Similan Islands Liveaboard 21-25 November 2024 Trip Report

The 2024 – 2025 Similan Islands dive season has now begun. Here’s a Similan liveaboard trip report from 21-25 November 2024

Divers exploring Tuna Wreck , Similan Islands, November 2024 © chris@divehappy.com

My first trip of the Similan dive season since the Similan National Park re-opened in mid-October 2024. Here’s some photos and a quick rundown of some of what we saw.

For a general outline of what to expect from diving in the Similan Islands and what to expect from being on a Similan liveaboard, see my Diving The Similan Islands: A Quick Guide. I was on the MV Blue Dolphin liveaboard – here’s my detailed review of what it’s like on the boat.

West of Eden

Soft corals and big fan corals, West Of Eden, Similan Islands, November 2024 © chris@divehappy.com

A great start to the trip with superb visibility and gentle currents. An undemanding stroll through the canyon, past the massive fan corals on the wall, over to the ledge overflowing with soft corals and a quick peer out into the deep blue before shallowing back up under the early morning sun pouring through the surface above us. Nice. (More info on West Of Eden).

Tuna Wreck and Hideaway Bay

Stern of the Tuna Wreck, Similan Islands, November 2024 © chris@divehappy.com

A pleasant surprise on this dive as this time I got to see the whole wreck. Usually we get to descend to 30 metres and then check out the front of the wreck before heading to the steep sloping reef of Hideaway Bay. This time the current let us drop in behind the wreck and drift onto its stern, passing along the whole length of the ship before heading on to the Hideaway Bay reef.

Spiny lobster amongst the corals, Hideaway Bay, Similan Islands, November 2024 © chris@divehappy.com

There was an impressively chunky spiny lobster within the hard corals of Hideaway Bay’s reef – always great to see them when they’ve got to a big size. (More info on Tuna Wreck and Hideaway Bay).

Three Trees

Boots and the giant barrel sponge, Three Trees , Similan Islands, November 2024 © chris@divehappy.com

Great viz at Three Trees let me get a couple of shots of the giant barrel sponge in the channel before we drifted back over into the shallows. (More info on Three Trees).

North Point

Fan corals on big boulders, Similan Islands, November 2024 © chris@divehappy.com

First visit to North Point in a long time. This is one of the Similans’ big boulder sites, and the more sedate sibling to the rowdy Christmas Point just around the corner. Lucky again with the viz, it was a pleasant early morning reacquaintance with the North Point’s big rocks and canyons. (More info on North Point).

Koh Tachai

Barracuda Ball, Koh Tachai , Similan Islands, November 2024 © chris@divehappy.com

Koh Tachai was epic on this trip – I generally find this dive site very capricious with the conditions and the current, but this time it delivered. We had an epic barracuda encounter at 5 metres, a big ball of some 30 fish or so who were simply indifferent to divers getting near to them.

Fusilier storm, Koh Tachai , Similan Islands, November 2024 © chris@divehappy.com

There was also some spectular storms of fusiliers racing through the site, thousands of them charging through, sweeping around the top of the pinnacle and then off out into the blue.

Fan corals and glassfish, Koh Tachai , Similan Islands, November 2024 © chris@divehappy.com

The viz was good enough to get some decent shots of some of Koh Tachai’s signature fan corals, around which glassfish love to congregate.

Richelieu Rock

Glassfish over soft corals, Richelieu Rock , Similan Islands, November 2024 © chris@divehappy.com

Richelieu Rock was not being very cooperative on this trip – the water was green and murky, reducing visibility considerably. That didn’t make any difference to the fish life – Richelieu was still as frenetic as ever.

Fish stampede, Richelieu Rock , Similan Islands, November 2024 © chris@divehappy.com

We had several fish stampedes of trevally, rainbow runners and emperor fish running together over the rock – just awesome to watch. While Richelieu was far from its best on this trip, it still delivered in terms of action and activity. (More info on Richelieu Rock).

Koh Bon Pinnacle

One of my favourite sites in the Similans, Koh Bon Pinnacle was beautiful on this trip. Calm and clear with stunning viz, the whole rock was laid out below us and we got to see a hundreds-strong school of batfish pass by in the blue. A superb way to end the trip.