Similan Islands

Marine National Park

Thailand · South-East Asia (Andaman Sea)

South-East Asia (Andaman Sea)Declared in 1982140 km²

Repeatedly ranked among the ten best diving destinations in the world; closed for six months a year to let the reef recover naturally

Area

140 km²

Protection category

UICN II

Parque nacional — what the IUCN categories mean

Declared in

1982

Region

South-East Asia (Andaman Sea)

Climate

Tropical, Templado, Montañoso

Best time

November to February

Ocean

Plan your visit

Best time: November to February
Area: 140 km²

Highlight

Repeatedly ranked among the ten best diving destinations in the world; closed for six months a year to let the reef recover naturally

Declared in 1982, the Similan Islands archipelago has been repeatedly ranked among the ten best diving destinations in the world by international specialist publications, thanks to the extraordinary visibility of its water and the diversity of its coral reefs. Since 2018 the Thai authorities have closed the park for six months each year, from May to October, coinciding with the monsoon, both on safety grounds and to allow the marine ecosystem to recover naturally in the face of growing tourist pressure.

Location

See on the interactive map

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4 dive sites within 300 km are also shown.

67 species documented in Similan Islands

7 Mammals1 Birds5 Reptiles5 Cartilaginous fish23 Fish2 Bivalvia6 Anthozoa2 Cephalopoda4 Gastropoda5 Malacostraca2 Asteroidea2 Polychaeta1 Turbellaria2 Holothuroidea

At conservation risk:Tiburón ballena,Tortuga carey,Napoleón,Tortuga verde,Almeja gigante,Caballito de mar amarillo,Chucho pintado,Manta de arrecife,Pepino de mar (sandfish),Pez vela del Indo-Pacífico,Tiburón punta negra de arrecife,Tiburón zorroand 1 more