Because fewer boats make the trip to Surin it is sometimes thought that Surin diving is inferior to Similan diving but that is not the case. It is true that the visibility is not always as good around the Surin islands and that in the past dynamite fishing was a problem in Surin.  But the park is now protected and you will find species here that are not common elsewhere in Thailand such as Napoleon Wrasse, Bumphead parrotfish, Tomato Anemone fish and Yellow Mask Angelfish and the Andaman jawfish which you won't find anywhere else and can sometimes be seen protecting hundreds of eggs in it's mouth.
Divers that do make it this far north are also pleasantly suprised by the excellent macro critters to be found such as Harlequin Ghost Pipefish, Sea Horse and Rubust Ghost Pipefish. Choose a slighly longer liveaboard trip that has time to reach the Surin and you'll be pleasantly surprised by the diving and the tranquility away from the masses. Surin is also ideal for snorkellers as many of the reefs start at very shallow depths.
Surin, like most islands in Thailand also boasts spectacular beaches and bays. There are also mangroves and, on the main islands, lush evergreen forested interiors. The national park rangers have set several trails that you can walk through on the look out for crab eating Macaques, squirrels, deer and flying foxes. Bird watchers can see Hornbills, Nicobar pigeons, Kingfishers, white bellied sea eagles and kites. Continued >>
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