I'm not affiliated with The Smiling Seahorse, except that I've already signed up for this specific trip a few weeks ago (having done five trips with them over the past year), and I was told yesterday that due to cancellations caused by Thailand's new arrivals policy (have to test on arrival at the airport, and on day five at a testing center), there might not be enough people to sail.
This is a photography-oriented trip, spending the better part of three days (13 dives in total) at Richelieu Rock - Thailand's best dive site. Large schools of batfish, trevallys, snappers, fusiliers, glassfish covering the reef, bright corals everywhere, along with a large variety of macro critters. Here is Alex Tyrrell's article at Dive Photo Guide describing the site in more detail. Normally you'd see a dozen-plus boats moored around the site, and the divers in the water outnumber the marine life, but I did this route with The Smiling Seahorse a month ago (January 22-27) and for half the dives, we were the only boat there - this is a rare chance to enjoy this site away from the crowds. Two more dives are scheduled to be conducted at Koh Bon island, two more at Koh Tachai, and one is a blackwater, likely near Koh Tachai - that area has the deepest water around, approximately 70-80 meters, which gives the best variety of subjects on a blackwater dive.
Now the Thai government is about to change the policy again - from what I understand, starting March 1st, you still need to do a PCR test on arrival in the airport, but the day 5 test has been replaced by a self-ATK, with results reported via app, which makes things a lot easier for short-term visitors.
Yesterday I also saw the below ad on facebook, and I'm reposting it here in a nakedly selfish attempt to salvage my own trip
This is a photography-oriented trip, spending the better part of three days (13 dives in total) at Richelieu Rock - Thailand's best dive site. Large schools of batfish, trevallys, snappers, fusiliers, glassfish covering the reef, bright corals everywhere, along with a large variety of macro critters. Here is Alex Tyrrell's article at Dive Photo Guide describing the site in more detail. Normally you'd see a dozen-plus boats moored around the site, and the divers in the water outnumber the marine life, but I did this route with The Smiling Seahorse a month ago (January 22-27) and for half the dives, we were the only boat there - this is a rare chance to enjoy this site away from the crowds. Two more dives are scheduled to be conducted at Koh Bon island, two more at Koh Tachai, and one is a blackwater, likely near Koh Tachai - that area has the deepest water around, approximately 70-80 meters, which gives the best variety of subjects on a blackwater dive.
Now the Thai government is about to change the policy again - from what I understand, starting March 1st, you still need to do a PCR test on arrival in the airport, but the day 5 test has been replaced by a self-ATK, with results reported via app, which makes things a lot easier for short-term visitors.
Yesterday I also saw the below ad on facebook, and I'm reposting it here in a nakedly selfish attempt to salvage my own trip
