Thailand Scuba Diving: Best Dive Sites In The Similan Islands
The Similan Islands lie a few hours boatride of the coast of Phuket in Thailand. They are a group of nine uninhabited islands with a spectacular collection of dive sites scattered amongst them. Here are the top four Similan dive sites in my opinion, although that is pretty subjective - they're all good!
East Of Eden
Dive Rating: 8/10
Depth: 5 to 35m
Level of experience: All
Photographic productivity: 9
Renown its huge bommie which has been featured numerous times in underwater nature documentaries, East Of Eden is a great dive site for photographers and fun divers alike. A broad, gentle slope along Similan Island No. 7, leopard sharks can sometimes be found sitting on the sand at 35 metres. Scanning the coral finds octopus, mantis shrimp and morays amongst the profusion of coral outcrops, which lead nicely into the home of Emma, a giant moray that lives with her partner in a clump of solitary coral surrounded by sand. At least 2 metres long, Emma is usually friendly but, as always, should be treated with respect. Just beyond her place lies the bommie, rising from 25 metres up to 10 metres, constantly changing to the eye the nearer a diver gets to it. From far away it seems large but otherwise nondescript – but close up, it turns into an exquisitely delicate meshing of fan corals and fish life, with ghost pipefish hovering almost undetected amongst the bommie’s technicolour explosion.
North Point
Dive Rating: 7/10
Depth: 5 to 40m
Level of experience: All
Photographic productivity: 6
This is one site where you can experience the big blue in all its true enormity. North Point proper is a big boulder site on a slope, providing lots of nooks and crannies to explore. But North Point also has a clump of outer rocks about 10 minutes further out, where leopard and reef sharks can be found. The fin out to the rock is exhilarating in itself thanks to the usually excellent viz – the ocean floor lies 30 metres below and nothing else is around – it’s the closest you’ll get to flying. One critter that’s hard to find but worth the hunt is the preying mantis shrimp, which lives in its own hole and comes out at lightning speed to snatch its prey if it detects movement above its lair. Turtles can often be spotted in the shallows at North Point munching on coral – great entertainment during a safety stop.
Koh Bon
Dive Rating: 8/10
Depth: 5 to 30m
Level of experience: Intermediate
Photographic productivity: 9
For many divers, Koh Bon proves to the highlight of a Similans Island liveaboard, because it’s where they get to meet a manta ray face to face. The name translates as Hope Island, and every diver who comes here secretly hopes they’ll see the mantas that regularly turn up. A near vertical wall that drops down to a reef at around 15 metres, Koh Bon is a suitably dramatic setting for manta encounters, which silently glide in from the blue and like to run parallel with the wall – sometimes parallel with divers themselves. The reef itself is a little damaged from bomb fishing but still boasts a huge patch of staghorn coral and is also home to octopus, mantis shrimp and the occasional reef shark. Currents can be strong here, especially out in the blue, so it’s best to stay near the wall and let the mantas come in when they feel comfortable around divers.
Richelieu Rock
Dive Rating: 9/10
Depth: 5 to 30m
Level of experience: Intermediate
Photographic productivity: 9
Widely considered the best dive site in all of Thailand, Richelieu’s distinctive horse shaped pinnacle in the middle of ocean seems to harbour a never ending collection of critters. Glassfish crowd the descent line, seahorses lie at 35 metres, stonefish seem to lurk on every rock – it’s difficult to know where to look first! Not only is Richelieu a macro delight, its open ocean position means it’s also a hot spot for whale sharks, which are seen here a few times each dive season. Similarly, manta rays have been known to circle the pinnacle, only metres from the surface. Most dive boats do two dives at Richelieu as there is so much to see. The only caveat is that currents can be very strong (the inside of the horseshoe provides good shelter) and the viz can drop to 10 metres sometimes too. Even so, Richelieu has such an abundance of amazing marine life that it rarely disappoints divers.
East Of Eden
Dive Rating: 8/10
Depth: 5 to 35m
Level of experience: All
Photographic productivity: 9
Renown its huge bommie which has been featured numerous times in underwater nature documentaries, East Of Eden is a great dive site for photographers and fun divers alike. A broad, gentle slope along Similan Island No. 7, leopard sharks can sometimes be found sitting on the sand at 35 metres. Scanning the coral finds octopus, mantis shrimp and morays amongst the profusion of coral outcrops, which lead nicely into the home of Emma, a giant moray that lives with her partner in a clump of solitary coral surrounded by sand. At least 2 metres long, Emma is usually friendly but, as always, should be treated with respect. Just beyond her place lies the bommie, rising from 25 metres up to 10 metres, constantly changing to the eye the nearer a diver gets to it. From far away it seems large but otherwise nondescript – but close up, it turns into an exquisitely delicate meshing of fan corals and fish life, with ghost pipefish hovering almost undetected amongst the bommie’s technicolour explosion.
North Point
Dive Rating: 7/10
Depth: 5 to 40m
Level of experience: All
Photographic productivity: 6
This is one site where you can experience the big blue in all its true enormity. North Point proper is a big boulder site on a slope, providing lots of nooks and crannies to explore. But North Point also has a clump of outer rocks about 10 minutes further out, where leopard and reef sharks can be found. The fin out to the rock is exhilarating in itself thanks to the usually excellent viz – the ocean floor lies 30 metres below and nothing else is around – it’s the closest you’ll get to flying. One critter that’s hard to find but worth the hunt is the preying mantis shrimp, which lives in its own hole and comes out at lightning speed to snatch its prey if it detects movement above its lair. Turtles can often be spotted in the shallows at North Point munching on coral – great entertainment during a safety stop.
Koh Bon
Dive Rating: 8/10
Depth: 5 to 30m
Level of experience: Intermediate
Photographic productivity: 9
For many divers, Koh Bon proves to the highlight of a Similans Island liveaboard, because it’s where they get to meet a manta ray face to face. The name translates as Hope Island, and every diver who comes here secretly hopes they’ll see the mantas that regularly turn up. A near vertical wall that drops down to a reef at around 15 metres, Koh Bon is a suitably dramatic setting for manta encounters, which silently glide in from the blue and like to run parallel with the wall – sometimes parallel with divers themselves. The reef itself is a little damaged from bomb fishing but still boasts a huge patch of staghorn coral and is also home to octopus, mantis shrimp and the occasional reef shark. Currents can be strong here, especially out in the blue, so it’s best to stay near the wall and let the mantas come in when they feel comfortable around divers.
Richelieu Rock
Dive Rating: 9/10
Depth: 5 to 30m
Level of experience: Intermediate
Photographic productivity: 9
Widely considered the best dive site in all of Thailand, Richelieu’s distinctive horse shaped pinnacle in the middle of ocean seems to harbour a never ending collection of critters. Glassfish crowd the descent line, seahorses lie at 35 metres, stonefish seem to lurk on every rock – it’s difficult to know where to look first! Not only is Richelieu a macro delight, its open ocean position means it’s also a hot spot for whale sharks, which are seen here a few times each dive season. Similarly, manta rays have been known to circle the pinnacle, only metres from the surface. Most dive boats do two dives at Richelieu as there is so much to see. The only caveat is that currents can be very strong (the inside of the horseshoe provides good shelter) and the viz can drop to 10 metres sometimes too. Even so, Richelieu has such an abundance of amazing marine life that it rarely disappoints divers.
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