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Blog about diving in Burma and Thailand

Manta Festival and underwater clean-up!!

12/12/2019

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We had the privilege to welcome on board Thanda Ko Gyi, a 41 years old birman woman, volunteer for Marine Mega Fauna Foundation (MMF), and founder of Myanmar Ocean Project, an NGO registered this year supported by National Geographic and World Animal Protection.
Her goals within MMF are to study the behaviour of the Mantas, collect data about their migration, and identify/ reference them.
Her goat in Myanmar Ocean project is to protect the archipelago by collecting ghost nets and educating locals.
​So she was delighted to come onboard and help us in our big clean up project,  to remove as much fishing nets and lines from the dive sites as possible.
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Anuar joining the boat with his volunteers
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Thanda presenting her Manta protection project to our guests
We also had the support this week of Anuar Abdullah, a Malaysian marine biologist, foundator of Ocean Quest Global who just started a coral nursery in Mergui Archipelago and gave us an interesting introduction to his award winning technic to protect/ re-grow/ replant coral. What a great project!

That was such an interesting trip when we all learnt a lot about the technics of those 2 brilliant heroes trying to save our blue planet!
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The clean-up team removing some pieces of corals and live creatures (mostly crabs) from a removed ghost net
If you want to help Anuar and Thanda with their missions, please check their website and do not hesitate to send picture of Manta you could have spot during your dives on mantamatcher.com. You will help to study their migration and will receive some news of the Manta you spotted. And maybe give it a name!!
Seal-face puffer fish
Seal-face puffer fish
Seal-face puffer fish
We have been so lucky to have great acounters  with oceanic Mantas during 3 dives of our first day!! We identify 4 individuals! And even if the wind has been tough with us with wavy conditions, we managed to spot great creatures like seahorses,  pipefish, frogfish, picachu nudis,  big jankins sting rays,  cuttlefishes mating and the second whale shark of the season!!!
One of the various mantas we spotted around South Twin
One of the various mantas we spotted around South Twin identified as a new member of the Myanmar database!
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Thecacera nudibranch also called piccachu! 
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Baby tiger tail seahorse
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Giant Frog Fish
Thanks Thierry Lagrave for sharing his pictures with us this week when our in house photographer was away!

And big 
Congratulations to Nell,  Yasmin and Lili for becoming nitrox divers!!
​We had a great time together, and we hope to all meet you soon!


The smiling sea horse team!


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Camille Fogarolo 

Camille has been traveling the world since her mid twenties and dived many seas before finally settling down in Thailand in 2012. With her husband Franck, they opened The Smiling Seahorse liveaboard to offer cruises in the most unexplored area of South East Asia and became quite the experts when it comes to diving in Myanmar! Proud mother of two she still travels as much as she can and usually joins a dive trip to Mergui Archipelago every month.

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  • When & Where
    • Schedule and Prices
    • 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 >
        • Liveaboard diving holiday in Myanmar
        • Burma's best dive sites
        • The Ultimate Underwater photo Guide to diving Burma
  • ABOUT
    • Our Boat >
      • DELICIOUS FOOD
    • Diving in Thailand in 2024-2025
    • Diving in Myanmar/Burma in 2024-2025
    • Blackwater diving in Thailand and Myannmar
    • Marine life in Thailand's Andaman Sea
    • Marine life in Mergui Archipelago
    • Dive Courses >
      • Learn to Dive
      • Continue diving education
      • Rescue diver
      • Professional Dive Courses
      • Hone your dive skills with a 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 >
      • 8D Special Marine Bio with Piers Baillie - 10 Nov 2025
      • 8D Whale shark expedition - 20 March 2026 - North and South
  • gallery
    • Photos
    • Videos
  • CONTACT
  • BLOG
    • Most popular posts