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Dive sites of the Similan National Park
Our mission is to train the environmental leaders of the future |
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Mu Koh Similan Marine National Park
Diving is best between October and May. |
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Coral Gardens
This is a
popular dusk / night dive. You will find extensive coral gardens with
large tables of branching corals. Also found on the dive are numerous
Gorgonian Seafans and Whips. Oriental Sweetlips, Snappers and Fusiliers.
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Diving
Depth |
5 - 20
metres |
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Visibility |
15 - 25
metres |
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Currents |
Slight to
Strong |
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Surface
Conditions |
- |
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Diver
Level |
Beyond entry level |
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South East Point
On the dive you
will encounter boulders with archways, caves and ledges. Corals to be
found include Fire Coral, Table Stag horns and Gorgonian Seafans. There
is an array of marine life including Leopard Sharks, Stingrays,
Lionfish, Tunas, Barracudas, Grouper and Surgeonfish.
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Diving
Depth |
10 - 30
metres |
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Visibility |
15 - 20
metres |
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Currents |
Slight to
Strong |
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Surface
Conditions |
- |
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Diver
Level |
Beyond entry level |
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Shark Fin Reef -
Hin Phae
This is a
submerged shelf of Shark Fin shaped boulders. Corals found on the reef
include Acropora, Dendrophyllia and Gorgonian Seafans in the deeper
waters.
Leopard Shark
can sometimes be seen and in the deeper southern area where Black tip
Reef Shark have also been seen. Look in the holes and cracks for Giant
Moray Eels, and in the sandy patches for Kuhl's Stingrays and Red Fire
Gobies. In the north-western section large adult Cube Boxfish and
schools of Fusiliers travel in and over the top of the reef to be
cleaned by the Striped Cleaner Wrasse. Reef Sharks, Humphead Parrotfish,
Whale Sharks, Stingrays and Napoleon Wrasse can all be seen on this
dive.
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Diving
Depth |
10 - 40
metres |
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Visibility |
20 - 30
metres |
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Currents |
Slight
to Strong |
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Surface
Conditions |
- |
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Diver
Level |
Beyond entry level |
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Bird Rock
This dive has a
steep ridge with many large sea fans. Marine life includes turtles,
triggerfish and leopard sharks in greater depths.
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Diving
Depth |
15 - 40
metres |
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Visibility |
15 - 25
metres |
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Currents |
Can be
Strong |
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Surface
Conditions |
- |
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Diver
Level |
Beyond entry level |
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East of Eden
East Of Eden is
one of the most colourful and vibrant fringing reefs in Thailand.
Heading along towards the shallower parts of the reef you will swim over
enormous orange and red Gorgonians, beautiful Barrel Sponges as well as
Staghorns, Table Corals and Pore Corals, which are home to many
colourful Christmas Tree Worms. Hawksbill and Green Turtles are very
often seen at the reef plateau.
At the southern end of the reef you will find an enormous coral pinnacle
starting at 24m and rising to 10m, which is definitely worth swimming
around slowly at least once. This pinnacle is home to many different
large and small Sea fans, Table Corals, varying colours of Feather Star
Worms and beautiful Soft Corals and Anemones.
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Diving
Depth |
15 - 35
metres |
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Visibility |
20 - 35
metres |
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Currents |
Can be
Strong |
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Surface
Conditions |
- |
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Diver
Level |
Beyond entry level |
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Batfish Bend
This is a
predominantly Hard Coral reef with a variety of Crinoids. These are
mostly Feather Stars. This dive offers many Sea Anemones with Anemone
fish, Oriental and Andaman Sweet lips, Hump head and Giant Snappers and
Batfish.
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Diving
Depth |
10 - 20
metres |
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Visibility |
15 - 25
metres |
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Currents |
Can be
Strong |
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Surface
Conditions |
- |
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Diver
Level |
Beyond entry level |
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Stonehenge
Feather Stars,
Sponges, Butterfly fish, Lionfish, Snappers, Tunas and Surgeonfish can
be found on this dive.
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Diving
Depth |
20 - 35
metres |
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Visibility |
15 - 25
metres |
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Currents |
Can be
Strong |
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Surface
Conditions |
- |
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Diver
Level |
Beyond entry level |
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Morning Edge
Morning Edge has
ridges of boulders with lots of Hard and Soft Corals, Sponges, Seafans
and small Reef Sharks.
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Diving
Depth |
10 - 40
metres |
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Visibility |
20
- 30 metres |
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Currents |
Can be
Strong |
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Surface
Conditions |
- |
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Diver
Level |
Beyond entry level |
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Deep Six
Coral covered
boulders are the main feature of the Deep Six dive location. You can
see Seafans, Wire Corals, Barrel Sponges, Feather Stars and Reef Sharks.
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Diving
Depth |
10 - 40
metres |
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Visibility |
15 - 25
metres |
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Currents |
Can be
Strong |
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Surface
Conditions |
- |
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Diver
Level |
Beyond entry level |
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Elephant Head
Elephant Head Rock
is an enormous pinnacle consisting of some of the largest boulders to be
found in the area. Three of the boulders can be seen above the surface,
one of them giving the dive site it's name.
This dive site is quite exposed, and due to the different size and shape
of the rocks, the water movement here can be quite challenging. The
highlight of Elephant Head Rock is without doubt the many swim throughs.
Tunnels and caverns lead off in all directions and are home to many
large Sweetlips and Groupers.
Looking out into the blue at the southern end of the site Giant Trevally
are almost always seen coming in quite close and also around here large
groups of Oriental Sweetlips hover over the smaller boulders.
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Diving
Depth |
15 - 40
metres |
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Visibility |
15 - 25
metres |
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Currents |
Can be
Strong |
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Surface
Conditions |
- |
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Diver
Level |
Beyond entry level |
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Beacon Point
This is a deep
dive, punctuated by Gorgonian Sea fans and Wire Corals. There are many
trigger fish and small reef sharks, with the occasional cruising Manta.
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Diving
Depth |
10
- 40 metres |
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Visibility |
15 - 25
metres |
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Currents |
Can be
Strong |
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Surface
Conditions |
- |
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Diver
Level |
Beyond entry level |
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Beacon Beach
This shallow dive
is ideal for training and night diving. There are plenty of Hard Corals
where Reef life, which includes groupers, snappers, damselfish and sea
kraits congregate.
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Diving
Depth |
5 - 35
metres |
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Visibility |
15 - 25
metres |
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Currents |
Weak to Moderate |
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Surface
Conditions |
- |
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Diver
Level |
Beyond entry level |
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Koh Bon
The main
attraction of the Koh Bon dive location is the West Ridge where the
cliff descends at a shallow angle into the sea and continues to 40m.
Around this ridge divers have the best chance of seeing giant Manta
Rays, particularly in the months of January to April.
The ridge and
reef have plenty to offer where the limestone is an obvious change to
the granite of the Similan Islands. In the small cracks and holes you
will find the homes of many Shrimp, Nudibranchs, Moray Eels and Octopus.
Out in the deep blue, Giant Trevallies, Rainbow Runners and Dogtooth
Tuna can be seen heading in to feed on the millions of Glassfish. The
ridge is also covered in very small colourful soft corals all the way
along the very jagged edges to the deeper area where it is very common
to see large Leopard Sharks and sometimes magnificent Spotted Eagle
Rays. Once you head back to the shallow hard coral reef, there is a good
chance you will spot White tip and Black tip Reef Sharks and Pharaoh
Cuttlefish with their constantly changing colour among the many fallen
rocks.
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Diving
Depth |
8 - 40
metres |
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Visibility |
15 - 30
metres |
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Currents |
Can be
Strong |
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Surface
Conditions |
- |
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Diver
Level |
Medium
divers and up |
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Koh Tachai
Currents at these pinnacles can be extremely strong and it can be quite
a challenging dive. Through the many Fusiliers coming in from the west
you might spot Moray Eels swimming between the boulders or coral
pinnacles, with every type of Angelfish, Butterflyfish, Grouper,
Lionfish, Anemonefish, Rabbitfish, Teira Batfish, Barracuda, Trevally,
Tuna, often Manta Rays coming in from the blue. There are also Shrimps,
Lobsters, Nudibranchs and Pipefish. Several Leopard Sharks and Kuhl's
Stingrays can be seen along the deeper boulders and sand patches and
large Marble Rays and Jenkins Whip rays have been seen here. The coral
garden on the top of the dome is one of the most colourful in the entire
area.
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Diving
Depth |
20 - 40
metres |
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Visibility |
12 - 30
metres |
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Currents |
Can be
very Strong |
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Surface
Conditions |
- |
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Diver
Level |
Medium
divers and up |
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Koh Surin Tai - S.E
Point
This is a great
early morning and late afternoon dive. Hard corals can be found on the
dive site, along with Angelfish, Puffer fish, Groupers and Crustaceans.
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Diving
Depth |
5 - 25
metres |
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Visibility |
10 - 20
metres |
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Currents |
Can be
Strong |
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Surface
Conditions |
- |
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Diver
Level |
Beyond entry level |
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Turtle Ledges
This is a Great
night dive. There are Turtles, Sea Kraits, Anemonefish, Parrot and
Wrasse. You should also see many different species of Shrimp.
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Diving
Depth |
5 - 25
metres |
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Visibility |
10 - 20
metres |
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Currents |
Slight |
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Surface
Conditions |
- |
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Diver
Level |
Beyond entry level |
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Hin Gong
On your dive you
will encounter granite boulders with arches and caves, Gorgonian Seafans
and Wire Corals. There is a varied range of marine life and reef
inhabitants.
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Diving
Depth |
5 - 25
metres |
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Visibility |
10 - 20
metres |
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Currents |
Can be
Strong |
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Surface
Conditions |
- |
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Diver
Level |
Beyond entry level |
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Richelieu Rock
Arguably the best
and most famous dive site in Thailand!
Situated roughly 30km from the mainland and approximately 20km from the
Surin Islands near Myanmar, Richelieu Rock has a series of limestone
pinnacles with one pinnacle just breaking the surface at low tide.
There is a large number of differently coloured Anemones on the top the
pinnacles and, as you descend deeper the soft corals are bigger and more
colourful. You should see Moray Eel, Cleaner Shrimps, Anemone, Tiger
tail Seahorses, Ornate Ghost pipefish, Giant Frogfish, Juvenile Emperor
Angelfish, a Tiger-Egg Cowries, and Clownfish.
Larger fish include Yellow and Five-line Snapper, Bigeye Trevally,
Goatfish, Chevron Barracuda, Cuttlefish, Octopus, Turtle, Stingray, many
Angelfish, Groupers, Butterfly fish, Gobies and Blennies .
Richelieu Rock is also renowned for being able to see the biggest fish
in the world, the magnificent Whale Shark.
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Diving
Depth |
5 - 30
metres |
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Visibility |
20 - 30
metres |
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Currents |
Can be
very Strong |
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Surface
Conditions |
- |
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Diver
Level |
Medium
divers and up |
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Coral Reef Institute - Protecting the Marine Environment & Training the
Environmental Leaders of the Future |
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