Best of Thailand
divesite
Areas we visit on our Best of Thailand
trip
Koh Rok Nai & Koh Rok Nok
These islands have some of the prettiest beaches found in the whole
of Thailand so this is the perfect opportunity to jump off the
boat to have a wander along the beaches. These two sister islands
are separated by a 15 metre deep channel. The best dive on Koh
Rok Nai is found on the north side where you will come across
beautiful coral reefs which are inhabited with an amazing diversity
of fish life. It is possible to see seahorses, frogfish as well
as giant clams. At Koh Rok Nok, the best dives are at the western
part of the island and are relatively shallow. The bottom comprises
of hard corals with a few soft corals as you go deeper. Blacktip
sharks as well as hawksbill turtles are common sightings in these
waters.
Hin Muang & Hin Daeng
Found southwest of Phuket and boasts excellent dive conditions & striking
topography that appeals to divers of all levels. Hin Muang is a submerged
pinnacle approximately 200 metres long and less than 30 metres wide.
It is in fact connected to Hin Daeng via a long rocky ridge. The
pinnacle is completely covered in lush purple soft corals, hence
the name Hin Muang (Purple Rock). This dive site is surrounded with
huge shoals of glassfish, cuttlefish, leopard sharks, trevallies
and even grey reef sharks can also be witnessed in the deep blue
off the pinnacle. Also looking at the same way, you can spot infamous
whalesharks and manta rays! Hin Muang, Purple Rock, is a beautiful
dive site so rich in life that it is worth making at least 2 dives
there.
Hin Daeng
Easily recognizable as the top of the rock can be seen about 3 metres
above the surface. The southern side descends to a depth of 60
metres forming the longest vertical drop in the Andaman Sea.
The wall is dotted with light growths of soft corals & a
few sea fans but does not possess as much marine life as Hin
Muang. On the eastern side where there is a gradual slope, 2
long ridges descend into the depths beyond decompression limits.
Even though it is not as rich in life as with other areas, the
strong currents means more schools of jacks, rainbow runners,
barracudas, and trevallies which hunt for prey – it can
be an amazing sight! Needless to say, cleaning stations for manta
rays are seen, and may see a whaleshark gliding by for a peek!
Koh Ha
A cluster of 5 small islands 15km southwest of Kok
Lanta. The most popular dive site in this area is Koh Ha Yai which
is situated on the most westernmost point. On the western side of
the island, there are sloping walls which descends to beyond 50 metres
and are made up of corals and large smooth rocks. Beautiful sea fans
and coral whips, surrounded by glassfish are common sightings. Be
sure to remember to look out in the blue for whale sharks, large
tuna, jacks, stingrays as well as mobula rays. Ascending to the shallows,
you will come across two caverns which has large entrances. The highlight
of this dive is that you are able to surface inside the caverns and
view stalactites hanging down from the ceiling more than 30 metres
overhead! This makes up for an excellent night dive because of the
biolumenscent plankton – there is only one way to find out
why it’s so beautiful!
Koh Racha Noi and Koh Racha Yai
A popular dive destinations as it is known for its clear waters,
and healthy marine life. The best and most popular dive sites
are at the extreme north and south ends of the island. The South
Tip is an exciting scenic dive and consists of rocky slopes,
and coral gardens. The abundance of soft corals are much more
prolific than at any other dive sites in the region. Marbled
stingrays, leopard sharks and whitetip reef sharks can often
be seen resting at the bottom. At the North Tip, the main dive
site consists of a submerged rocky ridge that extends well away
from the island to the north. You will come across huge rock
pinnacles that start at the surface and plunge almost vertically
to beyond recreational diving depths. The marine life includes
hard and soft corals, pillow and feather stars, various crabs,
shrimps and a variety of reef fish
