Similan
Islands |
| Price |
5500 Baht | 
| |
Distance: | 2
hours by car to Tab Lamu | |
Boat Trip: | 100
min. Approx. by fast boat | |
Depth: | 5-30m
(16-90ft) | | Visibility: |
Good to excellent. | |
Currents: | Moderate to strong. |
| Surface Conditions: |
Can be rough. | |
Experience Level: |
Beginners should dive with a Divemaster. |
The
SIMILAN ISLANDS encompass 128 square kilometers in area and are located about 100km (65 NM)
North - West of Phuket in the clear waters of the Andaman Sea. Since 1982 they
have been declared a Marine National Park and are known as one of South East Asia's top diving destinations to divers worldwide.
The
original nine Islands of the Similans run roughly South to North, with white sandy beaches and
tropical jungle above the water, and spectacular reefs in often crystal clear
water below. Seafaring gypsies (Moken) used to live on the islands but the islands are now uninhabited
except for the Park Rangers lodgings and the beautiful residence of the
Thai Royal family on island number 4 and 8.
Two other islands, Koh Bon and Koh Tachai, have now also been included in the Similan Marine National Park and offer superb diving as well. Koh Bon is well known for its manta rays and Koh Tachai is famous for its big schools of fish and resident zebra (leopard) sharks. Koh Tacha is also one of the few places where divers may see nesting oceanic triggerfish.
The Island's environment
is tropical rainforest and has several species of palm,
bamboo and vines. Extensive flora and fauna, unspoiled beaches and rocky outcrops
are also to be found on land. Underwater the scenery is spectacular with
giant boulders plummeting up to 40 meters in depth creating a world of swimthroughs, narrow
passages and valleys.
Marinelife: The Similan Islands are home to some
500 species of hard and soft corals. White tip reef shark, zebra (leopard) shark, manta ray, whale shark (infrequent), brown marbled grouper, Andaman sweetlips, bumphead parrot fish, Napoleon wrasse, garden eels, white eye and giant moray eels, snake eels, nudibranchs, Clark's/Sebae/Pink/Red Saddleback and False Clown anemone fish, longsnout pipe fish, pygmy pipehorse, great barracuda, giant and bluefin trevallies, hawksbill and green turtles, mantis shrimps, blue spotted jawfish, tiger/arabic/spindle and allied cowries, octopi, squid, cuttle fish, anthias, butterfly fish, parrot fish, wrasse, etc.
Visibility: 15 -
40 meters
Best time to dive: October to May
Water Temperature: 26-30 Celcius
|
