Anita's Reef - Similan Koh Ha (Island 5)

Anita's Reef at a Glance

Depth:	5 - 26 m
Currents:	Mild
Season:	Nov. - May
Tags:	Easy Live-aboard

 
Also called: Barracuda Point, Hin Muan Daew

Anita's Reef is among the best of the dive sites around the Similans. The reef starts to the east of Islands 5 and 6, and wraps around the southern tip of Island Five. Most of the reef lies between five and ten meters, and slopes down to 26 to 28 meters. The highlight of the site is a large outcrop southeast of Island Five. The rock rises from the bottom at 20 meters to the top at 12 meters. The rock is covered is various soft corals, as well as surrounded by giant sea fans and other hard corals. The Thai name for the rock - Hin Muan Daew - literally translates to "Whole Roll (of film) Rock", which aptly describes the interest and time most divers end up spending on the rock.

Although the site's other common name is Barracuda Point, you're actually not very likely to see one here, unless like me you come across a barracuda at the cleaning station on top of the pinnacle. You will find lots of Parrotfish, Surgeons, Triggers and anemone fish. Turtles are rather common, and ghost pipefish can sometimes be spotted in March and April.

Several large boulders tumble down into the depths at the south end of Island 5. There's a channel through them at around five meters, and riding the surge through the channel can make a bit of a thrill ride out of your safety stop.

Anita's Reef Wreck

There's a "wreck" off the southern tip of Island 5. It's a fishing boat that was actually sunk on purpose by the park authorities to provide a new diving spot. As wreck dives go, it's not very exciting and at 28 to 40 meters it's a little deep. There are, at least as yet, very few corals growing on the wreck, and the hull is so smooth that there's very little life to be found on it at all. It's perhaps best to give it a quick look, then swim up over the ridge of the reef to the pinnacle, where you'll have more bottom time.

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