Trip BB2508 Similan Islands

Our eighth Similan liveaboard trip of the season has returned, and to sum it all up in a nutshell: perfection! The tougher conditions we experienced in November transformed into tropical sunshine, blue skies, and calm seas. No rain, no wind, no big waves—just the Similan and Surin Islands at their picture-postcard best. Throw into the mix a full boat of awesome divers, our legendary cuisine, and a super-smooth running schedule, and that’s perfection.

Day One: Easing Into Paradise

Taking it easy to start, we rolled in at Hideaway Bay for our first dive. Nice and easy with hardly any current and good visibility—a perfect introduction to the Similan Islands, followed by a hearty breakfast as we cruised up to Island Seven.

There was a little surge underwater at West of Eden, but nothing to break our stride. The highlight for me on dive two was spotting a pygmy pipehorse hiding in some soft corals—no mean feat for my ageing eyes! ???? Often it’s not spotting the critter itself but studying where something is likely to be hiding. The pygmy was moving in the opposite direction to the swaying corals, which caught my attention. Another great dive in the books.

Dive three was business as usual at Three Trees, enjoying a leisurely drift along the reef after first checking out the huge barrel sponge and impressive corals at the outlying rocks.

Before our beach visit, we enjoyed a favourite Blue Dolphin snack—Ann’s legendary pizza toasts. We all need sustenance before the climb to the viewpoint! Not that I actually went to the beach, but I enjoyed the snacks nonetheless.

The Big Blue Khao Lak Diving Academy was in full swing this trip with various courses running throughout. Dive four was our night dive—a first for many onboard. We picked Turtle Rock as the perfect location, and it delivered brilliantly. The highlight? A turtle swimming directly over our heads in the torch beams!

Day Two: Christmas Point to Manta Magic

There’s always a little trepidation rolling in at Christmas Point for dive one. If there’s any current around, we’ll certainly experience it at this famous Similan dive site. Our luck held out—it was a beautiful, easy swim to start our day, with some divers completing their Deep Dive certification too.

With the weather firmly on our side, it was a lovely cruise to Koh Bon. The Ridge delivered great visibility and impressive underwater productivity. We did get some current here, steadily moving out of the bay, but nothing we couldn’t handle at this stage of the trip.

The vis dropped a little for dive three at Koh Tachai Pinnacle. No current but some surge, which the giant trevallies were using to their full advantage whilst hunting for easy prey. An eventful dive with so much to see—dive of the trip so far for me.

The light was fading for our final dive of the day, again at the pinnacle. Though not as colourful underwater, a passing giant manta ray more than made up for it, with most groups encountering this magnificent creature. Epic stuff!

Day Three: Richelieu Rock Delivers

After a really easy drift dive along the stunning reef at Aow Pakkad, it was time to head out to Richelieu Rock. The visibility was reduced and the surge seemed stronger here than at other sites, but these two factors stirred up the mix for us in the best possible way.

Schools of glassfish hugged the rock seeking protection from the surge, whilst huge schools of predators circled close by, extremely active. My divers were only a few metres away, but I lost them many times in the maelstrom of fish! It often went dark as massive schools swam overhead. When there was respite from all the action, octopus, cuttlefish, and some industrious harlequin shrimp entertained us too.

Conditions improved slightly during the day, and dive four was easily dive of the day for my group. Having mastered the surge, it was pure spectacle—witnessing Richelieu at its productive best.

Day Four: The Perfect Finale

Back to Koh Bon for day four, with dive one once again at the Ridge, this time drifting along the northerly side of the island. We rounded the trip off with dive two at Koh Bon Pinnacle—a brilliant finale. Crystal-clear visibility, bright sunshine, and vibrant colour on the pinnacle. It was easy to forget your depth in such stunning conditions!

Congratulations to Our Newly Certified Divers

Cruising back to Tap Lamu, we were busy certifying divers. Huge congratulations to Audrea, Andy, Ryan, Elena, Emilia, Henrietta, Valentina, and Paresh on completing your various courses. Well done, all!

It was great to be back on the boat running my first trip of the 2025-2026 Similan diving season. Though starting a little rusty, it was soon business as usual—made all the easier by having the best Similan liveaboard crew and amazing professionals to work with. Thanks, everyone.

Ric and team out (for now)…