West Of Eden, Similan Islands - Thailand Dive Sites

A big boulder site with spectacular outsize fan corals, beautiful soft corals and the promise of full fish activity, West Of Eden is an archetypal Similan Islands dive site.

Fan corals, West of Eden, May 2024 © chris@divehappy.com

West Of Eden ticks a lot of the boxes for what makes a Similan Islands dive site. It has the Similans’ characteristic huge rocks; it has some spectacular fan corals and soft corals; and it often sees some huge schools of fish come speeding through the site. It is, in short, a lovely place to dive.

House-sized boulders, West of Eden, February 2023 © chris@divehappy.com

As you descend off the coral shallows towards the dive site proper, you get a first taste of the Similan Islands’ signature Big Rocks – the size of a house, divers can glide through a channel carved between the rocks which has been curved and hollowed out by the movement of the ocean over millennia.

Fusiliers running, West Of Eden, February 2024 © chris@divehappy.com

Often used the first dive on a Similan liveaboard trip, as it’s calm and shallow at the entry point, perfect for getting comfortable with all your gear.

Fans covering West Of Eden’s boulders, February 2023 © chris@divehappy.com

Down deep around 28 metres there’s a spectacular collection of huge fan corals that cover the side of the rock.

Soft corals, West of Eden, May 2024 © chris@divehappy.com

Further along, there’s a plateau where another big rock has been levelled off and on top perches a big stone ledge suffused in soft corals and a gathering point for fish to find food and shelter.

Huge school of fusiliers, West Of Eden, February 2023 © chris@divehappy.com

There are often bursts of frenetic fish activity around here too, especially looking further out into the blue. There can be big schools of fusiliers racing through the shallows and back into the deep, and sometimes other schools of fish hanging around nearer to the surface.

Fan corals, West Of Eden, February 2024 © chris@divehappy.com

West Of Eden looks awesome in the early morning as the sun shines directly onto it and lights up the site. The visibility is usually a good 20 metres, but there can be the Green Monster coming up from the depths, which is the local nickname for the cold thermocline which passes like a mirage through the site. Temperatures can drop 5 degrees celsius in seconds, so just be aware of that – and you can always go up a bit to get out of it.

Fish over the boulders, West of Eden, May 2024 © chris@divehappy.com

All photos taken during Similan diving seasons 2022-2023 and 2023-2024. I’ll probably add more during the 2024-2025 season too. The Similan dive season runs from October to May each year. The Similan Marine National Park is closed from mid May to mid October each year, so don’t plan a liveaboard trip then!