Banded Sea Krait Facts:

• There are around 50 types of Sea Krait and all belong to the Cobra family
• The average Sea Krait grows to about 2 meters long with the largest growing up to 3 meters
• They have flattened tails to swim fast and have flaps over their nostrils that close when they are underwater
• With no gills they need to surface for air, but can stay down as deep as 100 meters for up to an hour
• Sea Kraits are highly poisonous but with small heads and tiny fangs they would struggle to bite through a wetsuit or skin
• Sea Kraits go on land to lay their eggs

Banded Sea Krait – What are they?

Banded Sea Kraits are a species of sea snake that mainly live in tropical Indo-Pacific oceanic waters. They are venomous but generally not aggressive and therefore do not necessarily pose a danger to divers.  Amphibious Sea Kraits are characterised by a feature that is clearly to aid them in swimming efficiently and fast, a broad paddle-like tail.  This tail is much different to snakes that purely inhabit on land and shows how Sea Kraits have evolved to live in our oceans. Although Sea Kraits have evolved to live in underwater environments, they are ‘amphibious’ which means they are adapted for living on land as well as water for laying their eggs etc as opposed to other true Sea Snakes that bear their young in water and so are ‘aquatic’ Sea Snakes. A Sea Kraits heart is located mid-body to enable blood pressure to be stable throughout its length which is very important when diving deep. Sea Kraits have extra large lungs to help them stay underwater for extended periods of time which is helped by nostrils that seal shut but they still need to surface every so often to breathe. Unlike Eels, Sea Kraits are reptiles and have scales. Sea Kraits have developed specialised ventral scales for crawling on land which allows them to come ashore every 10 – 14 days to digest food, shed their skin or lay eggs.

There are a few changes to our usual schedule and we plan to leave a little later on New Year’s Day – to give everyone a chance to recover from the celebrations the night before!

Please take a look at our Christmas and New Year diving schedule (changes to the usual schedule are in BOLD):

• 20/12/10 – Monday – Koh Haa / Hin Daeng / Hin Muang
• 21/12/10 – Tuesday – Ko Haa / Ko Phi Phi
• 22/12/10 – Wednesday – Ko Haa / Hin Daeng / Hin Muang
• 23/12/10 – Thursday – Ko Haa / Ko Rok
• 24/12/10 – Friday – Ko Haa / Ko Phi Phi
• 25/12/10 – Saturday – Ko Haa / Hin Daeng / Hin Muang
• 26/12/10 – Sunday – Ko Haa / Ko Rok
• 27/12/10 – Monday – Ko Haa / Hin Daeng / Hin Muang
• 28/12/10 – Tuesday – Ko Haa / King Cruiser Wreck
• 29/12/10 – Wednesday – Ko Haa / Hin Daeng / Hin Muang
• 30/12/10 – Thursday – Ko Haa / Ko Rok
• 31/12/10 – Friday – Ko Haa / Hin Daeng / Hin Muang
• 01/01/11 – Saturday – Ko Haa / Ko Haa Night Dive – LATE DEPARTURE 12:00pm
• 02/01/11 – Sunday – Ko Haa / Ko Rok
• 03/01/11 – Monday – Ko Haa / Hin Daeng / Hin Muang
• 04/12/11 – Tuesday – Ko Haa / King Cruiser Wreck

If you’re interested in any of the above trips, please do not hesitate to call or pop into the shop for more information. We look forward to seeing you soon to celebrate with us!

Celebrate the festive season underwater!! …and bring in the new year with some deep sea adventures!

Manta Ray Facts:

• Mantas can be huge, growing up to 25 feet in length and weigh as much as 5,000 pounds.
• Manta Rays are known to engage in the process of migrating.
• A protective mucus membrane covers a manta ray and can be lost if they are touched by humans.
• The Manta Ray has the largest brain to body ratio of all sharks and rays on Earth.
• Manta Rays can live up to 20 years old.
• A very close relative of the shark. Ironically, sharks as well as whales are their main predators. They are also closely related to the stingray but they don’t have a stinger.
• Manta rays regularly display amazing aerobatic maneuvers for divers.
• The Manta Ray is actually classified as a fish. It is also one of the largest and it continues to be one that we know the least about.
• They don’t have a skeleton that is made from bone but from cartilage.
• The smallest species of Manta Ray is the Mobula Diabolis only growing to about 2 feet in length.
• The Manta Ray is only surpassed in size in the marine world by sharks and whales.
• The open fins of a Manta Ray can be more than 20 feet in length.
• While the Manta Ray has many rows of sharp teeth, they aren’t used for eating. Instead they have a filtering system.
• The Manta Ray doesn’t have a nose.
• The name Manta means blanket in Spanish, and the fact that this creature looks like a blanket as it moves in the water is part of the namesake.
• The mouth of the Manta Ray is located on the top of the head instead of on the bottom.
• They are the only jawed vertebrates that also have limbs.

Manta Ray – What are they?

The manta ray is a large ray in the family Mobulidae and  is the largest species of the rays. The largest known specimen was more than 7.6 metres (25 ft) across, with a weight of about 2,300 kilograms (5,100 lb). Manta rays are broader across than they are long, and they have distinctive fins near their faces which resemble horns, which also gives them the name ‘devil rays’. These fins are an ingenious tool which the mantas use to sweep in prey. Manta rays are filter feeders, living on plankton. They are very good swimmers, using huge fins, similar to wings to elegantly glide through the water and steer themselves with their whip-like tails. Some species can even jump totally out of the water. The manta ray is ovoviviparous, which means that the females incubate their eggs in their bodies. Typically only one manta ray baby hatches at a time, and newborn manta rays are already around four feet wide. Although it might be tempting to imagine grabbing on and hitching a ride with these fast swimmers, people should avoid handling manta rays, as they can hurt them or damage the mucus membranes which protect the body from infection. Manta rays are located throughout tropical waters of the world, typically around coral reefs which means that many visitors to these regions come into contact with manta rays. The famous Thailand dive sites of Hin Daeng and Hin Muang are considered to be among the top 10 dives sites in the world for spotting manta rays which is why we run 3 trips a week to this amazing site on our luxury cruiser ‘Ja Ru Pat‘.

How to work out the sex of a manta ray

Seashorse Facts:

• The seahorse species ranges in size from .6 inches (smaller than a thumbnail) to little over one foot (14 inches).
• They can rotate their eyes 360°, each independent of the other.
• They have no teeth and no stomach.
• When released, seahorse babies are fully formed, having grown inside their father’s pouch.
• The only species in the entire animal kingdom to do so, the male seahorse bears the young.
• Voracious eaters, seahorses consume an average of 3000 plankton, brine shrimp, and other microscopic marine life each day. By the time a seahorse is two weeks old, its appetite is “adult.”
• Most seahorses use camouflage to blend in with their surroundings.
• Because of their upright position, seahorses are not the best swimmers. As a result, they spend most of their time stationary, anchored to vegetation.

Seahorse – What are they?

If you think of the word ‘seahorse’ your mind will most probably picture a 6ft tall black stallion galloping off into the deep blue. Unfortunately, in reality this is not the case but even still, this small once mythical sea creature  creates an air of mystery with the very mention of its name.

Dating back to the the Ancient Greek period, the Seahorse is of the genus Hippocampus, which literally means “horse sea monster”: hippos is “horse” and kampos is “sea monster” in Greek. Seahorses are named for their equine profile. Although they are bony fish, they do not have scales, but rather a thin skin stretched over a series of bony plates arranged in rings throughout their body. Seahorses have a coronet on their head, which is distinct to each individual, much like a human fingerprint. Seahorses swim upright which distinguishes them from the closely related pipefish but they swim very poorly by using a dorsal fin, which they rapidly flutter and pectoral fins, located behind their eyes, which they use to steer. Seahorses have no caudal fin. Male seahorses become pregnant, not the females. Born with pouches like a kangaroo’s, male seahorses are perfectly designed to carry and protect seahorse eggs and hatchlings until they’re ready to strike out on their own. Within days of releasing one brood, males become pregnant once again. Its a tough life to be a male seahorse.

There are nearly 50 species of seahorse which are mainly found in shallow tropical and temperate waters throughout the world. They prefer to live in sheltered areas such as seagrass beds, coral reefs or mangroves where they form territories, with males staying in about 1 square metre (11 sq ft) of their habitat while females range about one hundred times that area.

Our excellent dive sites including Ko Haa are a great place to see the ‘Yellow Tigertail Seahorse’ with our expert guides being able to spot these creatures amongst the vast walls of soft corals.

Diving with a Seahorse for the first time

While hearing other divers compare seahorse stories it is not hard to get a little frustrated after many dives and not seeing these tiny sea creatures with your own eyes. After all, seahorses always manage to stir up excitement amongst divers before a dive if the chance of a sighting is in order. Very similar in fact to the excitement divers feel before the chance of maybe seeing an ocean giant like a manta or whale shark which is pretty amazing when you consider the size difference between the two.

After many times visiting Thailand’s top dive sites I had made it my mission to find my first seahorse. I knew where to look, I knew the best places to find them, I knew what size, shape and colour they are in order to find one but had still never seen one. Without building up the knack of spotting them like the rest of our excellent Scubafish guides it can be a very challenging task. You eventually realise patience seems to be a very handy tool when trying to find them.

Following the proverb ‘All good things come to he who waits’ has finally paid off. Not so long ago while on a day trip to Ko Haa, the stunning 5 islands close to Southern Ko Lanta it was a very normal day aboard our luxury boat ‘Moskito’. With 5 staff members and around 14 guests all fun diving for the day we all mutually agreed to dive island #1 which has beautiful walls and the famous ‘chimney’ swim-through. We all agreed to search for seahorses for the first portion of our first dive. With a large search party consisting of staff and guests, all searching a section of wall for these beloved creatures  after around a good 20 minutes searching it finally happened. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a diver point and make a ‘riding a horse’ signal so straight away everyone knew one had finally been found.  By either fluke or a strategic search pattern one of our resident Swedish instructors was the winner of the ‘find a seahorse’ game by finding a nice specimen of yellow tigertail seahorse. One by one we all took turns in moving in to take a closer look. With my 3 fun divers holding onto me we all slowly moved our faces in toward the coral which is when we saw it. Sitting nice and pretty on a section of coral exactly as how I had imagined it to look. With its horse-like resemblance very clear and dorsal fin fluttering away you just stare at it with the same thoughts as the Ancient-Greeks all those years ago: Wow! What actually is it? Who designed it? You suddenly get a head full of questions but at the same time you are in awe of this inspiring creature.

With my seahorse sighting now complete I look forward to seeing many more of these stunning sea creatures with many more excited guests. Amazing!

Simon, UK, 06/12/10

Special MID-SUMMER MADNESS Promotion for 2010
Book a luxury resort and diving package from just 4,500 THB per person!

Deals for Certified Divers

• 3 day, 2 night + 1-Day Dive Trip * – 4,500 THB (normal price 6,500 THB)
• 5 day, 4 night + 3-Day Package * – 12,300 THB (normal price 15,975 THB)
• 4 day, 3 night + AOW – 15,700 THB (normal price 18,400 THB)

Deals for Beginner Divers

• 3 day, 2 night + 1 Day Try Diving – 6,100 THB (normal price 8,200 THB)
• 6 day, 5 night + OWC – 18,100 THB (normal price 23,400 THB)
• 8 day, 7 night + OWC + AOW – 32,500 THB (normal price 40,300 THB)

Continue reading »

Underwater photographs are captured from the dive sites and reefs around Ko Lanta. Stay up to date on what diving conditions are like right now. Photos are usually updated daily and are from today or yesterday’s dives.

Please visit the Liquid Lense Flickr photostream to view more of our underwater images.

From The Sunday Times                                                                                        October 11, 2009

The world’s 10 best tropical beaches

You want Bounty-ad beaches, see-through seas and palm trees? And you want it all for a bargain price?

Ba Kan Tiang Beach in Ko Lanta, Thailand was voted Top Beach in Thailand & No. 9 in the World in the Travel section of the The Sunday Times on October 11th, 2009.

Voted #9: Ba Kan Tiang, Thailand

As tourism marches on, the Thai idyll is getting harder to find.

Step forward Kan Tiang, the last gasp on the Ko Lanta coast road as it dwindles away into Mu Ko Lanta National Park. There’s just one resort, Pimalai, a good dive shop that offers daily snorkelling jaunts and a collection of beach-shack bars, not so much built as washed up like flotsam on the tide. Our favourite for food is Same Same but Different, but the Aqua Bar’s seafood barbie is great, too.

Trailfinders (0845 050 5871, trailfinders.com) has a week at Pimalai Resort for £899pp, B&B, a saving of £400pp. The best of the beachside guesthouses is Baan Laanta (00 66-75 665091, baanlaanta.com), which has doubles from £66, B&B. Scubafish Diving – PADI 5 Star IDC Centre (0066 75 665 095, scuba-fish.com).

Castaways should try La Laanta (75 665066, lalaanta.com), on remote Bamboo Beach; from £53 a night for two.

To read the full article and see the other Top 10 votes – please visit Times Online.

PADI 5 Star IDC Resort, Scubafish, has received a mention in the new edition of the Lonely Planet for Thailand.

The positive review highlights our strong commitment to the highest level of service and personally tailored teaching methods, and supports our philosophy of making scuba diving easy, safe and fun for people of all ages.

Ko Lanta Diving & Snorkelling:

The best dive operation on the island is Scubafish (Tel: +66 75 665 095; www.scuba-fish.com), located at Baan Laanta Resort (p. 702) on Ao Kantiang; there’s also a small second office at the Narima Resort (p. 702). Unlike some of the large and impersonal operators based in Ban Sala Dan, Scubafish and Narima Diving run personal and personable programs tailord to one’s needs, including the Liquid Lense program (see below). The three-day dive packages (9,975 B) are quite popular.

Our sister-company Liquid Lense also received a glowing endorsement in the new edition of the Lonely Planet for Thailand.

After visiting last year, the Lonely Planet team were so impressed with Liquid Lense’s talented, professional staff and innovative range of courses that they decided to include us in the Ko Lanta section of the new edition:

Underwater Photography & Videography:

If you’re looking to try something new underwater, why not enroll on an underwater photography course or an underwater videography course? The colourful reefs at Hin Daeng and Hin Muang are the perfect spots to click a camera, and the friendly staff at Liquid Lense (www.liquidlense.co.uk) can show you how.

This underwater digital imaging academy runs a slew of hands-on courses from one-day, two-dive seminars (7,100 B) to six-day, nine-dive videography tutorials (32,900 B). The Tips & Tricks course (2,700 B) is a popular option for those who already have a bit of photo experience.

After visiting last year, the Lonely Planet team were so impressed with Liquid Lense’s talented, professional staff and innovative range of courses that they decided to include us in the new edition’s Ko Lanta section.

For lucky Oki & Amena from Shanghai in China, their Scubafish diving holiday exceeded all their wildest dreams.

During a five day diving package, Oki & Amena encountered no less than; 3 Whale Sharks, a Manta Ray, 3 Leopard Sharks and 2 Turtles.

Oki & Amena had this to say about their dream package:

“After a year not diving, we came to Scubafish and experienced this amazing array of spectacular visual euphoria & delight:

Day 1: Leopard Shark, Hawksbill Turtle & lots of beautiful fish
Day 2: Two Leopard Sharks and another lovely Turtle
Day 3: Yet another Leopard Shark encounter and a school of Barracuda.
Day 4: Two up close & personal Whaleshark encounters
Day 5: Another incredible Whaleshark sighting and a Manta Ray circling the reef!

….It was like a dream – what a perfect way to remind us why diving is such a miracle….

Thank you Scubafish!”

If you’d like your dive adventures to live up to your day-dreams, sign up for a diving package with Scubafish and experience the Andaman at its very best….

Scubafish is based on the island of Ko Lanta. We offer daily dive trips to some of Thailand’s Top Dive Sites. Our best dive sites are:

Hin Daeng & Hin Muang [Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays] is a world-class dive site. It has the deepest drop off in Thailand and divers come from all around the world to look for larger marine life here, such as Manta Rays and the occasional Whale Shark. Hin Daeng had the highest number of Whale Shark sightings last year of all Thailand’s Dive Sites. Journey time 1 hour. Experienced Divers Only

Ko Haa [Everyday] offers spectacular visibility (20-30m), pristine corals and caverns & chimneys to explore (2-3 days diving to see all the best parts). This is an underwater photographer’s paradise – crystal clear waters and a huge variety of macro-life including Harlequin Shrimps, Ornate Ghost Pipefish and Tigertail Seahorses. Swim with Turtles, relax in the famous Lagoon, explore the Chimney and marvel at the Cathedral caverns. Journey time 1 hour. Divers & Snorkeller All Levels

Ko Rok [Thursdays & Sundays] has beautiful, powder white-sandy, twin beaches, which are home to some inquisitive Giant Monitor Lizards (1-1.5m). Enjoy swimming in a coral garden amongst an abundance of anemone and reef fish (1-2 days diving to experience the sites). Journey time 50 mins. Divers & Snorkeller All Levels

Ko Phi Phi [Tuesdays] has 30+ dive sites and the three best ones take 4-5 days to explore all the best parts. You can find Leopard Sharks, huge Gorgonian Sea Fans and a large variety of marine life and breathtaking underwater scenery. Journey time 50 mins. Divers only

The King Cruiser Wreck & Shark Point [Saturdays] – 85 meter passenger catamaran ferry now lies upright in 32 meters of water and has evolved into a fantastic natural reef. Big open passage ways, car deck and bridge area make for easy exploration, take care though as surfaces have become encrusted with coral and barnacles and are extremely sharp. On the upper levels you’ll spot lionfish and big schools of fusiliers and around the hulk you may see barracuda and jacks patrolling. Nearby Shark Point has some of the most colourful and spectacular soft corals in the area. Journey time 55 mins. Experienced Divers only

Scubafish offers the highest standard of dive boat on Ko Lanta. Based in the South of the island, our 2 luxury dive boats offer shorter journey times to some of Thailand’s top dive sites (all journey times are around 1 hour or less). We depart directly from the beach in Kantiang Bay, in the south of Ko Lanta, saving you hours of valuable holiday time. We know your holiday time is precious and we want to make sure you get the most out of it!