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The Deep Andaman Queen and Richelieu Rock
In February 2014 I traveled alone to Thailand and went diving in the Andaman Sea for 7 days on a liveaboard. Here is a report and journal entry on the Deep Andaman Queen and the dive site, Richelieu Rock.
I was picked up at my hotel in Phuket right on time, 17:00 (5:00PM), which is always a plus! I was the last guest to be picked up, and Craig, one of the dive masters, was ecstatic that I had brought my 1” X 1” passport type photos. It was in the directions sent to me by the Deep Andaman Queen, so that’s what I did. Apparently the usual passport photo is 2” X 2”, so mostly everyone else brought those instead. A piece of luck for me! We all know that Tam is apt to screw ups, but when it comes to travel documents, I am pretty organized (yes, I KNOW I lost my passport in Nairobi…but it was stolen, I’m almost sure of it). We spent hours finding a photo shop (Kodak), getting photos taken and printed. That was just our minibus; no one on the other bus had the right photos either. Then one of the guys in our bus lost his new photos at a bathroom stop, so he had to go get new ones taken. At last, we arrived at the MV Deep Andaman Queen.
Blessings on the Ship!
She is large and roomy, very comfortable, though not luxurious. The staff and crew are exceptional, or as the Head Dive Master Steve would say, brilliant. They are very professional and friendly, especially the dive masters. After only 3 dives I can say that they are brilliant. My dive master is Jurgen, from Germany, an electrical engineer turned dive master in the Andaman Sea. If you should decide to take a trip on her, give her my regards!
Richelieu Rock has been one of the best dive sites so far. It is absolutely magnificent with colorful tree and soft coral and anemones everywhere. Serpent Sea Stars dot the landscape, and I saw a Peacock mantis shrimp! I am charmed by the Skunk Anemone Fish; they are not as bright and colorful as “Nemo”, but I find them much prettier. I also love the feather stars which make their way around the Indian Ocean. They have numerous arms, and as the name states, look like groups of feathers. They are so intricate. The colors are simply amazing. The Rock is on the Thailand side of the Andaman Sea, and well worth diving!
For more from Tam, visit www.travelswithtam.com.
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