Liveaboard Articles Thailand, Burma, Bali - Komodo and Andaman Islands.

Welcome to our articles and trip reports, this is your portal for stories and articles from liveaboard trips to Mergui Archipelago and Burma Banks in the north, via Similan Island and Richelieu Rock, to Phi Phi Island and Hin Daeng in the south - as well as exotic destinations like Komodo - Indonesia and Andaman Islands - India!

Komodo Safari 2010

MANTAS ON DEMAND − Abolutely amazing Manta encounters in South Komodo, with a total of around 25 animals present.

SHARKS IN KOMODO − Whitetips and a pack of Grey Reefs swimming back and forth in the currents in the north of Komodo National Park.

DUGONG − An extremely rare encounter with the endangered Dugong.

WONDERPUS − The rarest of the rare, the elusive Wonderpus, decided to give us a little show this trip.

MILLIONS OF MANTAS − Coming back from one of our Manta dives, and feeling really lucky having seen at least 15 of the big flappy things, our dinghy driver pointed out where the other groups now were snorkelling with maybe 30-40 Mantas.

India 2010

ANDAMAN ISLANDS − Beeing so close to both Thailand and Burma, it’s amazing how different everything is here.

MASSIVE SCHOOLS OF BARRACUDAS − It was an explosion! Some of the barracuda schools must have been more than a thousand animals strong. Pretty impressive!

FABULOUS FROGFISH −A Giant Frogfish is always a popular find. This particular specimen sported a solid pink colouration, almost, but not quite, matching the soft corals next to it.

MANTAS GALORE − We didn’t think it would be possible to beat the Manta action from the previous trip. As it turned out, it was very possible indeed! From the first minute to the last of both our dives at Koh Bon, we had these graceful creatures all around us.

DANCING MANTAS − Already at dive number two this trip, we found ourselves in the middle of some awesome Manta action! Six of these beautiful creatures danced around us for more than an hour.

LEOPARDS SHARKS − The Leopard Shark is one of the most beautiful animals we have in the Andaman Sea. With its tail beeing almost half the length of the body, it elegantly and effortlessly moves over the reef. Normally not shy (rather the opposite as a matter of fact!) it’s a favourite among divers.

EAGLE RAYS − Diving at Black Rock in Burma is always exciting – you’ll never know what’s
gonna show up. As it turned out this trip: quite a lot! Three big Manta Rays stayed with us
for the whole day, and we had several close encounters with Eagle Rays as well.

Thailand – Burma 2009

NUDIBRANCH PARADE − This is just how things are – sometimes you get very lucky!
In our case, we had a virtual parade of rare and wonderful nudibranchs throughout this
trip up to the Mergui Archipelago in Burma.

IT’S A ROCK’N ROLL THING − Don’t worry, this is still about diving, but having three big
Bow-mouthed Guitar Sharks swimming with you for 20 minutes, is as close to Rock’n Roll as
it ever gets underwater.

LEOPARDS SHARKS − This was the first Burma trip of the season, and we were all excited to see what we could find. It started off with no less than four Leopard Sharks at Koh Bon, leisurely swimming around, or just resting at the bottom.

12 EAGLE RAYS in formation flight − Seeing an Eagle Ray these days is a rare event. Given they are very shy animals, having 12 (twelve!) of them in formation flight is the stuff dreams are made of. Except that this was for real!

BIG GREY REEF SHARKS − It was one of those days, when all of a sudden everything shows up. At the same time. This was our second dive at Black Rock, after a quite disappointing first one, and nobody really expected any action, when a pack of five Eagle Rays moved in, tightly followed by four adult Grey Reef Sharks and a pair of big Marble Rays.

EAGLE RAYS −Normally shy cretures, Eagle Rays very much keep their distance. Not so on this trip!

WHALESHARK & MANTAS − As the headline suggests, we saw BIG STUFF this trip! I’m pretty sure there were more diminutive creatures around, but we somehow focused on the above-two-meter varieties.

AMAZING WALLS, BEAUTIFUL CORALS & INCREDIBLE MARINE LIFE − So, this was our second time in Andaman Islands, India. Breathtaking walls, 60 meters visibility, beautiful corals, massive barrel sponges and fish galore.

CRITTER CRAZY − Yes, we DID have the Mantas, we DID have the Leopard Sharks, and not only one, but TWO (extremely rare!) Bowmouth Guitar Sharks.

A RARE GUITAR SHARK − Encountering the elusive Guitar Shark is a special event, and on top of that, this was the Bowmouth, even more rare (the other model beeing the Shovelnose).

MATING LEOPARD SHARKS −Two mating Leopard Sharks at the very last dive.

WHALESHARK in BURMA − It’s always a great experience seeing a mighty Whaleshark, and this time was no exception, as it came slowly flying above us like a Boeing 747, at Submarine Rock in Burma.

ENORMOUS NURSESHARKS − At ”Shark Cave” in Burma, not only did we have a cave, but also actual sharks in it! Two huge Nursesharks, to be more precise.

Komodo Safari 2009

MANTA MADNESS − What a Grand Finale THAT was: at the very last trip of the Komodo season, we had the fantastic opportunity to dive with 40 (that’s right, folks, forty!).

FIGHTING DRAGONS − Normally not too active in the early mornings, these Komodo Dragons were up and about, and we actually watched them getting up on their hind legs and fight each other.

DRAGONS ON THE BEACH − No sunchairs, no icecream vendors, no parasailing touts. Just us, and four of the legendary Komodo Dragons!

LOTS OF SHARKS − Takat Toko, also known as Castle Rock, is the place in the Komodo National Park to see sharks. With a bit of a current, they patrol the edge of the reef, sometimes getting really close to the divers.

MANTAS IN THE BLUE − In many places, seeing Manta Rays means dealing with reduced visibility. Not so here; we had the chance to dive with these wonderful creatures in warm, blue water, on no less than five occasions.

A FANTASTIC WONDERPUS − We were extremely lucky on this trip, seeing loads of rarely encountered critters. The highlight was a dive at Sumbawa Island, where we found the unbelievably rare (and shy!) Wonderpus.

MOLA-MOLA − As if finding one rare Rhinopias wasn’t enough, we managed to locate no less than THREE of them in Horseshoe Bay, Komodo National park.

A RARE PADDLE-FLAP − The Paddle-flap Scorpionfish is one of the rare members of the Rhinopias family. Sought after by photographers, a sighting is a very special event. We found a stunning pink specimen at Rinja Island in the Komodo National Park.

A COURAGEOUS BLUE-RINGED OCTOPUS − We were watching this lovely little juvenile Blue-ringed Octopus, as it was happily trotting about in the seagrass, when disaster stroke, literally – a Giant Spearing Mantis Shrimp took it, and descended down its hole.

PLAYFUL DOLPHINS − Seeing a Dolphin underwater is a dream for any diver. Mostly, that’s how it stays - a dream, since these encounters are quite rare. However, diving in the Komodo National Park, your chances increase dramatically.

THE HOLY GRAIL – A RARE RHINOPIAS − What a treat! The rarest of the rare – the Rhinopias aphanes, or Lacy Scorpionfish as its common name is, makes photographers travel all over the world for the chance to add it to their portfolios.

Komodo 2008

GRAND FINALE − This beeing the very last trip for the Komodo season, the day we spent at Manta Alley was a fantastic Grand Finale!

MOLA-MOLA −Somehow things you don’t really expect to see, make the greatest impressions. Not that an encounter with a prehistoric-looking Mola-Mola wouldn’t, but since we were all busy looking for the Mantas, it was a wonderful surprise, as this strange animal moved in to one of the cleaning stations in South Komodo.

MAJESTIC MANTAS − The Mantas lined up to get cleaned, they scooped up plankton at the surface, mouths wide open, but most of us opted for the actual alley, where the huge rays were hanging out in the current.

Critter Parade in Komodo − Blue-ringed Octopus, an unreal, solar-powered Nudibranch, two different kinds of Pygmy Seahorses as well as Robust Ghost Pipefish, Blue and Black Ribbon Eels, Mushroom Coral Pipefish and Spanish Dancers.

Mobula Rays in Komodo − Extremely shy Mobula Rays, really special and this happened one night at Gili Lawalaut, in Komodo National Park.

A rare Blue-ringed Octopus − I HAVE seen one before, but that was eight thousand dives ago.

Manta Fiesta −We had a special quest this trip: five of the guests had never seen a Manta Ray. So what could be a better place to sort them out, than Manta Alley in South Komodo?

Spanish Dancers in Komodo − The King of Nudibranchs, the mighty Spanish Dancer, can be seen in many tropical waters. But rarely as big as we have them here in Komodo National Park.

Nautilus in Komodo − This elusive cephalopod lives on 200 – 400 meters of depth, so seeing one on a dive is extremely rare. It stayed with us for 15 minutes, before returning back into the deep.

Dolphins in Komodo − A pack of Giant Trevallies rounded up smaller fish at a coral bommie, and as the feast started, White-tip Sharks and Dolphins joined in. Quite spectacular!

Hammerheads in Komodo − Dolphins, Eagle Rays, Rhinopias, Pygmy Seahorses, Manta Rays, Hammerhead Sharks – on this trip we just had it all!

Mantas in Komodo - So, here we are, back in Komodo again... As always, really good diving, with a great range from the tiniest Pygmy Seahorse, only a centimeter long, to the largest Manta Ray, spanning 4 meters across. And pretty much everything in between!

India 2008

Mantas in Andaman Islands - This was the maiden voyage to the Andaman Islands for Mermaid 1, so everybody was quite excited about the whole thing. Even though the Andamans belong to India, they are actually much closer to Burma.

Thailand - Burma 2008

Manta Action - This was the last Burma Safari for the season, and it certainly started well, with excellent Manta action at Koh Bon! Three big individuals stayed with us for two full hours. Shame we won’t be back here until November.

Whaleshark In Burma - Three Islets, our first stop in Burma, surprised us with a Whaleshark. For seval of the guests, this was their first one! But, of course, there were the usual suspects: Marble Rays, Nursesharks, Seahorses and Cuttlefish.

World Wildlife Fund With Mermaid I In Burma - This trip was a very special one, arranged by WWF (World Wildlife Fund). No scuba diving, but instead snorkelling, bird watching and beach combing at some of the most remote islands of the Mergui Archipelago.

35 Devil Rays In Burma - We had a fantastic dive at Tower Rock, with lots of these rays. A few times a big school of 35 flew by, but we had several of them around us pretty much the entire dive. Awesome!

Whaleshark in Burma - We had a wonderful encounter with a whaleshark at North Twin in the Mergui Archipelago. Still young and curious, it stayed with us for 15 minutes!

20 Mobula Rays in Burma - OK, to be perfectly honest, we only counted 19, but I’m sure there was another one or two in the back that we didn’t see.

Manta Action at Koh Bon - Nothing like a bunch of Manta Rays to cheer you up in the morning, is it? This happened to us already the first day of the trip, at Koh Bon - Similans, famous for these magnificent animals.

Mobula Rays in Burma - Despite all the sharks, frogfish, seahorses and ghost pipefish, I think what will stay with us most from this trip, is this school of Mobula Rays we were lucky enough to come across at Tower Rock, way up north in the Mergui Archipelago!

Thailand - Burma 2007

Huge Nursesharks in Burma - 28/11 - 7/12 2007
There is nothing wrong with seeing a big Manta ray. As a matter of fact, they are my favourite animals! But I think we were all more impressed by the size of the Nursesharks we found on this trip to the Mergui Archipelago in Burma.

Mobula Rays in Burma - 18/11 - 27/11 2007
This was the first Burma Safari of the season, and we were all excited about what we would encounter. We started off in the Similan Islands, with a beautiful dive at Anita’s Reef. At Tower Rock, way, way up north in the Mergui Archipelago, we were lucky enough to see a school of around 20 Mobula rays passing by!

Bali - Komodo - Indonesia 2007

Whalesharks in Komodo - 20/10 - 27/10 2007
Whalesharks in Komodo. OK, so we only saw the whalesharks from the boat, but still an impressive (and for Komodo, rare!) sight. And a nice little bonus for the very last trip this season in Indonesia.

Dolphins and Mantas in Komodo - 13/10 - 20/10 2007
The serious manta action, however, was at Manta Alley in South Komodo. We usually see quite a few here, but this trip it was absolutely crazy. They were EVERYWHERE! Five to eight big mantas together pretty much anywhere you looked! And for two full hours! Truly amazing!

Manta Mania in Komodo - 06/10 – 13/10 2007
Manta Mania in Komodo! Unbelievable manta action at Manta Alley, South Komodo. Over the two dives we did here, we had so many of them we simply lost count.

Massive Schools of Fish - 29/09 – 06/10 2007
Massive Schools of Fish. I think most of the guests on this trip will agree with me, if I say the most memorable dives were the ones we did at Takat Toko (Castle Rock) in the Komodo National Park. Enormous schools of fish, from 40 meters depth all the way up to the surface.

50 Mantas in Komodo - 22/09 – 29/09 2007
50 Manta Rays in Komodo! So, how about those 50 Manta Rays? Well, let’s start with the following day’s dive at Manta Alley in south Komodo. Around 25 Mantas were hanging out there, getting a morning fix at one of the cleaning stations, or just playing around. I don’t think we had a single minute without them.

Whales in Komodo - 08/09 -15/09 2007
Whales in Komodo. Even though we had excellent diving this trip, I think most of us will best remember the appearence of a Minke Whale next to the boat, escorted by a pod of 30-40 Dolphins. We also had 30 Pilot Whales just in front of us.

Dolphins and more Dolphins in Komodo - 01/09 - 08/09 2007
This trip was a real Dolphin treat. Apart from having these beautiful and intelligent animals around the boat every day, we were also lucky enough to see them underwater at four divesites.

Dugongs at Komodo - 25/08 - 1/09 2007
During this very lucky trip, coming through the Komodo Channel, four Dugongs surfaced next to the boat. These gentle animals showed no fear, just slowly swam north. A wonderful sight, and a first for most of us on the boat.

Manta madness in Komodo - Indonesia - 18/08 – 25/08 2007
Liveaboard trip Bali - Komodo 18/8 – 25/8 2007. Again, we were treated with great Manta action in South Komodo. For a full hour, we had 15 – 20 Mantas cruising around us at Manta Alley. Absolutely awesome. And hard to forget for the lucky ones joining this trip.

Liveaboard trip Bali - Komodo - Indonesia - 28/07 - 04/08 - 07
Another day of excellent diving in the Komodo National Park, and we rounded off this trip with a couple of dives at Moyo Island before cruising into the sunset with a beautiful view of Lombok.