Christmas Point – Dive Similan Islands

Christmas Tree

Dive Similan Islands High light Christmas Point is certainly one of the most dramatic dive sites in the whole of the Similan Islands group. It is attached to island number 9, just west of the probably more famous North Point.

This dive site is completely submerged except for the top of a huge boulder breaking the surface, which then drops down to over 20 meters and beyond. Christmas Point is situated on the North West part of the island facing out into the Andaman Sea.

There are many huge boulders on this site creating fantastic and exciting swim through and the current here can be strong especially during strong tides, so it can also be a little testing for the novice diver.

The bottom is sandy, with very little coral growth, it is very similar to the dive sites on the west of the Similans, corals, and hard ones in particular, tend not to grow this side due to the huge granite boulders not a being great habitat for corals. There are some huge Gorgonian sea fans here and it is well worth a look around to see if there is any macro life on them.

The visibility can vary day to day, but on average, it will be around 20 meters. As you descend down, it soon becomes apparent how huge this site is and it is quite easy if you’re not careful, to easily exceed you’re maximum depth, the site drops down to 50 meters and beyond.

And it is this positioning that can attract the larger pelagic fish, as they come up from the deep; it is their first or last port of call before Koh Bon. Koh Bon is another excellent large pelagic viewing site, further north of the Similans.

Some of the pelagic fish you can see on Christmas point are the Great Barracuda; Giant Trevallies, Black Tip Reef Sharks and White Tips, plus Leopards Sharks too, also seen here are the massive Manta Rays, and on occasion, the elusive Whale shark.

But what makes this site so special is the variety of swim throughs created by the amazing granite boulders. If there is strong currents, the diver can hide among the swim through, in and out making tight turns along the way, it is such a fun site and is often overlooked by a lot of dive schools, so if you dive it as part of your live-aboard trip, it is likely that your group will be alone.

Other interesting critters to look out for on here are, Morays, we have seen Giant, Yellow Edged, White Eyed, Fimbriated and the most strangest of all, the Ribbon Eel. There are large schools of Bait fish and Glass fish here too, this Brings in the Blue Fin Trevallies and Yellow Mackerel’s, Dogtooth Tunas, Spanish Mackerels and Golden Trevallies rain down on these pour little fish regularly with extreme aggression.

Closer to the shallow part of the site, it is not uncommon to see Hawksbill Turtles, rooting around looking for a bite to eat. Also there is an abundance of smaller stuff Scorpion Fish lie in wait for their prey, as do their close cousins the Lionfish, watch were you put your hands. Nudibranchs, Sea Slugs, Cowrie Shells, Crabs, Spiny Lobsters lurking inside rock crevices, Blennies, Gobies, Fusiliers even Coral Banded Sea Snakes; but remember the big stuff won’t come and tap you on your shoulder to introduce themselves: look out into the blue too, you never know who might be just passing by.

Thailand Liveaboards Fleet