The Countdown Begins - Similan & Surin National Marine Parks Open - 15/10/2015
In just a few weeks from now, Thailand’s Similan & Surin National Marine Parks will open, and we are counting down the days until October 15th 2015. The opening of the marine parks enables the public to go diving once again, after being closed for five long months. Not all of our 40+ boats will sail out on the first day, but one or two will. The lucky guests on board MV Dolphin Queen and Deep Andaman Queen will be the first to see the amazing marine life, hidden from the public eye during the monsoon months.
Thailand’s biggest and best dive exhibition is currently underway in Bangkok. There are dive centres from all over Asia, offering business opportunities and special deals for those prepared to pop in and pay a visit.
The diving season is only six weeks old on Thailand’s Andaman Coast, but the reports of marine life sightings are already extremely positive, especially for large species or sharks and rays, and marine mammals, including Orca (Killer Whales)!
No, not the next Disney movie, but a serious situation in Thailand’s Andaman Sea on Wednesday lunchtime (January 29th 2014). A scuba diving liveaboard boat has dramatically sunk between Koh Bon and Koh Tachai. Thankfully, nobody was hurt, and the vessel involved was NOT one offered by Similan Diving Tours. However, one of our most popular liveaboard boats came to the rescue, saving all passengers and crew.
After nearly five months of waiting, The Similan Islands National Marine Park is finally open once more! This is excellent news for everyone involved, from boat captains to visiting tourists. Each year the authorities close the marine parks to the public during the wet season in order to give the ecosystem a break and because the seas can be quite rough. Being so far (60km. +) from the mainland means that rescuing anyone who has fallen victim to the waves is difficult and hazardous. But now here we are in mid October and the first day trips have been and returned, reporting wonderful conditions at the start of this 2013-14 diving season.
