Dives Sites, Similan Islands - หมู่เกาะสิมิลัน
Similans Islands National Marine Park
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The Similan Islands archipelago is located about 100 kilometers northwest of Phuket Island, and 65 km from the mainland coast, almost opposite Khao Lak, infamous during the December 2004 tsunami. archipelago consists of a set of nine granitic islets covered with lush tropical vegetation. They arise from the turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean, here called Andaman Sea. The show is fabulous and unforgettable. Small, almost immaculate white coral sand beaches line some of the islets.
Koh Bon, Koh Tachai, Richelieu Rock, Boon Sung Wreck
Coral sand is largely the product of nibbling marine fauna. For example, the parrot fish, which you can admire very easily with a simple mask and snorkel, discard an average of 16 kilos of coral sand per year. The conditions for coral growth are ideal here, with exceptionally clear water at a minimum temperature of about 28 ° C. More than 200 species of hard corals have been recorded in this region of Thailand.
The archipelago enjoys the protective status of National Park since September 1982, prohibiting anarchic and unsightly constructions as is too often the case on the mainland and on the island of Phuket.
The archipelago is known to divers around the world for being one of the most beautiful spot on the globe, with crystal clear water. It is ranked among the 10 most beautiful sites worldwide by the American magazine "Skin Diving".
The name Similan comes from the Malaysian "Sembilan" which means "nine", number of islets constituting the archipelago.
The islands are identified by a Thai name or a number. The numbering starts from the south (island number 1) to the north (island number 9).
- Island number 1: Koh Hu Yong. It is the island located at the southern end of the archipelago.
- Island number 2: Koh Pa Yang.
- Island number 3: Koh Pa Yan.
- Island number 4: Koh Miang - Second island of the archipelago in area, after Koh Similan, it is on this island that is the National Park Office and it is also the only one with bungalows. It is also possible to rent camping tents. See below, heading to Stay.
- Island number 5: Koh Ha.
- Island number 6: Koh Pa Yoo.
- Island number 7: Koh Pa Boo.
- Island number 8: Koh Similan - This is the largest island of the archipelago. It has a beautiful coral beach, bordering the main bay, north of the island. Ideal for snorkeling, the water is particularly clear and provided with aquatic fauna. A strange rock that seems poised on a mass of granite, provides a splendid point of view, east of the bay. It is on this island that most boats stop for lunch for visitors.
- Island number 9: Koh Ba Ngu (snake island) is the most northerly. It has in its southern part a beautiful small coral beach, 50 m long. The funds are here again of great wealth.
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- In fact, there is a tenth island, about 30 km north of Koh Ba Ngu, called Koh Bon and also part of the Similans National Park. But its remoteness often makes it ignore visitors.
Dives Sites Similan Islands
This is one of the Thailand diving sites where you will be asked to do a negative scuba entry. The top of the diving pinnacle starts at 18m, so during the diving descent you are completely exposed to the currents. The idea is to arrive on the top of the Thailand liveaboard diving pinnacle as soon as possible, as to avoid being blown off the khao lak dive site. Without a diving mooring line to use for the padi scuba descent, we are forced to jump in the similan water with the BCD completely empty, and descend straight away, finning to the top of the scuba pinnacle, where your dive guide will ask the first “OK?” Don’t worry though! Erase your serious face! Your dive guide will give you all the liveaboard scuba information you need for the similan liveaboard dive, and will address any worries you may have, in their enthusiastic and thorough dive briefing.
HIN LUANG
Difficulty: -
Depth: - , Visibility: -
Koh Bon Thailand diving is a granite islet situated some distance to the northwest of the Similan diving Islands, however it is still considered to be part of the Similan National Park near the Khao lak diving destination for thailand liveaboards and similan diving safaris. A favourite dive site is the western ridge of the island two hours away from the thailand diving similan islands, which falls steeply away to the deep. Khao Lak Dive liveaboard usually park in a bay located south of the ridge, where they have maximum protection against wind and strong waves.
Difficulty: Intermediate / Advanced
Depth: 10 - 40 metres, Visibility: 10 - 30 metres
KOH TACHAI
A solitary island located 20 km north of Koh Bon within the tour Diving Boats and Liveaboards cruising along the Similan diving Sites, Koh Tachai has magnificent white sandy Thailand Scuba & Snorkel beaches with two interesting Thailand dive sites, Southern Thailand diving Pinnacles and Scuba diving Thailand Eastern Reef. Thailand diving Koh Tachai Pinnacle or Twin Peaks, are a pair of submerged Thailand diving pinnacles located 500 metres south of Koh Tachai and are marked by a couple of buoys in the National Marine Park Similan Islands and Surin Island.
Difficulty: Intermediate / Advanced PADI
Depth: 12 - 40 metres, Visibility: 10 - 30 metres
Richelieu Rock (called Hin Plo Naam in Thailand) is a Thailand dive site in Thailand in the Andaman Sea near the Similan Islands . It is part of the Thailand diving Mu Koh Surin marine park although being about 18 km east of Surin Island. One of the most famous Thailand dive sites of Thailand, Richelieu Rock is an isolated diving pinnacle to the east of of Thailand Surin Islands. The site is marked by the top of the scuba diving Thailand pinnacle which is 1 metre above Andaman sea level during low tide, and disappears underwater during high tide.
Difficulty: Intermediate / Advanced
Depth: 5 - 40 metres, Visibility: 5 - 30 metres
EAST OF EDEN
Thailand diving site East of Eden (called Ruan Gluay-Mai in Thaiand) East of Koh Pa-Yu (Similan Island diving number 7), the East of Eden Similan dive site runs from North to South and is an ideal scuba similan liveaboard dive site for reef diving in Thailand. The reef slope ranges from 5 to 40 metres. In the north of the Similan diving Island, there is a cluster of staghorn coral and blue coral punctuated by sparse rocks for Thailand Liveaboard Trips. In the middle of the site, you will find mostly sand and scattered fire corals.
Difficulty: Beginner to Intermediate
Depth: 5 - 40 metres, Visibility: 20 - 30 metres
When East of Eden became too crowded divers started to look for other Liveaboard Thailand dive sites in the area, they went to the west side of Koh Pa-Yu (Island 7) and discovered that the Garden of Eden does not only face east.
Difficulty: Beginner to Intermediate
Depth: 12 - 35 metres, Visibility: 15 - 30 metres
NORTH POINT
Similan Liveaboard North Point also known as Similan scuba diving Rocky Point is a Thailand liveaboard dive site comprising submerged rocks located to the northeast of similan island 9 and north of similan island Breakfast Bend. Marked by a diving buoy one kilometre north of the similan liveaboard island, the huge boulders are surrounded by large areas of sand. The northern boulders extend to below 35 metres thailand liveaboard diving depth. The formations of adhering rocks create holes and a swimthrough at around 20 metres. Remarkably, in the southern area, a steep gigantic boulder forms a scenic, elongated channel five metres below the surface that runs from east to west.
Difficulty: Intermediate
Depth: 10 - 35 metres, Visibility: 20 - 25 metres
Similan Island liveaboard diving Anita's Reef (Hin Muan Deaw) spreads betwen between two Thailand liveaboard islands, Similan #5 and Similan #6 which are two of the smaller liveaboard islands adjacent to one another. The scubareef starts from the east of Similan island 6 and runs to the south of Similan island 5. The reef slope from the reef flat at five to ten metres to the sandy bottom at a maximum of 26 to 28 metres. Shallow Thailand liveaboard coral gardens comprise huge pore and staghorn corals with small pinnacles. Colourful corals are scattered along white powdery sand, creating beautiful natural scenery.
Difficulty: Beginner to Intermediate
Depth: 5 - 40 metres, Visibility: 20 - 40 metres
DEEP SIX
Thailand Similan Liveaboard diving Deep Six is a cluster of submerged boulders is located on the north of Similan Island #7 (Koh Pa-Yu). The Khao Lak Liveaboard Divesite Deep Six is an extension of the main island that continues underwater, with a maximum depth of 35 to 40 metres. There are many outcrops throughout the area, along with scattered rocks with soft corals and sea fans on the outer parts.
Difficulty: Intermediate to Advanced
Depth: 5 - 40 metres, Visibility: 15 - 25 metres
The top plateau located between 5m and 12m is great for training and night dives. Below 12 meters a lucky few will find the sloping reef dropping to 25m inhabited by Moray eels, nudibranches, shrimp and the home of one of the few wrecks located in the Similan Islands archipelago. Around 20 meters lies a sunken wooden liveaboard collapsing slowly and making a great home for Batfish, Snapper, Scorpionfish and Lionfish.
Difficulty: -
Depth: - , Visibility: -
SHARK FIN REEF
Our main reference above and below is the ridge itself. The elongated shape covers a long distance, making walls, platforms, cracks, and small caves where we can spend the second half of the dive after exploring the deeper parts of the surrounding area. Let’s see if you will be lucky enough to find leopard sharks resting in the sand, humphead parrotfish, marble stingrays, or even pink whiprays.
Difficulty: -
Depth: - , Visibility: -
This dive site on Island 9 consists of two sections and is ideal for any dive of the day. The fringing reef starts at 5m and slopes to 20m with a mixture of healthy hard corals. This is the home of many different types of marine life such as Moray, Octopus, Mantis shrimp and Lobster. This site is also a great feeding ground for Hawksbill turtles.
Difficulty: -
Depth: - , Visibility: -
SEACHART WRECK
MV Sea Chart 1 was in the process of transporting 1,200 logs of wood in its 3200 tonnes hold from Burma, heading across the Andaman Sea, down through the Straits of Malacca and then on to to its final destination in Vietnam. However, in August 2009, the bulk-carrier encountered problems not far from Thailand’s coast, where rough seas and severe weather battered the ship, causing multiple leaks in its hull. Water also leaked into the engine room and began to sink the vessel.
Difficulty: -
Depth: - , Visibility: -
Placed close to the Taplamu coast, the visibility is largely affected by the coastal tide. On a good day, the visibility may not get much better than about 10m, but you can still hope to see a variety of nudibranch, mollusks, pipefish scorpion fish, cuttlefish, crocodile fish, mantis shrimp, orangutan crab, and moray eel.
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😍Amazing diving with Barracuda A koh Phiphi with Thailand Diving Pattaya diving club
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Testimony of Fiona who did her first dive thanks to Thailand Diving, great experience.
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