Trip Report North Andaman Bust - February 2023

[poifromthebag]

Video of recent North Andaman live aboard trip.

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Ok now that I viewed this fully, we were clearly in the same areas. I think we even saw the same peacock shrimp and definitely the several lobsters hiding under that coral overhang.

And I guess you were on the Tapana? Looks like a really nice, big boat.

We did a Blackwater (with the lit drift buoy and lights down a weighted line) dive and it was my first and my mind was blown. So many night creatures. Jellyfish, baby shrimp/squid/fish, baby box fish, sea snake, etc.

I already want to go again... so which areas would you recommend going? (Since you are now a Thailand resident)

 

[Buadhai]

Yeah I was... 20th-25th. We hit Richelieu on 24/25.

Which boat were you on? Richelieu was crowded with live aboards. I think like at least 5, including us.

We were at Richelieu only on the 24th on the Tapana Catamaran which is a big white boat with blue trim, double hull and a lift at the stern.

Believe it or not, five is not a lot of dive boats for Richelieu.

 

[Buadhai]

I already want to go again... so which areas would you recommend going? (Since you are now a Thailand resident)

I have my favorite dive sites. Losin (in the Gulf of Siam) is one of them. Koh Ha is another, but more for the beauty of the place rather than the diving. We're planning a South Andaman trip in May on which I hope to visit great sites like Hin Daeng and Hin Mueang, White Rock and Stonehenge (which I understand is open again). But, sounds like you had a fantastic time at Richelieu and it really can't be beat. You can dive there many times and still be amazed. I also like both Tachai Pinnacle and Torinla Pinnacle (Surin).

 

[poifromthebag]

I have my favorite dive sites. Losin (in the Gulf of Siam) is one of them. Koh Ha is another, but more for the beauty of the place rather than the diving. We're planning a South Andaman trip in May on which I hope to visit great sites like Hin Daeng and Hin Mueang, White Rock and Stonehenge (which I understand is open again). But, sounds like you had a fantastic time at Richelieu and it really can't be beat. You can dive there many times and still be amazed. I also like both Tachai Pinnacle and Torinla Pinnacle (Surin).

Nice to know that Richelieu is one of the best sites. I'm gonna take note of those other sites.

We tried Tachai Pinnacle but the vis was so bad with currents that we had to abort.

 

[noserider]

I started diving periodically in Thailand (and Burma) in 1988. I moved here in 2005 and have dived regularly since then.

I didn't see my first Whale Shark until October of 2012. That was at Hin Reua, Koh Kra. I've seen about a dozen since then. The last was in October of 2020 at Losin (see image below).

I have no explanation for this other than that I've heard several dive guides say that the twenty teens were good years for Mantas and Whale Sharks. I have no idea if that's true or not.

View attachment 772625

There seemed to be quite a large number of sightings from mid March onwards of whale sharks, or at least there were on my social feeds but hardly any Mantas and didn't seem to be photos of the same whalesharks

 

[Buadhai]

Nice to know that Richelieu is one of the best sites. I'm gonna take note of those other sites.

We tried Tachai Pinnacle but the vis was so bad with currents that we had to abort.

We had a similar experience on the trip that is the subject of this thread. Our first dive at Tachai Pinnacle was to be at 8:00 AM. The current was strong and the vis poor. My wife and I got stuck close to the surface for a bit as she tried to clear her ears. Once we were able to descend, we couldn't see anything: no divers, no bubbles, no ascent/descent line. We descended anyway. We were on the bottom at about 30 meters. We looked around a bit, but didn't have much bottom time, so ascended at 30 minutes.

We did a second Tachai Pinnacle dive just before noon. Conditions had much improved. No current. Better vis. Plenty to see. Sadly, my wife had had enough on the first attempt so didn't do the second Tachai dive.

 

[noserider]

We had a similar experience on the trip that is the subject of this thread. Our first dive at Tachai Pinnacle was to be at 8:00 AM. The current was strong and the vis poor. My wife and I got stuck close to the surface for a bit as she tried to clear her ears. Once we were able to descend, we couldn't see anything: no divers, no bubbles, no ascent/descent line. We descended anyway. We were on the bottom at about 30 meters. We looked around a bit, but didn't have much bottom time, so ascended at 30 minutes.

We did a second Tachai Pinnacle dive just before noon. Conditions had much improved. No current. Better vis. Plenty to see. Sadly, my wife had had enough on the first attempt so didn't do the second Tachai dive.

We had strong currents there in December with decent vis despite the currents it was a really fun dive with lots of sheltering behind rocks

 

[poifromthebag]

There seemed to be quite a large number of sightings from mid March onwards of whale sharks, or at least there were on my social feeds but hardly any Mantas and didn't seem to be photos of the same whalesharks

I've been following the social media of the boat I was on and apparently in the last week or two they've had several huge manta sightings. Hmmm. I need to get back out there....

 

[Centrals]

I've been following the social media of the boat I was on and apparently in the last week or two they've had several huge manta sightings. Hmmm. I need to get back out there....

The Similan Islands National Park is closing on 15th May and reopens on 15th Nov 2023.

 

[Dan]

I have my favorite dive sites. Losin (in the Gulf of Siam) is one of them. Koh Ha is another, but more for the beauty of the place rather than the diving.

I like Koh Ha too. What I remember there were the Chimney, Lots of lobsters and Giant Grouper.

Did you take that selfie in Elephant Head Rock dive site?