Press clippings
The Smiling Seahorse in the news
September 2024
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Scuba diver mag
"Talking about the Indian Ocean Dipole and its effect on diving conditions in 2020 " Summer 2020 |
Dive photo guide
Photographer of the Week – Franck Fogarolo By Daniel Norwood, July 31, 2020 @ 06:00 AM (EST) There aren’t many places left in the world where you can join a liveaboard cruise and dive in a country that is largely unexplored and untouched, but take a trip with this week’s featured photographer Franck Fogarolo on his boat the MV Smiling Seahorse in the Mergui Archipelago, and that is exactly what you can expect. REED THE ARTICLE | ||
Dive
"Talking about the Indian Ocean Dipole and its effect on diving conditions in 2020 " June 2020 |
Globe rover
"I recently spent 8 days on liveaboard in the Mergui Archipelago and it was the bes diving adventure I've never had." November 2018 
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Subaqua
"L’excellente connaissance des lieux que possède Franck, le directeur de plongée français qui a créé ce safari croisière et qui en est à sa sixième saison, facilite grandement ce programme exclusif. " Décembre 2017
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Octopus "Soudain un requin léopard surgit et s'approche de nous. Nous le photographions puis un deuxième arrive. Enfaîte il s'agit d'un mâle et d'une femme qui sont en train de frayer!" Juin 2016
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Plongeur international
"Le petit déjeuner est incroyablement varié et les currys qu'ils soient verts, rouges ou jaunes sont à se damner. On se sent un peu comme à la maison" 2016
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Myanmar Times "Perhaps Myanmar’s best-known dive destination is the Myeik (formerly Mergui) Archipelago. These beautiful islands present the best and most diverse diving in the country... Slowly descending to the seabed, I excitedly spot one of my favourite creatures – a nudibranch..." April 2015
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Action Asia
"The ultimate highlight is Western Rocky, one of Myanmar's finest dive sites. Everything from whalesharks to seahorse and harlequin shrimps can be spotted in these waters, which are also frequented by chevron barracuda and big reef squid." 
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Emirate diving associate
"A live-aboard adventure with the Smiling Seahorse team delivers up to four dives per day but the time you spend drifting from one breathtaking spot to the next is nearly as special as the time you will spend underwater. " December 2011
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The smiling seahorse raises the level of Burma Dive cruises with a brand new liveaboard!
Strong of their 7 years experience, Camille and Franck Fogarolo, owners of The Smiling Seahorse have designed their dream boat with all the amenities a good dive liveaboard should have. Since its launch in November 2018, MV Smiling Seahorse already did no less than 24 cruises in the Burmese and Thai waters for the delight of its international guests.
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Diving on the wrong side of the Indian Ocean DipoleMergui Archipelago, Myanmar
As scuba divers, we are often at the whim of the weather and the ocean. Booking a diving holiday months in advance usually involves research into the seasons and how the weather in the area is during the time we wish to go. Unfortunately, all the research in the world can’t always save you from the guiles of mother nature.
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Thailand, a New Black Water Diving DestinationThailand has always been known for its colorful reefs, but have you heard of blackwater diving in Thailand?
Every night, attracted by the moonlight, marine life leaves the deepest ocean depths in order to satiate its curiosity and hunger in shallower waters. To mimic the natural moonlight and to attract this larval and pelagic life to the surface, a downline is dropped over very deep waters, with powerful lights placed along its length. Using their own torches and minimal movement, divers search for a hint of color or reflection, then get closer to identify their subject or, better yet, photograph them. Blackwater diving began with a handful of experienced dive photographers curious enough to try diving at night in the open sea where the bottom drops to several hundreds meters... REED THE ARTICLE |
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The Best Techniques to Shoot Fast-Moving Subjects UnderwaterEveryone wants to return home from their diving holiday with spectacular underwater images to send around or share on social media. Many dive schools and liveaboard operators offer an in-house photography service, which is an excellent option if you want a broad range of guaranteed great quality shots...
But it’s often way more satisfying to take your own amazing underwater images. There’s no sugar-coating the fact that underwater photography can be challenging. It’s a dynamic and constantly changing environment, and marine life is forever moving. I’ve been an underwater photographer for 15 years. I’ve logged over 3,000 dives, most of those with one of my trusty cameras in hand. Here are my top tips to help you capture great underwater shots of fast-moving subjects. REED THE ARTICLE |
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All about giant oceanic Manta RaysDiving with giant oceanic manta rays sits high atop almost every diver’s bucket list. In fact, the chance to see these animals often entices divers to remote locations all over the world — often on liveaboard dive cruises — for a chance to see them soaring through the deep blue. Here we’ll share some fun facts and answer some of the most frequently asked questions about giant oceanic manta rays.
REED THE ARTICLE |
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Modified date: 13th August 2021
In this article, I wanted to present the various rays you can encounter in the Andaman sea. Most of the pictures below were taken in the Mergui Archipelago located off the coast of Myanmar. Some were taken in Surin and Similan islands in Thailand... The Mergui Archipelago is a paradise rich in biodiversity that proudly puts a variety of spectacular marine species on parade... REED THE ARTICLE |
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Macro life in the Mergui Archipelago Part IThere are generally two types of divers when it comes to marine life: those who favor the big stuff, and those who hunt for macro animals. Divers who seek the small stuff take pride in their keen eyesight and attention to detail and prefer to dive slowly with their mask mere inches from corals and sponge. Macro life is bizarre and intriguing and includes some of the ocean’s most elusive masters of disguise, as well as some of the most effective predators...
REED THE ARTICLE |
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The best diving in the Mergui ArchipelagoWhile certainly not undiscovered, the Mergui Archipelago in southern Myanmar is one of Southeast Asia’s most remote dive destinations and a gold mine for divers in search of adventure. Myanmar (formerly Burma) remained closed to foreign visitors until a regulated opening in 1997. Still today, the Mergui Archipelago is a restricted special zone...
REED THE ARTICLE |
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Photographing the Mergui Archipelago by Franck and Camille FogaroloA Photographer’s preparation guide to diving Burma
Preparing your diving trip to Myanmar like a pro By Franck and Camille Fogarolo You’ve decided to take the plunge into the clear blue seas of the Mergui Archipelago on an exciting liveaboard diving holiday. The anticipation is almost unbearable as the months tick by before your departure, and you have a lot of planning to do. Being prepared for your excursion will make it all the more enjoyable, and this is especially true for those that like to capture the underwater world on camera. REED THE ARTICLE |
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