The 6 Best Similan Island Dive Sites

[TimA]

Agree with you, that is one of the reasons I am a big fan of July/August diving at the Similans as well.

No problem with the SW monsoon?...you know if the big boys go out there, the smaller ones will want to follow....

 

[Bowmouth]

Are "Morning Glory" and "Breakfast Bend" the same dive site?

There's quite a bit of disagreement about the dive site names in the Similan Islands. Different companies use different names for some of the sites and only the most popular sites have kept their true names over the years.
The three first Companies to dive the Similan Islands frequently were Fantasea Divers, Ocean Divers and Santana. These companies gave names to most of the sites and imo those are the "real" site names. Over the years some more sites where "discovered" and named by other companies and some of the existing sites where named differently because of either lack of knowledge of the true name by the company diving there or having a slightly different entry and exit area.

"Morning Glory" and "Breakfast Bend" are NOT the same site. "Morning Glory" is located on the East side of Similan #5 and runs all the way to the south point of Similan " 5 ("Barracuda Point"). "Breakfast Bend" is located on the East-South East side of Similan # 9 and part of that reef is known as "The Hide Away"
Mind you, a lot of people even confuse the names of the different islands in the Similans and I've heard people naming "Elephant Head", Similan Island #7!!!

 

[stevenl]

No problem with the SW monsoon?...you know if the big boys go out there, the smaller ones will want to follow....

Since last low season entry is not allowed any more, but before that there were trips going. Sometimes a daytrip, and maybe once a week a liveaboard when they had enough people together. Still good visibility, no other divers, and it keeps the fishermen away.
I had quite a few guests doing this, and one time a trip was postponed for 1 day and another time a trip was canceled due to the weather conditions. Once you're at the Similans it is ok, but on the canceled and postponed trips it was not possible to reach the islands safely. But nearly all trips departed and returned as scheduled without any problems.

 

[Bowmouth]

The two main reasons why the Similan Marine National Park is closed between May and October:
A: The reefs and its creatures get a deserved break from divers, snorkelers, boats and other tourism related activities. A so-called "re-generation" period.
B: There are no Marine Park personnel on the islands to collect fees and/or provide other services.

There's also the issue that the weather can be unpredictable at times and one could get stuck (for days on end) if the weather gets (really) bad. Safety could be an issue during the so-called monsoon months.

However, having no Marine Park personnel and no tourist boats at the islands, fishermen get a good chance to poach within the National Park boundaries and cause damage to fish stocks and the reef.
It's not a good situation I believe but it's also not easy to fix the current problems. Allowing tour operators to year-round conduct trips may lead to an increase in emergencies at sea and less off-time for the reef and its creatures. Some dive and tour boats are simply not equipped and maintained well enough for rough weather situations.
Putting National Park staff year round on the islands may lead to problems with re-supplying those people and their crew changes.
Having nobody out there may mean fishermen depleting fish stocks and causing damage to the reefs.

 

[stevenl]

Small correction Bowmouth:
Until last low season there was staff at the islands, and supplies were never a problem.
Looking at all the fishing nets that had to be removed at the beginning of this season (way more than previous years): Having nobody out there will mean fishermen depleting fish stocks and causing damage to the reefs.

 

[Bowmouth]

Small correction Bowmouth:
Until last low season there was staff at the islands, and supplies were never a problem.
Looking at all the fishing nets that had to be removed at the beginning of this season (way more than previous years): Having nobody out there will mean fishermen depleting fish stocks and causing damage to the reefs.

OK, thanks for the update. I didn't realize that there actually were staff throughout the low season last year. Fishermen still may enter the Park and conduct fishing with National Park staff operating on Similan Islands 4 and 8. The Park staff has no real means to chase those guys away (no proper boats, no guns, no "real" authority, no desire to get into trouble, not much "back-up" from senior officers) and have limited means of scanning the Park for possible intruders.

It's a tough one! It really is....

 

[TimA]

Last low season an impromptu visit to Surin showed poaching occurs during the low seasons. Even after the seisure and display at Surin NP HQ of 2 large trawlers it still occurs. Last year we salvaged 2 nice anchors and some stainless steel from a fishing boat that had to cut and run from approaching NP staff. Fortunately 75% of the fishing fleet at Kuraburi and Ranong relocates to the gulf side for the SW monsoon. Of the fleet that can't afford the overland to Chumphon or the around the Malay Penisula voyage, they pay a big price for fishing the Andaman. Last year 2 boats and crew were lost. Also fortunate that Richelieu is open ocean with mostly wicked weather, but not so fortunate for Surin where the poaching occurs close to and in the lee of the islands.
I can imagine that it is more difficult at Similans where the islands are more spread out.
Here at Surin the NP is very concerned about poaching ; the rice bowl is much fuller with divers and snorkelers than with fishing.

 

[Bowmouth]

Here at Surin the NP is very concerned about poaching ; the rice bowl is much fuller with divers and snorkelers than with fishing.

I've always found that the NP at Surin did a better job protecting and preserving their reefs and islands than the NP of the Similan Islands.
There's some very good diving at Surin too and it's the only place in the (Thai) Andaman Sea where I've ever seen a leaf scorpion fish (Taenianotus triacanthus) !
:wow:

 

[TimA]

This is what we have come up with for our trip south to Phuket.
Not sure about the final evening dive Coral Gardens . Good or Not?
Many of the other Similans sites will have to wait until our trip north in October.
Much thanks for all the suggestions.

DAY 1
0700-Leave Kuraburi Pier
Dives 1-3 Richelieu Rock: (3 Dives)
Evening dive: Turtle Ledge, Surin Island
Anchor at Surin Island
DAY 2
Dive 1: Tornila Island at Surins
Transit to Koh Tachai.
Dives 2 & 3: Twin Peaks, Tachai: (2 Dives)
Evening dive: Tachai Reef
Anchor at Koh Tachai
DAY 3
Transit to Koh Bon.
Dive 1: Koh Bon, Pinnacle
Dive 2: Koh Bon, West Ridge
Dive 3: Similans, Christmas Point
Evening Dive: Similans Hideaway
Anchor at Similans
DAY 4
Dive 1: Similans, Elephant Head
Dive 2: Similans, East of Eden
Dive 3: Similans, Boulder City
Evening Dive: Similans Coral Gardens
TRANSIT to PHUKET

Anchoring means staying for the night attached to a buoy.

 

[stevenl]

Day 4: Make Boulder City the first dive of the day.

Is there another name for Coral Gardens, because this name does not ring a bell.