Day 1 – From Ranong to the Surin National Park
We welcomed our divers and snorkellers from Belgium, Finland, Bulgaria, Germany, China and the US, then picked up our Norwegian family and a guest from Japan in Koh Payam before setting course north toward the Surin National Park. A relaxed crossing, salty air, and that familiar feeling that a good trip is about to unfold.
Day 2 – Surin National Park
Our check dive took place at Koh Chi Reef, part of the Surin Islands. These remote islands are home to the Moken people, sea nomads who have lived in harmony with the ocean for generations. Shallow reefs, sandy slopes and healthy coral gardens make this area ideal for a gentle start.
With crystal-clear visibility, we encountered an abundance of reef life: false anemonefish, Clark’s anemonefish, moray eels, damselfish, cleaning shrimps, garden eels dancing in the white sand, and schools of five-lined snappers. Parrotfish such as blue-barred parrotfish and bullethead parrotfish grazed the reef, while small groupers including coral groupers and peacock groupers hovered near coral heads. Wrasses were everywhere: cleaner wrasse, moon wrasse, and sixline wrasse flashing between rocks. Our snorkellers were rewarded with an exciting sight: three blacktip reef sharks hunting in the shallows.
We then headed to the legendary Richelieu Rock for dives 2, 3, and our night dive. This isolated limestone pinnacle rises from deep water and acts as a magnet for pelagic life and dense reef action.
The gang was fully assembled: giant trevallies, bluefin trevallies, bigeye trevallies, large schools of rainbow runners, batfish, and hunting yellowtail barracuda and chevron barracuda. Morays were everywhere, from white-eye moray eels to fimbriated moray eels and massive giant moray eels. We spotted juvenile clown triggerfish, schools of yellowback fusiliers and two-spot fusiliers, five-lined snappers, along with Chromodoris annulata and its eggs, Chromodoris geometrica, and Cuthona sibogae.
Night dive: a true nudibranch festival. Crabs and shrimps emerged, white-eye moray eels hunted actively, octopus roamed the reef, and Glossodoris atromarginata glided over sponges. Sleeping fish included parrotfish wrapped in mucus cocoons, squirrelfish, soldierfish, and sweetlips tucked under ledges, while Spanish dancers and hunting lionfish completed the nocturnal scene.
With crystal-clear visibility, we encountered an abundance of reef life: false anemonefish, Clark’s anemonefish, moray eels, damselfish, cleaning shrimps, garden eels dancing in the white sand, and schools of five-lined snappers. Parrotfish such as blue-barred parrotfish and bullethead parrotfish grazed the reef, while small groupers including coral groupers and peacock groupers hovered near coral heads. Wrasses were everywhere: cleaner wrasse, moon wrasse, and sixline wrasse flashing between rocks. Our snorkellers were rewarded with an exciting sight: three blacktip reef sharks hunting in the shallows.
We then headed to the legendary Richelieu Rock for dives 2, 3, and our night dive. This isolated limestone pinnacle rises from deep water and acts as a magnet for pelagic life and dense reef action.
The gang was fully assembled: giant trevallies, bluefin trevallies, bigeye trevallies, large schools of rainbow runners, batfish, and hunting yellowtail barracuda and chevron barracuda. Morays were everywhere, from white-eye moray eels to fimbriated moray eels and massive giant moray eels. We spotted juvenile clown triggerfish, schools of yellowback fusiliers and two-spot fusiliers, five-lined snappers, along with Chromodoris annulata and its eggs, Chromodoris geometrica, and Cuthona sibogae.
Night dive: a true nudibranch festival. Crabs and shrimps emerged, white-eye moray eels hunted actively, octopus roamed the reef, and Glossodoris atromarginata glided over sponges. Sleeping fish included parrotfish wrapped in mucus cocoons, squirrelfish, soldierfish, and sweetlips tucked under ledges, while Spanish dancers and hunting lionfish completed the nocturnal scene.
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Video | Hunting Trevallies swarm the reef
Day 3 – Similan National Park
Dive 1: Koh Bon Pinnacle
Massive schools of fusiliers surrounded the pinnacle: yellowback fusiliers, gold-striped fusiliers, neon fusiliers, manylined fusiliers, and blue and gold fusiliers. Dogtooth tuna patrolled the blue, joined by small mackerels and passing barracudas. On the reef we found peacock mantis shrimp, stunning yellow and pink soft corals, and excellent visibility. Groupers included coral groupers, peacock groupers, and yellow-edged groupers. Parrotfish such as steephead parrotfish, blue-barred parrotfish, and bullethead parrotfish grazed constantly, while wrasses like African coris, moon wrasse, and bird wrasse mixed with clouds of damselfish.
Dive 2: Koh Bon Ridge and Bay
A rare highlight: octopus mating. Giant moray eels hunted in open water, batfish cruised slowly, and inside the bay we found the beautiful sea slug Haminoea cymbalum. Common reef fish included powder-blue surgeonfish, lined surgeonfish, oriental sweetlips, copperband butterflyfish, and schools of glassfish.
Dive 3: Koh Tachai Pinnacle
A high-energy dive with huge schools of giant trevallies, bluefin trevallies, and bigeye trevallies, swirling alongside dense barracuda formations. A giant grouper dominated the scene, while the boulders hid numerous giant lobsters. We also spotted blueface angelfish and royal angelfish, surrounded by schools of yellowback, twinstripe, and neon fusiliers. Reef life included potato groupers, coral groupers, parrotfish, wrasses, and clouds of anthias.
Dive 4: Tachai Reef
A calmer end to the day with a blacktip reef shark, a baby hawksbill turtle, and classic reef fish: surgeonfish, butterflyfish, wrasses, triggerfish, and schools of fusiliers sweeping over the reef.
Massive schools of fusiliers surrounded the pinnacle: yellowback fusiliers, gold-striped fusiliers, neon fusiliers, manylined fusiliers, and blue and gold fusiliers. Dogtooth tuna patrolled the blue, joined by small mackerels and passing barracudas. On the reef we found peacock mantis shrimp, stunning yellow and pink soft corals, and excellent visibility. Groupers included coral groupers, peacock groupers, and yellow-edged groupers. Parrotfish such as steephead parrotfish, blue-barred parrotfish, and bullethead parrotfish grazed constantly, while wrasses like African coris, moon wrasse, and bird wrasse mixed with clouds of damselfish.
Dive 2: Koh Bon Ridge and Bay
A rare highlight: octopus mating. Giant moray eels hunted in open water, batfish cruised slowly, and inside the bay we found the beautiful sea slug Haminoea cymbalum. Common reef fish included powder-blue surgeonfish, lined surgeonfish, oriental sweetlips, copperband butterflyfish, and schools of glassfish.
Dive 3: Koh Tachai Pinnacle
A high-energy dive with huge schools of giant trevallies, bluefin trevallies, and bigeye trevallies, swirling alongside dense barracuda formations. A giant grouper dominated the scene, while the boulders hid numerous giant lobsters. We also spotted blueface angelfish and royal angelfish, surrounded by schools of yellowback, twinstripe, and neon fusiliers. Reef life included potato groupers, coral groupers, parrotfish, wrasses, and clouds of anthias.
Dive 4: Tachai Reef
A calmer end to the day with a blacktip reef shark, a baby hawksbill turtle, and classic reef fish: surgeonfish, butterflyfish, wrasses, triggerfish, and schools of fusiliers sweeping over the reef.
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Video | A school of chevron barracuda happily cuise past
Day 4 – Richelieu Rock & Surin South
Back at Richelieu Rock, the gang returned in full force: trevallies, rainbow runners, barracudas, and hunting tuna. Nudibranch highlights included Chromodoris risbecia pulcella, Elysia ornata, Cuthona sibogae, and Chromodoris annulata. We saw cleaner pipefish, octopus, massive schools of yellowback fusiliers, naked fusiliers, rabbitfish, glassfish under constant attack from predators, blue ribbon eels, harlequin shrimps, and endless fish action.
Dive 4 – Sunset at Surin South (“Bungalow”)
A magical sunset dive featuring Cuthona sibogae, epaulette surgeonfish, lined surgeonfish, oriental sweetlips, massive painted spiny lobsters, orange-banded pipefish, Thuridilla undula, Halgerda tessellata, Flabellina sp., Chromodoris geminus. Pelagics included pompano, dogtooth tuna, and schools of yellowback, twinstripe, and neon fusiliers, along with ring angelfish, blueface angelfish, and a cruising Napoleon wrasse.
Other groups experienced a blackwater dive: salps, mantis shrimp larvae, juvenile squids, crab larvae, snapper larvae, cornetfish larvae, and drifting siphonophores. Pure plankton poetry.
Dive 4 – Sunset at Surin South (“Bungalow”)
A magical sunset dive featuring Cuthona sibogae, epaulette surgeonfish, lined surgeonfish, oriental sweetlips, massive painted spiny lobsters, orange-banded pipefish, Thuridilla undula, Halgerda tessellata, Flabellina sp., Chromodoris geminus. Pelagics included pompano, dogtooth tuna, and schools of yellowback, twinstripe, and neon fusiliers, along with ring angelfish, blueface angelfish, and a cruising Napoleon wrasse.
Other groups experienced a blackwater dive: salps, mantis shrimp larvae, juvenile squids, crab larvae, snapper larvae, cornetfish larvae, and drifting siphonophores. Pure plankton poetry.
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Day 5 – Final Dives
Dive 1: Torinla Pinnacle
An exceptional final morning: Andaman sweetlips, mating Kuhl’s blue-spotted stingrays, yellow-edged lyretail groupers, peacock groupers, coral groupers, black-saddle groupers, juvenile peacock mantis shrimp, anemone crabs, Clark’s anemonefish, titan triggerfish, and bluespine unicornfish.
Final dive: Richelieu Rock
A grand finale with everything Richelieu is famous for: massive schools of trevallies and rainbow runners, dense barracuda formations, naked, neon, yellow back yellow lined fusiliers in every direction, hunting tuna, batfish, morays, nudibranchs, glassfish clouds, and that unmistakable feeling of being inside one of the most alive dive sites in the Andaman Sea.
An exceptional final morning: Andaman sweetlips, mating Kuhl’s blue-spotted stingrays, yellow-edged lyretail groupers, peacock groupers, coral groupers, black-saddle groupers, juvenile peacock mantis shrimp, anemone crabs, Clark’s anemonefish, titan triggerfish, and bluespine unicornfish.
Final dive: Richelieu Rock
A grand finale with everything Richelieu is famous for: massive schools of trevallies and rainbow runners, dense barracuda formations, naked, neon, yellow back yellow lined fusiliers in every direction, hunting tuna, batfish, morays, nudibranchs, glassfish clouds, and that unmistakable feeling of being inside one of the most alive dive sites in the Andaman Sea.
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