Similan Scuba Diving
West of Six
Also known as West of Eden, this site has increased in popularity over recent years since it boasts some of the Similans best shallow coral coverage. This feature, combined with its more typical granite boulder topography, make West of Six a popular dive site for Similans liveaboards.
You will probably begin this dive by dropping in a sheltered bay in an area where turtles and batfish are a common sight. You can enjoy the shallows at this site where healthy acropora table corals and gorgonian sea fans provide a backdrop to trevallies hunting glassfish, large numbers of yellow goatfish, and the occasional inquisitive octopus.
For the less experience divers, the shallows on the top of the boulders are a great place to spend the whole dive. If you want to venture deeper down through the rocky channels, you might be rewarded with sightings of frogfish, ribbon eels, giant morays being cleaned by white-banded cleaner shrimp, and possibly even a resident blotched fantail ray of impressive proportions.
You may wish to spend more time in the deeper section than your bottom time allows, so diving on nitrox is advisable to get the best out of West of Six. As you run down the contents of your tank in the shallower water, you can amuse yourself by seeking out the mysterious ornate ghost pipefish or tiger cowries. Alternatively, the blue is also a happy hunting ground for dive sightings at the Similan Islands, with turtles and great barracuda being known to put in appearances on the safety stop.
West of Six Reef Basics: Granite boulders
Depth: 5 - >40m
Visibility: 15 - 30m
Currents: Can be strong
Surface conditions: Can be rough
Water temperature: 26 - 29°C
Experience level: Beginner - advanced
Number of dive sites: 1
Diving season: November to April
Distance: ~90 km northwest of Phuket, 65 km west of Khao Lak
Access: Similan liveaboards and daytrips
• Koh Similan travel information
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• Similan and Surin Islands - Thailand
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