Local Dive Sites in and around Phuket

                                                    

Racha Noi

Situated somewhat 5km south of Rach Yai. Racha Noi offers in addition to Racha Yai's attractions some truly spectacular sites with giant underwater boulders and scenery almost like the Similans with a great chance of seeing large pelagic such as Giant barracudas, Manta Rays and Whale Sharks. The visibility generally all year is fair to good.

South Reef 12-70 meters

This pinnacle rising up 12 m, lies a couple of hundred meters south of the mail island. The scenery is very similar to the Similan Islands, huge boulders and drop offs . Currents here can be quite strong but are rewarded by larger fish. Manta Rays are commonly seen circling and feeding and Whale Sharks visit occasionally. Schools of Blackfin Barracuda are common as are Travelly.

Marita's Rock 4-26 meters

Lying on the west side of the island Marita's Rock's marine life is extensive. Octopi, Sea-snakes, Moray Eels, Giant Pufferfish and Blue Spotted Stingrays are very common. With  a bit of luck Turtles are found here from time to time. Marita's Rock also has some atmospheric swim-through's formed by huge granite boulders.

Banana Bay 4-24 meters

Situated at the eastern side of the island, this site is very similar to Marita's Rock without the big boulders.

North Point 8-40 meters

Situated at the north point of the island again is very similar to Marita's Rock and have Octopi, Sea-snakes, Moray Eels, Giant Pufferfish and Blue Spotted Stingrays are very common. With  a bit of luck Turtles are found here from time to time. North Point also has some atmospheric swim-through's formed by huge granite boulders.

Racha Yai

Bungalo Bay 5-30 meters

The island of Racha Yai (Big King Island) lies about 13 miles South of Phuket. It is a beautiful tropical island with pristine beaches and many beautiful hard coral reefs, colorful shallow water coral gardens, some classic Staghorn coral reefs sloping down to about 30m and two small wrecks colonised by schools of fish. Rachai Yai is also a great place for snorkeling or just for spending a nice day on the beach. Rachai Yai is definitely everyone’s destination.

Hin Deang Hin Muang

Red Rock Purple Rock 5-40 meters

Hin Deang and Hin Muang lie 40 miles South of Phuket. Both dive sites are separated by only 100m and are quoted as some of the best diving in Thai waters. It's recommended that the divers who visit Hin Deang and Hin Muang are experienced divers, as they can be subject to current and have drop offs down to 70m. Awesome Whale Sharks  and Manta Rays are frequently sighted here.

Shark Point - Hin Musang
Series of boulders, the larger of which breaks the surface. Excellent coverage of both hard and soft corals. Leopard sharks, angel and butterfly fish, morays, pipefish, snappers, fusiliers and a wealth of invertebrates including selection of cowrie shells.

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 lies 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 colourful feature is the profusion of purple and pink soft corals that cling to the rocks. There are hundreds of different species of hard corals and limitless tropical fish species, Clownfish, Morays, Angelfish, Butterfly fish, Snapper, Spotfin Lionfish, Groupers and also Barracuda. For the divers with keen eyes for small things, Tigertail Seahorses, Ghost pipefish, Porcelain Crabs and the rarely seen Harlequin Shrimps and a wealth of invertebrates including Cowrie shells are hidden among the soft and hard corals.

Diving Depth 10 - 27 metres
Visibility 5 - 20 metres
Currents Can be very Strong
Surface Conditions Can be Rough
Diver Level Beginners (with a dive guide) and up
The King Cruiser Wreck

Anemone Reef
This unique and colorful dive site is a huge limestone pinnacle that soars 30 meters up from the seafloor to just 4 meters beneath the surface.

Although not as colourful 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, lionfish 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.

Diving Depth 10 - 27 metres
Visibility 5 - 15 metres
Currents Weak to Strong
Surface Conditions Can be Rough
Diver Level Beginners (with a dive guide) and up

Koh Dok Mai

This small island is located on the way to Shark Point if you leave 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. For macro lovers Koh Dok Mai is probably the best Thailand has to offer, look out for Cleaner Shrimps, Seahorses, Ornate Ghost pipefish, numerous Nudibranchs and Sea Slugs, Frogfish and juvenile White-Eyed Moray Eels. Bearded Scorpion fish, Banded Sea Snakes, Common Lionfish, Forsters and Chevron Barracudas are also common residents.

The west side is a gently sloping hard coral reef with an abundance of colourful marine life decorating the underwater cliffs.

Wreck Dive 16-33 meters

The King Cruiser lies straight on her hull at 33m. Despite being a recent wreck, marine life has taken over remarkably quick. Probably the most interesting part of the wreck is the passenger decks between 10m and 20m (the seats are still there). Penetration is easy in the ferry portion having large compartments and the visibility can be excellent.

The King Cruiser was a ferry linking Phuket to Phi-Phi Islands. She measured 85m in length, 25m at the beam and a draught of 8m. She displaced 3000 tons. She was powered by an engine that developed 10'000hp propelling her to 22 knots. She could carry 888 passengers on her four decks .Built in 1966 in Japan she was launched in 1997. Since then she linked Phuket harbor to Tong Sai Bai on Phi-Phi Islands at the rhythm of two trips a day. On the 4th of Mai 1997, she hit Anemone Reef, opening her hull on port side. She took about an hour to sink, leaving plenty of time for the rescuers to help the 600 passengers on board that day. There were no casualties. The King Cruiser lies south of Anemone Reef. The top deck is at 12m and the propellers at 33m. There are no particular difficulties except the risk of collapsing structures. However their can be at times strong currents. Nitrox 36 would be the gas of choice for this dive, giving us over 30 minutes without leaving the NDL.

Phi Phi

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, as 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 Le: Koh Bida Nok & Bida Nai. Here you find large fields of stag horn and star corals and incredible numbers of colorful reef fish.

These islands are two of the local's favorite dive sites. They contain walls, swim-throughs, 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 5-25 meters but the Phi-Phi Islands are likely to remain among the most popular diving locations in south-east Asia.

Koh Bida Nok

This dive has large boulders with small caverns. There are gorgonian sea fans, wire corals and Sea whips, anemones, anemone fish and small invertebrates.

Koh Phi Phi Ley - Maya Bay

A Variety of hard and soft corals adorn the walls, pinnacles and large boulders of this site, that has many sea whips and anemones. Also to be found are Banner fish, Cuttlefish, Moorish idols, Wrasse, Starfish and Sea Urchins.

Koh Phi Phi Ley - Loh Samah Bay

This is a great night dive site. One can find different species of hard and soft corals. Marine life includes pairs of blue ringed angelfish.

Koh Phi Phi Don - Nui Bay
6-25m 5-15m Sheltered area
One of the good wall dives in the area. There are hard and soft corals and colourful feather stars with many bat, angel, scorpion, squirrel and trumpet fish. Great for macro photography. 

The Andaman Sea

The Andaman Sea is a deep, clean body of water ornamented with scenic islands, most of them uninhabited, many of them fringed with coral reefs. The Andaman extends 870 kilometers from Koh Surin National Park on the border with Myanmar to the north, to Koh Tarutao National Park on the border with Malaysia to the south, to the Andaman Islands, Indian territory more than 650 kilometers to the west. The deep blue water of the Andaman Sea supports thriving commercial fisheries. It also provides ideal conditions for classic game-fish species such as Wahoo and Sailfish. The many island destinations and seas un-congested by boat traffic, meanwhile, make Phuket-based sailing some of the best in the world. Hundreds of fringing coral reefs, meanwhile, make for excellent diving, and scuba instruction of the highest standard is readily available.

Koh Similan

Part of the pleasure of diving these sites is the knowledge that the reefs are among the most bio-diverse in the region, while they are close enough to deep water that large open-water creatures often pay visits as well. What better diversion from a fascinating examination of a mantis shrimp lying in ambush for crab than to look up and see a whale shark - the biggest fish in the world, yet harmless - or a majestic manta ray silhouetted against the sun? Koh Similans enjoys the reputation of being one of the top 10 diving destinations in the world, given their rich marine life, varied bottom topography, excellent visibility, and numerous dive sites, both shallow and deep. These 9 tiny islands . 10 if you count Koh Bon, another excellent dive spot 30 km north of the Similans lie about 85 km northwest of Phuket.