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*NEWS* |
Live-aboard Trips to the Similan Islands - Phuket
Just over 55 miles northwest of the hoards of bustling holiday makers on Phuket's Kata Beach lie the Similan islands, Thailand. The Similan liveaboards scuba diving Phuket national marine park includes nine islands running from south to north and are numbered accordingly. The Similan islands are low lying granite boulder formations, densely covered with tropical vegetation and are home to crab-eating monkeys, dusky lingers, squirrels, bats and a large variety of birds. The clear Andaman sea waters are alive with a vast array of colors from the corals and fish life.
On the western side of the islands huge granite boulders, some as big as houses, spill in jumbled piles beneath the surface of the sea to 35 meters and beyond. Submarine peaks, canyons, caves and passageways provide scuba divers with some of the most interesting prospects in the world. Dives on 'Fantasy reef', 'Christmas tree point' and 'Bird rock' provide some exhilarating deep and drift diving where manta rays, reef sharks, napoleon wrasses and other large pelagic are frequently encountered. On the eastern side of the Similans islands the boulders have been largely buried by coral and sand and you will find a wide variety of hard and soft corals. Most reefs consist of sloping drop-offs to approximately 35 meters and a highlight of any east coast dive are sightings of rare bow mouth guitar sharks and hawksbill turtles. Between the islands, tidal currents of up to 2 knots make for some exciting drift diving down 'Snapper Alley' to 'Hamburger Hill' and no trip to the Similans is complete without a dive on 'Elephant Head' which offers the best of both east and west coasts at one spectacular location.
...we don't end our trip there however. We visit the Surin islands of Koh Bon (famed for it's manta, leopard shark and whale shark sightings), Koh Tachai (good night diving) and of course Richelieu rock. Richelieu rock has some of the largest schools of fish ranging from barracuda to lionfish that can be found around. Truly stunning diving. (Cannot snorkel here). On the return from our special trips on board the Really Wicked Witch boat we stop to dive the tin mining boonsong ship wreck. This tin mining shipwreck has only been down for a handful of years and has yet to gather a great deal of coral but the marine life especially the macro life is outstanding. many of the divers that join me on the liveaboard trips say that this is the best dive...hey - save the best till last. To dive these wonderful islands check out our Live aboard boat - we dive the Similan and Surin islands all year round whilst most operators boats do not. We can fit around your schedule.
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The
picturesque and often deserted white coral sandy beaches and huge boulder
formations are not the only attractions however as some of the most interesting
sights are to be found beneath the waves. The most spectacular coral reef
growths in the world can be found here and the same boulders that scatter the
shores have turned the azure blue waters around the Similans into an adventure
playground for scuba divers and snorkelers not to be missed. Make sure that you
have a camera - if you are not an underwater photographer - you'll wish you were
at the Similan islands. Even snorkeling you can get many great memories.
The
word "Similan" derives from the Malay term sembilan, and means
"nine". Each of the Similan Islands has a number as well as a name.
These are, running from north to south: Koh Ba Ngu (No. 9), Similan (No. 8),
Payu (No. 7), Miang (No. 4, No. 5 and, in some opinion, No. 6), Payan (No. 3),
Payang (No. 2), and Hu Yong (No. 1). Hin Pousar, or "Elephant Head
Rock", is alternatively designated No. 6 by some. Koh Bon, lying
approximately17 nautical miles north of Ba Ngu, is part of the Similan National
Park and may be granted honorary status as No. 10. The world famous Similan
Islands are often described as one of the top ten dive destinations in the
world, and quite rightly so...