Similan Islands Dive SitesSimilan Island’s Best Deep boulder Site
The site is named after an unusually shaped rock that juts out of the water just southwest of Koh Similan. The huge boulders that form Elephant Head Rock create daring swim-throughs, arches, caverns, gullies and tunnels – great places to hide, and great places to discover!
Swimming through the tunnels you’ll come across blue-ringed angelfish, triggerfish and bicolour parrotfish. Yellow goatfish and snappers always hang around at the deepest levels, as well as several species of lionfish. Take a look under the overhanging ledges to find several species of the larger snappers, such as one-spot, mangrove and black and white, as well as giant and Andaman sweetlips – an endemic species.
Hang out in the shallows here to off-gas at the end of your dive. Powder blue surgeonfish make their way across the boulder tops, grazing on the algae. Bigeye bream hang out here, seemingly eying you curiously, as large trains of traveling robust fusiliers arrive on the scene from other nearby feeding stations. Keep an eye out for the great barracuda’s that do some serious hunting here. You will often be surprised by the assaults of the huge Jacks that dive into these passing fish too!
The southern most point of the site has a tiny group of submerged pinnacles in very deep water. A great place to observe small reef sharks. There is a possibility of strong surge and current. This makes it one of the more challenging Similan Islands diving sites.
Elephant Head Rock Marine Life
Snappers, Sweetlips, Trevallies and Tuna’s all make up part of the vast menagerie of passing fish. In addition look for Frogfish, Giant Moray Eels, Leopard Sharks and White and Black Tip sharks. Nudibranchs of many descriptions line the sides of these vast boulders.
Diving Elephant Head Rock
Diving is done from 5 – 35 meters (15-115 feet) with most time spent 15-30 meters (50-100 feet).
Currents can be present but any experienced dive guide will take you to the sheltered spots.
Visibility is often quite good 30 meters+ (100 Feet) but can be affected by prevailing currents.
Divers should be experienced due to depth and currents. Swim-throughs are a hazard to be conscious of as well.
