Similan Islands · Thailand · Pinnacle · Cave & cavern
Elephant Head Rock
Granite tunnels and arches between islands 6 and 7
Area photo: Reinhard Link · CC BY-SA 2.0
Elephant Head Rock is a cluster of granite boulders between Similan islands 6 and 7, named for the rock at the surface that carries the shape of an elephant's head. Below it, small caves, arches and swim-throughs run between the blocks on a profile of 25 to 40 m, and the water pushing through those gaps has given the site a reputation for currents that run in every direction at once.
Where it is and how deep
8.6217° N, 97.6413° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
The rock that breaks the surface gives the site its name and its only landmark; everything divers come for sits underneath it, where a field of granite blocks stacks into small caves, arches and swim-throughs. The usual profile runs between 25 and 40 m, so bottom time in the maze is short, and the sand between the outer boulders keeps falling away to around 70 m, well below anything this dive uses.
Current decides how the dive goes. Water pushes through the gaps hard enough that the site is known for spin-cycle currents running in every direction, and it can be very strong, so the passages are taken one at a time with the group kept close. The bigger fish use the same water: giant trevally and barracuda hunt around the large blocks, whitetip, blacktip and leopard sharks are all recorded here, and hawksbill turtles, lionfish, groupers and snappers hold to the rock. On a clear day visibility runs past 30 m, which helps when a boulder breaks the group's line of sight.
Background
Elephant Head Rock was named in the mid-1970s by Horst Hinrichs, a German diver who founded one of the early Phuket dive shops, for the shape the exposed granite takes at the surface. It has since become one of the most famous dive sites on the west side of the Similan chain, and the name is the only one it is dived under today.
Marine life and season
- Reef sharks
- Trevally & jacks
- Barracuda
- Sea turtles
- Groupers
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Fair | Off-season | Off-season | Off-season | Off-season | Fair | Good | Prime |
Season follows Similan Islands: The park is closed by law from mid-May to mid-October; December to April is the calm high season.
Know before you go
- Currents are known to run in every direction at once and can be very strong; take the swim-throughs one at a time and stay close enough to regroup between boulders.
- The profile sits between 25 and 40 m with the sand falling to about 70 m below it, so no-decompression time goes quickly and the deep side gives no reference.
Dive videos
Diving Elephant Head Rock, Similan Islands, Thailand · Rems Production on YouTube
Questions divers ask
How deep is Elephant Head Rock?+
The normal profile runs from about 25 m to 40 m among the granite boulders, and the sand between the outer blocks drops to roughly 70 m, so it is planned as a deep dive with short bottom time.
Do I need an advanced certification?+
Yes. The site is rated for advanced divers: the working depth starts at 25 m and the current around the boulders can be very strong and change direction during the dive.
Sources
- Elephant Head Rock dive site — Divezone
- Diving in Thailand — Wikivoyage
- Similan Islands Dive Sites — Dive The World
In The Logbook
- Where to dive in DecemberTrip planning · 10 min read
- Why do you pee when diving, and tire after?Body & health · 12 min read
- How long should a surface interval be?Body & health · 8 min read
More dive sites in Similan Islands
Reef
A coral-covered rock standing alone on the sand
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
Reef
Granite boulder maze of swim-throughs, caverns and morays
Granite arches at the exposed north end of the chain
Drift
Strong-current ridge with soft coral gardens and big boulders
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