The diving was beyond magnificent. The water temperature was a gorgeous twenty-seven degrees, which meant diving in a shorty was ideal. The average visibility was 40 metres and then some in all directions, with the water being a crisp, clean blue. We were exceptionally lucky in that we had very little current for the majority of our trip and could quietly drift across the coral gardens and enjoy the splendour of the area. The dive sites are quite distinct in that those on the eastern shores tend to be gentle sloping coral gardens and sandy patches. The western coast is quite different with its dramatic rocky structures, walls, and excellent swim-throughs.
Some definite highlights include: • Elephant Head Rock is an amazing exploration of big granite boulders and a matrix of swim-throughs. We were really fortunate to have very little current on this dive because the site is renowned for some pretty whirlpool-like effects as the Andaman pushes into the western coast of Similan 8.
Honeymoon Bay
Tsunami underwater memorial
Cleaner shrimp helping out an eel
• East of Eden was diametrically opposite from Elephants Head Rock and resembled an aquarium more than a dive site. Located just off Similan 7, East of Eden gave us a great view of the wonderful results of the turtle hatching programme run in the reserve, with a multitude of excellent sightings. The reef life was some of the best I have seen and the colourful feather stars and Christmas tree worms augmented the myriad of coral. • Night Dives were also a real highlight, the most memorable being a super dive in Honeymoon Bay. The life of a night dive is so different to that of the day and seeing active cowry shells, hunting octopus, and trevally were a special treat. Some eerie dark swim-throughs were accentuated with long, wrecked remains of ghostly ships. A beautifully preserved anchor hung suspended by its stocks across a narrow swim-through providing a silent reminder of the sea's power. • Underwater Tsunami Monument is an amazing experience. Ten metres below the waves you will find a number of monuments that have been sunk in memory of the devastation inflicted by the 2004 tsunami. The monuments are representations of the zodiac signs, as well as a memorial temple and a woman resting in the sand. The memorial has also provided a home for a whole new colony of reef fish and was a real highlight for me.
Clowning around
• Richelieu Rock, some fifty nautical miles north of Similan, off the island of Surin, is still encapsulated in the national park, but due to its remote location it is often not accessible by the six-day live-a-boards. The dive site is huge and the reef breaks the surface at low tide, providing a very impressive home to massive schools of fusiliers, trevally, and chevron barracuda. The macro life was equally impressive with anglerfish, and my very first seahorse was another highlight. Amazing topography
68 • DO IT NOW Magazine | January 2013
Hunting feather star