Manta Queen 7 on the road again with Marcus, Merce, Emma, Geri, Dan and Estelle – the dive team on board. Off again with Captain P’Noi and the crew to the Similan and Surin Island National Parks!
On board with have a varied bunch of divers from all over the globe. Some are taking advantage of the training available onboard – completing PADI Open Water, PADI Advanced Open Water or PADI Enriched Air Nitrox training.
On day one after the ‘check dive’ (for safety we always spend the first dive at a simple, sheltered reef so that people can get back in the diving groove) we go to West of Eden. The conditions there are perfect and we see spearing mantis shrimp and turtle all in one dive. Later at Deep Six everyone is loving the swim-throughs and landscape; especially our Aussies on-board who can’t seem to resist a swim-through and love diving through them at every opportunity!
After Elephant Head Rock (Sea Moths!!!) and Three Trees (Blue-Spotted Rays), P’Noi gives us the nod that conditions are good and we’re off to Koh Bon Island.
Koh Bon is stunning underwater on this trip. Clear water and 30m+ visibility in places. Peppered Morays hiding in the cracks. Napoleon Wrasse. And, taking us by surprise, some of us see the Maldivian Sponge Snail. Only supposed to be seen in the Maldives, for some reason this one is hanging-out at Koh Bon.
On to Koh Tachai Island….which is beautiful. The water is azure blue and on the first dive there’s zero current, which allows us to explore some of the lesser seen bits of the pinnacle to the North-West. Under a rock is a HUGE male turtle chilling out and grazing. He stays totally chilled as we hover next to him.
The conditions are good and so after three fantastic dives at Koh Tachai it’s off to sleep at the Surin Islands before heading to Richelieu Rock early morning. It’s a great move and only a few boats are there and the conditions are perfect. On the dive we see our old friend – the Tiger Tail Seahorse! Also, it’s lots of cleaner pipefish are hiding in the cracks and crevices. Some of the groups find mating Octopus. And one group find 5 Pharoah Cuttlefish together having a party changing colour like disco lights.
Back via Koh Tachai at Sunset (hunting trevally!) and Koh Bon, Boonsung and Premchai wrecks. Instructor Dan even gets out his Ukelele and we have a little celebration party onboard.
Congratulations to our new Advanced Open Water Divers onboard – Fritz, Julia, Nick, Jannika and Roland. And to Oli, Jannika and Roland on completing their PADI Nitrox Speciality.
Thanks to you all and look forward to seeing you all again soon aboard the Manta Queen Fleet powered by Khao Lak Scuba Adventures, PADI 5 Star IDC
