About diving in Phuket

Located on Thailand's west coast, Phuket offers excellent dives, in terms of diversity and quantity of species. The macro world displays nudibranches, shrimps, sea horses and gostpipefish; small barracudas are the main attraction of some sites, jack fish are circling in the blue, reefs are covered with an extravagant crowd of soft corals, home for hordes of small animals, hiding form the predators hunting in the blue. Diving in Phuket and Ko Phi Phi is accessible on day trips, on board comfortable dive boats with living rooms, showers, toilets, providing lunch on board.

Anemone reef:
Max depth : 28 m / 90 ft to 4m / 12 ft
Level : beginner to experienced, sometime strong current
What is it : pinnacles covered with soft coral.
What to see : The main pinnacle hosts a crowd of macro life, such as crabs, tiny morays, shrimps, pipe fish, all sheltered inside the fan coral and the soft coral. Barracudas are hunting around, a shoal of yellow snappers is always located in front of the current. Then you find several rocks on the bottom, that are home of a profusion of life. Leopard sharks and turtles show up very often. A fascinating dive, don't miss it

King cruiser:
Max depth : 32 m to 10m
What is it : the wreck of a car ferry, who sunk 10 years ago
Level : beginner to experienced, sometime strong current
What to see : the King cruiser sunk when it went into Anemone reef. No human casualties were reported. penetration is still possible at some part. Schools of jack fish, barracudas, snappers and other predators are commonly seen. Lion fish and stone fish inhabit the place, bamboo sharks live under the propeller at 30 meters. The structure is interesting to see, the front and the back of the wreck has interesting features. This too, is a dive not to miss.

Ko Doc Mai:
Max depth : 36 m / 120 ft to the surface
Level : beginner to experienced, sometime strong current
What is it : A rock typical of Thailand's landscape, drop off type
What to see : Two sides to dive, each will protect you from the wind. 2 dives to do. The first dive at no more than 15 m / 45 ft, drifting with the current.Keep your eyes on the reef, though a shoal of huge barracudas leave here, the guests stars are the sea horses and ghost pipe fish. Every fan coral is a city hosting several different macro inhabitants. There is also a cave at 18 m, worth seeing if you have a torch and if you are experienced enough. The second dive is a deep dive at 30 m or more, around canyons of rocks, covered with hard coral. Big fish live there, leopard sharks, turtles, groupers, etc...

Racha Noi:
Max depth : 70 m to the surface
Level : beginner to experienced. Strong current doesn't matter, there are a lot of drift dives
What is it : 2 islands, linked by an underwater reef. Always a sheltered place, in both seasons.
What to see : Mantas leave there, and come back, like you, every year ! The most famous dive site of Racha Noi, south tip, is Reserved to experienced divers with good physical condition. South tip is always in the current, huge fan coral, huge mantas, huge barracudas. North tip also has its mantas, and is more easy to dive. The bays of the west and east coast will please everyone, an ideal location for the courses. And there also, you can see some mantas. Good luck.

Racha Yai:
Max depth : 25 m to the surface
Level : beginner to experienced, strong current doesn't matter, there are a lot of drift dives.
What is it : A little resort island, its bays will shelter you from the wind and waves. Ideal for courses.
What to see : 2 sides, for 2 seasons. In the dry season, bungalow bay and Siam bay, where turtle live, as well as a lot of macro animals. The courses are made on the sand, in shallow water. On the east side, Stag horn reef and Lucy reef are 2 drift dives for the monsoon season, that you will do inside a school of small barracudas. They must be thousands of individuals, and they love divers. Don't forget your camera. Groupers , moray eels and sea snakes live also there.

Shark point:
Max depth : 26 m / 90 ft
Level : beginner to experienced, sometime strong current
What is it : 3 reefs like pinnacles, it takes 3 dives to see all
What to see : an amazing profusion of soft coral, with millions of life above it. Barracudas, tunas, as well as sea horses. Chances to see turtles, leopard sharks, and whale sharks show up a couple of times a year. A must dive.