Koh Bon, Koh Tachai and Richelieu Rock

The primary reason why people come half way around the world to the Similan Islands is to see theManta- Koh Tachai Manta Rays at Koh Bon. These are oceanic mantas with a wing span of over six meters and the island of Koh Bon is their main feeding ground.

Did You Know Mantas…?

• Have no teeth – they sieve their food
• Are solitary creatures
• Swim by moving their pectoral fins up and down
• Are harmless to people
• When mantas are born they weigh roughly 20lbs and are a staggering 45 inches

Koh Tachai is a breathtaking dive site in the Similan Islands. It is home to large granite boulders that go to a depth of 40+ meters with a starting depth of around 12 meters. Manta Rays are frequently seen here as are Leopard Sharks and schools of tropical fish with the underwater landscape made complete with its background of hard and soft corals.  Did You Know Leopard Sharks…?

• Can suck up invertebrates from the ocean floor
• Are harmless to humans
• Have a great sense of smell and amazing hearing
• Can feel sound waves through the pores in their skin
• Swallow their food whole without chewing it because of their uniquely small teeth

Why is this dive site talked about so much? Richelieu Rock has it all – resident whale sharks, Harlequin shrimp and seahorses and it is completely covered in a bright purple coral.

Did You Know Harlequin Shrimp…?

• The Harlequin shrimp’s average  size is between 2cm and 4cm
• They moult once a month and that gives the shrimp the opportunity to regenerate any missing limbs
• There are monogamous
• Their primary food source are Starfish, which they keep alive as they munch on them