Similan Islands (Dive Site)
Similan National Marine Park
Coral Garden = Coral Reef #01
Located on the southern coast of Similan Island 1, this coral reef is a fun and accessible dive site suitable for divers of all levels, with a maximum depth of 30 meters. Dives typically begin at the deepest point and gradually move into shallower waters. Most marine life can be found between depths of 8 to 15 meters. Divers may encounter one or two blue-spotted stingrays buried in the sand, along with a school of garden eels. Small schools of batfish and occasional black-tip sharks are also present. In deeper waters, large barracudas are sometimes seen.
Boulder City #03
Located on the southeastern coast of Similan Island 3, this dive site features a group of underwater pinnacles spaced 30 to 40 meters apart. The rocks are positioned at depths of 35 to 40 meters, sitting on a sandy bottom. The rock surfaces are covered with soft corals and large fan corals. As this area is exposed and distant from the island, currents can be strong, increasing the chances of encountering large marine life such as whale sharks and manta rays. Other species commonly seen include Napoleon wrasse, parrotfish, sea turtles, large groupers, snappers, angelfish, boxfish, and pufferfish swimming between the pinnacles. Smaller creatures like gobies, nudibranchs, pipefish, and boxer shrimp can be found hiding in crevices within the walls or beneath the rocks.
Shark Fin Reef #03
Located 1 km southeast of Similan Island 3, this dive site features a terrain of granite rocks and hard coral. The site spans about 1 km and is typically marked by three pinnacles visible above the water's surface. It is named Shark Fin Reef due to the ridges that resemble shark fins during low tide. The reef primarily consists of steep rocks that descend to depths of 35 to 40 meters, surrounded by a sandy bottom. The site has steep walls, and the overlapping peaks create many swim-throughs. As the reef stretches over a long distance, it is divided into two areas: the north and south. The southern area is deeper than the northern one. The northern section boasts more corals, mainly hard corals, soft corals, and fan corals mixed with small rocks. In the sandy areas, you can spot white-tip sharks, black-tip sharks, blue-spotted stingrays, Napoleon wrasse, and garden eels. Among the rocks, various marine life, such as boxfish, octopuses, devil scorpionfish, tuna, and giant trevally, can be found.
Honeymoon Bay #04
Located in front of a small beach called "Haad-Lek" on the east side of Similan Island No. 4, this dive site features a coral reef stretching from north to south. The reef slopes gently from 5 to 10 meters down to a sandy bottom at a depth of 26 meters. The area is characterized by small rocky patches, where both hard and soft corals thrive. Common marine life includes sea turtles, stingrays, and garden eels on the sandy bottom. Around the rocky areas, divers can spot sweetlips, snappers, groupers, angelfish, and moray eels. Small marine creatures like decorator crabs and various nudibranchs can also be observed. With relatively shallow waters, this site is ideal for night diving and check dives, offering a comfortable and accessible experience for divers.
Hideaway (Bay) = Barracuda Point #05
Located south of Similan Island No. 5, this dive site was once known as Barracuda Point due to the abundance of barracudas. However, barracudas are now less frequently seen here. It is often confused with Anita's Reef because of its close proximity. The area features large granite rocks and coral reefs. To the west, the site leads to the Tuna Wreck, which was intentionally sunk by Thai authorities in 2003 to enhance diving opportunities in the Similan Islands. The wreck lies at a depth of around 40 meters, with the shallowest point at 28 meters, making it too deep for most divers to explore. Towards the end of the dive, divers can find the 2004 Tsunami Memorial, a collection of 12 metal sculptures representing the Thai zodiac signs. There is also a reclining mermaid sculpture, with all the sculptures now covered in coral growth, which has developed over the past 20 years since the tsunami.
Anita’s Reef, Anita’s Reef = Barracuda Point #05~#06
Spread between Similan Islands 5 and 6, this is an ideal reef dive for beginners with many shallow spots. The reef slopes from 5-10 meters to a maximum depth of 26-28 meters, leading to a sandy bottom. The coral gardens in the shallows feature patches of large corals and staghorn corals, along with small pinnacles. Colorful soft and hard corals are scattered along the white powdery sand. Marine life includes octopuses, sea snakes, giant moray eels, various clownfish, garden eels hiding in the sand, yellow-tailed barracudas, rock movers, and various nudibranchs.
In the southeast, you'll find a large and stunning rock called "Hin Muan Deaw," meaning "Whole Roll (of film) Rock." It is so beautiful that divers use all their film on this rock. The rock’s base lies at a depth of 20 meters, and the top reaches 12 meters. The rock is covered with a variety of colorful soft corals, anemones, giant fan corals, and several species of hard corals.
Chinese Wall = Bird Rock #04
Located at the southern end of Similan Island No. 4, this site is named after a group of granite rocks extending from the island's southern point. The rocks rise above the water and extend underwater to a depth of nearly 30 meters. These rocks form swim-throughs, canyons, caves, and more. Various moray eels inhabit the crevices. While the current here is usually weak, it can occasionally become strong.
Stonehenge #04
Located at the northwestern tip of Similan Island 4. It consists of huge granite boulders on a sandy bottom and is suitable for experienced divers. When diving here, it is always good to keep an eye on the open sea. Trevally, barracuda, tuna, etc. swim in schools. Leopard sharks sometimes rest on the sandy bottom. There are many soft corals and sea anemones with a variety of creatures, including fan corals and shoal corals.
Elephant Head Rock #07
Located about 1.5 km north of Similan Island No. 7, this site features three large rocks, with the largest on the west side. It is named for its resemblance to a half-submerged elephant. The site consists of submerged rocks stacked together, forming swim-throughs and channels, all covered with colorful soft corals and fan corals. The surrounding sandy bottom drops to depths of 35-40m. Giant moray eels, boxer shrimp, and octopuses can often be found hiding in the crevices of the rocks.
Beacon Point / Beacon Reef / Beacon Beach = Atlantis Wreck #08
Located on the east side of Similan Island No. 8, this dive site features steep slopes ranging from 5m to depths of 30-40m. The slopes are covered with numerous hard corals. Reef fish such as triggerfish, angelfish, moray eels, blue-fin trevally, snappers, and fusiliers are commonly seen. The site is also home to the Atlantis X shipwreck, which sank in 30m of water in 2002. The Atlantis X was a 27m-long, 6m-wide, and 4m-high diving liveaboard that sank due to a bilge pump failure while heading to the Similan Islands. All passengers were safely evacuated to a nearby fishing boat. The wreck’s bow is located in 16m of water, while the stern is at 30m. Batfish, blue-spotted stingrays, sea snakes, octopuses, and lobsters can often be found near the wreck and in the surrounding shallow waters.
Donald Duck Bay #08
Located on Similan Island 8, this site features a famous lookout with a sailboat-shaped or duck-billed rock. The area is very shallow, making it ideal for night diving. On the north side, there are 3-4 rocks extending from the island, with patches of hard corals, soft corals, and fan corals. The sandy area of the bay is about 20m deep, with several coral patches scattered throughout. Sea turtles inhabit the bay, making them easy to spot. Other marine life includes coral crabs, shrimp, squid, large lobsters, and reef fish such as triggerfish, various types of butterflyfish, anemonefish, and moray eels.
The bay is also home to Donald Duck Bay, named after the famous Donald Duck head-shaped rock on the north side. This iconic rock is the most well-known and photographed landmark in the Similan Islands and is best viewed from the outer eastern bay.
Breakfast Bend #09
Located on the east side of Similan Island 9, Breakfast Bend is a very long reef that stretches from north to south. The reef slopes gently from 5-10m deep to 25-30m deep on a sandy bottom. The site gets its unusual name from the spectacular dawn light that can be experienced in the early morning. Common marine life includes white-tip sharks, Napoleon wrasse, Cool's rays, garden eels, and large podetto groupers. The site is also home to schools of blue-fin trevally, yellow-tailed barracuda, and batfish.
Snapper Alley #09
Located southeast of Similan Island 9, at the southern end of Breakfast Bend, this site is sometimes included as part of Breakfast Bend. It is made up of scattered granite rocks. As the name suggests, there are many snappers here, and the granite rocks provide a lot to see and explore.
Christmas Point #09
Located on the northwest ridge of Similan Island No. 9, this site features a submerged rock mass with a sharp pinnacle visible above the surface. Large rocks are piled up underwater, extending from the island to a depth of 35-40 m. The rock walls are covered with vibrant soft corals and fan corals. On the west side, there is a sandy area with small rocks scattered along the way. The coral garden in the shallow area, around 10 m deep, is abundant with hard corals. White-tip sharks, Napoleon wrasse, sea turtles, great barracudas, giant sweetlips, groupers, and blue-fin trevally can all be spotted here.
North Point #09
Located just north of Similan Island 9, this site features underwater rocks surrounded by sand. The northern rocks drop steeply down to a depth of 35 m. Due to the rock formations, there are many swim-throughs and channels around the 20 m depth. A shallow reef next to the channel near the island stretches from east to west, with hard corals covering the area. White-tip sharks, blue-fin trevally, unicornfish, and giant trevally are commonly seen here. Smaller creatures such as pipefish, purple-fire gobies, octopuses, and nudibranchs can also be found in the area.
Koh Bon & Koh Tachai National Marine Park
Koh Bon Ridge = Koh Bon West Ridge
The Ko Bon Ridge stretches along the cape on the western edge of Ko Bon Island, featuring a vertical wall that transitions from a depth of 10-12 m into a sloping coral garden. The coral reefs are adorned with colorful soft and hard corals. The entire area serves as a cleaning station, making it a gathering spot for Oceanic Manta Rays. In addition to manta rays, leopard sharks, white-tip sharks, black-tip sharks, and gray sharks can also be seen. Nurse sharks are often spotted resting beneath the coral.
Koh Bon Pinnacle
Ko Bon Pinnacle is a fully submerged pinnacle located about 100 m northwest of Ko Bon Ridge. The shallowest point is around 18 m deep, and the current can be strong at times, making it suitable for experienced divers. The majority of the pinnacle is covered with yellow soft corals and large fan corals. There is a cleaning station for manta rays, providing a high chance of encountering them during dives.
Koh Tachai Pinnacle = Twin Peaks
There are two pinnacles in this area. The large pinnacle on the south side, where all diving begins, has a massive dome-shaped rock at its summit, surrounded by many smaller rocks. The scenery at the summit is diverse, with the south side featuring large, oddly shaped rocks that create stunning underwater landscapes, while the north side boasts beautiful, clean coral gardens. This spot is ideal for deep diving. The small pinnacle on the north side can be reached across a sandy area about 25 m deep from the large pinnacle.
The area is home to coral gardens with many large fan corals sheltered by large boulders. Manta rays often cruise around the peaks, and leopard sharks can be found in the deeper sandy areas.
Koh Tachai Reef = Leopard Shark Reef
The reef stretches from northeast to southwest along the eastern side of Koh Tachai. It slopes gently from 5 to 10 m deep down to a sandy bottom at 25 to 30 m. The entire area is covered with hard corals. Leopard sharks can often be spotted in the shallow sandy areas outside.
Richelieu Rock
Richelieu Rock is a submerged rock, with its peak visible only at low tide. Beneath the surface lies a horseshoe-shaped formation made up of several groups of rocks, pinnacles, overhangs, and small caves. The north and west sides are the steepest, while the south slopes more gently toward the inside of the horseshoe. The remaining areas feature sheer walls adorned with rocks and numerous small caves, teeming with marine life. The maximum depth reaches around 35 m, but most dives occur between 20 and 28 m. The site is known for its vibrant soft corals, with giant fan corals, hard corals, and sea anemones decorating the rocks. From February to April, manta rays and whale sharks are commonly encountered. Smaller marine creatures like seahorses, frogfish, harlequin shrimp, and nudibranchs are also abundant.
Surin Islands
The Surin Islands consist of two main islands, North Surin Island and South Surin Island, along with three smaller islands. These islands are surrounded by gently sloping coral reefs and granite rocks. Koh Chi, located northeast of North Surin Island, serves as a popular check dive site. Hin Rap, on the northern side of North Surin Island, is one of the deepest dive sites in the area. The rocks on the eastern side drop down to a depth of 25m, while the shallow reefs on the western side are ideal for turtle watching. Aow Suthep, located on the northern part of South Surin Island, boasts a beautiful hard coral garden. Koh Khai (also known as Koh Torinla), located on the southern side of South Surin Island, is a fantastic drift diving spot. It features a stunning pinnacle known as Yellow Rock, which is covered in vibrant yellow corals and attracts many sweetlips and podded groupers.
Diving conditions in the Central Andaman Sea
This unique combination of stunning granite underwater terrain and rich marine biodiversity makes the Surin Islands one of the world's top diving destinations. One of its most distinctive features is the abundance of large granite boulders scattered throughout the area. These massive boulders create an exceptional underwater landscape, with colorful coral gardens and mesmerizing rock formations that highlight the remarkable beauty and diversity of the underwater world.
The coral reefs in the Surin Islands are some of the most diverse and well-preserved in the world. They form the foundation of the marine ecosystem, providing essential food and shelter for a variety of fish and invertebrate species. The tiny coral polyps that build the reef structures play a crucial role in sustaining the surrounding marine life, creating intricate formations that support a thriving underwater community.
Diving season
The ideal time for diving in the area is from December to March, thanks to perfect weather and sea conditions. November and April are still good for diving, although the weather and sea can be unpredictable. Diving is available during the last two weeks of October and the first two weeks of May, but cloudy or rainy weather is common. Some trips may also be canceled due to high waves or insufficient guests. The National Marine Park is closed to the public from May 15 to October 15, and it is prohibited by local law to visit the island during this period. The official tourist season starts on November 1 and ends on April 30 each year.
Aquatic life
Large Pelagics: Manta Rays (Mar–May), Whale Sharks (Jan–Mar), Shovel-nose Rays, Eagle Rays, Guitar Fish
Sharks: Leopard/Zebra Shark, Nurse Shark, Bamboo Shark, White-tip & Black-tip Reef Sharks
Other Big Species: Bottle-nosed Dolphins, Green & Hawksbill Turtles, Sea Snakes, Giant Barracudas
Reef Fish & Predators: Clown Triggerfish, Oceanic Triggerfish, Titan Triggerfish, Oriental Sweetlip, Andaman Sweetlip, Harlequin Sweetlip, Napoleon Wrasse, Moorish Idols, Anemonefish, Boxfish, Pufferfish
Stingrays: Kuhl’s Stingray, Blue-spotted Stingray, Jenkin’s Stingray, Marvel Stingray
Colorful Reef Dwellers: Wrasse, Parrotfish, Humphead Parrotfish, Butterflyfish, Damselfish, Flying Gurnards, Long-nose Hawkfish, Lionfish, Scorpionfish, Stonefish
Unusual Creatures: Ghost Pipefish, Frogfish, Seahorse, Harlequin Shrimp, Nudibranchs, Giant Jellyfish
Cephalopods & Eels: Cuttlefish, Octopus, Moray Eels, Garden Eels, Peacock Flounder, Fusiliers, Giant Grouper, Snapper, Surgeonfish
Dive sites in the Central North Andaman Sea
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