Paul Landgraver
Howdy!
We started Wicked Diving (along with Karin Sundelius) as a natural extension of our passion for diving. This obsession with marine life, environmentalism, safety and service is reflected in all that we do. From our education programs & ecologically friendly dive boat to the extensive staff training and sponsoring of the local school for children of Burmese migrant laborers. I've never wanted to be the biggest dive center, nor the most famous - instead all of us at Wicked Diving strive to offer the very best. We live by the golden rule - This is the dive center we would most like dive with if we were a guest. I hope you agree.
-Paul Landgraver
Website URL: http://wickeddiving.com/the-wicked-team/paul-landgraver E-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
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Seasickness - Avoid or Cope with it
How to Deal With (Avoid) Seasickness
Nothing can spoil a day of diving like a case of motion sickness. When it happens at sea, we refer to it as mal de mer or sea sickness. Whatever you call it, it makes you feel awful and miserable. This article will explain what it it, the symptoms and how to deal with it and how to prevent it altogether, so that you can concentrate on enjoying your diving adventures! There is never a time or a place where we can guarantee there someone will not get sick - except on land!
What is Seasickness?
In simple terms, seasickness occurs when the body, the inner ear and the eyes all send different signals to the brain. The constantly changing movement stimulates receptors in the brain, leading to confusion, queasiness, headaches, dizziness, nausea, dry-heaving and vomiting. The brain begins to malfunction as the normal, land-based environment it is accustomed to suddenly begins to act differently. Your visual system recognizes things like furniture and cabin walls as stable, while your inner ear is sending strong messages to the brain that they are not.
Our body metabolisms are nearly as unique as our personalities. Some preventatives will work for some people and not others. Others will work, though with varying degrees of effectiveness. You may have to do some trials and experimenting to find what works best for you. Not everything works the same for everybody.
Symptoms
Of course, the best way to prevent seasickness is to take preventative action, but what happens if you find yourself becoming seasick anyway. The best course to take is to recognize and react to any symptoms as early as possible. What are the early warning signs? Yawning, drowsiness, fatigue and lethargy are the early indications of seasickness. The problem is, these signs can be hard to recognize, especially if you are already tired. Most people don’t detect oncoming seasickness until there are more obvious symptoms, such as stomach discomfort (nausea) and slight sweating, excessive salivating or belching. As you start to become seasick, you’ll find that performing various tasks requiring mental concentration becomes more difficult.
Since a number of factors contribute to seasickness and can trigger symptoms, it makes sense to adhere to the following guidelines to reduce the chances of suffering from it.
•. Get plenty of rest before you go out on the water. Weariness and exhaustion can make you more susceptible to other things that can bring on motion sickness. When people join our Similan Liveaboard trips, they can often be arriving right off a flight from Europe or America. Please take time to rest!
•. Do not eat greasy or acidic foods for several hours before your dive trip. This includes drinking coffee. You don't want to have a lot of acid or heavy, slow to digest foods rolling around in your stomach while you are rolling around on the sea. Heavy, greasy foods like bacon and eggs, sausage, waffles or pancakes with syrup, alone or combined with acidic juices like orange juice, can wreak havoc on your system and end up recycled as lunch for the fishes. Eat less acidic fruits (apples, bananas, pears, grapes, melons, etc.), breads (muffins, croissants, rolls), cereals and grains as alternatives. Milk, water, apple juice, cranberry juice and other low acid beverages are gentler alternatives to orange juice or grapefruit juice.
•. Prepare and set up your dive equipment as soon as possible when you get on board to reduce the amount of time spent on deck focusing on static objects or digging around in your dive bag, where you can't see and anticipate the boat's movements.
•. Drink Coke or Pepsi. These two drinks help reduce the chances of getting sick because they contain phosphoric acid, which is an ingredient in Emetrol, a drug admisistered to control vomiting.
•. If your indigestion becomes unbearable take an indigestion remedy.
•. Do not miss a meal before diving. An empty stomach can be almost as bad as one with the wrong types of food in it. Give your stomach acids something to work on. Then give your stomach time to begin digesting your meal. Get up a little earlier if you have to, in order to eat, relax before going out on the water. Try not to overeat and get bloated.
•. Drink plenty of water. Even partial dehydration lowers your body's resistance to the stressful factors caused by the boat trip. Take lots of water with you and sip it regularly.
•. Do not drink an excessive amount of alcohol the night before diving. Alcohol tends to dehydrate the body. Also alcohol can prevent the REM (Rapid Eye Movement) stage of sleep, the one in which you dream and your brain rests. You may feel tired and not alert after just a few drinks If you do plan on drinking, make every third drink a glass of water. It will reduce dehydration and your chances of a hangover the next morning.
•. Avoid gasoline or diesel fumes. They can make your nausea much worse. Stay out of direct sunlight as much as possible and avoid becoming overheated and dehydrated.
•. If possible, avoid the cabin and other enclosed spaces. Sometimes, a breezy spot in the sun may be preferable to a shady spot in a stuffy cabin. The open air and ability to look out over the horizon are often more helpful than being in a shady spot, which can be stuffy and enclosed, limiting your view of the horizon and perhaps making you more prone to seasickness.There will be less motion towards the center of the boat, both horizontally and vertically, and it will increase with the height of the waves. Avoid the upper decks as the higher you go, the more you will experience swaying back and forth. Horizontally, you want to be, towards the center of the boat, rather that at the bow or stern. The more sensitive to motion sickness you are, the closer you need to be towards the center, which is the calmest part of the boat.
•. If you are beginning to feel a bit queasy, stand up and look out over the horizon. Despite what you might think, sitting or laying down is the worst thing you can do at this point as you will feel much worse even faster.
•. When the boat is rolling with the waves rather than moving under its own power and you are standing on deck, possibly getting hot, your resistance to motion sickness diminishes rapidly. Reduce that exposure time to an absolute minimum.
•. If someone onboard is overcome by sea sickness, move away from them at once! Unfortunately, most of us can handle nausea very well until we see other people around us starting to vomit. We then have a sympathetic reaction and succumb as well. It could be the sound, the smell, the sight, or a combination of them that triggers the same response in us. You don't have to be close to your buddy at this time. There is nothing you can do to help. If you feel nauseous and about to succumb, please avoid the entry and exit areas of the boat. Hang your head over the sides of the boat.
•. If you are embarking on a liveaboard, don't choose a berth in the forward cabin. Select a berth in a cabin as close to the centre of the boat as possible as there is less pitching motion in this part of the boat.
•. When onboard, sleep on your back. This seems to prevent the stomach from bouncing around too much.
•. Have your ears cleaned before a long boat trip or liveaboard. This has helped many people reduce their proneness to seasickness by allowing the balance mechanism in the ears to work better.
•. Be in good physical condition. It reduces your chances of becoming seasick and also reduces its debilitating effects on you if you are.
•. Volunteer to help steer the boat. Steering necessitates looking at the horizon, it keeps you busy thus taking your mind off any impending or existing nausea, and provides anticipation of what the next movement of the boat will be. If you are not able to steer, it may help to imagine you are steering the boat: put your hands in front of you as if there were were a steering wheel, and make the accompanying slight movements of the whole body.
•. Consider alternative therapies such as hypnotism, Neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) and Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT). EFT in particular will help before you get on the boat as you will have a technique for dealing with seasickness if it strikes when on the boat.
Medications and Natural Preventatives
Ginger is a natural preventative. It soothes a queasy stomach and has no side effects. You can get it in pill form, tablets or powder, or as ginger root in many supermarkets or grocery stores.
Some doctors recommend that you can take it 12-24 hours before, as preventing sea sickness is easier than curing it. Somewhere from 1 gram up to 4 grams per day of powdered ginger is recommended. Some studies seem to indicate that ginger is more effective in the reduction of vomiting and sweating than nausea and vertigo, although they reduce those symptoms as well. You can try ginger biscuits and ginger ale, although their lower ginger content may not be as effective. They do work for some people though.
Eating peppermint together with ginger is said to be even more effective. Since mint does have some of the same calming qualities as ginger, this may be true. Perhaps it is just the belief that it works that is effective. Regardless, it is an inexpensive and pleasant addition. An added benefit is making your breath sweeter.
Another recommended treatment is wearing an accu-pressure wrist band. It applies pressure to a particular point on your wrist which can prevent the feeling of nausea.
Another strange treatment is to immerse your feet in ice cold water, this seems to work on some when they are actually feeling queasy, rather than as a preventative.
There are other preventatives, such as over the counter and prescription medications. Most should be taken in advance and not on an empty stomach. Be sure to read the instructions. Dramamine is one that has been used for years. Meclizine and Bonine are also effective. You can find them at most pharmacies. Be sure to read the warnings about seasickness medications as some of them may not be suitable for you if you suffer from various conditions.
For example, Scopolamine is a prescription drug in the family of chemicals known as belladonna alkaloids and should not be should not be administered to people with glaucoma. Its side effects can include dry mouth (the most common side effect,) dilated pupils with blurred vision, drowsiness, disorientation, confusion, memory disturbances, dizziness, restlessness, hallucinations, and difficulty urinating. When you stop using Scopolamine you may also experience disorientation, confusion, memory disturbances, dizziness, and restlessness.
Scopolamine's side effects are not predictable. You may have used it before without any problems and then still develop an unwanted reaction. Some of the side effects are similar to the effects of nitrogen narcosis, therefore if you're having a mild reaction to the scopolamine (and maybe not even be aware of it) the reaction could become more pronounced at depth. In scuba diving, while happening deep in the sea, so called seasickness is not caused by motion sickness, but by unusual pressure, temperature, stance and medium
These drugs are not commonly available in Thailand or our Komodo Dive Center
If you do become seasick, remember to replace the nutrients lost from your system due to repeated vomiting. Even if you don’t feel like it, force yourself to consume regular amounts of fluids that include glucose and electrolytes. Doing so will help alleviate continued bouts of nausea, strengthen your system, and move you along on the road to recovery, leaving you free to enjoy your diving adventures!
Safe Diving in Currents
Safe Diving in Strong Currents
It is highly advisable to be prepared in order to achieve safe diving in strong currents rather than become caught unawares and frightened and possibly endangering yourself and your diving buddy. Currents carry in food (plankton) to areas of the reef which in turn attracts fish and other animals that feed on fish, thereby making the reef a vibrant and lively dive site to explore. From our Komodo Dive Center we can encounter extremely strong currents and we are very cautious about how and where we dive.
It can be difficult to judge currents, but there are some indicators, which will tell an observer the speed of the current. Fish react according to how strong the current is. Some seek shelter, others thrive in strong currents. Look at small schooling fish like Anthias or Basslets and watch bigger fish such as Mackerel or Trigger Fish, to tell you the speed of the current.
Light current (to 1 knot):
The small fish are all finning against the current and are hovering close to the coral, the current is closer to one knot. You will probably be able to swim against this kind of current for a short period of time.
Medium current (1 to 2 knots):
The small fish will be hovering in a school spread out just barely above the coral and finning furiously. A current of this strength affects the behavior of the larger fish as well. They face the current and tend to gather behind coral heads or in other lee areas (lee - out of the wind / current). Most fish will now swim against the current, so if you do a drift dive, schools of fish will come towards you. This speed of current is difficult to swim against.
Strong current (2 to 3 knots):
In this kind of strong current, the small fish will have disappeared, because they are all hiding among the branches of the coral. The big fish are gathered in lee areas, or very close to the bottom. On a dive in this speed of current you may not be able to stop and swim against if you want to look at something close up - so best to just go with the flow.
Very strong current (3 knots):
With this speed of current, you won't need the fish as an indicator anymore. You will either be swept along on a very fast drift dive or hiding behind a coral head. If you turn to face the current there may be some risks - your mask may fly off or your regulator will start to free-flow.
Too strong current
Anything over 3 knots is too strong and too dangerous to dive.
Different Types of Current
As winds blow across the ocean, they pull on the water’s surface, and the buildup of energy forms waves. If the wind blows fast, for a long time and for a long distance in the same direction, large waves form. Waves break when their bases hit the ocean floor and they become unstable, toppling over onto the shore.
The energy released when waves break on the beach creates longshore currents. When waves approach the beach at a 90° angle rather than head on, part of the wave's energy is directed perpendicular to the shore and part of it is directed parallel to the shore. The parallel energy creates the longshore current, which runs along the shoreline. If you've ever been swimming in the ocean and felt the ocean tugging you farther down the shore, then you've felt the impact of a longshore current.
Rip currents are another type of coastal current that form where underwater land formations prevent waves from flowing straight back out to sea. They are the residue of waves that have already crashed while funneling out of a narrow opening, like a break in a sandbar, with great force. Imagine the great volume of water that rushes out of the bath when you pull the plug and you get the general idea of a rip current.
The type of curent we encounter the most frequently is one caused by tidal flows. In offshore locations like the Similan Islands, these currents are simply the water coming in during high tide and flowing out during low tides. In Komodo the currents are the actual tidal flow of the Pacific into the Indian Ocean and vice versa. As such, these currents tend to be much stronger just after Full and new moons whent he gravitational pull is the strongest. These currents can be predicted and understood by experienced divers and guides.
Another type of coastal current called upwelling occurs when winds displace surface water by blowing it away and deeper water rises up to replace it. The opposite process, downwelling, occurs when wind blows surface water towards a barrier, like the coastline, and the resulting accumulation of water forces the water on top to sink. Both of these processes can occur in the open ocean as well.
Useful Tips for Safe Diving In Strong Currents
An understanding of safe diving in strong currents is important as currents can be intimidating for divers because they are unpredictable and both physically and emotionally demanding as the natural survival instinct kicks in to fight against it.There are steps you can follow to ensure your safety and comfort when diving in strong currents.
•. The first priority is to check for currents before even getting in the water, look for current patterns on the surface and perhaps drop a drift line to see if there is any movement in the water.
•. A detailed dive briefing should always precede a dive involving strong currents; it will prepare you for the conditions you may encounter and provide the protocols for dealing with them.
•. If you do a free descent into currents - make sure you are thoroughly briefed and all parties understand what to do in case of separation. As it will be during this initial entry and descent that chances are highest for seperation - listen very carefully to the briefing given by your dive guide.
•. If you plan to dive in a strong current, it’s advisable to opt for a drift dive if possible. However, you need to ensure that the boat master can spot the divers on the surface and can have the boat brought around to collect you at the end of your dive. Therefore it is very important that you carry some sort of Marker Buoy and signalling device to make sure the support boat can see you upon surfacing. A whistle attached to your BC could also be useful in such a situation. We also recommend a divers mirror for getting the attention of the boats
•. If you know you are going to dive in fast currents try not to overload yourself with too much dive equipment and scuba accessories like large underwater cameras and underwater torches. What you may want to carry is; a surface marker, a buddy line to avoid separation (however it could become caught up on coral), a reef hook an great way to stay rooted in one spot as you wait for other divers to catch up or just stop and watch the passing life. This blunt hook about 10cm-long is attached to a 2m long line clipped to the diver and can be slipped into a piece of dead coral or a rock crevice.
•. If you’re not planning a drift dive, always start the dive by swimming against the current, time the dive carefully and plan your turn around time depending on the speed of the current. Stay close to the reef wall or sea floor when swimming in the same direction as the current. The current is almost always lighter at the bottom near the sea bed, so if you need to slow down or wait for the group to catch up with you, go lower and hover close to the bottom. If you find yourself pulled into an unexpected flow. turn yourself up horizontally to make become as streamlined as possible and try to cross it diagonally by swimming upstream of your destination.
•. Pace your breathing and keep a close eye on your gauges. It’s easy to lose track of both your depth and air consumption when you’re riding a fast current. Be prepared to inflate or dump air quickly if you get dragged down or up. If caught in a down current, try to get as close to the reef as you can and tuck yourself behind a ledge, be prepared to dump air from your BC quickly as soon as you get out to avoid ascending fast.
•. Streamline. Hanging, excessive equipment can be a burden on a dive in a strong current. You will get the best from the dive if you stay as neutrally buoyant and streamlined as possible. IF directed by your dive guides - wear a good pair of gloves in case you have to grab on to rocks and dead coral against a current (however avoid touching anything unless absolutely necessary). AS currents can be strong - this may not be a viable option. Always listen to the directions given by your dive guides. Remember that dangling arms create drag, so tuck them in close to your sides or behind your back. Also ensure that you are properly weighted, added weight will make it difficult, if not impossible, for you to achieve a streamlined swimming position in the water. Divers who are properly weighted can easily swim in a position that aligns their fins directly behind their head.
•. Always dive with a computer. If you find yourself being swept up or down by a strong current, your dive table calculations will be meaningless. In a strong current there is a chance that you can lose your dive buddies, so don't rely on someone else’s dive computers.
•. Stay close to the reef. You may need to take shelter from the current or find a place to hold on to. Try to only hold on to dead coral heads or other areas without life! be careful not to come into contact with stinging hydroids.
•. Watch the coral cover - if there are table corals and acropora corals it is probably an area where currents are not so strong. This is a good place to descend and ascend. Where there are a lot of sponges, tube corals and whip corals there is a strong current most of the time.
•. Watch your bubbles and those of your fellow divers to see where there are downcurrents or whirls. This should give you adequate time to hold on quickly. But remember, don't hold on to sponges - they snap off easily!
•. Look behind corals, or in natural hollows in the reef. lf there are fish swimming around, you have found a lee, where the current is lighter.
•. If you are an inexperienced diver, don’t attempt strong current dives unless a certified dive instructor or a more experienced diver than you acts as your dive guide.
•. Finally, listen to those experienced in the areas you are diving! Your dive guide and the captain of the boat will advise you on when it is safe to dive a certain dive site and more important, when not to dive there. There are times when there is no place to dispute the opinion of your dive guide and your captain and calling off the dive is an acceptable and recommended course of action to keep you safe and ready to dive another day! In almost all situations there are optional dive sites and there is no "must do " dive sites!
eels
Ribbon Eel
Rhinomuraena quaesita
The Ribbon Eel can easily be recognized by its hugely expanded anterior nostrils.
Juveniles and subadults are jet black with a yellow dorsal fin. Females are yellow with a black anal fin and white margins on the fins. Adult males are blue with much of the snout and lower jaw yellow.
The species grows to 1.3 m in length.
It is usually seen in burrows in sandy or benthic areas adjacent to coral reefs.
The Ribbon Eel occurs in tropical marine waters of the Indo-west Pacific.
In Australia it is known from the offshore islands of north-western Western Australia and the Barrier Reef, Queensland.
It has also been called the Ribbon Moray.
snowflake moray
The snowflake moray is found between rocks and corals of intertidal reef flats, and also in shallow lagoon and seaward reefs. It feeds mainly on crustaceans.
Coloration is a white body with two rows of large dendritic black blotches, the black spots between blotches become irregularly linear with age. The eyes are yellow.he snowflake moray eel is a very commonly kept saltwater eel. They are very hardy and well-suited to aquarium life. Up to 36" in length (while 28" is more common in captivity), the snowflake moray eel requires an aquarium larger than 50 gallons with a tight-fitting lid, as these eels (and all eels, for that matter) are escape artists and can fit through surprisingly small holes in aquarium lids. They are carnivores, readily accepting just about any meaty foods, including krill, shrimp, silversides and octopus meat. Unless already acclimated to frozen foods, this animal will likely need to be fed with live ghost shrimp when first acquired. Weaning can be accomplished over time. The feeding of freshwater feeder fish (goldfish, rosy reds, etc) will likely cause liver disease if fed to the eel, so they must be avoided.
Gymnothorax thyrsoideus
White-eyed moray eel
Fairly common inhabitant of reef flats where it is usually encountered in shallow tidal pools. Often in shipwrecks; usually in pairs or small aggregations, and shares habitat with other morays
Fimbriate Moray
Gymnothorax fimbriatus (Bennett, 1832)

A Fimbriate Moray at a depth of 7 m, Puerto Galera, Mindoro Island, Philippines

Parasitic copepods, possibly of the Order Cyclopoida on the lower jaw. Photo © R. Andrewartha.
The Fimbriate Moray is grey to light brown with rows of well separated dark brown blotches. The head is greenish-yellow dorsally. There is a large white spot at the rear of the lower jaw. A row of large canine teeth runs along the roof of the mouth.
The species grows to about 80 cm in length.
The Fimbriate Moray occurs in coral reef and inshore waters of the tropical Indo-west Pacific.
The laced moray, Gymnothorax favagineus, also known as the tesselate moray honeycomb moray
| Basically white with black blotches and interspaces forming a honeycomb pattern. Some individuals have a near black overall appearance. Blotches variable between individuals and size, often in relation to habitat - those in clear coral reefs usually have proportionally less black than those found in turbid waters. | ||||
inhabits reef flats and outer reef slopes of continental reefs. One of the two largest of Indo-Pacific morays. Often in holes with cleaner wrasses or shrimps. Feeds on cephalopods and small fishes. Large adults may be aggressive.
Spotted Garden Eel
Heteroconger hass
The Spotted Garden Eel has a white body covered in small black spots. There are three prominent black patches located on the body. One surrounds the gill opening and pectoral fin, the second is half way along the body and the third surrounds the anus. Juveniles are entirely black.
This species grows to 60cm in length.
It is usually seen on sandy bottoms near coral reefs at depths of 15m to 45m.
The Spotted Garden Eel was not discovered until SCUBA diving became popular. Since then colonies of hundreds or thousands of individuals have been reported.
This fish lives in sandy burrows, which they construct. When feeding, the Spotted Garden Eel rises out of its burrow, exposing up to two-thirds of its body. It feeds on zooplankton taken from the passing current.
When disturbed the Spotted Garden Eel retreats backwards into the burrow.
Spotted Garden Eels stay in their burrow even when spawning. Potential mates stretch over from adjacent burrows and entwine bodies.
This species occurs in tropical marine waters of the Indo-Pacific region, from East Africa, north to Japan, south to New Caledonia and east to the Pitcairn Islands.
Giant Moray
Gymnothorax javanicus
The Giant Moray is mostly brown with dark brown spots. The head is yellow to brown and the gill opening is surrounded by a black blotch.
The Giant Moray is normally not a concern for divers, however it should never be provoked. It is a large, powerful fish with long canine teeth that can inflict serious wounds.
GIANT MORAY (JAVA MORAY)
Gymnothorax javanicus (Bleeker, 1859)Thick as a man's thigh and attaining nearly 8 ft., this is the largest of all morays. Unconfirmed reports exist of 10-foot specimens weighing an estimated 150 lbs.! In Hawai`i these eels are often called "Java Morays." They are brown to greenish brown speckled with dark spots and there is a large dark mark at the gill opening. This species somewhat resembles the more common Yellowmargin Moray but the latter is finely mottled rather than spotted. Also, the Giant Moray’s tail is plain, with no yellow or green margin. The Giant Moray ranges from East Africa to Costa Rica's Cocos Island.
The Giant Moray is normally not a concern for divers, however it should never be provoked. It is a large, powerful fish with long canine teeth that can inflict serious wounds.
Khao Sok Lake - Diving Cheow Larn Lake
Do you long to experience a unique, exciting once in a life time diving adventure? Then head to Cheow Larn Lake, the most mystical and magical experience Khao Sok Lake Diving has to offer.
The Cheow Larn Lake (165sq. Km) was created in 1982 when the Pasaeng River was dammed to provide hydrostatic power to the local area.
Before the creation of the lake, the landscape was covered with dense, lush jungle, home to exotic wildlife, phenomenal natural features and encompassed a small residential village all of which can now be seen under the still green waters of the Cheow Larn Lake making Khao Sok Diving one of the most unique and extraordinary diving experiences you will ever encounter!
Khao Sok Lake Diving
When you Dive Khao Sok, you will find that travel around the park is only by longtail boat and that traffic is regulated by the granting of licences to a limited number of drivers. Diving off a longtail is great fun and takes you back to how diving used to be in Thai waters: simple, relaxed and peaceful. Splashing into the green water, you will look down and see an intriguing misty haze.
Once you begin your descent, within only a few metres the water becomes crystal clear as ethereal light streams down from the surface. Allowing you uninterrupted views of the stunning vista found under the lake. You will feel as though you are suspended in a fairy tale enchanted forest as you swim around majestic towering trees and gaze in awe at the stunning rock formations, you will be amazed by the size of the stalactites and stalagmites found in the numerous giant caves dotted around the vast lake site.
You can join us for a Khao Sok Diving trip and experience all this for yourself
Khao Sok Lake Marine Life
Spooky green light illuminates the water which is home to large Silverside Fish, Tiny Freshwater Shrimps, Transverse-Bar Barbs, Asian Leaf-fish, Green Pufferfish and curious Catfish which are very inquisitive and will swim very close to you.
There is also a village at the bottom of the lake which has been lost to human eyes for over 30 years, other than those daring enough to explore the depths of the lake!
As with all fresh water diving, conditions will be drastically different to those experienced in Open Water with calm, still waters, less weight on your belt, 10-15 metre visibility and a tropical water temperature of 28 °C which means you can comfortably dive without a wetsuit!
No matter how many dives you have logged you will never have seen anything as captivating and unforgettable as the sights of the Cheow Larn Lake.
Richelieu Rock Dive Site
Richelieu Rock - The Best dive site in Thailand
Since there is just so much to see at this dive site, the guides usually schedule more than one dive here. You will appreciate the chance to experience all these attractions, plus schools of mackerels and barracudas, more than once.
One of the most famous dive sites of Thailand. Richelieu Rock is an isolated pinnacle to the east of Surin Islands. Forming a horseshoe figure, the pinnacle falls steeply to the surrounding sand bottom at 35 metres depth. The south side is a bay with a slope that gently falls to the deep, while the rest comprises sheer walls, groups of rocks and numerous small caves that are home to various marine life. The majority of corals are colourful soft corals jostling against the wall, accompanied by huge sea fans, hard corals and sea anemones.
Richelieu Rock is part of the Surin National Marine Park, yet located about 18 kilometers east of the islands themselves. Richelieu Rock is just barely exposed at the lowest of tides-thus a navigational hazard for those boats not equipped with a GPS navigation system. Situated 200 kilometers Northwest of Phuket and 70 km from Khao Lak - the rock is closer to the Burmese (Myanmar) border than Phuket.
A massive underwater limestone pinnacle rising up from 50 meters to the just below the surface. Horseshoe shaped with several smaller boulders surrounding it at the depths, protection from currents is assured for the experienced guides. Steep walls and deep crevices offer both stunning scenery and great hiding places for all manner of amazing creatures.
The unique shape and location are part of what Richelieu so special. There are no other pinnacles or submerged rocks anywhere nearby so all the marine life in the area have one place to go. As this is the single pinnacle, it also generates a strong disturbance to the tidal currents. This creates strong upwellings of cold water – which causes plankton. And this plankton feeds the diverse fish and corals. Want to dive Richelieu on a one day trip?
Richelieu Rock Marine Life
While Richelieu Rock has long been famous as the easiest place to see Whale Sharks, but a worldwide decline in numbers has really reduced the number of encounters. The frequency of encounters over the last 4 years has been about once every 2 weeks.
Disappointed? Don’t be, the Richelieu Rock has an amazing amount of diversity. Expect to see schools of chevron barracudas while larger sharks and rays can be seen in the deeper water.
Vast Schools of Snappers, Tuna, Mackeral, Jacks and Trevallies circle the site hunting and hiding from one another.
The crevices, cracks and fields of soft corals are home to such an amazing diversity of fish such as White-eyed Morays, Nudibranchs, Tigertail Seahorses, Harlequin shrimps, Ghost pipefish, Lionfish, Glassfish, Frogfish, Leaffish and even some very exotic species like Pineapplefish. Just keep your eyes open, take your time and enjoy. There is so much to see.
Richelieu Rock Diving
Depths range from 5 meters in low tide to 35 meters.
This dive site is suitable for intermediate and advanced divers.
There can be a strong current and if so the mooring line should be used to descend. Shelter can usually be found at some area of the dive site.
Richelieu Rock Hazards
You can dive here over and over and see something new. The currents change constantly, and it's not always an easy dive. But, if you have an experienced dive guide and they give a good detailed briefing, you can learn how to hide from the currents and have a very enjoyable dive.
Elephant Head Rock (Hin Pusar)
Similan 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.
Donald Duck Bay
Donald Duck Bay: Donald Duck bay is not known as the most exciting of dives sites, but does feature some really great safe options for the diver and snorkeler alike. Frequent sightings of Turtles and Moray Eels make this a great site to learn more about the Similan Islands
-Beautiful sunsets
-Almost no currents
-Turtles
>Donald Duck Bay also has several friendly Green Sea Turtles in residence. They will often be seen on the surface, as well as below the water. Unfortunately they have a taste for bananas and other human snacks. Not only is this unhealthy for the turtles - but it also teaches the Turtles that approaching baots is safe and rewarding. This is not true if it's a fishing boat!!! Please avoid feeding the Turtles (or any marine animal) while visiting. They are best observed, not interefered with.
If you would like to learn more about Turtles, their lifecycle, how to best interact with them and how to help conserve them for your children - why not join our Turtle conservation trip ?
Donald Duck Bay Diving
Diving depths range from 1-20 meters (3-70 feet) and most of our time is spent at 5-15 meters (15-50 feet)
Visibility: usually 20 meters (70 feet).
Donald Duck Bay Dive Hazards
Experience level: everyone can dive this site. The perfect check dive for a liveaboard.
Thank you for contacting us about the Surin Islands
Thank you for contacting us - we will try to get back to you as soon as possible. Please remember that we are based in SE Asia - so it could be up to 18 hours before we can reply (we do sleep sometimes!)
If you would like to hear a bit more from us - please join our newsletter over on the right side. We send out our newslettters about 4 times a year - no inbox stuffing from us!
We are also active on our Facebook Page - with posts almost everyday, pictures from our guests, past trips and more.
If you do not have insurance that covers diving - please check here for more information on how we can help.
Did you know that 2% of all our sales go directly to projects that improve our local environment or community? From building new reefs to creating income streams for a local orphanage. You will find many products on our boats and in our shop are produced through these initiatives. Each time you dive with us - you help make this possible :) If you would like to learn more about our Ethical Diving
Thank you!
Thank you for contacting us about Phi Phi
Thank you for contacting us - we will try to get back to you as soon as possible. Please remember that we are based in SE Asia - so it could be up to 18 hours before we can reply (we do sleep sometimes!)
If you would like to hear a bit more from us - please join our newsletter over on the right side. We send out our newslettters about 4 times a year - no inbox stuffing from us!
We are also active on our Facebook Page - with posts almost everyday, pictures from our guests, past trips and more.
If you do not have insurance that covers diving - please check here for more information on how we can help.
Did you know that 2% of all our sales go directly to projects that improve our local environment or community? From building new reefs to creating income streams for a local orphanage. You will find many products on our boats and in our shop are produced through these initiatives. Each time you dive with us - you help make this possible :) If you would like to learn more about our Ethical Diving
Thank you!








Paul Landgraver
