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Similan Islands Liveaboard Trip Report: Epilogue
Read the prologue to this trip report here.
Read Day 1 here.
Read Day 2 here.
Read Day 3 here.
Read Day 4 here.
Read Day 5 here.
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The Similan Islands certainly do live up to their name as a world class dive site, including the islands of Koh Bon, Koh Tachai and Richelieu Rock. The range of underwater life is varied and interesting, the sites are diversified but not too challenging. The most challenging thing is the amount of dives on a trip like this – nineteen dives in 5 days is more likely to challenge your fitness than your diving ability. I enjoyed all the diving, as did everyone else on the boat. The crew were friendly and helpful and the boat was pleasant enough.
My previous two trips were both very different. On my first in November 2003, the dive sites had less dive boats but the seas did tend to be a little rougher. The weather is always good (or should I say warm). The odd showers at night were a pleasant change, but stopped me sleeping on the sun deck at night.
My second trip was February 2005, just after the Tsunami. There were no other boats around and our boat only had four divers on board; this of course was excellent for us as there was nothing to scare the fish away. It got to the point that we didn’t even bother looking at the Zebra sharks – there were at least two on every dive.
If anyone was wondering about the damage by the Tsunami, there is obvious damage to the reefs, but it is by no means detrimental to the dive sites. I must admit I have been a little disappointed with not seeing any Manta Rays or Whale Sharks on any of my three trips, but that’s life. On our return to the shore the owner of the boat asked us if we had seen any, as there was a report of both Mantas and Whale Sharks on Richelieu Rock the day after we were there (marvellous).
Something New and Something Blue
Even though this was my third trip to the Similan Islands there is always something new – new people, new friends. A few firsts for me on this trip; the biggest Black Tip shark I have seen, the young Devil Scorpion Fish, Bump-head Parrotfish, the colourful blue and yellow ribbon eel, the biggest crab I have ever seen and another wreck. For some reason I really like the photo of the red hermit crab and it is probably my favourite from the 348 photos I took on the trip. Altogether I took over an hour of video footage; however, my first time with my set up in clear blue waters didn’t quite give me the results I was hoping for.
Something Not Too Hard
None of the diving was beyond the reach of an Advanced Open Water Diver, the maximum depth was supposed to be 30m on all of the dives, but we pushed the limit a couple of times. It’s not recommended when all you have is a single Ali 80 (11L), but in clear waters with your buddies close we deemed it safe enough. The only thing to watch out for is the no deco time, especially when filming – you don’t want to clock any up with the limited air supply. There are some technical diving shops around, although I didn’t see any technical diving taking place in the Similans. I did see a boat with nitrox available on board, but I am not sure whether they could supply twinsets for those wanting to do something more technical.
Worth Thinking About
Whilst talking with the owner of the boat I asked about the condition of his tour leader. He was still out of action as far as diving was concerned, and he needed a dive master to cover for the next trip. Just how tempting was that? I did ask what the pay was, and I was offered free food and free diving, which tempted me even more, but then I thought about the prospect of leading a boat load of Japanese divers, and suddenly found myself looking forward to the trip home.
Booking the trips
There are many dive boats running trips from a single day trip to ten days; some have air conditioned cabins, some just have a fan. The trips can be booked from any dive shop on the western shore of Thailand, from Khao Lak to Phuket.
My warm water needs are now out of the way for another year, and my photo album has been topped up (as well as my tan). During my entire trip to Thailand I clocked up 31 dives in two weeks – phew!
Mark owns and runs Atlantic Scuba in Falmouth, Cornwall in the UK. For more information visit www.atlanticscuba.co.uk.
Shells of the World: A Natural History by M.G. Harasewych
Shells of the world is a guide to the world of marine, shelled molluscs. And what a varied and interesting world it is. Some of my favourite things to find on a dive are detailed in this book, including disco clams (or Electric File Clams as they are correctly names), the cephalopods, giant clams and sea hares. There are also many on my wish list, top of which is the Nautilus.
Each chapter provides a detailed description of the species, along with beautiful images. You can dive deeper and discover where they live, both with global distribution and the habitat they prefer. Learn about their diet, reproduction and diversity.
Having dipped in and out of this lovely book over the past few weeks, it has inspired me to learn more about this group of animals that we see on most divers, wherever we are in the world. Some of the shells are incredibly intricate and beautiful. I have always agreed with never collecting, or touching, marine life. The description of a certain set of cone shells should be a warning to those that are happy to pick up marine life! One of the cone shells has a local name called the cigarette snail. Why? Because once the venom is in your system from this animal, you only have time to smoke one cigarette before the affects of the venom are fatal!
What the publisher says:
Mollusks are invertebrate animals with a remarkable natural history and a rich fossil record, and their shells are prized for their breathtaking variety and exquisite beauty. Shells of the World provides a wide-ranging look at the incredible diversity of marine mollusks. An informative introduction outlines the lineages covered, followed by a directory section, split into classes, that profiles a broad selection of different taxa to give a sense of their sheer numbers and variety.
- Features hundreds of beautiful color photos, depicting both the live animals and their shells
- Discusses mollusk evolution, anatomy, life cycles, behavior, and ecology
- Describes unique characteristics, distribution, habitat, and size
- Provides valuable insights into the conservation of the world’s marine mollusks
- Ideal for malacologists and shell collectors everywhere
About the Author:
M. G. Harasewych is research zoologist emeritus and former curator in the Department of Invertebrate Zoology at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History. A fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, he is the author (with Fabio Moretzsohn) of The Book of Shells: A Life-Size Guide to Identifying and Classifying Six Hundred Seashells.
Book Details
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Hardcover
Price: £25
ISBN: 9780691248271
Published: 9th April, 2024
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