Similan Island Liveaboard Manta Queen 1 trip number 220 left Khao Lak pier on the night of 12th May & sailed towards the lovely Similan Islands for our 15 dives, 4 Day adn 4 Night dive trip.
We got really lucky on this trip to be diving with the playfully curious Oceanic Manta Rays at Koh Bon Island, a small island some 20 miles north of the Similan Islands. Some of us even had a juvenile Whale Shark visiting us at our safety stop, and several indifferent Black Tip Sharks & a Marble Ray cruising around the Koh Bon Island North Ridge.
Who lives in a pineapple under the sea? It’s not Sponge Bob square pants this time. Again, we visited the resident Pineapplefish at Richelieu Rock… Oval, yellow & very cute, it stays in its sheltered ledge with its 3 yellow Harlequin Ghost Pipefish friends. More will join it soon as 1 of the Ghost Pipefishes is pregnant! We said hi to the resident Tigertail Seahorse at Richelieu Rock as well.
6 dives in & around Similan Islands 5, 6, 7, 8 & 9 was scenic with grand boulders sitting underwater, sea fans & corals lighting up the landscape & sea-life completing the atmosphere. The remaining dives were done at Koh Tachai The Dome), Koh Bon Island, Richelieu Rock & 15th dive at the Boonsung Wreck.
Everyone enjoyed the Night dive with tons of mini Shrimps & Crabs, free-swimming Moray Eels, Octopus, Cuttlefish, Similan Islands Lobsters…
The Dome (of Doom) was certainly very exciting & a great experience for us all having to start the dive going down the line with a rather exhilarating current running through all of us, dodging around the boulders, swerving & turning at critical points during the dive.
We had some students on this trip too!
Big congratulations to Claire for completing her PADI Open Water Course, Zhanwei for his PADI Advanced Course, XIAO DONG, HONG CHENG & ZHANWEI for becoming certified PADI Enriched Air divers!!
Thanks to everyone for making this trip very enjoyable. Stay safe & keep diving.
The Team of Manta Queen 1 powered by Khao Lak Scuba Adventures.
