Fantasy Reef

Similan Islands dive site

Fantasy (or Fantasea) Reef is sometimes also referred to as Chicken Hair Reef. Located on the west side of Koh Similan (Similan Island number 8) this was a favourite dive site in the Similan Islands but has been closed to divers since 2004 as part of a policy to allow coral regeneration after tsunami damage.

The reef has a couple of moorings on it. Visibility underwater is always very good. Currents are usually mild but can pick up to become quite strong. The reef starts shallow and drops down below 40m. The majority of the dive is spent between 10m and 20m.

This dive site has it all (except wrecks) and needs more than one dive. Many Thailand divers miss diving this site and can hardly wait until it’s re-opened. There are hard corals, soft corals, sponges, gorgonian sea fans, sea whips, featherstars and anemones. There are walls, pinnacles, bommies and gardens of coral.

Marine life is prolific which large schools of jacks and snapper, bicolour parrotfish, butterflyfish, unicornfish, powder blue surgeonfish, Indian triggerfish, titan triggerfish, moorish idols, grouper, wrasse and oriental sweetlips. This list could go on and on.

Various types of moray eel can be seen such as giant moray, yellow margined moray, white eyed moray, fimbriated moray and the beautiful blue ribbon eel. Lionfish and scorpionfish are numerous. There are many species of nudibranch as well.

This reef, like many in the Similan Islands is a photographers dream.