Similans update!

[Ringo]

Yup Batfish - in agreement.
But somebody has got to do the office work!

 

[hdlee]

Any updated imformation on Feb? Water temp and Vis now?
I will dive at Similan next week.......
Thx!!

 

[Ringo]

This week reports of temp's dropping to 26 and as low as 22 C in some parts! Viz not at its usual best due to the plankton in the water which of course is bringing in more of the bigger pelagics. Apparently there are loads of Mantas and 2 whalesharks were spotted from 1 cruise alone. Patrick, owner of MV Jazz reckons that the marine life is the best that he has seen over the past 10 years!

Enjoy your cruise HDLee!!

 

[hdlee]

Ringo
Thank you...
Similan will be very crowded during Lunar New Year..(Next week 18/Feb)

 

[Quero]

This week reports of temp's dropping to 26 and as low as 22 C in some parts! Viz not at its usual best due to the plankton in the water which of course is bringing in more of the bigger pelagics. Apparently there are loads of Mantas and 2 whalesharks were spotted from 1 cruise alone. Patrick, owner of MV Jazz reckons that the marine life is the best that he has seen over the past 10 years!

Enjoy your cruise HDLee!!

Okay, so it's not the Similans, but not all of us go up there all the time...
However, I can report on local dives from Phuket:
Racha Noi today--viz 10-15 m, thermoclines, minke whales,
AND a whaleshark at Banana Bay!

 

[Vie]

Bowmouth guitarfish (Rhina ancylostoma) spotted at Elephant Head Rock (6 Jan 2007).

See photos at:

http://www.siamscubadiving.com/board/view.php?tid=1978

 

[bubblemonkey]

I have dived the Similans alot in the last 10 days the water temp doesnt drop below @7 degs and viz is usually 10-20meters off to Hin deng and Hin Muang tomorrow and am in Phuket at the mo while the boat restocks....4meter Manta the oter day and some mating octopus.....come on the whale shark....

 

[Ringo]

For those still going on the Liveaboards -apparently still loads of mantas up there and a whaleshark at Richelieu Rock this week. Also quite a few sightings of the guitarshark at Elephant Head.(Thanks for sharing the pics Vie).

 

[Pauillac]

I was diving the Similans, Koh Tachai, Koh Bon and Richelieu last week. There's a couple of mantas hanging out in the Similans (I only managed to catch a glimpse of them), and there's about four at Koh Bon. On a good day there, they're impossible to miss, we saw them for most of the dive, including a visit during our safety stop. Didn't see the whale shark at Richelieu though, but we did see a sea horse. Oh, also saw a couple of leopard sharks at Koh Tachai.

 

[shellbackdiver1]

I was at the Similans from Feb3-7 and the visibility by my calibrated eye was a clouded 10-15 meters. Some places were better/worse. The captain of our boat stated that this is the worst year in a long time for visibility. I don't know cause this was my first time at Similan.

Did see the Mantas and got a couple of pictures but there was alot of food in the water and big cold current at one point.