Phuket, The Phi Phi Islands, Koh Ha, Hin Daeng, Hin Muang
Thailands West Coast has some spectacular diving. The Andaman Sea south-east of Phuket is sheltered and offers virtually year round access to the dive sites. The sites here are dived by a select few liveaboard boats that head as far south as Koh Lipe in some cases. Do not assume that the Similan Islands is all Thailand has to offer. Although the Similans are the most well known the far south sites of Hin Muang, Hin Daeng, Koh Ha and the sites closer to Phi Phi are all excellent diving spots.
The sites such as Anenome Reef, Shark Point, King Cruiser & Koh Doc Mai are all popular for day trips and also for liveaboards returning from the further afield areas south of Phi Phi. They offer some excellent diving and are a short distance from Phuket, Phi Phi and Krabi. Racha Yai and Racha Noi are also the domain of Phuket operators as they are closer to Chalong than the majority of other sites. The depths at these sites do not attract the larger pelagics as much but the reef life is still abundant, colorful and spectacular.
The most likely way of spotting large pelagics such as Whalesharks and Mantas however is by diving Hin Daeng & Hin Muang, Koh Ha and to a lesser extent the Bida Islands around Phi Phi. These sites are a considerable distance south of Phi Phi and are accesible from Phuket via liveaboard trips virtually all year around. If you are visiting Thailand from May to October then it is these sites that you will visit on a liveaboard as the weather and regulations close the Similan Marine Park. If you are visiting in the remaining 6 months then you have the freedom of choice.
The dive sites around Koh Phi Phi are too numerous to talk about in detail here. Suffice to say that they offer excellent easy diving in the main and the topside scenery of the Phi Phi Islands is also breathtaking. Sheer limestone cliffs plunge into the azure waters offering both fantastic snorkeling and equally scenic diving. They didn't choose to film the Leonardo DiCaprio movie "The Beach" here for nothing. . . The limestone formations form numerous underwater caverns, caves and swimthroughs which makes diving here extremely interesting. Any liveaboard diving the southern sites will stop and let you dive at some sites around Phi Phi.
Moving further south from Phi Phi, Koh Ha (Five Islands in Thai) beckons with it's famous "Twin Cathedral" and internal lagoon. This is unlike any other diving area Thailand has to offer. It is dived far less extensively than the Similan Islands and well worth a visit.
Finally the main dive sites furthest south (and certainly not to be missed or dismissed) are Hin Daeng and Hin Muang (Red Rock and Purple Rock respectively in Thai). These sites are covered in purple and red corals and sea fans and attract the big fish due to the depth of water. If you have enough time and the budget and you are here in the Similans diving season then do not dismiss the Southern Sites. If you wish we can find you some excellent week long trips that cover it all. Trust us when we say whenever you choose to visit Thailand to dive you are unlikely to be disappointed. . .
This unique dive-site is a huge lime-stone pinnacle that soars 30 meters up from the ocean floor to sit 4 meters beneath the surface where it abruptly ends and drops back to a sandy bottom. The barely submerged reef is a well-known shipping hazard (see King Cruiser Wreck) and is located less than a mile north of Shark Point. The Thai name for this site is Hin Jom which means underwater rock and although not as colorful as Shark Point, the site is famous for its vast fields of sea anemones that cling to every conceivable surface and swing and sway 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. Enormous schools of tropicals, Snappers, Groupers and colorful Clown fish, along with larger game-fish like Tuna and Barracuda as well as the occasional Leopard shark can be seen here.
Koh Doc Mai is a limestone island that rises vertically from the seabed. Some say it looks like a muffin with the jungle clad top flowing out over the sheer cliffs. Although the visibility at this site is generally not as good as others, this dive is noted for the variety of reef fish and as such you might be lucky enough to encounter Leopard Sharks, Moray Eels, Octopus and Turtles. The east-side of the island consists of a vibrant garden of yellow tube corals as well as two small caverns. Koh Doc Mai is located on the way to Shark Point and offers an interesting alternative to the pinnacle dives as it is one of the best wall dives in the area. The dive is usually included as the second dive on many of the day-trips to Shark Point and/or Anemone Reef.
With its 10 dive sites Racha Yai offers some of the best year around diving in the Phuket area. On the west side of the island is beautiful Bungalow Bay famous for its clear waters and soft coral gardens. The best diving at Racha Yai, however, is along the East Coast where good visibility and prevailing currents allow for a gentle drift dive along sloping rocky reefs that are abundant in hard coral forests. For more advanced divers, off the Ter Bay there is an interesting wreck dive in depths of 25-35 meters. You'll find large schools of false barracudas hovering over the reef while on the reef itself expect to find octopus, cuttlefish and the more common tropicals. Divers of all levels and experience can visit Racha Yai as the diving is easy and gentle.
Shark Point Phi Phi (Hin Bida) is a large rocky outcrop marked at low tide by the tip of the pinnacle sticking out of the water. Only around 45 minutes from Phi Phi Don it's highly varied marine life makes it a very interesting dive site. Leopard Sharks are often seen, plus large rays, and the occasional Whale Shark when the plankton conditions are correct. If you aren't lucky enough to come across a Whaleshark then there are also plenty of nooks and crevices to look in for Octopi and Lobster.
Hin Daeng is 3m clear of the surface with the southern side dropping to 60m plus. This is the steepest & deepest drop in Thailand's waters. The rock itself is quite barren but offers the opportunity to see large pelagics and fantastic underwater gardens on the shallower shelving eastern side where two ridges descend to 40m plus.
