Elephant Head Rock:
General information: Visible from the surface, Elephant Head Rock is the biggest pinnacle in the Similans.
It is located 1.5 km to the south of Koh Similan. There are three large boulders that emerge above water, with the biggest located to the west.
At this site, submerged boulders are piled up,
forming sheer walls and swim-throughs that are covered with assorted colours of soft corals and sea fans.
The site is surrounded by sand at a maximum depth of 35 to 40 meters.
One of the outstanding features of this site is the swim-throughs.
In addition, cave walls are full of soft corals,
creating magnificent scenery that makes you feel like you are swimming in an underwater valley.
Many areas are popular among underwater photographers,
such as a wall that has a head-sized round opening or a channel between the steep cliffs with a lot of soft corals.
To the west of the giant rock is a sheer wall that falls to a depth of 40 meters. Corals are really seen here.
Current: Moderate to strong. At high tide, current flows from southwest to northeast.
Hiding behind the northern side of the boulders will help shelter you from strong currents.
On the other hand, the current runs from northeast to southwest during low tide.
Near the boulders, however, the current often fluctuates and flows in an unpredictable manner.
Marine life: Divers have often seen whitetip and blacktip reef sharks outside the boulders.
In addition, juvenile whitetip reef sharks can sometimes be seen lying in the cracks of the boulders.
In mid-water, schools of fish including blue fin trevallie, fusiliers and rainbow runners are common.
Near the exposed boulders, giant trevallie and great barracuda are a common sight.
Also, divers may encounter large snappers and sweetlips in cracks, holes and swim-throughs.
Pairs of purple fire gobies can be found in deeper areas, and rockmover wrasse,
clown anemone fish, and blennies near the rocks.
Boxer shrimp, cleaner shrimp and octopuses can be found inside some cracks of the boulders.
Lastly manta rays and whale sharks have been reported here too.
Dive tip: The vertical wall on the west side of Elephant Head Rock falls on the deep and sometimes has down welling.
Thus diving on this side should be avoided.
Divers may hit and damage corals or even injure themselves.
Thus, this site is recommended foe experienced divers only.
in order to avoid entanglement and avoid accidental damage to corals.
This site has no mooring lines, divers must make a free descent.
Be cautious not to drift away from your group, as the currents are strong.
Find a descending reference such as boulders or submerged rocks before commencing descent.
you should be aware of all surface traffic. Swim away from the rocks when you have finished your dive,
and use a safety balloon (safety sausage) before ascending. This site is good as the first deep dive in the morning.
