Fasntasea Divers and the history behind Ocean Rover Liveabaord
by: ThePope
Word Count: 1028
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Fantasea Divers is one of Thailand’s oldest and best-known diving companies and has been instrumental in making Phuket a world famous diving destination. We offer quality services to scuba divers and adventure travelers with our main activity being Luxury Liveaboard Cruises. Our flagship OCEAN ROVER safely takes our clients on multi-day cruises to faraway islands and reefs in Thailand, Myanmar (Burma), Malaysia and Indonesia.
Fantasea Divers started operations in 1979. In the early years, we offered one-day dive trips along Phuket’s west coast and overnight tours to Pi-Pi Islands. In 1983, we launched Thailand’s first dedicated liveaboard, sailing vessel Andaman Explorer. For many years this was the only diveboat making regular weekly cruises to the Similan Islands, the island group that became one of the world’s most famous dive destinations.
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In 1986, Fantasea Divers became Phuket’s first 5-Star PADI Dive Center and we offered a complete program of diving courses, daytrips and liveaboard cruises. The 1987 “Visit Thailand Year” brought another explosion of growth for our company, culminating in the 1990 purchase of a large steel boat which was completely refitted and named “Fantasea”. This vessel became the region’s first up-market liveaboard.
In 1991 we located a group of open-water seamounts in the Andaman Sea that we dubbed the Burma Banks, a name that has stuck. The Burma Banks became known as one of the best shark-dives on the planet and were a key component of our Andaman Sea liveaboard cruises.
That same year we also opened a new 5-star dive center at the prestigious Laguna Phuket resort development.
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Meanwhile, Fantasea Divers became deeply involved in coastal resources and dive-safety programs. We installed mooring buoys on many of the area’s coral reefs and organized beach and reef clean-ups. We also threw our weight behind the opening of Phuket’s first Recompression Chamber.
In 1997, Fantasea Diver’s commitment to the marine environment was underscored by the creation of Phuket’s first –albeit modest- artificial reef. Andaman Explorer, which had been retired from service, was put to rest on the bottom of the sea near Racha Island, a popular daytrip destination. As time went by, she became part of the reef, a befitting end for a vessel that spent so many years catering to divers.That same year we were the first company to be officially licensed by the Burmese Ministry of Tourism for cruises in the Mergui Archipelago. This vast area, with over three hundred islands and reefs, had not been visited by westerners since the end of World War II. Today, the Mergui Archipelago is an important part of all our Andaman Sea cruises.
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In June 1999 we started construction of a brand new liveaboard vessel to replace the “Fantasea”. The plan was to build Thailand’s most luxurious and seaworthy dive boat, on par with the best liveaboards worldwide. Ocean Rover was launched in August 2000 and commenced operations in December 2000.
The year 2000 saw another dream come true as well: the founding of the Dive Operators Club of Thailand with Fantasea Diver’s Managing Director Jeroen Deknatel as its Charter President. The DOCT has since grown into an active organization that brings together all aspects of Phuket’s dive industry.
In 2001 we decided to halt daytrip operations and diving instruction and concentrate on our core business: luxury liveaboard cruises. In September 2001 we moved our headquarters from Patong Beach to Chalong Bay. The Chalong Bay Tourism Pier had been built and it became the new departure point for all our Andaman Sea cruises.
Due to SW monsoon winds, Phuket’s diving season is relatively short (Nov-May) and expanding our horizons had always been one of our objectives. Now, with a new and seaworthy vessel we were ready to seek new destinations.
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Since June 2002 we offer Adventure Cruises along Peninsular Malaysia’s east coast. These cruises proved to be a popular alternative to the “hard core” diving trips we traditionally offer and we plan to do many more adventure and kayaking cruises in the near future.
In June 2004 Ocean Rover started operations in North Sulawesi in Indonesia, a destination that delighted our traditional client base of well-traveled divers. In 2005 and 2006 Indonesia and Malaysia will continue to be our base of operations during Thailand’s off-season months.
Luckily we did not suffer any damage or fatalities from the December 2004 tsunami and were able to assist in many aspects of the post-disaster recovery, especially boat repair for coastal fishing communities.
Fantasea Divers-Ocean Rover Cruises is a healthy and flexible company that has seen many changes over the years. However, what has not changed in the past 27 years is our love for the ocean and our dedication to diving excellence.
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