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The Similan Islands

The Similan Islands can certainly lay claim to being one of Asia's top dive sites. Thriving reefs with abundant hard and soft corals highlight the dramatic terrain, the tremendous diversity of marine life makes it a fantastic observation point for the larger pelagics, Richelieu Rock has the reputation as being the place to see whale sharks and manta rays in good numbers.

The Similan Islands lie about 100 km Northwest of Phuket. Declared a National Park in 1982, the Similans are comprised of 9 islands which run roughly North to South and numerous smaller rock outcroppings. With snow-white beaches and a tropical jungle above the water and spectacular dive sites in often crystal clear water below, it's not surprising that the Similans are ranked as one of the top 10 dive sites in the world!

Nearly all of the 9 islands are surrounded by huge underwater rock formations, eroded by the action of a relentless sea. These stone giants are home to an amazing variety of marine life and reach down to 40 meters or more, with passages, caves and gorges forming a unique underwater landscape. All this has made names like Elephant Head, Sharkfin Reef and Christmas Point justly famous. A world of giant underwater boulders, caves, narrow passages, some 500 species of hard and soft corals and an amazing variety of marine life including leopard sharks, guitar rays, whale sharks and manta rays are waiting to be explored.

Ko Bon

Koh Bon is an Island located 13 miles northeast of the Similan islands. You can dive all around this island but mainly on the west tip where we have seen manta rays so often during the years that it has led me to believe they breed there.

Whale sharks are also seen here occasionally. Diving down the west ridge you can see big schools of trevallies and tunas as well as big marble rays and leopard sharks. On the way back to the shallows you can see schools of yellow snappers, oriental sweet lips as well as mating cuttlefish, octopus and banded sea snakes. Definitely a site not to miss.

Ko Tachai

Koh Tachai is an island located 25 miles north-east of the Similan islands. Tachai Reef is a round reef located at the southern end of the island. The reef is surrounded by big boulders and big fans where you start the dive enjoying the site of big barrel sponges and encounters with leopard sharks and rays lying on the sand. The top of the reef is all hard and soft corals of incredible variety. We've also seen the most rare nudibranchs you can imagine. The encounters with manta rays and whale sharks are frequent. We've seen up to three mantas and one whale shark in a single dive!

Richelieu Rock

Richelieu Rock is one of the most amazing dives sites we've ever done in our entire lives. Located 9 miles east of the Surin islands this rock comes out of the water approximately 1 meter during low tide. Diving around this pinnacle is something not to miss. There are schools of barracudas and big-eye trevallies: so many of them you can't see your buddy anymore. Schools of bat fish, Seargent majors, long nose emperors, snappers, rainbow runners and cobias are always around. You also find big potato cods, marble rays and during the last two seasons on the north and west side about 200 blue spotted sting rays were lying on the sand.

The best are the white spotted shovel nose rays and the whale sharks, a rare site in any other part of the world, but a very common here. During last season we saw whale sharks on every trip from the end of January to beginning of May and on four different occasions two swimming together!