By John Williams
Koh Similan is by far the most beautiful group of dive sites that we have in Thailand and one of the best areas for diving in the entire world.
Many people comment that the most fantastic thing about the Similans is that we have two radically different types of environments all rolled together into one destination.
Nowhere else in the world will a diver find such diverse environments in such a small area.
The Similans, located about one hundred kilometers northwest of Phuket, are composed of nine granite islands covered in tropical jungle, washed by a clear blue tropical ocean and blessed with some of the world's finest beaches.
Similan" is derived from the Malay Sembilan, and means "nine". Each of the Similan Islands named (in Thai and a number).  These are, running from north to south: Koh Ba Ngu (No. 9), Koh Similan (No. 8) , Koh Payu (No. 7) , Koh Miang (No. 4, No. 5 and, in some opinion, No. 6) , Koh Payan (No. 3) , Koh Payang (No. 2) , and Koh Hu Yong (No. 1) . Hin Pousar, or "Elephant Head Rock" , is alternatively designated No. 6 by some. Koh Bon, lying 17 nautical miles north of Ba Ngu, is part of the Similan National Park and may be granted honorary status as No. 10. The islands have achieved national park status and thus are fully protected under Thai law. The National Park Authority maintains its presence on two of the islands: Koh Similan (Island #8) the largest, and Koh Miang (Island #4).
Recently, the islands have come to the special attention of the Thai Royal Family which further protects them from possible abuse.
By drawing an imaginary line from north to south, we divide the area into our two separate types of environments.
The east coast, with its powdery beaches, features hard coral gardens which slope dramatically from the surface down to approximately 30-40 metres, where sand takes over as the water depth increases.
On this side, the most popular activity is drift diving along healthy coral gardens while watching the reef inhabitants go about their business. In several sites, large coral bommies rise from the bottom and are covered with soft corals, sea fans, and an enormous amount of critters and unusual fish. Here the diving is easy and navigation simple, allowing each buddy pair to explore at his or her own pace.
The west coast, just a short boat ride away, can offer faster paced, more exhilarating diving as currents swirl around the huge granite boulders-some larger than the largest of houses. These smooth, rounded boulders make dramatic formations, holes, and overhangs ("swim-throughs") underwater where divers can enjoy swimming with the current through the openings.
The drama of just looking up through the clear water at these huge rocks is satisfaction enough for some divers, as there are very few places like this on earth. Growing on these boulders are some of the most colourful soft corals imaginable, in many places so thick that the rock is no longer visible. In the larger passages or channels between the boulders, the fans grow to a size sometimes three metres across, and are often so tightly bunched together that it makes it impossible to swim through the passages.
Most of the dive sites on the west coast are best seen with a guide, since navigation can be tricky.
If you enjoy watching and photographing small fish, the Similans are hard to beat for the sheer numbers and varieties of tropical's.
Large fish, however, are a different story and the Similans are not well known for consistent big fish action-stories about which fill all the popular diving magazines. For this kind of diving, you must travel further to the Burma Banks.
Luckily, we often do get an occasional whale shark,  while large cow tail rays are fairly common. And, of course the most famous aquatic resident of Thailand-the leopard shark makes his appearance on a regular basis. We'll also see white tip and black tip sharks once in awhile, and a few times over the years we've seen schools of pseudo orcas or false killer whales. The point is, like all diving areas, enjoy the Similans for what they are famous for; wild, unspoiled beaches, magnificent coral growth, prolific fish life, crystalline blue water and sensational underwater rock formations. The best way to visit the Similans are, and will continue to be, on a live-aboard boat. Boats in Thailand vary in style and comfort dramatically.
For those less worried about comfort, sleeping in one big cabin or even on deck will save you money.
At the other end of the scale, several boats are available with large, private air-conditioned cabins, professional photography services, modern communications, and little extras such as gourmet meals, video, and CD sound systems.
These boats also have the stability, the range, and the navigational equipment to explore areas north and west of the Similan Islands such as the Burma Banks and Richelieu Rock.
High season in the Similans is from October until May, but diving is possible all year-round. The water tends to be clearest in the summer and in the fall, but then again, the visibility is usually good in the Similans, averaging approximately 18-25 metres and at times exceeding 40 metres! |
