- One-way trip focussing on whale sharks in the Andaman Sea
- Encounter manta rays at Koh Bon and Koh Tachai
- Dive Koh Bon, one of the only true wall dives in Thailand
- Meet the schools of barracuda at Koh Tachai
- Find some of Thailand’s best macro in the Surin Islands
- Dive the Richelieu Rock in search of whale sharks and more
- Explore the colourful soft coral of Hin Daeng and Hin Muang
- Discover the varied sites of Koh Haa
- Night dives included
- Daily presentations by Marine Megafauna Foundation
- This is your chance to contribute to whale shark conservation by:
- Recording any sighting we may have
- Educating yourself about these rare pelagic
- Contributing financially to these expeditions
Day 1:
Appointment at Phuket Rassada Pier from 14:00-16:00. Embark on The Smiling Seahorse at 17:00 in Phuket Rassada Pier and wake up on the dive site the next morning!
Days 2-7:
3 to 4 dives per day in Thailand's best national parks: Tarutao, Lanta, Surin, and Similan.
In the North Andaman, we will visit Surin and Similan National parks
SIMILAN NATIONAL PARK:
Koh Bon is a well known cleaning site for manta rays and the site most frequented by them in Thailand. There is also a good chance to spot a zebra shark on the pinnacle.
Koh Tachai Pinnacle is a very fishy dive: beside whale sharks and manta rays, we can see schools of barracudas, giant trevally, bluefin trevally, sweetlips, batfish, tunas in the blue.
On Koh Tachai you will have the choice between a sunset dive or blackwater dive (+500thb option). And then enjoy a fantastic barbecue.
We will also visit some dive sites in the south of the Similan National Park. Your cruise director will choose from a variety of dive sites and we will keep in touch with other boats if whale sharks have been sighted in the last few days. If some gentle giants are sighted, we may stay put to spend a few dives with them.
The visibility is usually excellent around the Similan islands and we hope to spot leopard sharks, blue spotted stingray, school of snappers and fusiliers, emperor fish, clown trigger fish and more tropical colourful fish as well as some moray eels, turtles and mantis shrimps living in the rocky areas. Whale sharks are also commonly spotted there so keep an eye being your head for a gentle giant passing above!
SURIN NATIONAL PARK:
Less known but unmissable! Especially Richelieu Rock, still listed in the top 10 dive sites in the world! And you will quickly understand why! Not only is it a great place to see whale sharks but it can also be described as a big aquarium with more or less everything … from seahorses to jack fish and plenty of kinky cuttlefish action and we hope again a sighting of something big in the blue...
The rest of Surin Island, not dived by many other boats but it is a very good spot for macro life such as ghost pipefish, frog fish and nudibranchs and the first place where we can see whale sharks and mantas. There are also many Jenkins stingrays, sweetlips and barracudas around and the regular sighting of humphead parrotfish, eagle ray and reef sharks.
In the South Andaman, we will visit:
Hin Daeng and Hin Muang (Red rock and Purple rock), not far from the Malaysian border, are amazing dive sites, offering steep walls, big fish and colourful soft coral. Both Mantas and Whale sharks are sighted there regularly next to many smaller pelagics such as tunas, schools of Jack, barracudas and Leopard sharks.
Koh Haa is more famous for its massive cavern systems (in which you can even see massive stalactites)
If we hear of whale shark sighting near Koh Lipe, we may also take our boat in this direction!
Sample itineraries are for guidance only. Actual itineraries may differ slightly due to factors such as weather, wildlife, logistics and local regulations.
Day 8:
2 dives and back to Koh Payam at 6pm and Ranong at 20:00.
Sample itineraries are for guidance only. Actual itineraries may differ slightly due to factors such as weather, wildlife, logistics and local regulations.
Twin or double bed2 peopleShareable
Double bed2 peopleNon shareable
