Similan National Park Opening Nov 1st!

The sun is shining, the sea is flat....it can only mean one thing - the "high season" is upon us once again! The start of the high season also signals the re-opening of the Similan National Park on November 1st. The Similan Islands are often rated as one of the top ten dive destinations in the world. The islands are located approximately 100km northwest of Phuket, and were declared a National Park in 1982. The Similans are comprised of 9 granite islands which run roughly North to South, with a few small outcroppings, with white beaches and tropical jungle above the water and spectacular dive sites in warm, clear waters below the surface. These islands are by far the most spectacular group of dive sites that Thailand has to offer.

The underwater landscapes in the Similans vary from (in general) gently sloping hard and soft coral reefs on the eastern sites, to amazingly huge granite boulder sites on the west that create many deep gorges and swim-thru's.

There is an amazing array of marine life to be found here, with the 'bigger' stuff including leopard sharks, manta rays, shovel-nose rays, whip rays, big schools of barracuda and trevally, turtles and whale sharks!

For you macro-lovers out there - you won't be bored either. Things you can check off your list here include ornate ghost pipefish, seahorses, harlequin shrimp, sea moths, frog fish, cowries, pineapple fish, ribbon eels, and nudibranc's, phew!!

This unique mixture of diving makes a Similan dive trip a beautiful and scintillating journey of discovery that invariably seems to end too soon.

There are a few options for visits to the Similans, the first and most popular is on a liveaboard cruise. These typically go out for 4 days and depart from Phuket or Tap Lamu (just north of Phuket). These trips will also take in the unmissable sites at Koh Bon, Koh Tachai, and Richelieu Rock which lie just north of the Similan Islands. The second option of a shorter or overnight trip take in only the Similan Islands. These trips will also include the option of trying a night dive - if you haven't done this before, the Similans is a great place to give it a go with plenty of different critters coming out in the dark. It is also possible to go for a 2-dive day trip departing every day throughout the season.

There are many boats which you can choose from and there is something for everyone's budget. Contact us for more information: info@calypsophuket.com

Phi Phi Dives: Koh Bida Nok

Koh Bida Nok (or Outer Father Island) is located 2km south of Phi Phi Ley within the Phi Phi National Park, and is widely thought of as the best dive in the area. Dives typically start or finish in the bay in the south of the island. Here is a shallow coral garden full of reef fish, but you can often see special things like devil scorpionfish, banded sea kraits, octopus and cuttlefish, and schools of squid. You then have two choices which direction to go - east or west.

The west side of the island is a wall covered in amazing soft corals and sea fans. You can spot many macro things here such as nudibranc's, seahorses, ornate ghost pipefish, an array of shrimps and moray eels. There are plenty of overhangs and even a cave (enter with experience only) which are home to painted spiny lobster, large groupers and if you are lucky...harlequin shrimp!

The east side is a shallow reef and a sloping sandy bottom - look out for leopard sharks, Kuhl's stingrays, bent stick pipefish, peacock mantis shrimps, peacock flounder and a multitude of shrimps and gobies. The shallow reef is a good place to hang out and try to spot the black tip reef sharks that patrol around this island, or maybe one of the turtles munching on some coral.

There are huge schools of fish all around the site - plenty of snapper, fusiliers, trevally, tuna and some big barracuda. If the currents are running you can often see a lot of feeding action. Although not regular visitors, we have seen whale sharks here so make sure to keep one eye out in the blue!

This is an amazing dive site which is accessible year round and is suitable for all levels of divers. It is a fixed site on our famous Phi Phi Overnight trip so contact us if you would like to explore further: info@calypsophuket.com :)

PADI Rescue Course + EFR

Rewarding and fun – that best describes the PADI Rescue Diver course. This course will expand your knowledge and experience level. Rescue Divers learn to look beyond themselves and consider the safety and well being of other divers. Although this course is serious, it is an enjoyable way to build your confidence, most divers will tell you that this is the best course they've taken!

How does it work?
Firstly, you will need to do some independent study. The PADI Rescue Diver crewpak includes all materials required to complete the PADI Rescue Diver course. You’ll learn how to think like a rescue diver and preview skills you’ll practice with your PADI Instructor. This knowledge and technique will give you the expertise to handle almost any emergency situation.

The PADI Rescue Diver course is the newest addition to the PADI eLearning® family. Rescue Diver Online gets you started right away and lets you learn at your own pace and in your own time.

The course is normally completed over 2 days where you will learn some rescue exercies before moving onto some really fun scenarios. The Rescue Diver training will prepare you to prevent problems and, if necessary, manage dive emergencies. During the confined and open water sessions, you'll cover:

* Self-rescue and diver stress
* Diving first aid
* Swimming and non-swimming assists
* Egress (exits)
* Surfacing the unconscious diver
* Underwater problems
* Missing diver procedures
* Panicked diver response
* In-water artificial respiration
* Dive accident scenarios
* First aid procedures for pressure related accidents
* Emergency management and equipment considerations

After successfully completing the programme, you'll receive the internationally recognised PADI Rescue Diver certification card.

What are the prerequisites?
To enroll in the PADI Rescue Diver course, you must

* Be 12 years or older
* Have a PADI Adventure Diver certification (or have a qualifying certification
from another organization)
* Be trained and current for first aid and CPR within the previous two years.

What does it cost?
PADI Rescue Diver: 2/3 days, 2 - 3 dives 10,900 Baht (*)
Emergency First Response: 1 day 3,900 Baht (*)

* Course price does NOT include certification fees of 2,000 Baht per course.

*Fascinating Fish Fact*

Hermit crabs are decapod crustaceans of the superfamily Paguroidea. Most species have long, curled abdomens, which are soft, unlike the hard abdomens seen in related crustaceans. The abdomen is protected from predators by a salvaged empty seashell carried by the hermit crab, into which its whole body can fit. The tip of the hermit crab's abdomen is adapted to clasp strongly onto the shell.

As the hermit crab grows in size, it has to find a bigger shell and abandon the previous one. Several hermit crab species, both terrestrial and marine, use "vacancy chains" to find new shells - when a new, bigger shell becomes available, hermit crabs gather around it and form a sort of queue from largest to smallest. When the largest crab moves into the new shell, the second biggest crab moves into the newly vacated shell, thereby making its previous shell available to the third crab, and so on.

Most species are aquatic and live in varying depths of saltwater, from shallow reefs and shorelines to deep sea bottoms. Tropical areas host some terrestrial species, though even those have aquatic larvae and therefore need access to water for reproduction. Most are nocturnal.

A few species do not use a "mobile home" and inhabit immobile structures left by polychaete worms, vermetid gastropods, corals and sponges


* There are over 600 species of hermit crabs in the world.

* Hermit crabs can live as long as 15 years although the majority of them live to around 6-8 years.

* Hermit crabs are not really classed as crabs due to the fact that they do not own their own shell.

* The Coconut crab or Birgus Latro is the largest hermit crab in the world with a size of up to 40 cms and a weight of up to 4.1 kgs!

* The shape of the shell that a baby hermit crab chooses determines the shape of its abdomen.

* Hermit crabs are fussy about the type of shells that they choose and are drawn to ones with mother of pearl linings.

* Hermit crabs drink by dipping their claws in water and depositing the water into their gills and mouth.

* Its nearest relatives are spiders and lobsters.

* Hermit crabs are not fussy eaters and will eat such things as fresh fruit and vegetables as well as small amounts of meat and fish.

* The Ecuadorian land crab is one of the smallest species of hermit crab at around 12mm in length

* Of all the species of hermit crab, only a few are generally classed as land or terrestrial and even these are born in the sea or ocean

* Hermit crabs moult as they grow, which means that they shed their exoskeleton and grow a new one. They will often consume their old skin for its nutrients.

* The abdomen of a hermit crab can change shape to fit the body of the shell that it is taking over. This is very good especially if the shell is of a spiral nature!

* If a land based hermit crab was left underwater for too long it would drown, even though it was born under water!

Great Success for Go Eco Phuket!

Last Sunday, 30th September, 14 dive boats with more than 500 volunteers turned out to clean the reefs of Koh Racha Noi and Yai, Koh Khao Nok and Koh Hei in Go Eco Phuket's "Dive for Debris" initiative. They managed to collect an amazing 15 tons of debris including a 4.5 discarded fishing net, which even a local fishing boat helped to haul in. This was a united effort from local dive operators, local resorts and tourism dependent businesses, government agencies and the Royal Thai Navy.

Tony Andrews, PADI Regional Manager and Project AWARE Ambassador, said “It’s a record. Obviously we are very pleased with the event." He explained that the debris would be sorted into categories, such as fishing nets, plastics and so on, so it can be accurately documented.

The long-term goal of the event is to mobilize divers from around to the world to return the reefs to a clean, healthy state.

“We had a strong dream of making the reefs of Phuket and the surrounding islands clean, pristine and sustainable, and making sure they belong in the top diving destinations in Thailand and the world,” Mr Andrews said.

Vice Admiral Taratorn Kajitsuwan, Commander of the Navy Third Area Command at their base at Cape Panwa, pointed out that when Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra previously visited Phuket, she had made it clear that eco-tourism was a must for the island.

“One of my priorities is to help [support eco-tourism efforts], and this project goes hand in hand with PM Yingluck’s vision of improving tourism and our country,” he said.

“Everyone is glad that Thais and foreigners have so much interest in the local environment,” he added.

The important thing is what happens now. The founders of Go Eco Phuket are already discussion their next project, and we will keep you posted on any upcoming event :)

The problem with marine debris

Every year, tens of thousands of marine animals and seabirds die from eating or getting tangled up in marine debris. Here’s the ugly and frightening truth surrounding our mass throwaway culture:

* Almost 90 per cent of floating marine debris is plastic.
* Over 6 million tonnes of marine litter could be entering our ocean every year.
* Research of northern fulmar seabirds found dead on beaches showed 95 per cent had plastic in their stomachs. Each bird had swallowed an average of 35 plastic pieces.
* 35 per cent of plankton-eating fish found during a study in the North Pacific Central Gyre had ingested plastic.
* Annual plastic production and use of plastics has risen from 1.5 million tonnes in 1950 to 230 million tonnes in 2009.
* Marine debris has affected more than 260 different marine species, including 86 per cent of sea turtles, 28 per cent marine mammals and 36 per cent of seabirds.
* The majority of marine wildlife deaths are due to eating marine debris.
* Animals that eat marine debris can choke if it catches in their throat. Once swallowed, plastic cannot be digested and makes the animal feel like it is full, so it stops eating and can starve to death.