The secret of the Surin Islands

The Surin Islands´ National Park is located north of the Similan Islands and has nothing to envy the latter.

Full of vegetation and white sandy beaches, the Surin Islands are a perfect destination for visual delight.

The diving is characterized by its large granite boulders and huge sea fans.

Additionally to amazing diving, the Surin Islands offer another reason that makes them even more special and culturally appealing. The Moken (also known as "gypsies of the sea"), inhabit these islands. These are small semi-nomad communities that used to live in wooden boats jumping between islands. Nowadays, the local government is attempting to locate them permanently within the National Parks.

Moken village

It is said that children have "dolphin eyes" since they have the ability to see underwater with higher definition due to an evolutionary adaptation of the pupils resulting from spending so much time in contact with water. Unfortunately, they lose this ability as they grow up.

Moken children

Their ancestry and culture are based on the sea. They have an incredible breadth of knowledge, not acquired in schools today. Such is the case, that during the 2004 tsunami in Southeast Asia, they managed to save, almost, their entire population. They were able to predict the arrival of the wave, giving the community enough time to flee and save their lives.

The Moken inhabit more islands along the Andaman Sea. It is not a very popular destination, reason why it is such a special and magical place.

Within the limits of the National Park, you can also find Richelieu Rock, one of the top 10 best diving destinations in the world. We will discuss this site in the following post.

See you in the blue