Similan Islands Diving
Beacon Point
Beacon Point starts at the extreme south of Similan Island no. 8 and features large patches of hard coral reef as well as huge boulder formations that rest from just a few metres below surface and drop down to almost 40 metres. The boulders are covered with hard corals and gorgonian sea fans.
This is a good multilevel dive with interesting features at every depth. This south easterly reef is actually an extension of the lengthy sloping drop-off running parallel to the eastern coast (Beacon Reef), and very comparable to the latter except that there are more fish and larger corals, especially in the deeper waters.
This Similan dive site offers you a good chance of seeing manta and eagle rays, in the deep southern waters, away from the headland, as well as the usual leopard sharks and small reef sharks.
Making your way east in the direction of Beacon Reef, the bottom drops to the deepest level and on the white sand you can see many blue spotted sting rays. Black tip reef sharks often swim around the boulders and look out in the blue for white tips cruising past too. Usually the water is very clear around the boulders.
There is abundant healthy hard coral along the shallow reef top and the steep drop off which is a wall covered in clumps of gorgonian sea fans and wire corals. The reef-flat features many small boulders of lesser star and brain corals, interspersed with clusters of staghorn corals, all covered in colourful reef-fish like chromis, wrasse, parrotfish and surgeonfish. Other species of fish life here include firefish, scorpionfish and the unusual looking bigeye. Look closely at the coral formations and you will find numerous nudibranchs. The largest boulders offer shelter to red tooth triggerfish.
Further north where the reef meets with the southern part of Beacon Reef, there thrives what is said to be the biggest gorgonian seafan in the Similan Islands. This great coral is more than 2 metres wide.
Beacon Point Reef Basics: Boulders and wall dive
Depth: 5 - 40m
Visibility: 20 - 40m
Currents: Easy
Surface conditions: Calm
Water temperature: 26 - 29°C
Experience level: Intermediate - advanced
Number of dive sites: 1
Diving season: October to May
Distance: ~90 km northwest of Phuket, 65 km west of Khao Lak
Access: Liveaboards and daytrips
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