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Dive Sites in Thailand

Thailand is a perfect place for a great holiday . World-class diving, beautiful tropical islands and white sandy beaches are waiting for you. The water visibility here often exceeds 30 meters, an average ocean temperature of around 28º C, and uncommonly calm sea conditions, Thailand has with no doubt some of the most comfortable and safe diving environments found anywhere in the entire world.


Similan Islands (October to May each year)

The Similan Islands are known as among the 10 best Scuba diving destinations in the entire world. Whale sharks, Manta rays, Reef sharks, Leopard sharks, Barracuda, Octopus, Cuttlefish, Lionfish, Clownfish – and a hole lot more colorful marine life, you can find it all here. The sheer abundance of life out around these remote, uninhabited islands is absolutely breathtaking.

Divesites not to be missed when visiting these beautiful Islands, a bit further up north from the Similan Islands you find, Koh Bon , is a cleaning station for giant Manta Rays, Koh Tachai and Richelieu Rock , the best spots in Thailand to explore the gentle Whale sharks.

Hin Daeng / Hin Muang (October to May each year)

Hin Daeng & Hin Muang can be reached by Liveaboard from phuket or doing day trips from Phuket, Koh Lanta and Koh Phi Phi, these two dive sites rival anything the Similans have to offer.

Hin Daeng and Hin Muang are two enormous pinnacles close to each another, and are a Manta Ray cleaning station as well. The Manta Rays here are not shy of divers and if you are lucky enough to dive here when they are present, you will have an unforgettable experience.

Phi Phi Islands and Phuket's other local Divesites (All year around)

Diving in the Phi Phi Islands is an experience not to be missed! From shallow sheltered bays to wall and drift dives, there's something for every level of diver. And there's lots of marine life! You will see an amazing variety of fish life, beautiful soft corals, staghorn coral gardens and huge sea fans. On the sandy bottom, leopard sharks can be found resting.

Also King Cruiser Wreck (1997) , Shark Point Reef , Anemone Reef , Koh Dok Mai , Racha Yai and Racha Noi are worth a visit. As you probably already have seen the possibilities here are endless, here is diving for everyone

For non-divers the Racha Yai, Similan Islands and Phi Phi Islands offers superb snorkelling, with the opportunity to see not only beautiful coral gardens but also some of the larger fish at shallow depths.

Both the Similans and Hin Daeng are only accessible during October to May each year - the rest of the year is monsoon season when conditions are too rough in the Andaman Sea for safe diving (or boat travel, for that matter).

ANEMONE REEF

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This unique and colorful dive site is a huge limestone pinnacle that soars 30 meters up from the seafloor to just 4 meters underneath the surface then abruptly ends and drops back to a sandy bottom.

This barely submerged reef is a well known shipping hazard and is located less than a mile north of Shark Point. The Thai name for this site is Hin Jom (underwater rock). Although not as colorful as Shark Point this site is famous for its vast fields of sea anemones that cling to every conceivable surface swinging and swaying with the current.

The profusion of sea anemones and the nutrient-rich water are a magnet to a constant parade of reef fish seeking food and shelter. Here you will find enormous Gorgonian sea fans, lots of colorful hard & soft corals and a resident Hawksbill Turtle can be seen feeding or resting in the crevices of the rocks. For the macro enthusiast, nudibranches, sea slugs, Frogfish, Ghost pipefish and juvenile Morays are there for your trained eyes to discover. Enormous schools of tropical fish, Snappers, Groupers and colorful Clownfish, along with larger game-fish like Tuna and Barracuda, and the occasional Leopard Shark can often be seen passing by.

SHARK POINT

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Shark Point is part of a Marine Sanctuary due to its tremendous variety of marine life. The official Thai name for this site is Hin Musang or 'Shark Rock'. Approaching from the sea Shark Point appears as a tiny rock outcropping of no particular interest but beneath the surface lays a vast multicolored reef teeming with marine life. The dive site is named after the docile Leopard Sharks that are often encountered resting on the sandy sections here. Divers that are not used to seeing sharks are generally surprised at how big and approachable they are. Because they are nocturnal feeders they are very approachable during the day. Shark Point is one of the richest and most vivid dive spots around the Phuket area.

Shark Point's most colorful feature is the profusion of purple and pink soft corals that cling to the rocks. The currents sweeping over the pinnacles provide plenty of food for the hundreds of different species of hard corals and limitless tropical fish species , Clownfish , Morays , Angelfish , Snapper , Spot fin Lionfish , Groupers and also Barracuda . For the divers with keen eyes for small things, Tiger tail Seahorses, Ghost pipefish, Porcelain Crabs and the rarely seen Harlequin Shrimps are hidden among the soft and hard corals!

To protect the fragile ecosystem and preserve the tremendous variety of marine life that occupies the reef this popular dive site was declared a marine sanctuary in 1992 by the Thai government and all forms of commercial fishing, collecting of marine life or other forms of harmful activity are prohibited. Official mooring buoys have been installed and no anchors should be dropped here.

KING CRUISER WRECK (4 TH MAY 1997)

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King Cruiser is a 3000 ton, 85m catamaran car and passenger ferry originally used for transportation between Phuket and Phi Phi Islands. On 4 th May 1997, after a miscalculation, the King Cruiser struck Anemone Reef which resulted in a large tear in her hull. Slowly but surely she began to sink and finally came to rest approximately 1 mile to the east of Shark Point. Fortunately local authorities where quick to respond to her impending doom and all persons onboard where rescued without any incidents. The Wreck is now resting in an upright position with the wheelhouse just 16 meters from the surface and the propellers (deepest point) at 32 meters, ideal for both experienced divers and those who have never dived a wreck before.

During the monsoon month of September 2003 the top and passenger decks collapsed and created wreckage" out of our wreck! A resident Turtle has moved in and lives underneath the wreckage and schools of Rabbit fish; Five-line Snapper, Big-Eye Trevally, Big-Mouth Mackerel, Foresters and Chevron Barracuda are among its occupants. Also found here are larger-than-usual Porcupine Fish, Common Lionfish. Well-camouflaged Scorpion Fish are everywhere, occasionally Bamboo Sharks are found sleeping in holes and cracks near the sand bottom & also several colorful nudibranches live on the outer walls. Over time it will become an even better dive site as it takes on a patina of age, and becomes encrusted with a variety of colorful corals.

KOH DOK MAI (FLOWER ISLAND)

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This small island is located on the way to Shark Point from Phuket and is considered one of the best wall dives in the area. Koh Dok Mai (meaning ‘Flower Island' in Thai) is a huge limestone rock that rises steeply out of the sea and plunges straight down to the sea floor at 30m on the northern and southern tips.

Generally the dive is started on the east side drifting with the current, where divers follow a vertical wall covered in clams, hard corals and huge sea fans. There are two caves located on this side which offers a fantastic cavern view from just a couple of meters in. For macro lovers Koh Doc Mai is probably the best Thailand has to offer. Look out for Cleaner Shrimps, Seahorses, and Ornate Ghost pipefish, endless Nudibranches and Sea Slugs, Frogfish and juvenile White-Eyed Moray Eels. Bearded Scorpion fish, Banded Sea Snakes, Common Lionfish, Forsters and Chevron Barracudas are common residents here.

The west side is a gently sloping hard coral reef with an abundance of colorful marine life decorating its underwater cliffs and the dive is usually ended here where currents are not present.

PHI PHI ISLANDS

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One of the most dramatically beautiful locations in the world, the scenery from the surface is absolutely stunning at Phi Phi Islands.

A very interesting environment for scuba divers and over time the elements have created caves, overhangs and swim throughs in the soft limestone rocks. Other dive profiles include vertical walls that plunge from the surface down to over 25 meters. On these walls are found a profusion of soft corals, large Gorgonian sea fans and Black corals. There are several unusual types of coral that can only be found in the waters surrounding the Phi Phi Islands including a one meter high white coral bush that is shaped like a Christmas tree complete with little ornaments.

These islands offer a remarkable variety of dive sites concentrated in very a small area. Two of the most popular dive sites are located at the southern tip of the small island of Koh Phi Phi Ley: Koh Bida Nok & Bida Nai. Here you find large fields of staghorn and star corals and incredible numbers of colorful reef fish.

These islands are two local favorite dive sites. They contain walls, swimthroughs, Leopard and Reef Sharks, Turtles, Barracudas, Jacks and Stingrays. Resident tropical fish also include Blue Ring and Emperor Angel Fish, playful Anemone fish, juvenile Tail-Spot Butterfly fish and more. The visibility is often limited to 5-20 meters but the Phi-Phi Islands are likely to remain among the most popular diving locations in south-east Asia.

RACHA YAI ISLAND

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Racha Yai is about 1½ hours south of Phuket. It is a beautiful tropical island with very good colorful reefs, shallow water, coral gardens and a great opportunity for some enjoyable drift diving. There are several excellent dive sites particularly suitable for the beginner and also snorkelers, making this island a favorite destination for everyone. Here you often see Parrot Fish, Triggerfish, Lionfish, Puffer Fish, Octopus, Cuttlefish, Moray Eels, Stingrays and sometimes Leopard Sharks are seen resting on the sandy areas.

On the northern and western sides of the island are two sheltered bays which offer very relaxed diving and contain a mixture of granite boulders, fields of hard corals, sandy patches and coral pinnacles almost right up to the beach!

Similarly the eastern side has four bays, although smaller, but between each bay are four very pleasant reefs, perfect for a drift dive and giving a good mixture of hard corals, white sand and huge fields of Staghorns. Granite lines the shallow edges of the reefs giving ideal shelter to swimmers and snorkelers.

There are two smaller wrecks here as well , one located very close to the reef in 22 meters of water and there is one a bit further out at 31 meters.

RACHA NOI ISLANDS

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Racha Noi is the more isolated of the two Racha islands and is a very popular dive site for more experienced divers as the depths are generally greater and the currents frequently stronger than at its sister island Racha Yai. You will encounter huge underwater boulders that offer a good chance to see Manta Rays and large Pelagics.

The northern tip of the island offers an opportunity for a good multilevel dive around enormous boulders where it is not uncommon to spot Marble Rays, sometimes Devil Rays and also Leopard Sharks. There is also a shallow bay with a hard coral garden with several soft corals and sea fans.

The southern tip is a nice drift dive along some spectacular scenery, a long reef firmly rooted to the granite base. Swarms of small Indian red tooth Triggerfish congregate here, Giant Moray Eels live under the boulders and Octopus is often seen. Manta Rays have also been seen at all times of the year.

150m south of the island is an enormous granite pinnacle which starts at 12m and plunges to depths of almost 50m. Strong currents are very common here and there is no mooring so a fast descent is sometimes essential but the rewards are a myriad of soft corals, sea fans, gullies, drop-offs and a good chance for Manta Rays, Big Barracudas, Giant Trevally, Tuna and Leopard Sharks as well as the usual tropical reef species.

The eastern and western sides of the island present the diver with a good mixture of sheltered sandy bays, soft and hard corals, innumerable swim-through's and always a chance of the unexpected.

Racha Noi offers many opportunities for an enjoyable and rewarding deep dive but due to the potential for strong currents here we advise you to dive with dive guides. It is recommended to have an advanced certification.

HIN DAENG (Red Rock)

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About 100 km southeast of Phuket lie two of the best dive sites in Thailand - Hin Daeng & Hin Muang (Red Rock and Purple Rock in Thai).

Hin Daeng consists of 3 small rocks just breaking the surface. The underwater reef features a dramatic drop-off almost straight down to a depth of over 60 meters making it the deepest wall dive in Thailand.

This unusual rock is fantastic, being covered in a multitude of hard & soft corals and also a few sea fans. The eastern side slopes gently off along two long narrow ridges until they disappear into darkness, the western plateau has a huge coral garden covered in Compact corals and Star Corals and the deep walls on the north and south sides drop vertically to the sand with even the deeper soft corals usually visible from the shallows!

By descending along the wall to a depth of 30 meters you are likely to encounter huge schools of Jacks and Tuna sometimes so thick they appear as a solid wall of silver. Hin Daeng is home to a large variety of marine life including Reef Sharks, Giant Barracudas and from November to April there is a really good chance of spotting Manta Rays & even Whale Sharks. The sheer amount of marine life you find here makes this one of the best dive sites in the kingdom.

HIN MUANG (Purple Rock)

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This is one of the best dive sites in Thailand. Hin Muang (Purple Rock) is a series of six or more submerged pinnacles and is located just a few hundred meters north of Hin Daeng. This unique dive site is so completely covered with the lush purple soft corals which give the rock its name that it actually seems to glow and it attracts the most incredible amount of marine life you will find anywhere. This limestone pinnacle stretches for more than 200 meters in length and in some places is less than 20 meters in width. The almost vertical walls are carpeted with anemones and colorful sea fans and the numerous little caves, ledges and rocky outcroppings provide shelter for virtually every underwater creature found in South-east Asia.

Hin Muang is one of the best sites for viewing Manta Rays and several species of sharks including the Grey Reef Shark which have been seen congregating in groups. Hin Muang like Richelieu Rock in the Surin Islands to the north is also a magnet for Whale Sharks and ranks among Thailand's best places for observing these gentle giants.

One other unique spectacle often seen at Hin Daeng and Hin Muang are Manta Rays performing spectacular leaps out of the surface, truly impressive for non-divers and those impatiently getting through their surface interval!

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