Visiting Ko Similan Marine National Park |
If scuba diving is on your agenda, make sure the Similan Islands is part of your plans. Ko Similan National Marine Park in Thailand has been rated number one by the U. S. publication, Skin Diving, of the top ten scuba diving sites in the world. The Similan Islands, located in the heart of the Andaman Sea, are indeed unparalleled in their exotic underwater beauty. If planning a visit, keep in mind that anytime between December to April is recommended, with the best month being March, since the monsoons are over and the water is clear.
The Similan National Marine Park was established in 1982 and located in Phang-Nga Province covering 128 square kilometers. Of this, 14 square kilometers is land, composed of all the islands put together. Located along the western coastline of the Andaman Sea in the Indian Ocean, these nine exotic granite islands are waiting for scuba divers to come explore. The islands were created by hot magma pushing through the earth's crust some 65 million years ago, then smoothed by glacial ice and the wave action of the sea. It is absolutely beautiful, both above and below water.
Similan is really the Malaysian word for nine, as there are nine islands in the Similan group. They include Ko Bangu, Ko Similan, Hin Huwagralok, Ko Payu, Ko Ha, Ko Hok, Ko Miang, Ko Payan, Ko Payang, and Ko Huyong. In 1998, the park boundary was expanded to include Ko Tachai, which is located further north of Ko Bon and the Similan group. Beneath the sea at Mu Ko Similan National Park lies a complex ecosystem commonly called the rain forest of the sea, the coral reefs. The major residents of the reef are coral and the closely related sea anemones of the Phylum Cnidaria and Class Anthozoa, which contains all radially symmetrical invertebrate animals. Corals and sea anemones exist as individual polyps living in either solitary or mostly colonial forms.
The polyps of hard corals construct communal limestone homes which are built up into a multitude of shapes and sizes, eventually giving rise to a coral reef. Soft corals have soft bodies made of large numbers of identical polyps, connected by fleshy tissue (Zooxanthallae). These soft corals contain small algae within their tissues which are able to convert the sun's energy into food. This cooperative relationship is known as symbiosis and also exists in hard corals, clams and other marine organisms. There are several factors that support a good environment for the reef i.e. temperature, salinity, light, wave and tide, sedimentation and nutrient. Therefore, healthy coral reef can be found easily in the Andaman Sea compared to the Gulf of Thailand. In the Andaman Sea, coral reefs are classified as deep water and medium water coral. The deep water coral reef grows down to 30 meters. Of course, in this case water allows enough light for the algae. This reef type is mostly found in the Similan and Surin islands. For the rest of the area, medium water coral reef grows between 8-15 m beneath the surface. When vacationing at a resort in Phuket, make sure you and the family come out to see this breathtaking area and all that it offers. |
