Koh
Bon, Koh Tachai and Richelieu Rock
Phuket
Dive Site
North of the Similans lies Koh Bon, Koh Tachai, the Surin Islands,
and Richelieu Rock. All of these areas offer world-class diving
that differs from the Similans and should be part of your itinerary
when you visit the area.
Koh Bon: The Perforated Island
| Reef
type: |
Walls,
ridges, pinnacles, boulders |
| Access: |
Live-aboard
boat only |
| Visibility: |
Great,
from 15-30 metres (49-98 feet) |
| Current: |
Variable,
often strong |
| Coral: |
Excellent,
especially soft corals |
| Fish: |
Fantastic
large and small |
| Highlights: |
Whale
sharks, guitar sharks, soft corals in a rainbow of colours,
schooling pelagic fish |
|
Koh Bon is located about 20 kilometres (12 miles) north of Similan
Island #9 and features one of the only vertical walls in Thailand.
The dive site is on the southwestern point and consists of a 33
metre (108 foot) wall facing the small cove, and a step-down ridge
that carries on to depths of over 45 metres (147 feet). Leopard
sharks are common on the ridge and on the sandy flats below the
wall.
Although the soft corals are not as high profile as they are
in the Similans, the colours of the corals are radically different
and include shades of turquoise, yellow and blue, besides the more
common pinks and purples.
Koh Bon is one of the better places to
see manta rays, especially towards the end of the season when there
is more plankton in the water.
Koh Tachai
25 kilometres (15.5 miles) north of Koh Bon, Koh Tachai has an
offshore underwater ridge that runs perpendicular to the island.
This is considered to be one of the finest dives in the Kingdom
and is famous as a place to see not only the more common species
of corals, fans and tropical fish, but larger animals such as rays,
leopard sharks, nurse sharks and hawks bill turtles.
Whale sharks
make an appearance on a regular basis. Tachai also boasts a breathtaking
sandy beach on its northeastern shore; a great place to hang out
and feel like Robinson Crusoe.
Surin: Richelieu Rock
The Surin Islands, although visited by several dive operators from
Phuket, are more appropriately famous for their beautiful coves,
bays and dense jungle than they are for their diving. Spending a
few idyllic days on a sail boat or other yacht here are the stuff
dreams of paradise are made of yet the serious diver will be bored
easily after a few dives because of the generally poor visibility
and lack of fish.
Surin's ace card, however, is a small submerged rock about 18 kilometres
(11 miles) east of Surin. Richelieu Rock, just exposed at the lowest
of tides - thus a navigational hazard for those boats not equipped
with a GPS navigation system - rates as one of the best places in
the world for swimming with our gentle giant, the whale shark.
Encounters
with these fish - the largest in the world- are rare almost any
place in the world. But for some reason, Richelieu attracts more
than its fair share. Swimming with such a large animal, known to
grow to lengths of 20 metres (65 feet) or more, has to be a high
point for any diver. Sightings occur with good frequency, depending
on the time of year. Generally, February, March and April are the
best times for a visit. The big difference between diving here and
other areas that are famous for whale sharks, such as Western Australia,
is that we don't need spotter planes as the sharks cruise around
the rock, and the visibility is normally excellent. No one knows
why they are here, but the sharks aren't around because of plankton
blooms like in Australia. Thus, clear water.
Source: John Williams Siam Dive n'
Sail
121/9 Patak Road, Mu 4, Karon, 83100 Phuket, Thailand
Tel: 66-76/330-967 Fax: 66-76/330-990
E-mail: info@siamdivers.com
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