Enter the circus of the amazing clownfish
The Clown fish is an Anemone fish, a specialized type of damselfish. The first magic trick that the clownfish is able to perform is its venom immunity: they have a special symbiosis relationship with their host anemone. Together, they realize, for your greatest pleasure, what is called a “symbiosis relationship”. Since the eggs are laid directly under its skirt, anemone fishes are immune to anemone’s stingy tentacles from day 1. It is a mutually beneficial relationship in which the anemone can ...
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Welcome to the vibrant world of nudibranchs
For me nudi-hunting is like collecting stamps... You always want to find new ones for your private collection... I remember the first time someone pointed out a nudibranch to me during a dive, gesturing towards a rock and signalling “Look, something small”. What felt like minutes went by as I squinted and shifted focus trying to figure out what exactly I was trying to look at. Then suddenly a tiny piece of what appeared to be algae moved and I noticed it was actually alive! It couldn’t have been...
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How To Make your Life Easier When Divin
Most of the best dives are in a location where you are likely to meet strong currents. Take as example our beautiful Mergui Archipelago: currents bring nutrients and therefore lots of underwater life. But, it can be tricky to navigate, especially if you can’t drift with it because the underwater topography doesn’t allow it. Below you will find a few tips to make your immersion more comfortable and safe! 1) CHECK THE CURRENT FROM THE SURFACE If there are any marker buoys at the surface, have a ...
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Harlequin shrimp life and behavior
Coral reefs are rich, biodiverse ecosystems that are home to incredible creatures of all shapes and sizes. Scuba divers from all over the world flock to remote locations like the Mergui Archipelago in Burma, to have the chance to catch a glimpse of marine curiosities from massive manta rays to tiny nudibranchs scattered across underwater landscapes that will take your breath away. If you are the kind of person who is enthralled by macro life, you have surely heard of the harlequin shrimp... Also...
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Advice to keep your diving gear in top shape
Once you invest in dive gear, you want it to last as long as possible. To do this, a vigilant maintenance ritual is essential! Here are some recommended steps: 1. Rinse it immediately after use This is the first very important step. After a dive, salt or chlorine could leave some harmful residues on your gear. Rinse it in FRESH water as soon as you dismantle your kit to clear the dirt and reduce the risk of corrosion. 2. Dry it properly away from the sun Thoroughly dry out your gear after a day’...
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An Underwater photographer’s ultimate guide to the Mergui Archipelago
Mergui Archipelago: Myanmar’s diving destination... After a long surface interval where you finally found the time to finishing editing your full SD cards, do you feel like getting away for a few days? Would you like to leave the mainland for exciting ocean adventures? Myanmar reveals marine wonders most sought after by divers and underwater photographers. Located in Southeast Asia, the Mergui Archipelago will amaze you with a variety of sea life of all sizes making stylish appearances at differ...
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Rhinobatis: the Shark - Ray guitar shaped fish
Guitar fish: guitar rays or guitar sharks? Guitar fish belong to the Rhinobatis genus. "Rhine" is the Greek word for shark and "batis" the Latin word for ray. Guitarfish belong to the ray family but are often mistaken for shark or called guitar sharks. They have fins on their back making them look like sharks and swim with using their "shark" tail whereas most other rays prefer flapping their pectoral fins as a propeller. Like all other rays, their mouth is positioned under their body making it ...
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Are you properly weighted for your dive?
"How much weight do I need?" "Should I take one more kilo to be sure?", "how do I know when I can shed one more weight from my belt?". These are very common questions asked to dive professionals all over the world. Good buoyancy control is a crucial part of diving which allows you to dive safely, while avoid damaging the reef or your equipment. When properly weighted, you will consume less air, and generally enjoy your dive more. Although mastering this art requires time and practice, a very go...
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Andaman Sea rays
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 and some in Surin and Similan islands in Thailand... I will start with the rays spending most of their time laying on the sea floor such as the stingrays and then about the pelagic rays through the Andaman Sea: they swim mid water from the depth all the way to the surface and travel long distances such as eagle...
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All about tiger sharks
Are tiger sharks dangerous? You are probably wondering, can tiger shark kill you? Do tiger sharks attack humans? It is true that tiger sharks are considered to be particularly aggressive because of its little selectivity but accidents (and they are accidents, not attacks) with humans are rare. Keep in mind though that shark bites, all species included, are very rare. There is less than 80 cases of shark bites per year worldwide, and less than 5 deaths per year worldwide because of a shark attack...
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All you ever wished to know about Giant Oceanic Manta Ray: FAQ, factsheet
Arguably one of the best experiences a diver could ever have is to dive with giant oceanic manta rays. We are lucky to see them regularly during our cruises in Myanmar and I compiled a list of the questions we most often get asked about these gentle giants to answer them in our latest blogpost. If you are interest to read more click the link below: thesmilingseahorse.com/blog/giant-oceanic-manta-...factsheet-and-photos Here is a little extract: How do you differentiate Giant Oceanic Mantas from ...
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Diving on the wrong side of the Indian Ocean Dipole
Mergui 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. This was the case this year in areas of South East Asia, including the Mergui Archipelago in Myanmar. Normally a trip to this part of the world can...
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Cruising Mergui Archipelago in Myanmar
The smiling seahorse raises the level of Burma dive cruises with a brand new liveaboard! Ranong, Thailand, 13th of May 2019: The Smiling Seahorse unveils "MV Smiling Seahorse", a splendid new boat custom built by and for divers. Just launched in November 2018, the "MV Smiling Seahorse" has been thoroughly tested this season and have only received compliments from returning and new customers alike. Strong of their 7 years experience, Camille and Franck Fogarolo, owners of The Smiling Seahorse hav...
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Diving in Myanmar
6 days 5 nights Burma diving cruise: Explore Mergui islands Burma best dive sites in Mergui Archipelago... Day 1: the meeting time at our Dive Shop is 12.00, so we will have time to try equipment before going to our boat MV Smiling Seahorse. Before departure the Thai emigration comes on board and will stamp us out of Thailand. Then the boat will take us to Kawthoung where we will get our visa for Burma and permit to visit the archipelago. Officer will come onboard to control that all the papers ...
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