Surin Island National Park

Sun set over the Surin Islands on route to Koh Tachai (One of the few places you can get a phone signal ) alway's a great end to a perfect day!

Koh Bon

West Ridge
An underwater ridge that splits the current west and north. The up welling from the deep brings up the nutrients and with it loads of fish. The other marine life that you see with some regularity here are Manta rays, at times lots of Manta rays, they to are feeding on the plankton that go with the currents. Sit around 15metres on the north side of the ridge by the staghorn coral beds and the Mantas usually appear. The Mantas are
The main draw here but when the glass fish are in season look out for the Jacks and trevelies, the feeding frenzies can be quite spectacular. Something straight out of the blue planet all that is missing is David Attanbourgh’s voice.
My Reef rating 15

North Reef
Jump on the North side of the ridge and follow the reef. Although most of the divers will be around the ridge this is a great dive especially if you cant be bothered fighting the current. The reef runs down to around 28 – 30 metres and is split into three or four parts . All the coral is spectacular with the normal reef fish around, on top of the reef look out for the Barracuda this is also where I saw my first Whale shark this year. Towards the end of the dive look out for leopard sharks. They are usually on the sand bottom at about 20 metres. Sometimes sleeping and occasionally free swimming so always worth a look.
My Reef rating 15

Koh Tachai

North Point
An exposed rocky boulder site with strong currents around it. You can see most things here blue spotted rays on the sand bottom between the boulders. Manta rays appear out of the blue, Whale sharks cruise by and Leopard sharks dozing around in the sheltered spots. That’s on a good day and there are quite a few here. If the tide is running in the wrong direction this dive can be hard work, and the vis can be quite poor. Keep you eyes open though you never know what’s going to turn up here
My Reef rating 14

East Reef
The adjacent reef adjoining north point. A good place for a novice dive or a night dive, coral heads over a sandy bottom for most of the way, max depth about 25metres but the best areas are probably 15m and shallower. Normal reef fish here although I spent an hour here snorkelling, following a manta who kept tempting me but never getting to a good camera shot position..
My Reef rating 11

The Pinnacle
The best dive site at Koh Tachai. A huge granite pinnacle with large groups of boulders around the perimeters. There are two mooring lines on this site, one on the main pinnacle and one on a large boulder close by. The currents sweep across this site especially at full moon. So using the lines is essential if you want to end on the dive site. This is quite a deep dive 40 metres plus is quite easy to find here. Look out for some nice swim trough’s but beware as a few of them go into a bit of a tight squeeze. There is excellent life on this site and once again it quite a good place for manta rays, not like Koh Bon but they are regular visitors here. When the vis is good you don’t need the fish as the topography is spectacular, but combined its in the top 5 dive sites in the Andaman sea.
My Reef rating 17

South Reef
This site is where most of the dive boats moor overnight in high season. This is usually a night dive site and one of the best around here to. One of my favourite times to dive here is at twilight , there are some spectacular corals in only 5 or 6 metres of water. If you want to go a bit deeper there is a small wall that drops down to 15 – 18 metres , take you time and look in all the hiding places lion fish, Moray eels and cuttle fish will appear as well as a good selection of nudies and flat worms.
My Reef rating 13

Richelieu Rock
One of best dive sites in south east Asia if not the world. Just look at any fish id book and just count how many of the photos are taken here. With the reputation comes the divers and this is usually a very busy dive site. Dive here with the right liveaboard company and you can still dive here with no one else around .Twice last season with Seaking Divers we stayed here for a fourth dive with no one else about and were lucky enough to see a Whale shark. At the busy times there can be 6 – 10 dive boats here so you will see other people underwater, but the marine life here is something else. Large marble rays, huge hunting barracuda, Big Big shoals of travelies and jacks, reef fish galore and a lot of smaller critters. Ornate ghost pipe fish, sea horses, frog fish, stone fish, devil scorpion fish and pineapple fish. The list just goes on and on. This used to be one of the best sites in the world to see Whale sharks, there not seen here as often as they used to be but in February and march you still stand a great chance of seeing one if your lucky. Generally they will be just cruising past minding there own business and it’s a big sea here. I Love
This place and always look forward to diving here.
My Reef rating 19