Similan Islands
The Similan Islands (Thai: หมู่เกาะสิมิลัน, Thai pronunciation: [mùː kɔ̀ʔ si.mi.lan], Malay: Pulau Sembilan) is a group of islands in the Andaman Sea off the coast of, and part of, Phang Nga Province, southern Thailand. It is a national park, Mu Ko Similan, which was established in 1982 after a one-year assessment by the forestry department.
The islands are at 8°39′09″N 97°38′27″E / 8.65250°N 97.64083°E
The park is an archipelago consisting of 11 islands, occupying an area of approximately 140 km2 with a land area of about 26 km2. For convenience, the Thai Department of National Parks (DNP) has assigned numbers to the islands. From north to south, they are:
The Similans lie 70 kilometres off the coast of Phang Nga Province. "Similan" is a Yawi word meaning "nine". Ko Bon and Tachai were added to the national park in 1998.
Ko Similan is the largest island. The sea in the area has an average depth of 60 feet. Underwater it is full of rock formations and coral reefs in several shapes and forms, resembling such things as deer, leaves, brains, and mushrooms.
Above the water are found many diverse species such as the Nicobar pigeon, mangrove monitor lizards, flying fox and more.
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