Surin Islands Information

Mu Ko Surin National Park

This park is situated at Mu 5, Tambon Ko Phra Thong.

Ko Surin was made into a National Park area on 9 July, 1981.

The best time to visit Mu Ko Surin National Park is from December to March.

Surin Islands

These consist of Ko Surin Nua and Ko Surin Tai which have more than 10 bays.

Mar Khai (Mae Yai Bay) is renowned for its serenity.

Ao Luk (Deep Bay) is famous for its deep dark green waters with beautiful coral reef in the shallows.

The best time to go sightseeing in the Andaman Sea is from the beginning of November to around the end of April.

Mu Ko Surin is the meeting place of two ecosystems:

1. The Tropical Rain Forest on the islands themselves

2. And the largest, most beautiful and most abundant shallow water coral reef in Thailand.

Ko Surin Nuea (North Surin Island)

This island is surrounded by coral reefs in several bays, some more than 300 m. wide. The reef edge contains numerous corals before sloping to a depth of 20-30 m.; for example, Ao Chong Khat, Ao Mai Ngam, Ao Sai En, and Ao Chak.

The coral reefs here suffer little in the way of strong current or wave action and provide a suitable place to snorkel. The nature trail at Hat Mai Ngam links many diverse ecosystems ranging through Evergreen Forest, Beach Forest, and Mangrove Forest to an underwater forest, the large coral reef.

Ko Surin Tai (South Surin Island)

The coral reefs of the South Surin Island are only 100-200 m. wide, but they have more diversity than those of the North Surin Island. Some famous diving sites are Ao Phakkat, and Ko Torinla. Ao Tao is the best site to easily see sea turtles, and has the first underwater nature trail established in Thailand to learn about the marine ecosystem.

Ko Torinla (Ko Khai)

Famous as the most beautiful shallow coral reef in Thailand, it hosts a vast Staghorn Coral reef, the habitat of several marine animals ranging from match-stick length goby up to 4- metre-wide Manta Rays.

Ao Chong Khat

This bay is located between the North and South Surin Islands, and its narrowest point is about 200 m wide.

It can be swam across during low tide. The water is shallow (1-3 m.), and it is a suitable place for playing, and learning to snorkel (snorkeling and diving equipment rental fee is 100 baht/day/set). The shallow water coral reef here has scattered 1-meter-high massive corals and also some submassive corals.

Marine animals found include Sea anemones, over 550 anemonefish, Giant Clams, and small fish such as pipefish, and small parrotfish.

However, one should be careful when the tide is rising or falling, and also beware of long-tailed boats since this is the route to other bays around the islands.

Ao Mai Ngam

A safe snorkeling and diving site and the nearest. Can be reached by walking along the 2 km. Nature trail starting at the Substation.

The coral reef ranges from 200-800 m. offshore.

In the shallower areas, there are many corals, particularly Foliose, found scattered in large beautiful groups.

Deeper, there are massive corals mixed with Staghorn Corals to a depth of 12 – 15 m. Massive corals are habitats of many strange colored fish like parrotfish, wrasse, butterfly fish, and anemone fish. You should snorkel during the high tide period to prevent damage to these corals.

Ao Mae Yai

In the past, it was home to one of the largest Staghorn Coral reefs of Thailand. Today, the area is a rehabilitation site with no permission to dive other than in the cape area at the southern tip of the bay site 20 m. below the surface

Ao Chak

A rather remote site due to its distance from the Substation (45 min. by boat), and one of the best snorkeling and diving sites of the islands. The coral reef lies at 200-400 m. from the shore, where Staghorn Corals and several other species can be found. The reef gradually drops to a depth of 12-15 m. where a few soft corals and sea fans are found.

Ao Tao

A highlight of the area is that Hawksbill Turtles are often found, as well as Green Turtles and several species of fish such as butterflyfish and puffer. The reef here is 100-200 m. wide before sloping to a depth of 20 m. In shallow areas are again found various corals including Staghorn Corals. There is also an underwater nature trail se out here, which is a snorkeling and diving treat not to be missed.

Ao Phakkat

The area has a rich diversity of corals, especially foliose corals. Angelfish are often found and there are no less than 7 species. In deeper areas are found some small soft corals and sea fans. The coral reef is about 300 m. long and 100 m. wide, before sloping to a depth of about 18 m. A popular snorkeling and diving site.

Ko Torinla (Ko Khai)

In summer, this area is not only the best snorkeling and diving site of Mu Ko Surin but also the best in Thailand. It is located about 1 km. From South Surin Island.

The coral reef is found on the northern side of the island and is about 500 m. long and 100 m. wide before sloping to a depth of 15-20 m. In the shallower areas, one of the largest and densest areas of branching corals are found.

The submerged rocks between Ko Torinla and Ko Surin are an interesting scuba diving site. There are several species of soft corals and sea fans, no less than 242 species of coral reef fish, as well as larger species like Manta Rays.

Topography of a Coral Reef

Most coral reefs alrle fringing reefs, and it can be easily observed that these reefs are located along shoreline connected to a beach. The reef is divided into 3 areas, which are Reef Flat, Reef Edge, and Reef Slope.

The First Underwater Nature Trail of Thailand

This trail was created to promote knowledge and experience in environmental education on coral reefs, by snorkeling and diving from stop to stop requiring no more than average snorkeling and diving skills.

It takes not more than 30 min. to cover the trail, which consists of 10 stops.

There are large numbered signs tied underwater and by reading the information provided for each stop in the underwater manual, a whole new world will open up to you.

If you are interested in doing the trail, please contact the park rangers to borrow the underwater manual and also rent a boat to reach the start point (about 15 min.).

Here are the ten stops:

1. Funny Anemone-fishes
   
   There are nine False Clown Anemonefish living here with the sea anemones. Each has a different behavior. The mother fish usually comes out to protect her family.
   

2. Large Tabulate Corals
   
   The coral reef ecosystem is a rich but limited habitat. Bottom dwelling species have their own means for survival in the struggle of life.
   

3. Huge Giant Clam
   
   There are only 3 species of giant clams left in Thailand. This particular giant clam is one of the largest ones reported in Thailand.
   

4. Fire Corals (Millepora tenella)
   
   Fire corals are actually jellyfish and they have a potent poison.
   

5. Fire Corals (Millepora platyphylla)
   
   Fire Corals can be found everywhere around Surin Islands.
   

6. Massive Corals and Fish Bites
   
   Parrotfish mainly eat corals. Their parrot-like beaks work very well to scrape corals. Here, you can see the results.
   

7. Diverse Corals
   
   This stop tells the story of se veral species and forms of corals such as massive corals, branching corals, and submassive corals.
   

8. Soft Corals
   
   They are not like other corals. Discounting their soft bodies, there are many other factors that make them different. Take a closer look.
   

9. Natural Dead Corals
   

10. Net Fragment Caught on Corals
    
    Corals can be destroyed by human beings in several ways either intentionally or not. Net fragments cut or torn from a boat stuck on corals cause many problems.

Hat Mai Ngam Nature Trail

This trail being about 2 km. Long, is suitable for an hour of walking.

On the trail, you will pass three kinds of forest:

• Moist Evergreen Forest

• Beach Forest

• Swamp Forests.

Some rare species of bird can be found with careful observation. Some such as the Large Green Pigeon, the Pied Imperial Pigeon, but most particularly the Nicobar Pigeon, are found only on distant offshore islands in the Andaman Sea like Mu Ko Surin and Mu Ko Similan.

These are the stops and points of interest along the way:

1. Ao Chong Khat
   
   Diving point with several species of fish.
   

2. Ficus altissima
   
   A fig tree. Its ripe fruits are the food of several animals, including Mouse Deer, Flying Foxes, several types of bird and some larvae.
   

3. Shoreline Geology
   
   A submerged shoreline. From this point, you can see Ko Pachumba or Ko Mangkon where there are many Spiny Lobsters.
   

4. The largest Alexandrian Laurel (Calophyllum inophyllum) in Thailand.
   

5. Beach Forest
   
   Found on the shore above high tide level. On the sandy beach, Sea Almond (Terminalia catappa), Barringtonia racemosa, and Scaevola taccada, and sometimes Pandanus sp. Are found.
   

6. Freshwater Pond
   
   The freshwater pond is a habitat of plants like Elephant’s Ear (Colocasia esulenta) and Fishtail Palms (Caryota urens), and small animals like shrimp and fish.
   

7. Rattan Palm (Calamus sp.)
   
   A palm that Morgan Sea Gypsies use to sew Pandanus leaves together to make boat sails and thatches.
   

8. Mangrove Forest
   
   A spawning ground and habitat for many animals.

   Mangrove helps prevent sediments from the land flowing into the sea.

   Vegetation in Mangrove Forest is adapted for survival in salt water; for example, White Mangrove (Ceriops tagal) and Sonneratia caseolaris have a salt excreting gland on the leaf surface, Rhizophorasl have succulent leaves for water storage and aerial roots to enable them to breathe above the suffocating mud.
   

9. Fig Tree
   
   Source of food for wildlife like birds, squirrels, and monkeys, especially in the dry season.
   

10. Licuala sp.
    
    A species of palm found at the swamp edge or in deeper Swamp Forest. The fruit is a source of food for several animals.

How to Get There

Traveling to Mu Ko Surin can be initiated from several different points:

Kuraburi Pier is the nearest point to Mo Ko Surin.

Kuraburi is some 125 Kilometres north of Phang-nga Town, 180 Km North of Phuket and only 75 Km north of Khao Lak. this is very accessible form Khao Lak as part of a day trip

Speedboats take about 50 minutes. Large, slow boats take around 3 hours.

Amphoe Kapoe Pier is in Ranong Province. The trip takes 7 hours. Visitors may contact Chansom Tara Hotel which has boats leaving Chan Damri Beach for trips to Mo Ko Surin. Not recommended – as these boats are usually fishing boats

Size of Manta Ray Baby

A manta ray was born at an aquarium in Okinawa, becoming only the world’s second such creature to be born in captivity.

The Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium in Motobu witnessed the birth of the manta ray on Tuesday. The baby was born to the same parents that had also given birth to another baby manta ray in June last year.

Aquarium staff confirmed the pregnancy in June last year, and the baby manta was born after 366 days. The father manta, which was captured by fixed netting in May 1992, has been in an aquarium longer than any other manta in the world.

As the other manta ray died only six days after being born last year due to its father chasing it into the wall of a tank, aquarium staff moved the new baby manta ray to a pond soon after it was born.

The baby manta ray, which measures about 1.8 meters in width, is reportedly healthy.

“We’ll see how it works out and hope to make the baby manta ray open to the public as soon as possible,” said a representative of the aquarium.

Manta rays live in tropical marine waters and grow to more than 6.7 meters in width.

the original article

The amazing part of this story – how LARGE the infant Manta Rays are! At birth it is 1.8 meters wide! That’s enormous. We may have been underestimating the maturity of our Manta sightings here!

that’s amazing.

Koh Bon – home of the Manta Rays

Overnight Snorkeling Tours – Thailand

Similan Snorkeling Tours

Our Snorkeling tours are incredible 3 Day and 2 night visits to the Similan Islands Marine Park. Your snorkel guides will show you the best sites, introduce you to the marine life and share the safest ways to enjoy the Similans. Our trips are Family friendly, so bring everyone! These trips are run jointly with our Diving Liveaboard, so if one member of the family is a diver, or would like to learn, this is the perfect holiday for you. Want to see the best beaches? What about those rare species that inhabit the Similan Archipelago? Your guides will take you to some amazing viewpoints and on jungle walks.

We also offer a very special “castaway” trip to the rarely visited Koh Tachai Island. This is the northernmost part of the Similan Islands National Park – we are the first and only tour operator to offer this trip – that means empty beaches and Great service!

Similan Snorkeling Tour

3 Days and  2 Nights

Only 9,900 Baht

Booking Inquiry

Here is your chance to get out and enjoy all of the marine life that the SIMILAN ISLANDS has to offer. Not everything in the big blue ocean is limited to those who dive, so grab your mask and snorkel, sunblock and fins, and hit the water with WICKED

This trip is designed with SNORKELING in mind, and will take you to not only the white pristine beaches of the SIMILANS but many other thriving reefs in the area for your SNORKELING enjoyment. You will always be accompanied by a professional Snorkel guide who will show you the ropes and help you with fish identification.

The trip price includes:

3 days, 2 nights
Marine Park Fee
Guide (no more than 4 guests per guide!)
Luxury Tents and appropriate Linens
All food – there’s always plenty so bring your appetite!
Water, tea, coffee, electrolytes, juice
Transfers from hotel/guest house to and from the pier

Additional fees:
Soda and Beer (25-80 bht ea)
Private Guide (1250 bht/day)

Want to learn more?

Koh Tachai “CASTAWAY” Snorkel Tour

December – April (weather dependent in DECEMBER)

3 Days- 2 Nights -  10,900bht

Booking Inquiry

Get away. Far, far away. Join WICKED and hitch a ride on our boat to your perfect Island getaway. Your guide will escort you to the white sandy beaches Thailand is famous for. There you will enjoy luxury camping in our own tents supplied with mattresses, mosquito netting and fresh linen. Enjoy the guided snorkeling, the secluded beaches and of course the best marine life in Thailand. Crystal clear skies, no mobile phones, no worries. Get away. Far away!

The trip price includes:

3 days, 2 nights
Marine Park Fee
Guide (no more than 4 guests per guide!)
Luxury Tents and appropriate Linens
All food – there’s always plenty so bring your appetite!
Water, tea, coffee, electrolytes, juice
Transfers from hotel/guest house to and from the pier

Additional fees:
Soda and Beer (25-80 bht ea)
Private Guide (1250 bht/day)

Divemaster detials – Similan Islands

WE saw this incredible offer at Wicked Diving about their Divemaster Program – liveaboards, khao la, similans yum

Similan Divemaster Internship Course

Divemaster Training on our Similan Island Liveaboard

Live, dive, learn in Thailand’s tropical paradise

Imagine waking up each day eager to start work?
Your office: The azure waters of the Andaman Sea
Your Job: Show people the most amazing places on Earth
End of the Day: Kick Back on the beach and watch the sunset

Tomorrow: Repeat

The Wicked Divemaster Course grants you professional level SCUBA diving certification  - the first step on a career that will can take you anywhere in the world. You will be qualified to guide divers, conduct Scuba Reviews (Refreshers) and assist Instructors.
Earn a living, doing what you love!

Wicked Diving’s divemaster training program develops your leadership abilities, qualifying you to supervise divers, plan and prepare dive trips and even lead dive trips! By the end of the course you will no longer be a diver – you will be a leader!

During your Divemaster training you will be joining our liveaboard on trips to the Similan Islands and Richelieu Rock as well as our daytrips throughout the region. With the real world experience on our boats, as well as in our busy shop, you will learn what is like to lead the life of a working Divemaster – not just the diving.

This will give you the important skills that dive operators look for in their staff.

Wicked Diving’s DM program guides you through a wide range of skills through both classroom and independent study. You will complete several water skills and stamina exercises, as well as training exercises that stretch your ability to organize and solve problems. Finally all of this practice and theory will come together by the end of your internship when you plan, organize and actually lead dive trips!

Why should I do my Divemaster course with Wicked Diving?

Our Divemaster Training program is one of the best you will find anywhere – the goal of our program is make you a dive leader. With a mind to experience, safety, service and fun we aim to make you one of the Professional diving community.

We have chosen to do the Divemaster program the way we always thought it should be – intense, through and preparing you to work in the dive world.  Our team of instructors have lived and dived around the world, with experience on all the continents (except Antarctica). We have seen the “factory” schools and the dive center’s with 20 Divemaster Trainee’s doing all the work. Instead we work side by side with you through the whole course. You are not a slave doing our work for us, you are an intern, treated with respect and soon you will be an equal – possibly even hired on as our team.

Our courses can be conducted in English, German, Dutch, Swedish, Belgian, Bahasa (Indonesian), Thai and even American. Our staff consists of the most qualified instructors in the region – Including  Instructor Trainers for SSI, DAN, EFR as well as PADI specialty courses and more thorough training such as Technical diving, Advanced Cardiac Life support and more…

Our liveaboard offers the widest and most diverse selection of dive sites in the region. Of course we do trips to all the popular Similan Island Sites, but also to the less visited Southern sites and of course Richelieu Rock and Koh Tachai. With trips ranging from 3 to 9 days and the ability to join our exciting snorkeling expeditions – we offer a very wide selection of opportunities to gain diverse experience whilst doing your divemaster program.

Wicked Diving operates the ”Greenest” dive boat in Asia. The vessel is fuelled by locally produced biodiesel and low energy appliances. Our soaps and cleaning agents are bio-degradable and do not harm the reef. A portion of all our proceeds go to local NGO’s that promote the improvement of our community at large. Please ask us for more details if you wish to learn or join in these activities.

If the great boat, experienced Instructor team and incredible diving is not enough!!! – Khao lak is only one hour north of Phuket International Airport and home to some of the best resorts in the world. With restaurants and beaches to match – it is a very laid back and comfortable town. Lacking the nightclubs and party atmosphere of places like Phuket and Pattaya, it more than makes up for it with amazing diving, relaxing sunsets and low key lifestyle.

Finally our safety and standards are among the highest in the region. With staff that are actually employed by the hyperbaric chamber to coordinate emergency evacuations in the region. Having the only active Dive Medic in Khao Lak on staff should assure you of our standards (but we actually have two!)

Interested? Send us quick note!

When can I start my Divemaster training?

We only offer this course while our liveaboard is operating – Mid-October until May. The last internship will begin around March 15, so we can assure you of adequate training time. This will give you plenty of time to complete both the practical and theoretical sections of the course.

Our Pledge to you

The Wicked Team of instructors will always be available for consultation during your Divemaster training. If you are unsure of who to complete your course with maybe you should ask yourself the following questions:
1) Is my Divemaster course more than just a few dives from the beach?
2) Do I have 2 experienced Instructor Trainers overseeing my Divemaster training?
3) Can my Divemaster course be taughtin other languages, if needed?
4) Will my Divemaster group size be smaller than that of 4 candidates?
5) Do I get discounts on more liveaboards? Can I assist on more courses if possible?
6) Do I get discounts on future courses – including my instructor course?
7) Are your instructors the owners or just employees?
Is the dive facility I want to be trained in able to offer  Instructor courses and  specialty training in Wreck diving, Nitrox, Night diving, Deep diving?
9) Will My shop be able to offer all Safety training in ALL the DAN courses? To Instructor level?
10) Are my Instructors able to help me with career advice and are they well connected in the local region and in other dive resorts around the world?
11) Am I confident my Divemaster course will be professional, knowledgeable, interesting, real world and fun?

If you can answer yes to all those questions – then give us a shout. We are eager to have you join our family! Remember it’s important that you feel 100% comfortable with the facility and people where you undertake your Divemaster Training.

Unfortunately the one thing we cannot give you an idea of is sense of family you will feel at Wicked. Our shop is here because we love what we are doing, not to get rich. We started this shop because we thought that a dive shop should be warm, supportive and fun. If your passion is diving then we are here for you!

Interested? Send us quick note!

What we expect of you

You need to meet all the prerequisites for the Divemaster Course (see below). If this is not the case we can do the necessary courses or dives with you, or if you prefer, you can do them somewhere else before you come here for your Internship.
By the end of your Divemaster Training we expect you to have all the equipment required as a Divemaster, this includes the normal complete equipment and articles like a dive knife, compass, marker buoy, etc. What you don’t have we can offer you at very good prices.

You need to provide your own accommodation and food so you need to be able to live here for the time span needed without income. We are happy to help you find accommodation and show you the local markets.

Being of clean mind is paramount in preventing accidents. The well-being of you, our guests and our staff are utmost in our decisions. If you can not show up for your courses and dives with a clear head and sound decision making ability – we will not complete your course and we do not issue refunds.

Most important for us is a professional attitude from you (don’t worry, that also includes having fun), you don’t want to look upon it as a vacation. This includes good appearance, high standards of safety and service when dealing with our guests. If you would a job in the diving industry, we’ll train you! If you want to hang out on the beach and drink beer all day – go for it – just not here!

What you can expect of us

Wicked Diving does not care about your race, religion, color, sex, nationality or orientation. We will try our hardest to mentor you into the career of divemaster. We will conduct frequent and detailed lectures about all topics in your course (and more).

We will you treat you with a  professional attitude.   We have a lot of fun, but there can be risks associated with diving and we will work our hardest to prevent accidents form happening – THEN we will have fun.

We will offer all the tools, materials and knowledge you need to complete your course . We will celebrate your success and share in your failures. We will treat you as part of our family.

Interested? Send us quick note!

What all is involved in the Divemaster course?

The goal of the Wicked Diving Divemaster training program is to improve your level of diving and diving knowledge.  You should feel confident and knowledgeable in both the theory and practical elements of recreational scuba diving. You will assist instructors teaching real courses and get hands on experience supervising and leading dives. You’ll learn mapping techniques and map an actual dive site, guide certified divers, test and hone your rescue skills, learn how to handle stressful situations underwater and learn how to teach some programs.

Our Divemaster course requires you to;
Complete a series of waterskills and stamina exercises in confined and open water environments.
Three required training exercises that test organizational and problem solving abilities.
Mapping a dive site, including underwater and surface features
Equipment exchange: demonstrate the ability to solve unanticipated problems underwater
Conduct a class, under the supervision of a Instructor
Internship or Practical Training Exercises
Internship: hands-on experience supervising and assisting divers in actual programs, under the guidance of a Instructor
Practical Training Exercises: simulated scenarios in supervising and assisting divers, under the supervision of a Instructor
Plan, prepare and lead a dive trip

The training and experience you gain through our Divemaster program helps shape your abilities and attitude toward becoming a professional level diving educator. As such, many Wicked Diving trained Divemasters go on to become Instructors and working Divemasters around the world

There are three phases in the Divemaster programme:

1. Watermanship and skills assessment

• Watermanship and stamina skills
• Rescue evaluation
• General diving skills
• Developing Diver skills to demonstration quality. This we will complete over a number of skills circuits.
• You will have to produce an Emergency Assistance Plan and map for a local dive site.

2. Knowledge Development

• Diving physics
• Diving physiology
• Diving skills and environment
• Supervising students in training
• Supervising certified divers
• Divemaster conducted programs
• Decompression theory and dive planning
• Diving Equipment
• Emergency planning

3. Practical application
This involves training activities using various structured training sessions, simulated scenarios and internship sessions with actual Wicked Diving programs. These training sessions enable you to gain practical experience as an instructional assistant and a supervisor of diving activities, both as a coordinator and as an underwater guide. These involve courses on land, leading divers, preparing longtail, speedboat and liveaboard trips

Conducted as an internship over a minimum of 6 weeks, you will gain practical experience of student and diver supervision while working under the close guidance of our experienced professional staff.

Interested? Send us quick note!

What do I need before I begin the Divemaster Course?

• Advanced Open Water Diver or qualifying certification from another training organization
• Rescue certification or qualifying certification from another training organization
• You must also have completed the Emergency First Responder course or have been certified in First/Aid CPR within the last 2 years (you must provide current certification).
• Medical clearance signed by physician
• 20 logged dives
• 18 years old20

If you are not already an Advanced open water Diver or Rescue Diver, no problem- we can organize that for you. Contact us to let us know your requirements.

What equipment do I need for the Divemaster Course?

To start a Divemaster course, you don’t need any equipment. However, by the time you complete your Divemaster training, you should have a full set. In order to work as a Divemaster, most dive centers expect you to have your own equipment.
We offer advice and great deals on scuba diving gear – please contact us for further information.

What do I need while doing the course?

The Divemaster manuals you will require to buy and read in advance of your Divemaster course are:

• Divemaster manual
• Divemaster Diving Knowledge Workbook
• The Encyclopdia of Recreational Diving

You will be required to have:

• Full set of dive gear (available for rent or purchase at great discounts)
• Surface Marker Buoy
• Whistle or other surface alert device
• Compass
• Some form of Dive knife (Sea Snips are perfect)

Length of the Divemaster package

Over the course of the two liveaboards, you will do a total of at least 18 dives, if you require future dives to reach 60 dives (minimum required before qualifying as a divemaster), you can do further liveaboards for only 5,000 baht!!
There will also be plenty of opportunities to join out trips to local dive sites (and even exploratory dives) as well as joining our speedboat trips, so it should be pretty easy to get your 60 dives in the 6 weeks of your course.

How much does the  Divemaster Course cost?

The Divemaster Course costs 35,000 THB. The course materials are 7,700 THB.

A full set of equipment can be rented for 5,000 baht for the 6 weeks of the internship. We offer discounts on all equipment purchased (a very good idea if you are looking for work afterwards).

As this is actually the price of two liveaboards (included in the rpcie), it is an incredible bargain!

Not included in this price:
Room & Board
Transportation
Equipment

Interested? Send us quick note!

Life in khao lak

We can help you organize cheap accommodation in Khaolak. Serviced rooms can range from 8,000 and up per month. Simple bungalows can be found for 5,000 for month and nice houses can be rented for 10-15,000 per month. It is often best to share accommodation while here – both for economic reasons, but also to have a fellow DMT to discuss the lessons with!

Meals will cost between 40-180 (or more) baht per meal & beers are 25-70 baht depending where you buy them (eg 7/11 or a bar). We provide you with meals when you are out diving on the liveaboard, and lunch on the daytrips. Khaolak has a very broad range of restaurants and can cater to all palettes, from Thai to Indian to Swedish to Italian and beyond. Be prepared to pay more for those places!

Our town, Khaolak is only a one hour drive from the Phuket International Airport. But we are light years away from Phuket! The area is small, catering to mostly tourists You will find all the necessities of life here, but not the luxuries. We plan trips to Phuket to visit the Hyperbaric chamber every two weeks and these are great opportunities to pick up any luxury items or treats you might need. We also plan trips to the movie theater when special movies are released.

You might find life here easier if you have a scooter, but be very cautious. It is very common to have accidents, usually not serious, but they can cost you weeks of time out of the water!

You will always have access to free tea, coffee, water & fruit when you are in the dive center and there is a small fridge where you can keep a few essentials.

Interested? Send us quick note!

Divemaster Training on the Similan Islands

This looks to be a great deal from deal from Wicked Diving in Khao Lak, Thailand. Not only getting to dive the Similans everyday, but to do a few liveaboards as part of a DM course? What a deal

Similan Divemaster Training Course

Take this unique opportunity and become a professional diver. Join our Similan Divemaster internship program. Dive from our liveaboard in the Similan Islands, while living, diving and learning in the world-famous tropical paradise of Khao Lak, Thailand.

Our Divemaster training program will bring you experience, knowledge and skills that allow you to work as a professional diver any where in the world

All of this AND you still join at least 2 of our Similan liveaboard diving safaris. With these trips you will have the opportunity to see and dive with Manta Rays, Whale Sharks, Turtles, Sharks and the hundreds of other species of Marine Life that make this one of the Top Ten Dive Sties in the world – the Similan Islands!!

Want to know more?

Wait! This price is incredible! Only 35,000 Thai baht to become a professional diver!!!
We also offer discounts on Equipment, future Similan Island liveaboards and all our selection of specialty courses. We are also an instructor Training facility, so you can move up to the next level after you complete Thailand’s best Divemaster training course.

We do not offer “short courses” and we are not a factory school. We only enroll a very limited numbers of divemaster interns at one time.  We aim for the most thorough training and our goal is to make you an employable, experienced member of the worldwide professional diving community. Our course is twice as long as most other shops, and almost all our former Divemaster students are working as DM’s in the Similan Islands and around the world. Please check here for more details

Want to know more?

You will be “immersed” in the world of scuba diving.  Not just being taught, but actually working alongside your instructors on our Similan Island liveaboard, on our speedboat and maybe even arranging and conducting trips to Khao Lak’s local shipwrecks! You will learn how a shop runs, how to coordinate a dive trip, to supervise divers in the water – even how to assist in teaching courses!  Our Similan Divemaster course is for the passionate diver – who wants more!

You will find your head “swimming” with all the new experiences – imagine showing  the incredible dive sites of the Similan Islands and Richelieu Rock to “your divers”.  You will be tending to our guests safety as you share your passion for the marine life you see on each dive, while readying them and their equipment for the next dive. In the shop you will get hands-on training for the real world – seeing how trips are planned and prepared for, equipment serviced and paperwork (yup, there is STILL paperwork – even in diving) readied for each guest.

Want to know more?

When you join our “school”, you’ll see that things are different.  We are passionate about safety and service. We conduct lectures every two weeks for the whole diving community in Khao Lak regarding safety, marine life and even the results of our exploratory dives around the region. We are a small school with the personal touch.  You will be mentored through the divemaster internship with your own instructor, but all our staff lend a hand in training. More details.

It is not often you can take 6-8 weeks out of your hectic life to live in the tropics, enjoy one of the worlds truly great cuisines, dive some of the best dive sites in the world (Similan Islands, Richelieu Rock, Koh Bon , Koh Tachai) , visit white sand beaches for your lunch break and still end up with a career!

Please realize that by joining this diving adventure you are not guaranteeing your certification in any courses since Divemaster course certification is a result of completing/passing required coursework, completing dives and/or examinations. More details here

Please realize that by joining this diving adventure you are not guaranteeing your certification in any courses since course certification is a result of completing/passing required coursework, completing dives and/or examinations.

Staying and living in Khao Lak:
We are happy to help you organize accommodation while doing your course. Living here is inexpensive. Unlike Phuket, this is a small town with lots of relaxed places to live. You can choose from serviced units (like hotel rooms) or actual houses with kitchens. Often times you will find that staying with other DMT’s (Dive Master Trainee’s) is a great way to live cheaply and share study time. More details

Khao Lak is about one hour North of Phuket Airport, but is a world away from the madness and chaos of Phuket. Khao Lak is a small town with lots of beaches and quiet laid-back restaurants. We are surrounded by the Khao Lak – Lamru National Park, and of course the World Famous Khao Sok National Park is just up the road from here.

Please bear this in mind – unlike Phuket, Khao Lak is quiet. Lacking in real nightlife and “go-go” bars, we like it. If you are coming to Thailand to party, this is NOT the town for you. On the other hand if you are here to dive, learn about diving and to see some of the best dive sites in Thailand – come on up!

Want to know more?
You’ll also find that we offer so much more. With Climbing, trekking, golfing, snorkeling, kayaking all within a few minutes of Khao Lak we often take our guests for excursions ourselves. If you need a ride to the airport – we do it!
Don’t just dive with us – experience Khao Lak! Stay for a few weeks and see how things are…maybe just disappear into a hammock for a while…

All our staff have extensive safety training from Diver Safety. We also involve you in our ongoing projects like Whale Shark Conservation, Greenfins and Reef Check.

Safe Snorkeling Guidelines

Safe Similan Island Snorkeling Guidelines

Snorkelling on the Similan Islands is a safe, interesting, and relaxing experience, provided a few basic rules are followed. The points below are the things we discuss in all our pre-snorkel safety briefings, and we offer them here in the interest of safe snorkeling for everybody. If you have other questions please refer to our snorkeling FAQ’s

Simply relax and move slowly. Marine life is less threatened by a relaxed snorkeler. Swimming slowly is not only more comfortable for you, but also is less likely to intimidate the wildlife we have all come to observe. Many creatures are extremely sensitive to vibrations in the water, and in fact depend on this sense for their survival. Quick motions of snorkelers are easily perceived as potential threats by many fish and invertebrates.

Overnight Snorkel tours

Snorkeling Daytrips

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No matter how strong you are, humans simply cannot out swim animals such as whales, rays, turtles, fish and squid. Although the impulse may be to pursue these animals for a closer look, this will only scare them away. The relaxed snorkeler will find that aquatic mammals (including your snorkeling buddy), fish, and invertebrates will continue their natural behavior, while allowing you to approach them much more intimately.

Some very good Advice: Avoid Snorkeling alone.  An overwhelming number of accidents happen to divers who go it alone, so having a buddy with you is a valuable asset in case of mishap.  Choose a buddy who you are comfortable with and stay close together while you are out.  And don’t snorkel if you cannot swim.

If you have other questions please refer to our snorkeling FAQ’s
Try to adjust all mask and snorkel settings for comfort and fit on the beach or boat first – it is much easier to do than when you already in the water! Don’t forget – use defogger or spit saliva onto the glass of the mask and then rinse before starting the snorkel, otherwise the mask will fog up.

Be aware of your surroundings.  Know the area that you are snorkeling in and if there are any areas to avoid.  Be very careful around rocky shores or pounding surf, which can pick up a snorkeler and cause injury. We don’t want to hurt the coral

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Remember to equalize the pressure in your ears if diving down while snorkeling – do it early and often (as a guide – once for every meter you descend). If it hurts – stop! Failure to do so will result in barotrauma (burst blood capillaries) in your middle ear, which then usually leads to infection.

Minimize contact with the reef. Learning to control our movements and position in the water benefits our own comfort and safety as well as the health of the reef. Both are important! Reefs are constructed primarily by colonies of coral animals called polyps. By secreting a limestone skeleton, covered with a thin verneer of living tissue, over many years these slow growing creatures essentially create their own geology. Although the limestone is durable, the soft-bodied polyps can easily be damaged by contact with hands, fins etc.
While the loss of one polyp doesn’t appear to be such a big problem, this spot will be more susceptible to infections and can cause further mortality on the colony. Besides the impact on the coral, accidentally bumping into the reef can also harm you. Coral will easily cut through your soft skin, especially after you have spent some time in the water. Cuts in general, and coral cuts in particular, will heal slowly in the tropics, and are more susceptible to infection. For the mutual benefit of the reef and ourselves, we believe it’s both prudent and responsible to master the skills needed to minimize accidental close encounters with coral.

Overnight Snorkel tours

Snorkeling Daytrips

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If swimming or snorkelling, always beware of boats coming past. Wave to make sure the boat driver can see you. Boat propellers and human limbs do not mix!!!

Live and let live. In contrast to its initial appearance of grandeur, living space on the reef is very scarce. Every little niche is or will be occupied soon by an organism of some type. Empty shells are a valuable part of the ecosystem, and they get recycled many times. Besides the obvious environmental concerns, some “live shells” can be quite dangerous. Some of the most beautiful (cone shells for example) contain animals that are highly toxic and when “captured” can cause serious problems. We discourage any shell collecting, other than items found above the high tide line.

If you see a shark while snorkeling, just keep quiet and observe it, don’t panic. The sharks around the Similan Islands are never aggressive towards people in the water.

Leave nothing but bubbles. Although you don’t see as many signs as along a typical highway, littering under water is just as inappropriate as it is on land. We always carry trash bags during our outings, both from shore and from boats. Please use these containers rather than disposing refuse in the water. Pay special attention to plastic bags. They blow away easily and once in the water they closely resemble jellyfish, the main diet of many turtles.

Overnight Snorkel tours

Snorkeling Daytrips

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Fish feeding. While dispersing “food” in the water seems an easy way to attract large numbers of fish, it will often attract just certain species that usually chase other species away. Clearly, this alters the natural behavior (and diet) of fish we have come to observe. We discourage feeding the fish.
Turtles may be cute and relaxed, but they learn to trust humans and go to them for food. While you might not take one home to cook it, there are a great many people who will. Try not to teach turtles these bad habits.

Using the guidelines above should enhance the snorkeling experience for you and the reef, and help preserve both for generations to come.

Snorkel the Similan Islands

Khao Lak Snorkel Center

Daily Snorkeling Tours to the Similan and Surin Islands

We are far more than just a dive shop. Our Snorkel tours bring you to the most beautiful snorkeling sites in Thailand. For a one day trip you can chose between a one day Similan Island or Surin Island Snorkeling trips. But we also have an amazing 3 day/2 night Similan Snorkel tours where you can stay on on boat or stay on the islands! We also have a very special “castaway” tour that lets you stay overnight on the rarely visited Koh Tachai Island – Empty beaches and personal service

All our guides are passionate about the aquatic realm and it shows! We do far more than just swim around – rather we point out special species, unique coral systems and even some of the rare animals that live on the islands – like the Nicobar Pigeon and Hairy-Legged Crabs.  But be careful – you might just stay an extra few days!

Wicked snorkel trips are very family friendly and can be conducted in English, Swedish, German and Thai. We are famous for our thorough briefings and high standards!

Similan Overnight Snorkeling Tours

Our Similan Overnight tours take you out for 3 days and 2 nights exploring the Similan Islands. Each overnight snorkeling tour always has guides designated specifically for you! Rejoice – the groups are always small no more than 6 guests per guide! The whole family can join as YOU choose to spend your evenings on the beach in our luxury tents, or on the boat. Our chef prepares all meals to your desires, and boy are they good. Great for the whole family as we cater to both divers and snorkelers. Stay together, yet do you own activities. The stars of the Andaman skies
We also have the unique “Castaway” package that takes you to Koh Tachai Island – the least visited part of the Similan Island National Park. Empty beaches, great snorkeling and incredible service. Prices Start at 9900 Baht for Adults
Booking Inquiry

One Day Similan Island snorkel trips

Using our speedboat we visit the similans for a great days snorkeling. Your guides will meet you at your resort in the morning, let you know about the specific destinations to be expected and some information about safety and guidelines for safe snorkeling. Soon you’ll be on the white sand beaches and turquoise waters of the Similan Islands. After a Buffet lunch of Thai delicacies we head off to one of the viewpoints for a scenic overview, then more snorkeling (or sunbathing if you prefer). Back to your resort with plenty of time for a sunset drink overlooking the Andaman Sea.  Only 2900 Baht for Adults
Booking Inquiry

Surin Islands Snorkeling Tours

The Surin Islands are more remote, and have much fewer visitors than the Similan islands. The Surins are famous for their great snorkeling (the diving is not so great). The corals are in great condition – With many small remote beaches. Made up two very large islands and many smaller rocks The Surin islands have plenty of choices. Due to the distance we start a bit earlier and end a bit later, but well worth the effort.. Your guides will meet you at your resort in the morning, let you know about the specific destinations to be expected and some information about safety and guidelines for safe snorkeling. Once we get to the Surin’s, your guide will escort you through some great sites. After a huge lunch  we head off to one of the other beaches for some seriously scenic photography and a bit of a splash, then more snorkeling)..  Only 3500 Baht for Adults

Similan Liveaboard – FAQ’s

Diving Liveaboard FAQ

We have collected the most common questions regarding the liveaboard trips o to the Similan Islands and Richelieu Rock. Check through everything to see if your questions are answered.

If they aren’t we are very happy to answer them for you. Please contact us directly.

1. What should I bring with me?
2. What do I need If I do a Course?
3. What should I NOT bring with me?
4. Can we put our valuables in a safety deposit box?
5. Certification?
6. I can’t find my certification card. Can I still dive?
7. I haven’t dived for a while. Can I do a dive before I go on the boat?
8. Can you pick me up from the airport?
9. Arrivals/Visas:
10. Do I get a dive guide?
11. Weather?
12. When is the best time to travel to Khao Lak?
13. What are the conditions like on the Similan Islands
14. What about Travel Insurance?
15. Do I need vaccinations?
16. Where are the nearest Hospitals?
17. The nearest hyperbaric Chamber?
18. What about My safety While diving with Wicked?
19. What happens if there is an accident?
20. If there is a Small medical problem?
21. What about seasickness?
22. What kind of food is served?
23. Is the food fresh?
24. I have special dietary requirements – what should I do?
25. Can I access ATM machines in Khao Lak?
26. Do I need cash on board?
27. What currency should I take on board?
28. Is alcohol included in the price of the trip?
29. Alcohol and Diving?
30. Psst…What about other intoxicants? A little “weed” never hurts…
31. Do I need a wetsuit?
32. I have my own diving equipment
33. Do you recommend I use a Dive Computer?
34. Can I rent diving equipment?
35. Can I recharge my torch, laptop, phone and camera?
36. How much should we tip?
37. Where are the other guests from?
38. Can we put our valuables in a safety deposit box?
39. Is there phone reception/email on board?
40. Do we dive from the liveaboard or from tenders?
41. Will I see more sites than if I stay in Khao Lak?
42. What Kind of products do you use that are Green?
43. Biodiesel? Isn’t that still producing Carbon?
44. What about the Linens?
45. Bathrooms
46. I am traveling alone – will I have to share a cabin?
47. Where is good for diving with Manta Rays?
48. Will I see whale sharks?
49. How deep are the dives?
50. What are National Marine Park Fee requirements?
51. What are National Marine Park Fees for?
52. How many dives can I do in one day?
53. Are Night Dives included?
54. Can I touch things
55. Is it okay to take souvenirs?
56. What about Trash?
57. Those turtles are cute – can I feed them?
58. It’s just food, it’s okay if I toss it overboard?
59. I am mad for fishing – is it okay?

1. What should I bring with me?

Before the trip departs, we will need to see you diver certification card & log book. We understand that some people may not bring their log books with them, but we will try our best to confirm your experience level and number of dives. If you had 4 dives would you want your dive buddy to have 3000 dives?
We also strongly encourage these items:
sunscreen
toiletries
swim wear
logbook
Insurance policy
2 or 3 t-shirts
2 pairs shorts
sunglasses
hat
As evenings can sometimes be a little cooler, you might also bring a sweatshirt/jumper and light cotton pants. You always need less than you think. If you prefer to travel light, you can hire rental diving equipment on all liveaboards.

1. What do I need If I do a Course?

Proof of previous certification level. If you are hoping to do Rescue, we need to see Advanced Open Water and EFR/First Aid.
doctors certificate that you are fit for diving (40 years and under: not older than 2 years. 40 years+: not older than 1 year)

1. What should I NOT bring with me?

Try not to over pack. You will not need a dry suit! More than a single paperback. Souvenirs.

1. Can we put our valuables in a safety deposit box?

You are able to place any valuables you wish in our safe (within reason – it’s not THAT large).
We also have a storage area for your bags during your adventure. Feel secure that your goods are safe while you are traveling.

1. Certification?

You must bring proof of your current certification for presentation before departure.

1. I can’t find my certification card. Can I still dive?

If you’re a PADI or SSI diver we can check your details online, all we need from you is your full name, and your date of birth. If you’re certified with another diving organization then please let us know before arrival.

1. I haven’t dived for a while. Can I do a dive before I go on the boat?

Please! We love it if you ask this question. We are happy to offer this service to all guests. We can jump in our local pool in just a few minutes notice.
If you are certain that you can do the trip and remember everything – okay. If our very experienced staff feels otherwise you may be asked to do a “refresher” dive on the trip. This is great as you will be in a group of no more than two guests with our instructors. Of course there will be a small surcharge for this privilege. If our staff fells the course is mandatory – it shall be. No refunds or arguments please – safety first.
It is much better, both time and economically to do the Scuba Review on land before departure. Whether you do this back home before your trip begins, or with our staff right here – we are just pleased that you did one!

1. Can you pick me up from the airport?

Through our partners at Khao Lak Taxi, we are happy to help. We can arrange transportation anywhere within Southern Thailand. Krabi Airport, Phuket airport, Phuket, Surat Thani, Taplamu, Takuapa, Ranong. Just Ask!

1. Arrivals/Visas:

Most European Countries and North Americans will receive a 30 day visa upon arrival and you must have a return flight ticket. Please double check with your local embassy or consulate if this is the case. Upon the day of your arrival, your passport must be valid at least 6 months!

1. Do I get a dive guide?

Yes. All our day trips and liveaboard trips are inclusive of dive guides holding professional diving certifications. We never dive in groups of more than 4 guests. In addition we offer our staff extensive safety training through our partner school Diver Safety.
Before each dive there will be detailed dive briefings and site maps.
If you are certified to dive as a buddy team and feel you do not need a guide – please reconsider. The service is free, we know the area intimately and of know the conditions.

1. Weather

Please check our blog for constant updates about the weather.

1. When is the best time to travel to Khao Lak?

There are 3 seasons in Khao Lak. The best time for a visit is between November and April. This is our “dry” season (during the day 30°- 33°C, during the night about 24°C), with a light east wind and wonderful conditions. May until the end of July is our “hot” season and we frequently get afternoon thunderstorms which can bring a lot of rain and can be therefore very refreshing. Our “wet” season runs from July through September with heavy rainfall and strong west winds. There is no scheduled diving during this time

1. What are the conditions like on the Similan Islands?

Please go the dive sites section on Similans.net for more thorough descriptions of each site an the conditions to expect

1. What about Travel Insurance?

We strongly recommend that you apply for travel insurance. Accidents do happen. This is unrelated to diving. Just like anywhere and anything in life you never know what will happen.
We also recommend an additional diving insurance
DAN
www.daneurope.org
www.danasiapacific.org
www.diversalertnetwork.org
www.dansouthafrica.org
If you do not have diving insurance, please thoroughly check your travel insurance whether it covers evacuation and treatments in the recompression chamber in case of emergency.
We do have insurance in case of accidents, both diving and non-diving. It covers accidents and treatments in Thailand, but does not cover evacuations and repatriations.

1. Do I need vaccinations?

Shortly before your departure, it is advised to see a tropical disease doctor to double check for outbreaks. Or send us an email for advice. If you are traveling to South Thailand, you do not need Malaria vaccination. Your Tetanus vaccination should be up to date. Many of the areas we visit and stay in are quite safe and you should not OVER-anticipate problems.

1. Where are the nearest Hospitals?

Thailand has a very excellent health system. Privately run hospitals have, at a minimum, European standards and all are ISO certified. The closest hospital to the Similan Islands is the Takuapa Hospital (just outside Khao Lak). Here in Khao Lak we offer 24 hour Ambulance Service
The most modern hospital in the region is 75 minutes from Taplamu (the pier). Phuket International Hospital runs one of the most modern Recompression chambers in South East Asia as partners with SSS Hyperbaric Network – the only internationally recognized hyperbaric chambers in Thailand.

1. The nearest hyperbaric Chamber?

As noted above, the nearest chambers are on Phuket Island. The best and safest is the chamber located at Phuket International Hospital. It is operated by SSS Hyperbaric Network – the only internationally recognized hyperbaric chambers in Thailand. There are 2 more chambers, one large one run by the government of Thailand and a very small one used primarily for cosmetic surgery.

1. What about My safety While diving with Wicked?

3 of Wicked Staff are the Evacuation organizers for SSS Hyperbaric Network. They are all trained as Dive Medics, Emergency Medics and Remote location medics. In addition they all have experience dealing with and performing evacuations for all schools under all conditions. Rest assured that we are always ready. All staff are trained to the highest standards by Diver Safety and while we hope to never see you as a patient, our medical staff are on call 24 hour a day.

1. What happens if there is an accident?

In addition to have the most thoroughly trained staff in Thailand – we have many hours of 100% oxygen on the boat. Our emergency oxygen kits provide demand Inhalator valves, Non-rebreather masks and supplemental oxygen.
All staff are trained as DAN oxygen Providers, DAN hazardous Marine Life Injury, DAN Onsite Neurological Exams, Emergency First Responders and our Tour leaders all have satellite phones for direct contact (regardless of conditions) with local and international medical facilities.
Our partners, Diver Safety also offer the only evacuation service for the Similan and Surin Islands. You will always be in the best possible care.

1. If there is a Small medical problem?

There are several small drug stores and doctors in the area and they cover the medical need of the local people and also for the visitors. The local doctor in Khao Lak is quite affordable (100-200 Baht) So it is often a great way to achieve peace of mind without breaking the bank.

1. What about seasickness?

Seasickness can affect some people badly, and others not at all. It can affect some people sometimes and no affect them others. The dive season in the Similan Islands features generally calm seas. Mother Nature is always out there! So conditions can change. We do carry mild medication for these instances, as well as naturopathic solutions.
We also do have something else no other dive boat in Thailand offers – spend your nights on land! We have luxury tents or can arrange bungalows on the Similan Islands. Sleep on solid ground and wake refreshed!

Thailand is world famous for the endless variety of tasteful dishes. Every Restaurant and roadside stand offers treats that amaze and delight. Great selections of fresh fruits make for delicious snacks and fresh juices. Always be aware that dishes can be spicy – ask for things prepared Western-style instead of Thai Style.

1. What kind of food is served?

Usually fresh fruit and vegetables are combined with both Asian and International Cuisines. We are happy to cater to all requests (within reason). Don’t be surprised to find French Fries next to Massaman curry, next to Sausages next to Fried Rice.

1. Is the food fresh?

One of the reasons we run shorter trips. All meals served are fresh and made right in the kitchen. Pop you head in and watch PeePah and her assistant prepare each meal.
As one of the great cuisines, the meals will always feature Western and Thai dishes and you will find an array of rare and exotic treats.

1. I have special dietary requirements – what should I do?

Tell us in advance. We will pass on your dietary requirements to PeePah – our amazing cook to prepare meals for you. We are easily able to offer Vegetarian, Vegan, Lactose intolerant, Halal and Kosher Meals. If you have specific food allergies – no problem – as long as we know about it ahead of time!
Several of our staff have food requirements, so please don’t be afraid to ask!

1. Can I access ATM machines in Khao Lak?

Oh boy can you! There are three within 100 meters of our shop. You can easily access Maestro, Cirrus, Visa, and Master Card. If you are wondering about other cards/systems, just send us a note and we’ll walk over and look

1. Do I need cash on board?

There is very little to spend money on. Soft drinks, beer, diving courses, rental equipment, t-shirts, and gratuities for the staff and crew. We are happy to make a running tally of your expenses and charge your card on land at the end of the trip. Please note that there is a 3% charge for payments with credit card on liveaboards.

1. What currency should I take on board?

Please, it’s Thailand, pay in Baht. If you only have Dollars/Euros/Pounds/Yen we will be happy to arrange any payments.

1. Is alcohol included in the price of the trip?

No. We understand that this is your vacation and we are constantly striving to make it the best experience. We offer Alcohol for purchase aboard the boat. Please understand that we are here to make the trip amazing, show you the most amazing marine life and assure you of meticulous safety standards.

1. Alcohol and Diving?

However – NO DRINKING AND DIVING!!! If you have a beer, you are done diving for the day. Sorry, anything that could impair your decision making abilities is not allowed. Safety first.
End of the day…snorkeling…on the way home…beers are cold and ready for you. But not before. Please.
We are very strict and if you do have a drink or behave as if impaired before a dive – you are not diving. If we choose to, you will not be diving anymore that trip, and Wicked does not offer refunds in these instances.

1. Psst…What about other intoxicants? A little “weed” never hurts…

NO. If we smell or have reason to believe that anyone is high, on anything other than nitrogen, you are done. Diving is over. If we choose to, you will not be diving anymore that trip, and Wicked does not offer refunds in these instances.
Your safety and those of the people around depends on you making clear decision. Anything that affects you ability to make clear decisions is STRONGLY discouraged.
We hope that you take this decision very seriously. If you chose to dive with an operation that allows such behavior, are you diving with someone that cares about your life?
Wait three days, have a blast! In the meantime – enjoy what mother nature has to offer!

1. Do I need a wetsuit?

Yes. The water is not too cold, though we do get occasional thermoclines that can drop the water to 26, our normal temperature, year-round is 29° C. In addition to the thermal protection we can get, though uncommon, jellyfish and other irritants in the water, so at a minimum 3mm-5mm is recommended.

1. Got your own diving equipment?

Is your regulator DIN or INT? – we are able to supply adapters, just let us know! We are always happy to help. Not sure which one you have? Drop a line and we will sort it out for you.

1. Do you recommend I use a Dive Computer?

All guides use computers and we strongly encourage you to use one as well. There is NO DECOMPRESSION diving on any of our boats and NO SHARING OF COMPUTERS. If you would like to arrange the rental of a computer for your dive trip – please feel free to ask!

1. Can I rent diving equipment?

You can rent diving equipment from us. We use new equipment and are proud to show you the service records of all equipment and tanks.
The cost for a full set of gear is quite reasonable – 300 Baht per day. We also offer rentals of lights, cameras, video and computers.

1. Can I recharge my torch, laptop, phone and camera?

Yes, the voltage is 220. And is on from 06.00 to 24.00

1. How much should we tip?

Thai culture is a tipping culture. It is not, however a culture that tips a huge amount. Americans and Russians might be used to 20%, Europeans to 5%, Latin Americans to 10%.
As in any situation where tips are given – it is up to you and should be given voluntarily based on the quality of service provided. We are sure you will notice how hard the staff and crew work to provide you with the best possible experience. We hope you will note how the safety and enjoyment of everyone relies on this teamwork, professionalism and attitude. Many of our guests give a gratuity based on 5-10% of the cruise price or more.

1. Where are the other guests from?

Wicked Diving is a very eclectic mix of people and nationalities. English is used as our common language for briefings and courses. You will also hear Swedish, German, Dutch and of course Thai guests around you.
Rather than assume the other guests on our trips are German, or English or Swedish, assume they are divers or snorkelers who want to learn more about the marine life. We will also, no matter the nationality or orientation, present you and all the guests with a smooth, enjoyable and memorable holiday

1. Can we put our valuables in a safety deposit box?

You are able to place any valuables you wish in our safe (within reason – it’s not THAT large).
We also have a storage area for your bags during your adventure. Feel secure that your good s are safe while you are traveling.

1. Is there phone reception/email on board?

To many the idea of being on a boat in the middle of nowhere and out of contact with the pressures of the modern world is a little slice of heaven, there are others who do need to be in contact, whether for business or personal reasons.
For safety we do have a satellite phone. Email access is limited to the abilites of your mobile phone (3G is not available on the Similan Islands – yet). Mobile phone coverage is about 50% of the Similans, and about 10% of the Koh Tachai/Richelieu Trips.

1. Do we dive from the liveaboard or from tenders?

Yes, all of it. We decide at each site, depending on currents, visibility and your comfort level as to how we will enter the water. Our captain is very experienced and can drop us on top of the site. But if conditions warrant we will use the tender.

1. Will I see more sites than if I stay in Khao Lak?

This is one of the main reasons why, for many divers, a liveaboard is the best way to dive. Like a floating hotel you can move from one spot to the next, and take in a great range of dive sites – with plenty of time in between. We do more dives than the typical dyatip and you get far more diving for your money.
Our liveaboard is able to get to the sites before the speedboats, so you can often find sites free of other divers.
We also happy to meet the requests of our guests (within reason) so if you prefer to see shallower sites we will favor those.
Now please note – we do not visit a few sites that we strongly encourage you see. Bon Soong Wreck and our local Lake are unique experiences.
Green?

1. What Kind of products do you use that are Green?

Our soaps and detergents are all free-trade, organic and phosphate –free. This means that any grey water from the showers, sinks and kitchen all produce waste that will be broken down and absorbed by the environment.
In addition they are very high quality and fun to use.
When you dive with wicked – you make a difference.

1. Biodiesel? Isn’t that still producing Carbon?

We use 100% locally produced Biodiesel. We have taken a strong commitment to our community and the by spending our money here, rather than on petroleum imports, a significant portion of all income is spent here – in our community.
Biodiesel does produce carbon and is not the perfect solution. But in the marine environment, petroleum pollutants cause a severe and irreversible break in the bond between coral and the symbiotic algaes that live inside.

1. What about the Linens?

We have chosen to use 100% organic cotton sheets and towels. Both on the boat and on land you will find yourself in safe and guilt-free linens. (I also have to say that they are very comfortable) In the tropics and high humidity you don’t need much warmth, but the wicking abilities of natural cotton make for a comfortable and soothing sleep.

1. Bathrooms?

On the boat we have hot water showers and western style toilets. If you choose to sleep on the boat we have hot water showers and Western Style toilets. Our detergents and soaps are all organic, phosphate free.
If you choose to stay on land the toilets are more basic and the showers use ground water. While not warm, they are refreshing and brisk. Great way to wake up in the morning!

1. I am traveling alone – will I have to share a cabin?

We at wicked Diving understand. We make every attempt we can to assure you of the most memorable holiday. We do, however have to accommodate all guests. If there are two males traveling solo, we will place them in the same cabin. If we do have to place and solo male and female in the same cabin, we will let you know. You may have the cabin to yourself, but don’t count on it. If you are willing to pay the supplement, you can have the cabin to your self.
We are also happy to arrange land based accommodation to assure you of solitary sleeping arrangements.

1. Where is good for diving with Manta Rays?

Manta Rays are stunning and exquisite creatures. They are not endangered, but they are also not common. We do see them at several different sites. These sites tend to be the deeper sites, but you never know!
The most common sightings are at Koh Bon and Koh Tachai. But in the last 5 years we have seen Manta Rays at almost every site in the Similan Islands.

1. Will I see whale sharks?

These wonderful and increasingly rare creatures are amazing. Not us, nor anyone else can assure of seeing them. Whale Sharks have become increasingly uncommon and please don’t expect them. If you do, enjoy the amazing experience and celebrate. We do Research project in late march and April of each year.

1. How deep are the dives?

Only as deep as you are certified. We visit several different sites. Of course each site has many options. We choose each site on each trip according to skill levels. We are not here to challenge or intimidate you, so please don’t feel overwhelmed. Our very experienced staff can do each dive site at different levels.

1. What are National Marine Park Fee requirements?

The Similan Marine National Park Entry Fee of 400 Baht per person per each entry for both divers and non divers and National Park Fee for divers of 200 Baht per diver per day (diver only). (Prices may change without prior notice from the Thai Forestry department).

1. What are National Marine Park Fees for?

These fees got to the maintenance and upkeep of this, and other less visited parks. It pays for the buoys, subsidizes the Thai entry Fees, pays for the protection and monitoring of the usage and damage (did you know several sites are off limits to divers?)

1. How many dives can I do in one day?

Wicked Diving encourages you to dive at your comfort level. One our trips we normally do a 2-4-3 schedule of diving. On Day one, 2 dives, on Day Two we offer 4 dives and on Day 3 we offer three dives.
Please remember that you are on vacation and there is no need to stress or hurry. If you are tired, take a nap. If it all seems like too much, we have snorkel guides. If you feel the need for more diving – sign up for the next trip – 3 more days, new dive sites, different marine life!

1. Are Night Dives included?

We do, typically, offer a Night dive. However your safety and comfort are utmost in our decisions. At the tour leader/ divemasters’ discretion we may conduct Sunset dives.

1. Can I touch things?

Wicked diving has a strict non-interference policy. We are here to enjoy the underwater world. By touching things underwater we could destroy a home, ruin a relationship or get injured. Please avoid touching things.
Learning to control our movements and position in the water benefits our own comfort and safety as well as the health of the reef. Both are important! Reefs are constructed primarily by colonies of coral animals called polyps. By secreting a limestone skeleton, covered with a thin layer of living tissue, over many years these slow growing creatures essentially create their own geology. Although the limestone is durable, the soft-bodied polyps can easily be damaged by contact with hands, fins etc.
While the loss of one polyp doesn’t appear to be such a big problem, this spot will be more susceptible to infections and can cause further mortality on the colony. Besides the impact on the coral, accidentally bumping into the reef can also harm you. Coral will easily cut through your soft skin, especially after you have spent some time in the water. Cuts in general, and coral cuts in particular, will heal slowly in the tropics, and are more susceptible to infection. For the mutual benefit of the reef and ourselves, we believe it’s both prudent and responsible to master the skills needed to minimize accidental close encounters with coral.

1. Is it okay to take souvenirs?

Yes – pictures and memories are strongly encouraged. Other than that and bad things could happen. Not only is it illegal to take souvenirs of any kind from a National Park in Thailand, but it could cause serious degradation.
Please Live and let live (or better yet, dive and let live). In contrast to its initial appearance of grandeur, living space on the reef is very scarce. Every little niche is or will be occupied soon by an organism of some type. Empty shells are a valuable part of the ecosystem, and they get recycled many times. Besides the obvious environmental concerns, some “live shells” can be quite dangerous. Some of the most beautiful (cone shells for example) contain animals that are highly toxic and when “captured” can cause serious problems. We discourage any shell collecting.

1. What about Trash?

Leave nothing but bubbles.
Although you don’t see as many signs as along a typical highway, littering under water is just as inappropriate as it is on land. We always carry trash bags during our outings, both from shore and from boats. Please use these containers rather than disposing refuse in the water. Pay special attention to plastic bags. They blow away easily and once in the water they closely resemble jellyfish, the main diet of many turtles. As we strive to be a “leave no trace” dive center, we bring all our garbage bag to the mainland, and encourage you to do the same.

1. Those turtles are cute – can I feed them?

Turtles may be cute and relaxed, but they learn to trust humans (and the boats they come on) and go to them for easy food. While you might not take one home to cook it, there are a great many people who will. Try not to teach turtles these bad habits.

1. It’s just food, it’s okay if I toss it overboard?

We constantly strive to be an “no impact” . While dispersing “food” in the water seems an easy way to attract large numbers of fish, it will often attract just certain species that usually chase other species away. Clearly, this alters the natural behavior (and diet) of fish we have come to observe. We discourage feeding the fish.

1. I am mad for fishing – is it okay?

Opps. I guess you haven’t figured out who we are. If you are looking for fishing, we strongly encourage you to go to your own home country, and look for a sustainable fish farm.

anemones

Geographical and Ecological Distribution

Sea anemones live throughout the world’s oceans, from poles to equator, and from the deepest trenches to the shores, as do fishes. But no one kind of either lives in all places. Of nearly 1000 species of sea anemones, only 10 are host to anemonefishes. They live in the parts of the Indian and Pacific Oceans that lie within the tropics or where warm, tropical waters are carried by currents, such as the east coast of Japan (as far north as the latitude of Tokyo!). Because the 28 species of clownfishes live only with these 10 species of sea anemones, they are found in the same places.
These anemones, and their anemonefishes, exist only in shallow water, no deeper than scuba-diving depths. That is because within the cells of an anemone’s tentacles and oral disc live microscopic, single-celled, golden-brown algae (dinoflagellates) called zooxanthellae. Like all plants, they require sunlight for photosynthesis, a process in which solar energy is used to make sugars from carbon and water. Some of these sugars fuel the algae’s metabolism, but most of them “leak” to the anemone, providing energy to it. Therefore, the anemones that are host to clownfishes must live in sunny places. The amount of light in the sea diminishes rapidly with depth because water filters out sunlight. Turbidity also diminishes light penetration. So these anemones live at depths of no more than about 50 m, generally in clear water. (Reef-forming corals also contain algae, and coral reefs occur only in shallow, mostly clear water for the identical reason.)
Anemonefishes live in habitats other than reefs, but are usually thought of as reef dwellers because that is where most tropical diving occurs. Other habitats may be less colourful and diverse than reefs, but they can be equally fascinating. About as many species of host actinians (= sea anemones) live on sand-flats surrounding coral reefs, or even at some distance from reefs, as live on reefs themselves. Individuals of some species can survive in muddy areas, but they generally lack fish symbionts. Even on reefs, most species of host actinians are inconspicuous, unlike their partner fish. Spotting the fish first, then frightening it so that it takes refuge in its anemone, or (preferably) waiting patiently for its periodic bathe among the tentacles, is often the best way to locate an actinian.

How is this relationship possible?

At the time of Collingwood’s discovery, some species of fishes and anemones involved in this relationship had been known to science for a century already. Why had nobody reported their living arrangement before? We can only speculate. Perhaps poisons had been used to collect the fish, which causes them to float to the surface, so nobody could know where they had come from. Perhaps collectors saw fish living in anemones but did not appreciate its significance. Or quite possibly it was seen and simply not believed, so unlikely is an anemone as home to a fish.
Lovely, accessible — and a most unlikely partnership. Sea anemones are related to corals and more distantly to jellyfishes. Common to all of these animals are nematocysts, the harpoon-like stinging capsules that give jellyfish their sting, fire coral their burn, and the tentacles of some sea anemones their stickiness. The microscopic nematocysts, which are manufactured inside cells (but are not themselves cells), are particularly dense in tentacles and internal structures. Those of the tentacles function in defence and prey capture; internal nematocysts are essential to digestion. Within each capsule is coiled a fine tubule many times the capsule’s length. When the capsule is stimulated to fire (a combination of chemical and mechanical stimuli is necessary to trigger most kinds; there are over 30 in all), the tube shoots out, everting like the sleeve of a coat turned inside out, to penetrate or wrap around the target. Many types of nematocysts, although probably not all, contain toxins, which are delivered to predator and prey by or through the everting tubule.

The existence and function of nematocysts were known before the anemonefish symbiosis was described. And so, when Collingwood first reported “the discovery of some Actiniae of enormous size, and of habits no less novel than striking,” his prime concern was with how the fish managed to survive in an environment that is deadly to most fishes, even some much larger than anemonefishes.
Over the years, many biologists have suggested ways in which it might be possible for the fish to survive in its hostile environment. Among the hypotheses [and reasons for discarding them] were the following.
1) Tentacles of these particular anemones do not contain nematocysts. [Not only are there nematocysts, but those of all 10 species of host actinians are typical in kind and quantity to those occurring in the majority of sea anemones.]
2) The fish do not actually touch the tentacles. [While this is certainly true of some Caribbean fish that seek protection behind and under sea anemones, genuine anemonefishes swim among tentacles, and sleep on the oral disc at night.]
3) The skin of anemonefishes is thicker than normal so nematocysts cannot penetrate it. [It differs little from that of other damselfishes, and may even be slightly thinner. Indeed, an unprotected anemonefish can be killed by its host's sting.]
4) While a fish is present, the anemone will not fire its nematocysts. [Although a sea anemone can exert some control over firing, this cannot be the solution to the riddle, because an actinian can sting and capture prey while harbouring clownfish.]

Anemonefishes are easily kept in aquaria, many of which are as large as the fish’s normal territory. Both fishes and sea anemones survive — apparently quite well — when separated from one another. However, if the separation lasts more than a few days or weeks, depending on the species involved, when the partners are reunited and the fish swims into the host’s tentacles, it withdraws rapidly, appearing (sometimes very obviously, sometimes less so) to have been stung. Thus the protection of the fish is elicited or acquired, and can disappear. A fish that had been living alone will be stung by an anemone in which another clownfish is being harboured, so the fish, rather than the actinian, is responsible for the protection.
But a stung anemonefish returns to its host repeatedly, going through an elaborate, stereotyped swimming dance, gingerly touching tentacles first to its ventral fins only, then to its entire belly. Finally, after a few minutes to several hours of such “acclimation” behaviour, it is able to dive right in.
Some anemonefishes nibble at their host’s tentacles, which it had been speculated might immunize them against the sting. But the fish are not immune to being stung, as is sometimes stated. Immunity is a physiological response that extends throughout an animal’s body. Experiments by Davenport and Norris conclusively proved that the protective agent resides in the mucus coating that anemonefishes, like all fishes, have on their surface. But what is the source of this protective mucus?
One theory is that it comes from the host actinian. Supporters of this theory believe that during its elaborate “acclimation” swimming when contact is initially made with its host, the fish smears mucus from the anemone all over itself. Just as the sea anemone does not sting itself, it does not sting a fish, or any other object, covered in its mucus. The fish is thereby chemically camouflaged: it is, essentially, a fish in anemone’s clothing. The fish’s normal behaviour of returning to its anemone at least once a minute can be interpreted as serving to maintain its protective layer of mucus. According to this theory, what allows clownfishes to live in this peculiar habitat is their unusual behaviour.
Finding anemone mucus on many objects with which the animal regularly comes in contact, such as the rocks and algae around it, other scientists believe that its presence on a fish is the result of the fish’s being protected rather than its cause. The fish’s own mucus has evolved to lack components that stimulate nematocyst discharge, according to this theory, and “acclimation” behaviour may be an artifact of artificially separating animals that normally never are parted. The secret to clownfishes’ peculiar habitat, according to this interpretation, is their unusual biochemistry.
As in so much of science, there is probably truth on both sides. Although all anemonefishes are closely related and share an unusual habitat, they vary in some aspects of their biology, including how far they venture from their home, how many fish occupy a single anemone, and which hosts and how many host species they occupy. Similarly, they may not all adapt to an actinian in the identical manner, as is generally assumed, with behaviour and biochemistry probably both playing roles to varying degrees. We believe that for fish that live with many types of hosts, behaviour is likely to be more important to adaptation, whereas for host-specific fish, biochemistry is probably the more significant factor.

Nutrition

Sea anemones that are host to clownfishes, like many tropical actinians and some temperate ones, harbour unicellular algae within the cells of their tentacles and oral disc. A portion of the sugars produced by these plants through photosynthesis are “leaked” to their host. This may be the anemone’s major source of energy. The widely flared oral disc of many host actinians serves not only to accommodate fish, but its large surface area is well adapted for intercepting sunlight.
However, actinians, like all coelenterates, capture and digest animal prey with their nematocysts. We have found small fish, sea urchins, and a variety of crustaceans (shrimps and crabs) in the coelenteron of host anemones. They also appear to feed on planktonic items conveyed by the currents. Although the energy they derive from photosynthesis may be sufficient to live, the anemones need sulfur, nitrogen, and other elements in order to grow and reproduce. These animals are not voracious predators: their prey probably consists of animals that bump into them (e.g. a fish fleeing a more active predator) or stumble over them (e.g. a sea urchin, which has no eyes). Therefore, the supply is probably small and irregular. A more predictable source of these nutrients may be from wastes of their symbiotic fish. This issue deserves to be studied scientifically. Anemones of some species are capable of absorbing nutrients directly from seawater through their thin tissues, and that may be another source of nutrition for these animals as well.

Survival

It is impossible to determine age of a sea anemone, except for one that has been raised in an aquarium or tracked continuously in the wild from first settlement. A small one is not necessarily young, for coelenterates grow only if well fed and shrink if starved. Individuals of species that harbour anemonefishes have been monitored for several years with no apparent change in size (although that is difficult to measure, due to the absence of a skeleton). However, studies on other species, in field and laboratory, have led to estimated ages on the order of many decades and even several centuries. There are scattered records of temperate anemones surviving many decades in commercial aquaria, and the life-span of a small sea anemone in New Zealand has been calculated, based on actuarial tables, to be over 300 years! From such data, it is likely that most individuals of the “gigantic” sea anemones we have encountered during our field work exceed a century in age. This is also consistent with the generalization that large animals of all kinds typically are long-lived.
Coelenterates are protected quite well by their nematocysts, but some predators have developed means of evading their effect. Small tropical anemones may be eaten by butterflyfishes, but large ones appear to have few enemies, and we do not know what might ultimately kill them.

Reproduction

All coelenterates reproduce sexually. An individual of some species may produce both eggs and sperm; host anemones appear to have separate sexes, with an individual being either male or female its entire life. The typical coelenterate pattern is that of most marine animals, one that is fraught with dangers and uncertainty — release of eggs and sperm into the sea, where fertilisation occurs and a larva (a tiny animal looking nothing like its parent that drifts in the sea) develops for several days or weeks before settling in an appropriate habitat. Many species spawn in response to an environmental cue such as a full moon or low tide so that eggs and sperm are in the same place at the same time. Typically, marine animals produce millions of tiny larvae, but the world is not overrun with them, proving that very few survive — usually just enough to maintain a stable population. The rest of the larvae serve as food for a sea full of potential predators. Finally, the surviving larvae must find an appropriate habitat.
We do not know if host actinians follow this pattern. There is a bit of evidence that in at least some species, the eggs are not released, but are fertilised inside the mother (this is not especially rare in corals and anemones; sperm enter the mother with water that is constantly being pumped in and out, and which carries food and oxygen also), where they grow to be released as tiny sea anemones. What is certain is that we seldom see small individuals of most host actinians in nature. However, it is not unusual to find large ones with ripe eggs and sperm. Therefore, we believe that successful recruitment must be rare. Very few eggs may be fertilised, or few larvae may survive, or larval settlement may be difficult, or young anemones may have high mortality (perhaps especially when they are too small to harbour fish). The apparent rarity of successful reproduction is also biologically consistent with long life.
In addition to sexual reproduction, some coelenterates undergo asexual reproduction. Entacmaea quadricolor is one of these. A polyp can divide longitudinally, resulting in two, somewhat smaller individuals, probably within the space of a few days. Each then grows to an appropriate size, divides, and so on. All descendants of the original anemone (the result of sexual reproduction) form a clone, a group of genetically identical individuals. In this species, each polyp is relatively small, but clonemates remain next to one another so their tentacles are confluent, and the associated anemonefish apparently regard them as a single large anemone.
This is so mainly for shallow-water individuals; those in deeper water grow large, and do not divide. Several other species of actinians also have two different reproductive modes: small animals that clone and large ones that do not. This appears true of Heteractis magnifica, too. In the center of its range (i.e. in eastern Indonesia, on the Great Barrier Reef, in New Guinea), it occurs as single, large individuals. To the east and west (i.e. in western Indonesia and Malaysia, and in Tahiti), several to very many small individuals of identical colouration are typically clustered together, appearing to be a single large (or huge!) anemone. Based on their shared colour and their proximity, we infer that they are clonemates.

Locomotion

Once they settle from the plankton, most anemones seldom move from place to place. Although they are usually damaged when people try to collect them, actinians do have the ability to detach from the substratum, partly or entirely. Small, temperate anemones can do this in response to predators or unfavorable physical factors. Indeed, those of a few species can “swim,” awkwardly launching themselves into the water briefly, a motion that often puts them beyond reach of the predator that provoked the activity. More typically, an individual glides on its pedal disc, covering a few millimeters in a day, or it may detach entirely, and roll or be carried quite a distance. That this is not terribly rare is attested by large animals suddenly appearing in well studied areas.

coelacanths

In 1938, thirty two-year-old Marjorie Courtenay Latimer was the curator of a tiny museum in the port town of East London, northeast of Cape Town, South Africa. She had befriended a local seaman, Captain Hendrick Goosen, of the trawler Nerine, which fished the nearby coastal waters of the Indian Ocean. When he put into port the captain made a frequent practice of having the dockman call Miss Latimer to come look over the Nerine’s catch. She was welcome to take any unusual specimens she might want for her museum.
On December 23rd, 1938, the Nerine entered port after a stint trawling off the mouth of the nearby Chalumna River. The dockman called Marjorie, who was busy mounting a reptile collection, but felt she ought at least go down to the docks to wish the crew of the Nerine a merry Christmas. She took a taxi, delivered her greetings, and was about to leave when, according to her account, she noticed a blue fin protruding beneath a pile of rays and sharks on the deck. Pushing the overlaying fish aside revealed, as she would later write, “the most beautiful fish I had ever seen, five feet long, and a pale mauve blue with iridescent silver markings.” Marjorie had no idea what the fish was, but knew it must go back to the museum at once. At first the taxi driver refused to have the reeking, five-foot fish in his cab, but after a heated discussion, he drove Marjorie and her specimen back to the museum.
Raking through the few reference books on hand, Marjorie found a picture that, she has said, led her to a seemingly impossible conclusion. Her specimen bore similarities to a prehistoric fish, particularly in the structure of the head and the tri-lobed shape of the tail. She made a rather crude sketch of the creature, which she mailed, along with a description, to Professor J.L.B. Smith, a forty one- year-old persnickety chemistry teacher with a locally well known passion for fish, at Rhodes University, Grahamstown, some fifty miles south of East London. Smith, however, was away for Christmas holidays, correcting exams at his seaside getaway. Meanwhile, Courtenay’s museum director in East London was not impressed with the find. He dismissed the fish as a common rock cod – a grouper!

But on January 3, 1939, Miss Latimer heard back from Smith in a now famous cable: “MOST IMPORTANT PRESERVE SKELETON AND GILLS = FISH DESCRIBED.” However, in an attempt to preserve the fish by mounting it, the innards had been discarded. A search for them in the museum and town trash bins proved fruitless. Even photographs taken of the preparation had somehow been spoiled.
Smith, anxiously biding his time, wondering how he could incorporate the possibility of such a discovery into an already overloaded dual career, did not arrive at the East London museum until February 16. The professor, a thin wiry man of about 5′7″, sporting, as was his custom, a close-cropped crew cut, khaki bush shorts and sandals, viewed the mounted specimen, exclaiming, according to one account, “I always knew somewhere or somehow, a primitive fish of this nature would appear.” Smith identified the fish immediately as a coelacanth, that is as a member of what must be a still living coelacanth species. The fish would soon be called the “most important zoological find of the century” (an accolade that might now go to the Martian microfossils if they check out.) A living dinosaur, it was said, would be no more amazing than this incredible discovery.
After a local newspaper reporter was allowed to take a single photograph of the mounted coelacanth, the picture soon appeared around the world. Smith, Courtenay-Latimer, and the coelacanth became overnight celebrities. When a public viewing for one day only was arranged, 20,000 visitors are said to have shown up.
But the story of the coelacanth’s “discovery” does not end there. With no internal organs left from the East London specimen, many questions remained unanswered. Smith was soon obsessed with finding a second intact specimen. Speculating that the fish had drifted down from the north on the Mozambique current, he had a reward notice with a picture of the first specimen posted among the East African coast up as far as Kenya. A decade went by with no response. Smith continued a long-term project of cataloging the fishes of the Indian Ocean, always proselytizing about the coelacanth wherever he went. It was during this period that the myth of the coelacanth as a deep ocean fish took hold in the popular and scientific imagination. Expeditions from Europe scoured the ocean depths in search of coelacanths. But Smith remained convinced that the fish’s physiognomy and blue color made it a lower reef predator and not a true deep-water fish.
Captain Eric Hunt, a dapper thirty eight-year-old Briton who owned and helmed a vessel, the Nduwaro, trading among Zanzibar, Madagascar, and the Comoros, a group of small islands in the Mozambique Channel belonging to France at the time, attended one of Smith’s lectures in Zanzibar. An intelligent, curious fellow, with a penchant for marine aquaria, he quickly became fascinated with the whereabouts of the coelacanth. Hunt offered to post Smith’s reward notices among the Comoro islands, which are midway between Tanzania and Madagascar. Smith obliged and with the help of local authorities, the Comoros were soon plastered with coelacanth reward notices.
On December 21, 1952, fourteen years after the discovery of the first living coelacanth, Captain Hunt, returning to the port of Mutsamudu on the Comorian island of Anjouan, was approached by two Comorans carrying a hefty bundle. One, Ahamadi Abdallah, had caught by hand-line what the locals called a “mame” or “Gombessa”, a heavy grouper-like fish that turned up on their lines from time to time. The fisherman was accompanied by an astute schoolteacher, Affane Mohamed, who had noticed that this was the same fish pictured on the reward notices Hunt had posted. Hunt was ecstatic and arranged for Smith’s award of one hundred British pounds to be paid to them. As there was no better preservative available at Mutsamudu, Hunt and his crew salted the fish, then sailed with it to the harbor at Dzaoudzi, an islet off the Comoran island of Mayotte, where he bought formalin from the director of medical services. Already aware of the scientific importance of the internal organs, Hunt injected the preservative into the specimen, then cabled Smith in South Africa. He awaited Smith’s response.
The French authorities at nearby Pamanzi were not sure that this creature was indeed the fabled coelacanth. Nevertheless, concerned that they might be missing out on something important, cables were dispatched to French scientific authorities in Madagascar. But no message came back. Hearing nothing, the Pamanzi authorities decided to take possession of the fish anyway if Smith did not come for it personally. Hunt sent a frantic second cable to Smith, urging him to fly to the Comoros immediately.For J.L.B. Smith this find, if indeed it were a coelacanth, would consummate a fourteen-year obsession. Worried all the time that Hunt’s specimen might not be what he claimed, Smith negotiated with Prime Minister Malan of South Africa, for a plane to fly him to the Comoros. Malan, out of the capital on yet another Christmas holiday, consented. By now Smith was a nervous wreck, hardly amused when the flight crew of a DC3 “Dakota” put at his disposal for the trip, faked a radio message that French fighters had scrambled to intercept them. Having landed in the Comoros, it was a quick trip from the airstrip down to the harbor at Pamanzi where the Nduwaro was moored. When Smith saw the dead fish he wept. It was indeed a coelacanth. He now had his second specimen, organs intact, and the familiarity of the natives with this creature meant that at least one location of the coelacanth’s habitat had been discovered. The Dakota soon left the Comoros with Smith and “his” fish, returning to another round of worldwide publicity.
In the aftermath, the French felt cheated and closed the coelacanth to non-French researchers until the islands became independent in the 1970’s. Four years after the “discovery” of the second coelacanth, Eric Hunt disappeared at sea after his schooner ran aground on the reefs of the Geyser Bank between the Comoros and Madagascar. He was never found. J.L.B. Smith wrote his account of the coelacanth story in the book “Old Fourlegs,” first published in 1956. His book, Sea Fishes of the Indian Ocean, meticulously illustrated and co-authored by his wife Margaret, remains the standard ichthyological reference for the region. In spite of the controversies that followed, he was content with his role in the fabulous coelacanth episodes. Smith died in 1968. Captain Hendrick Goosen passed away just after the fiftieth anniversary of the “discovery” of the coelacanth in 1988. And Marjorie Courtenay-Latimer was alive and well and still living in East London as of January 2001, the lone survivor of the greatest fish story ever told!

Evolutionary Puzzle

The living coelacanths, Latimeria chalumnae,and Latimeria menadoensis are possibly the sole remaining representatives of a once widespread family of Sarcopterygian (fleshy-finned) coelacanth fishes all but one of which disappeared at the end of the Cretaceous, 65 million years ago. The classification of coelacanths is a murky business with more than one variation in the class category, which will go to far ror here.
The coelacanth appears to be a cousin of Eusthenopteron, the fish credited with growing legs and coming ashore – 360 million years ago – as the ancestor of all tetrapods including ourselves.
But this view is controversial. Debate still rages as to whether the coelacanths, presumed to be close relatives of the Rhipidistia fishes from which tetrapod amphibians supposedly arose, are our closest tetrapod ancestors, or if lung fishes, another very ancient line, are more closely related to tetrapods than the Rhipidistia and thus claim the oldest closest relative title. (There are three living genera of lung fishes.) Good genetic and morphological evidence points in both directions. Another line of thinking, based on physiological and anatomical analysis, identifies coelacanths with sharks and other cartilaginous fishes, but this view seems to have fallen from favor. Today’s coelacanths can reach almost six feet (2 meters) in length and weigh up to 150 or more lbs, but they are usually somewhat smaller, particularly the males. They are oportunistic feeders, scarfing up cuttle fishes, squids, and other fishes found in their deep reef and volcanic slope habitats. Coloration is dark blue with distinctive white flecks that can even be used by researchers to designate individuals. (Indonesian coelacanths may be more brown than blue). Scientists believe individual coelacanths may live as long as 60 years. They are ovoviparous, giving birth to as many as 26 live pups which develop from eggs in the oviduct. The coelacanths date back 410 million years to the beginning of the Devonian epoch. One of the incredible aspects of the living coelacanth, Latimeria, is that it offers a genetic and anatomical snapshot of life in those times. The backbone of this fish is composed of a fluid-filled cartilaginous tube, which provides a firm yet flexible support for muscles. Hollow fin spines, identified in fossils, are what got the fish its name- “coelacanth” which literally means ‘hollow spine’. The sucking maws of jawless predecessors have transformed, through a modification of one of the gill arches, into hinged, rigid structures with teeth on the bottom ridge and upper palate- true jaws. The tiny brain, is encased in a hardened skull, which hinges in the middle to increase the gape of the mouth while feeding. The eyes are well developed, with reflecting cells called tapita to enhance night vision. A chambered heart pumps blood in prototype to our own. Three indentations on either side of the snout lead to a peculiar cavity, a jelly-filled rostral organ, which very likely functions as an electro-receptor to help in the location of prey. Along the sides a pressure sensitive lateral line is well developed to sense the proximity of other fishes and surrounding structures- no doubt useful in the submarine caves where coelacanths pass their days. Two back, or dorsal, fins and one protruding beneath the nape of the tail are complimented by paired lobed pectoral and pelvic fins. These contain in their trunks bones mimicking those of Eusthenopteron which later developed into arms and legs. While coelacanths have not been observed to “walk” on the bottom, their pectoral and pelvic fins can be seen as “pre-adaptations” to land locomotion. Used under water their action maintains stability and balance. But in their cousin Eusthenopteron, the same action became four-legged land walking. Coelacanth scales are thick, and lined with serrated rows of hardened toothpick-pointed denticles. Perhaps most distinctive of all is the trilobated tail with its extra trunk and fin protruding from the middle. It was this feature that made fossil coelacanths so easily recognizable and helped clinch the case for the identification of the first living specimen.

Odd Behavior

When Hans Fricke and his submersible pilot first observed coelacanths at depth in 1987 they saw an odd bit of behavior. From time to time the fishes tilted forward, snouts down, and appeared to stand on their heads. Why? No explanation presented itself. Was this some ancient vestigial behavior? – or, as some speculate, a response to the submersible’s electric field or searchlights? As of early 2000, the Fricke submersible visits offer the only direct observations of essentially unstressed coelacanth behavior, save for a brief view by divers off Sodwana, South Africa. Fin movements and swimming styles have been analyzed. Curiously, the coelacanth was never observed to use its paired pectoral and pelvic fins for bottom walking, a behavior that might have been expected of “Old Fourlegs.” Coelacanths were found to congregate in submarine caves on the steep island drop off during the day, where they hovered without touching each other. Their white scale flecks, set against a cobalt blue body color offer excellent camouflage against the cave surfaces covered with white sponges and oyster shells. Fish which had been tagged with sonic devices were found to leave the caves at the same time late each afternoon to forage along the coastal incline during the night. The drift-feeding coelacanth is an opportunistic predator, scarfing up whatever it can with a suction action of the jaw and hinged cranium. Location of prey fish is possibly aided by a rostral organ (in the snout) which acts as an electric field receptor. The coelacanth’s uncanny sense of timing and coastal navigation skills have yet to be explained. Another mystery is the whereabouts of the juvenile fish which are rarely seen in submersible dives and seldom caught by local fishermen.

Population / Location Debate

By doing a rough count of the number of possible coelacanth caves along the west coast of Grand Comoro island – and the number of fish per cave, plus the birth rate, Hans Fricke and associates came up with an estimate for the total coelacanth population in the low hundreds. However, there is some question if this estimate takes into account the known but unexplored coelacanth population at the nearby island of Anjouan, the unseen juvenile population, and the new number of potential embryos (26 as opposed to the previous 5) discovered in the 1991 Maputo, Mozambique trawled specimen. A total population count is also complicated by another until recently unresolved issue: Is the Comorian population the only one? Certainly the Comoro islands are the only place where regular annual catches of 6-8 coelacanths occur at Grand Comoro and 4-5 at Anjouan. But from time to time coelacanths turn up elsewhere: the one trawled off East London, in 1938; the one trawled off Maputo, Mozambique on August 11, 1991; the two netted off Madagascar in 1995/1997- along with other rumored Madagascar catches. Are these fish strays from the Comoros or are they representatives of satellite colonies? No one knows for sure. Fishing activities differ in the other locales and may not be such as to produce regular coelacanth catches. And finally, what about other islands in the Indian Ocean such as the Aldabras and Reunion – which have volcanic drop offs similar to the Comoros? Do they harbor as yet undiscovered coelacanth colonies? These speculations took a back seat to the 1998 confirmed identification by Dr. Mark Erdmann of at least two specimens from North Sulwesi, Indonesia at 10,000 kilometers from the Comoros with no apparent water current interactions, followed by submersible observation of two more in 1999, and the 2000 discovery of at least three coelacanths off Sodwana, South Africa. The Indonesian population appears to be distinct by DNA analysis, although the specimens at least superficially resemble the Comoran coelacanths. In any event, the coelacanth remains a very rare creature, probably deserving of its endangered Appendix I status in the C.I.T.E.S. listings.

Similan Islands