Similan Islands · Thailand · Reef · Sand slope · Coral garden
Anita's Reef
A coral-covered rock standing alone on the sand
Area photo: KOSIN SUKHUM · CC BY-SA 4.0
Anita's Reef is a rolling reef slope on the east coast of Similan Island 5, running from a shallow 5 to 6 m down to around 25 m, with a huge rock standing in a sandy area at the bottom under hard and soft coral. A gentle current and a slope that can be dived at any level make it a common choice for the first dive of a Similan cruise.
Where it is and how deep
8.5707° N, 97.6469° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
The rock on the sand is what most of the dive is organised around, and with the current usually gentle the slope can be worked in either direction and the group can spend as long down there as it likes. The shallow ground at 5 to 6 m sits at the top of the slope, which is where a first dive of the trip normally finishes, sorting out weighting and cameras without cutting the dive short.
Turtles are regular here, stingrays and garden eels are out on the sand, and pelagic fish pass along the slope. On the small side there are tiny box shrimp and partner gobies for anyone working the sandy ground with a macro lens, and the sand between the coral repays a slow, low pass more than a long swim along the reef edge does.
Marine life and season
- Sea turtles
- Stingrays
- Macro critters
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Off-season | Off-season | Off-season | Off-season | Off-season | Off-season | Good | Prime |
Season follows Similan Islands: Similan National Park closes mid-May to mid-October for monsoon recovery; calm seas and peak manta/whale shark sightings run December-March.
Sources
- Anita's Reef — Divezone
- Anita's Reef — Scubago
- Similan Islands dive sites — Dive The World
More dive sites in Similan Islands
Wreck
The 27 m liveaboard Atlantis X, bow at 16 m
Reef
Longest reef in the Similans, over 300 coral species
Reef
Big granite blocks with reef sharks and Napoleon wrasse
Coral garden
Morning light on a shallow coral garden off Ko Bangu
Granite arches at the exposed north end of the chain
Drift
Strong-current ridge with soft coral gardens and big boulders
Reef
Shallow bay under the duck-shaped rock, with no current
Violet and blue corals on the site's main bommie
Similar dives elsewhere
Brain, maze and table coral from 3 m, easy enough to snorkel
Coral top at 4 m with an outer sand slope running to 30 m
Swim-throughs behind walls of glassfish, and no current
A 40 m drop-off on the west side, with 20 to 30 m of visibility