Deep Six tumbles down from the north point of Island 7. It is a collection of submerged boulders similar in topography to North Point and Christmas Point on Island 9.
A mooring line to the west brings you down to the center of the dive cite. Continue to swim north where you can find boulders which extend down to maximum depths of 35-40 meters.
Stay close to the rocks until you have assessed the current, which tends to be stronger towards the northern tip of the dive site. White tip reef sharks can occasionally be seen in the deeper areas, as can larger rays and Kuhl’s stingrays.
There are some great swim throughs around the big boulders at the centre of the dive site. A large arch at around 22 – 24 meters on the western side will bring you into a maze of smaller swim throughs lined with whip corals and sea fans. Pipefishes and crustaceans love these dark holes, and harlequin shrimp have been found sitting on the bottom of the western swim through. Oriental sweetlips and larger groupers can be found under rocks and table corals. Look along the rocky bottom for mantis shrimp, octopus and sea snakes. Flabellina can be found along the outside walls of the main boulders.
There is a larger channel on the eastern side of the dive site which can also provide good shelter if there is a strong current. Leopard sharks also seem to enjoy these sheltered sandy areas. Towards the south of the dive site, the boulders spread out into larger sandy areas which runs alongside of the island at around 10 meters. Look here for red and purple fire gobies and nudibranchs. Swim out into the blue for the safety stop or return to the mooring line as it can be difficult for the boat to collect you if you stay close to the island. This is also a good opportunity to look for cruising manta rays as well as to watch the large shoals of fusiliers.
Diving Depths range from 10 all the way to 30 meters and beyond! (30-100 Feet). With most time in the 15-25 meter Range (45-85 feet)
Currents are present and can be a hazard in the cracks between the huge boulders.
Visibility runs from 15-30 meters (50-100 feet) depending on prevailing conditions.
Divers should be of intermediate level and above due to depths and currents.
In March and April 2010 the Similan Islands suffered from a naturally occurring event called the Reverse Indian Ocean Dipole. This is very similar the “La Nina” that changes water temperatures and currents in the Pacific ocean. In this case, the water temperatures in the entire Andaman Sea were raised between 2 or 3 degrees above median. This was enough to damage the living corals in shallower sites and those with limited tidal interchange. On the Western facing side of the Similan National Park, the affect on the sites was minimal. On the shallow sloping reefs of the Eastern side , there was a more noticeable impact on the corals. His has caused some bleaching, and on two of this sites a – a noticeable impact. The National Park system shut down several sites throughout the Andaman regionto protect the reefs from potential human impact (diving, snorkeling and fishing). These sites are already showing regrowth and at least two of the sites have re-opened at this time.
Plus understand that the bleaching is not the result of direct human impact, or over use. It is the results of vast climactic changes that are happening on our globe. The reefs are accustomed to these temperature changes and can easily adapt and regrow. They can not regrow from the damage done to them physically or chemically by inconsiderate divers and snorkelers.
As with all dive sites in the Similan Isiands, it is strongly recommended that you go with only registered and reputable dive operations, carry suitable travel insurance that covers diving accidents and evacuations as well as trip cancellations insurance due to the potentially erratic weather conditions.
