Honeymoon Bay is located to the east of Island 4. The sheltered location of the bay allows for a very easy and relaxing dive. Due to the shallow sandy areas this is a great place to conduct introductory and refresher dives, as well as the check dives. The location of the reef parallel to the islands longest sandy beach also means that it is accessible as a beach dive if you are staying on the island.
The reef is also a good night dive, although it is a popular mooring spot so be aware of overhead traffic. The reef gently slopes down to a sandy bottom of about 26 meters, and is made up of clusters of hard corals and small rocks. The current (although it tends to be mild) runs from north to south and the multiple mooring lines means that it is possible to start the dive at any chosen place.
At the northern end it is possible to see large Jenkins rays lying on the sandy bottom. Also scan the floor for garden eels. Large schools of fusiliers are often swimming around the shallower parts, as are a range of other reef fish including goat fish, butterfly fish, banner fish and cube box fish. It is also possible to see some large giant morays hiding under rocks. During a night dive the reef is a great place to search for crustaceans, including crabs and lobsters, as well as flat worms and nudibranchs.
Diving depths run from 0-25 meters (0-85 feet), though most time is spent in the shallows 5-10 meters (15-30 feet).
Currents are minimal due to location.
Visibility tends towards the murky, being this close to shore and beaches. 15 meters (55 feet) is normal.
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 region to 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.
