Diving Similan Islands

Deep Six

Similan Island No.6 - Koh Payu

This is another deep dive forming a 'V'-shaped ridge on the north side of the island. The 'V' points north into deep water and the sides of the 'V' form the reef slopes of the island.

The best section of the site is located to the north and close to the cracked and exposed rock that marks the dive site. Descend down the buoy line here to 10 metres or so and there are several impressive swim-throughs, quite common when diving in the Similan Islands.

The best plan is to stay fairly close to this area by circling out to the north to a depth of 25 metres or so, where there are purple and green soft corals; going deeper when the current runs north is pointless and fairly difficult as it can be a strenuous exercise to get back again.

If you enjoy pelagic action, and your luck is in, this is a great diving spot to just hang out and watch to story unfold. Many types of fusilier gather here to feed, and this of course attracts hunting fish such as schools of rainbow runners, bluefin trevally and giant trevally. Just watch the fusiliers scatter in a frenzy when dogtooth tuna approach!

Around the mooring point the coral life is quite nice, with some small table and wart finger corals, and plenty of leather corals. Boxfish, the beautiful powderblue surgeonfish, feeding on the rock surfaces, and lyretail grouper are easy to spot here. Chocolate butterflyfish, bannerfish and Java rabbitfish are common schooling residents.

Deep Six was badly damaged during the Indian Ocean tsunami on 26 December 2004 that swept through the Similan Islands. There are many examples of the tsunami's devastating effects with snapped and upturned table corals, uprooted fans, dead gorgonian fan exoskeletons, and smaller fragments of fire corals lying around as well as considerable swathes of barren rubble slope where once stood coral reef.

If you dive deeper then lots of blue-spotted sting rays, white tip reef sharks and leopard sharks can be found; all common sightings when diving the Similans.

• Koh Similan tourist information

• Map of Similans

Deep Six Reef Basics: Boulder ridges
Depth: 5 - >40m
Visibility: 215 - 30m
Currents: Can be strong
Surface Conditions: Can be rough
Water Temperature: 26 - 29°C
Experience Level: Intermediate
Number of dive sites: 1
Diving Season: October to May
Distance: ~90 km northwest of Phuket, 65 km west of Khao Lak
Access: Diving Similan liveaboard and day trips departing from Phuket

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