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Blog about diving in Burma and Thailand

Trip report : 15th to 21st January 2025

13/2/2025

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trip report The Smiling Seahorse photo clinic 2025
Our Annual Photo Clinic started from Khao Lak this time. Heading out into the Andaman Sea, with eager guests from Belgium, France, Sweden, Switzerland, Australia, the USA, the Philippines, Denmark, and the UK. We were joined again on this journey by our talented friend, Alex Tyrell, to lead our 5th joint workshop. A professional underwater photographer renowned for his skills behind the lens and rewarded by many photo contests, Alex has over 20 years of experience capturing the underwater world and teaches underwater photography all year round at Dive4Photos. 

Day 1 : Exploring Similan National Park

Our first dive took us to Shark Fin Reef, where we kicked off with a relaxed check dive. The stunning underwater boulders provided a majestic backdrop as schools of yellowfin goatfish and lunar fusiliers glided past. Bluefin trevally darted in and out of sight, while giant trevally patrolled the area. Moray eels peeked from crevices, and oriental sweetlips added splashes of color.
nudi gills close up
The second dive at West of Eden delighted us with the rare sighting of a baby banded sea krait slithering gracefully through the reef. A small hawksbill turtle greeted divers near the coral formations, while vibrant chromodoris nudibranchs adorned the rocks. Butterflyfish, such as the saddleback and Meyer's butterflyfish, hovered near the reef, accompanied by emperor angelfish and a playful pair of red-toothed triggerfish darting around coral bommies.

Adding to the excitement, a starry dragonet fish was spotted resting gracefully on the sandy bottom, and a rock mover wrasse entertained divers with its peculiar behavior in search of food.
​

Elephant Head Rock, our third dive site, held an exciting surprise at 24 meters: a zebra shark resting peacefully—a rare sight in recent years. The dive also revealed blue ribbon eels swaying gently, a blue dragon nudibranch shimmering on a rock, and a stunning Limenandra nodosa hanging from a ledge. We ended the day with a thrilling night dive, where giant moray eels hunted in the shadows alongside a zebra moray eel and a fimbriated moray eel. Massive hermit crabs scuttled across the seafloor, and an octopus performed a mesmerizing display, changing colors and textures as it captivated our divers.
pufferish in similan islands
big eye trevalli in the andaman blue water

Day 2 : Koh Bon Bay and Koh Tachai

Our morning began with two dives at Koh Bon Bay, where the highlight was spotting two juvenile blacktip reef sharks gliding gracefully along the sandy bottom. Giant moray eels lurked near crevices, while a large school of batfish hovered elegantly over the reef. Divers were thrilled by the partnership between a giant blue-lined pufferfish and a bluefin trevally, a rare and fascinating sight. African pompano cruised by briefly, and Maldivian sponge snails dotted the coral garden.
​

In the afternoon, we ventured to the northwest of Koh Tachai. Although the sea conditions made access to the pinnacle challenging, we explored the surrounding reef. A small hawksbill turtle swam lazily through the currents, and colorful flabellina exoptata and blue dragons (Pteraeolidia ianthina) caught the photographers' attention. Surgeonfish, such as the powder-blue and velvet species, mingled with schools of twinstripe fusiliers. Sweetlips gathered near the bommies, and vibrant anemonefish darted among the tentacles of bulb-tentacle sea anemones.
diving with clownfish in surin islands
damselfish in hard coral, thailand liveaboard
Our night dive at Torinla Island’s west wall in Surin National Park was alive with activity. Moray eels prowled the reef, while a curious blacktip shark circled at a distance. The reef revealed nocturnal wonders such as red squirrelfish, copper sweepers, and cave sweepers glowing under torchlight.

Day 3 : Surin National Park and Richelieu Rock

Our first dive took us to the iconic Richelieu Rock, a pinnacle rising from the seabed like an underwater cathedral. Known as one of the top dive sites in the world, Richelieu Rock did not disappoint. A great barracuda hovered midwater, being cleaned by wrasse, while schools of yellowtail and pickhandle barracuda circled the site. A massive school of bigeye trevally darted around us, joined by giant trevally and yellowback fusiliers. One group delighted in spotting a tiny tiger tail seahorse clinging to soft coral. Richelieu Rock is renowned for its rich marine life, offering encounters with everything from macro critters to pelagic species.
To escape rough waves, we returned to Surin Island for our second dive at Torinla Pinnacle.
Thailand's top dive sites and its Tigertail seahorses
Tigertail Seahorse
big eye trevallis in richlelieu rock
Big eye trevallis in Richlelieu Rock
Here, we encountered adorable pikachu nudibranchs, large potato groupers, and blue-spotted stingrays resting on the sandy bottom. Peacock mantis shrimps peeked out of their burrows, while jawfish darted between holes in the seabed.
​

Our third dive at Yellow Rock introduced us to a vibrant underwater world, with schools of yellowtail barracuda weaving through the water. A Jenkin whipray glided effortlessly along the sandy floor, and slate sweetlips formed tight schools beneath rocky overhangs.
jenkin whip ray photographed in thailand
Jenkin Whiptail ray
white anemone and clownfish
We concluded the day with a dive at Bungalow Wall, west of South Surin Island. Cuttlefish danced gracefully in the water, banded stick pipefish hovered near the reef, and lobsters hid within crevices. Schools of fusiliers streamed by, while colorful robastra gracilis nudibranchs adorned the coral.
mating cuttlefish in Thailand
Credit - Alex Tyrrell, animating our Photo clinic this week

Day 4 and 5 : Richelieu Rock - a photographer's paradise

The next two days were dedicated to Richelieu Rock, providing ample time for our photographers to capture its legendary marine diversity. Schools of blacktail barracuda, yellowtail barracuda, and pickhandle barracuda swirled around the pinnacle. A tiny tiger tail seahorse clung to gorgonian coral, while cobias moved gracefully alongside bigeye trevally.
​

Macro photographers reveled in the sight of the new generation of reef inhabitants: juvenile oriental sweetlips, juvenile emperor angelfish, Anemonefish tending to their not-yet-born babies, while new ghost pipefish already blended seamlessly into their surroundings. 
baby ghost pipefish bokeh effet
baby ghost pipefish already playing hide and seek
eggs of anemone fish
baby clownfish incubating
mama clark anemonefish tending to her eggs
Their mum making sure they were safe and well aired...
Eagle rays glided through the blue, offering breathtaking moments for wide-angle shots.

Among the corals, divers found flabellina exoptata, baby chromodoris risbecia pulchella, and tiger cowries with their eggs. A cryptic Phestilla laid eggs on a Pavono coral, and whip coral gobies peeked out curiously.
the extremely cryptic Phestilla viei slugs laying eggs on its host coral, Pavona explanulata, from Richelieu Rock
Camouflaged in its environment, the Cryptic Phestilla Nudibranch blends seamlessly with its host coral.
tiger egg cowrie
Tiger egg nudibranch make for perfect photo subjects
Our last two dives on Day 6 ensured every critter and tropical reef fish Richelieu Rock had to offer was immortalized in stunning photographs, bringing an unforgettable journey to a close.

​Stay tuned for more adventures and stories from the Andaman Sea!


 

lion fish in richelieu rock, thailand's best dive site
group picture on the sofa of a thailand liveaboard


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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 Gavin Miller - 10 Nov 2025
      • 8D Whale shark expedition - 20 March 2026 - North and South
  • gallery
    • Photos
    • Videos
  • CONTACT
  • BLOG
    • Most popular posts