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The Similan Islands (meaning "nine islands") is a Marine National Park 60 nautical miles north west of Phuket. There are nine islands running from south to north that are numbered accordingly. The park has the reputation as one of the best diving destinations in the world. The Islands are granite boulder formations, densely covered with tropical vegetation. Also the floor of the sea consists of large granite boulder's over grown with corals and algae that lie strewn together all the way from the surface to a depth of 40 meters below. This provides the diver many interesting swim-throughs, canyons, archways and caves.
The Similan Islands also have a rich variety and abundance of reef fish. There are deep water creatures like manta rays and whale sharks who visit the area regularly. The Surin islands, which are also included in Thailand's national park system, consist of two main densely forested islands and are home to a number of Sea Gypsies or Chao Lays, as well as a wide variety of fauna. Nearby Surin islands, the world famous 'Richelieu Rock', which lies only 10 miles away to the south east. Richelieu Rock is a horseshoe shaped pinnacle of rock rising from the sandy bottom at 35 metres to just break the surface at low tide. Constantly bathed in nutrient-rich water, 'Richelieu Rock' supports an incredible diversity of marine life from cuttlefish to cobias, mantas to whalesharks. This is a perfect divesite for repetitive multi-level diving to extend your underwater time to experience its wonders. |
Liveaboards Diving Thailand
