beautiful seafan
Upside down underwater...
Divers have fun underwater
Diner time
Diner time
READ MORE BLOGPOST ABOUT DIVING IN THAILAND...
0 Comments
<<Previous

    The Smiling Seahorse Diving Blog

    A blog about our diving adventures in Burma and Thailand. Diving trip reports, guest reviews, fishy stories, wildlife fun facts and much more...
    Picture
    Search on this blog:

    Picture

    Authors

    ​The Smiling Seahorse has been running dive cruises from Ranong since 2012.
    Our team of instructors are reporting with a short blogpost after every trip.
    Camille, Franck and some guest writers also contribute during the off season writing on various topics.
    Keep tuned for more fishy stories :)
    Picture
    Want to receive the next articles via email?
    Picture

    Categories

    All
    Diving Burma/Myanmar
    Diving Facts
    Diving In Burma
    Diving In Thailand
    Diving News
    Diving Security
    Environment Protection
    Fun Facts
    In The Press
    Marine Life Fish ID
    Mergui Archipelago
    Most Popular
    Nitrox Dive
    North Andaman
    Reviews
    Richelieu Rock
    Scuba Diving Various
    Similan Islands
    South Andaman
    Surin Islands
    Trip Reports

    Archives

    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    September 2018
    July 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    May 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    March 2014
    September 2013
    May 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    July 2012
    April 2012

    RSS Feed

    See also...

    - About Myanmar liveaboards
    ​- Best Burma dive sites
    ​- Marine life in Andaman Sea
    ​- The Mergui Archipelago
    ​
    - Best dive site in Thailand

Our dive cruises

Our schedule and prices
​Dive in Thailand
​Dive in Myanmar
​Discover our boat
Our blog
​
GCS
Picture
Picture

More information

Our pictures
Our videos
​
In the press
Our guest book
Privacy policies
​Partners

The Smiling Seahorse

170 Ruangrat Rd, Tambon khao nivet, Mueang Ranong District, Ranong 85000​
Phone: +66860110614​
​Mail: info@thesmilingseahorse.com

www.thesmilingseahorse.com/
​

TripAdvisor

Picture
Responsible Manta Tourism Operator
TAT Licence number : 31/00935
© COPYRIGHT 2018-2023. The Smiling Seahorse ​
  • When & Where
    • Schedule and Prices
    • Itineraries & Calendars
    • 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 >
        • Marine life in the Andaman Sea
        • Burma's best dive sites
        • The Ultimate Underwater photo Guide to diving Burma
  • ABOUT
    • Our Boat >
      • DELICIOUS FOOD
    • Diving in Thailand
    • Diving in Myanmar/Burma
    • Blackwater diving in Thailand
    • Marine life in Thailand's Andaman Sea
    • Dive Courses >
      • Learn to Dive
      • Continue diving education
      • Rescue diver
      • Professional Dive Courses
      • Hone your dive skills with a PADI 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 >
      • Ultimate Underwater photo combo expeditions
      • Video & photo expedition North Andaman 05 Nov 2023
      • Blackwater expedition 23 Jan 2024
      • UW Photo clinic North Andaman 31 Jan 2024
      • Special Marine Biology - 18 Feb 2024
      • Whale Shark Special - 19 Mar 2024 - North and South
      • Manta rays expedition - 20 April 2024
  • gallery
    • Photos
    • Videos
  • CONTACT
  • BLOG
    • Most popular posts