Big Blue Dive Site Guide
Christmas Point
Day Trip Diving
Our Similan diving day trips will resume in November 2025
Location
Northwest tip of Similan Island #9 (Koh Bangu)
Skill Level
Intermediate to Advanced
Depth
2 - 40m
Currents
Moderate to strong
Topography
Christmas Point is a stunning maze of giant granite boulders, swim-throughs, and arches, creating one of the most photogenic dive sites in the Similans. The reef starts shallow and drops down in tiers, with sand channels between the rocks and scattered coral growth throughout the site. The deeper western edge plunges into the blue.
Highlights
This site is a playground for divers who love structure and exploration. Large schools of fusiliers and snappers flow through the boulders, while giant trevally and rainbow runners hunt in the current. On a lucky day, manta rays or eagle rays may pass by in the blue.
Tips
The swim-throughs are a highlight—don’t miss the large arch around 18–20m. Stay close to the boulders when current picks up, and take your time scanning for macro life in the nooks and overhangs. Ideal as a second day dive one.
Photography
Perfect for wide-angle photography with dramatic rock formations and schools of fish. Swim-throughs provide beautiful silhouette shots, while macro shooters can find nudibranchs and crustaceans hidden among the coral.
Briefing
Christmas Point’s location makes it a dive site where anything is possible. With this in mind you need to have your wits about you on entry. Rolling from the dinghy, after a quick ok, we need to descend fairly quickly to get us to the outer side of the dive site.
This outer part has some very unique features. The way in which the granite is shaped, and worn over the years is truly unique in this area. There are a several possible explanations, but the most common seems to be that as the rocks were foamed, there was some slight differences in the rocks density. From here external factors such as cooling or currents could have shaped the now formed “scoop shapes” with in the granite rock faces.
Passing by this section, we approach the end of the formation, swimming through the famous Christmas Point swim through, we can then head out to the deeper part of the dive site. This huge boulder is ridge like in the way it protrudes from the dive site, and over recent years has being a great place to catch a glimpse of some sharks in the morning.
About this time either gas use or NDL’s will require us to start shallowing up. We can cruise up the inside of the main formation or swim over to the inner rocks and slowly meander our way back towards the island and its shallower waters. Occasionally here we can just float nicely through the water and keep an eye out for larger hunting species or maybe something special like a manta.
Cruise back in towards the island or over the dive site and head up for our safety stop. Surface and after a short dinghy ride back to the boat, it’s time for breakfast<p?/>
Fish and Other Species Found at Christmas Point
Hawksbill Turtle