Similans Dive Cruise 2006 - Report

Dive the Similans 5d/5n Group from 25/12 to 30/12/2006
What you can see one can never guarantee but I can also give an indication on the trip which took place from 25/12/2006 to 30/12/2006.
5 days / 5 nights aboard 'The Witch of the liveaboard' varied Seaking. Not super luxurious but comfortable boat with a crew and occupies nearly six full years in which I myself have worked as a diving instructor and dive guide.
The captain and chief PU dive A each have more than 7000 dives. I myself have logged over 1500 dives around the Similan islands. There were also four dive guides on board the dive groups to accompany them. Buddy teams were allowed if they chose to go together, but they served a surface marker buoy "to have their location to be designated at the safety stop at the end of the dive.
During this Christmas cruise, we made 18 dives. The circumstances were exceptional this year! The water was extremely cold (averaging only 24 ° C) normally 28-29 ° C. The visibility underwater was not brilliant (limited to 15 to 20m) with plenty of cold upwellings. These conditions were major plankton which naturally attracts pelagic fish. We saw during our cruise two whale sharks around Koh Bangu (Similan islands), whitetip reef sharks (Similan islands), leopard sharks (Similan Islands, Koh Bon and Koh Tachai), manta ray (Koh Bon and Koh Tachai), black-spotted stingray, napoleon wrasse, bump head parrotfish, real stonefish, bearded scorpionfish (everywhere), sea turtles and sea snakes in various parts of the smaller we found warts hengelaarvisje (+ _ 3 cm) at the dive site 'Boulder City, "tiger cake seahorse (Richelieu rock), pygmy zeenaaldpaardjes ( Anita's Reef), many harlequin ghost pipe fish, nudibranchs (Glosso Doris atromarginata, Chromodoris annulata, Risbecia tryoni, many Phylididae's - topduikstek Boon Sung wreck), long snout coral climber, long snout vijlvis, mullet, purple vuurgobie and so much more beautiful things. At each briefing was focused on the different fish that can be observed at the dive site we were visiting. Usually, the list could perceive animals largely completed after the dive.

Whale shark is swimming about - Koh Bangu - 28/12/2006 - Photo: Björn Van Tomme

Flute ghost fish (Solenostomus paradoxus) were seen on many dives. Photo: Danny Van Belle

Warts hengelaarvisje - Boulder City (Similan) 12/26/2007 - photo: Danny van Belle


