With more abundant fish life, more new coral growth and amazing productivity underwater at many of the sites our Similan liveaboard visits I thought I’d just keep this blog simple and just make it a dive log of our trip. Where we dived, what we saw, you know, log book stuff.[/az_column_text]
Dive One
Hideaway Bay Similan Island 5 and 6
[/az_column_text]
07:54
TIME IN
[/az_column_text]
23.9 m
MAX DEPTH
[/az_column_text]
46
MINUTES
[/az_column_text]
Descending down the sloping reef was magnificent in the early morning light. Visibility was around 30m revealing plenty of fish life around the reef. This section of the site has plenty of new coral growth, even staghorn corals which have be slow to return to the Similans since 2010. With the new corals comes more density of reef fish. Marking new territories amongst the new corals there is a noticeable increase in Jewel fairy basslets and Indian flame basslets along with Five-line snappers.
We drifted the entire length of the reef, ending the dive amongst the Tsunami memorial statues.
Other notable species on this dive included garden eels, bearded scorpionfish, spotfin lionfish, white spotted box fish, dogtooth tuna and milkfish. The milkfish were spotted deeper than usual, in pairs circling each other just above the sea bed which in this case was around 10m.[/az_column_text]
Dive Two
West of Eden Similan Island 7
[/az_column_text]
11:33
TIME IN
[/az_column_text]
25 m
MAX DEPTH
[/az_column_text]
49
MINUTES
[/az_column_text]
West of Eden was on fine form for the second dive of our Similan liveaboard. More good visibility and plenty of things to see. The dive went according to plan starting in the bay, descending down the canyon and zig zagging our way shallower along the rocky reef.
Notable species on this dive were two small giant moray eels resembling more a two headed moray as both occupied the same hole, clown triggerfish, spearing mantis shrimp, oriental sweetlips, banner fish, redtooth triggerfish, gorgonian fan corals and our first of many encounters with a huge pack of longnose emperors and bluefin travally.
West of Eden is another Similan dive site showing healthy hard coral recovery, especial in the shallower parts of the site on top of the large granite boulders.[/az_column_text]
Dive Three
Elephant Head Rock Similan Island 8
[/az_column_text]
15:03
TIME IN
[/az_column_text]
24 m
MAX DEPTH
[/az_column_text]
42
MINUTES
[/az_column_text]
Dive Three was impressive from the moment we descended close to the largest rock on the south side of the site. Straight away we spotted a banded sea snake, then heading to the channel a large red octopus. The channel was full of Andaman damselfish, one of our Andaman Sea endemic species and on our dive wish list, tick.
Before we started with the maze of swim throughs there were two ribbon eels, one blue and one bright yellow. Shallowing up around the large eastern most rock that breaks the surface we were treated to an amazing view. Hundreds of fusiliers feeding in the dazzling afternoon sunshine, brighter still after the darkness of the swim throughs, all being harried and stalked by bluefin and giant trevally, rainbow runners and snapper. Was just one of those hover and admire the scene moments that are becoming all the more common Similan diving this year.[/az_column_text]
Dive Four
Turtle Rock Similan Island 8
[/az_column_text]
18:45
TIME IN
[/az_column_text]
20 m
MAX DEPTH
[/az_column_text]
42
MINUTES
[/az_column_text]
Adventure night dive with my team.
Started the dive just after sunset, out over the sand. As it went dark headed shallower around the big boulders.
Notable species were flutemouth cornet fish, a banded sea snake and a free swimming moray eel.[/az_column_text]
Dive Five
Christmas Point Similan Island 9
[/az_column_text]
07:33
TIME IN
[/az_column_text]
27 m
MAX DEPTH
[/az_column_text]
38
MINUTES
[/az_column_text]
Text book dive at Christmas Point. Jumping in the dingy to leave the crowds at North Point (What’s the Point in my humble opinion) we were pretty much alone at my favourite Similan dive site. Visibility was fine, the site nice and bright in the early morning light. A moderate current kept things interesting as we negotiated the ancient granite boulders. The current helped us through the large swim through but made it impossible to head back through the large canyon.
Notable species on this dive include banner fish, yellow boxfish, great barracuda and Andaman Sweetlips, the latter endemic to our region.[/az_column_text]
Dive Six
Three Trees Similan Island 9
[/az_column_text]
10:49
TIME IN
[/az_column_text]
24 m
MAX DEPTH
[/az_column_text]
41
MINUTES
[/az_column_text]
Nice, fun dive at the Three Trees, memorable for those that participated. Again more great diving conditions heading out over the sand to the deeper areas of the site. Plenty of fish life and activity. A few chevron barracuda hanging out over the sand.
Drifting along the reef we encountered a large school of large chevron barracuda. Other notable species included; black snapper, garden eels, anemone clownfish and the large, impressive barrel sponge.[/az_column_text]
Dive Seven
Koh Bon Ridge Koh Bon
[/az_column_text]
14:12
TIME IN
[/az_column_text]
23.6 m
MAX DEPTH
[/az_column_text]
47
MINUTES
[/az_column_text]
Luckily on this dive there was plenty of fish life to entertain us despite the absence of Manta rays, some quite large species too. A huge Malabar grouper was hanging out right at the end of the ridge. It was enjoying an afternoon clean and seemed oblivious to the attention of divers. Other notable species from large to small, included a big Giant moray eel, bluelined fusiliers, Clark’s anemonefish and the always popular sponge snail.[/az_column_text]
Dive Eight
Koh Tachai Pinnalce Koh Tachai
[/az_column_text]
17:38
TIME IN
[/az_column_text]
23.6 m
MAX DEPTH
[/az_column_text]
31
MINUTES
[/az_column_text]
The current had picked up somewhat for our final dive of the day, sunset at Koh Tachai with the tide running strong from Northeast to Southwest.
There was a lot of activity on this dive, descending down through schooling long fin batfish and schools of fusiliers constantly being harried by bluefin and giant trevally. We also encountered several marbled groupers, trumpetfish and Clark’s, Skunk and Clown anemonefish.
Just to spice up the dive we did a wee low on air rehearsal hanging off the line. Lessons learnt from that, always check alternate air source mouth piece is firmly attached.[/az_column_text]
Dive Nine
Koh Tachai Pinnacle Koh Tachai
[/az_column_text]
07:40
TIME IN
[/az_column_text]
24 m
MAX DEPTH
[/az_column_text]
37
MINUTES
[/az_column_text]
The current had eased for our morning dive at Koh Tachai and we were able to explore more of the divesite. We retraced our route from the previous evening but rounding the northern side of the dome we headed north to the second pinnacle instead of shallowing up.
There was the usual smorgasbord of fish life around this awesome Similan dive site. We passed schooling chevron barracuda, bluefin trevallies, schooling fusiliers, slate sweetlips and numerous brown marbled grouper, especially heading towards the second pinnacle.[/az_column_text]
Dive Ten
Richelieu Rock Surin Islands
[/az_column_text]
11:47
TIME IN
[/az_column_text]
31.4 m
MAX DEPTH
[/az_column_text]
42
MINUTES
[/az_column_text]
Dive Ten
Richelieu Rock Surin Islands
[/az_column_text]
14:33
TIME IN
[/az_column_text]
24 m
MAX DEPTH
[/az_column_text]
47
MINUTES
[/az_column_text]
Dive Eleven
Richelieu Rock Surin Islands
[/az_column_text]
17:34
TIME IN
[/az_column_text]
24.6 m
MAX DEPTH
[/az_column_text]
46
MINUTES
[/az_column_text]
I’ve lumped these three Richelieu Rock dives together as they were all very similar and all amazing. Richelieu is often the highlight of our Similan liveaboard trips, even though Tachai can be the more exciting dive. This Similan dive season especially, Richelieu Rock has been better than ever.
There is the usual appeal of the dive site, the colourful soft corals that support the false Cardinal Richelieu and Cousteau theories, the carpets of anemones, the large seafans and abundant fish life, from macro critters up to larger pelagic species and most reef fish you would expect to see in the Andaman Sea.
Lately though it has been the intense productivity of the site that has mesmerised and dazzled divers here. It seems everywhere you look there are large schools of giant trevally, bluefin trevally, longnose emperor fish, snapper and rainbow runners hunting as packs, constantly preying on the infinite schools of glassfish that dart and ball in every direction trying to survive long enough to in turn become the predator.
Notable species spotted over the three dives as Richelieu Rock include: Thorny seahorse, Longfin batfish, Tomato anemone fish, Porcupine puffer fish, Chevron barracuda, Andaman sweetlips, Bigeye snapper, Big red octopus, Bearded scorpion fish, White spotted boxfish and Bigeye trevally.[/az_column_text]
Dive Thirteen
Koh Bon Ridge Koh Bon
[/az_column_text]
07:32
TIME IN
[/az_column_text]
27 m
MAX DEPTH
[/az_column_text]
46
MINUTES
[/az_column_text]
This is the closest I’ve been to encountering a Giant Manta ray all season. If we hadn’t have been climbing onto the boat at the time, but underwater with Boots on our safety stop I’d be adding Manta to notable species seen at Koh Bon on the morning of our last day of our Similan Liveaboard.
It was a nice dive at Koh Bon, dropping on the wall by the waterfall and drifting down towards the ridge in a very light current. We hung around the ridge, then the large coral structure north of the ridge, then back to the ridge, hoping an elusive Manta ray would show up. Alas nothing so we headed up for our safety stop.[/az_column_text]
Dive Fourteen
Boonsung Wreck Khao Lak
[/az_column_text]
11:54
TIME IN
[/az_column_text]
19.7 m
MAX DEPTH
[/az_column_text]
45
MINUTES
[/az_column_text]
Nice dive as an end to trip 17 on our Similan liveaboard, MV Hallelujah. The visibility was good, just over 15m and there was little current. We covered most of the wreck on the dive. Plenty of fish life, plenty of cool little things, spot on at the wreck. Most notable species at the Boonsung has to be the Honeycombed moray eel.
Congratulations to Trine, Morty and Mike on completing your SSI Advanced Adventurer Course, well done.[/az_column_text]
