Phuket Thailand is one of the better places to go if you are looking to do some great scuba diving when you are on holiday. In Thailand phuket has plenty of things to do both on and off the water but many people each year come just for the diving phuket has to offer.
There are great places to go for a day trip. Those that have been to Phuket diving before will know the great islands of Racha Noi and Racha Yai which lie to the south of Phuket. Both islands can be visited in one day with ease one after the other. Both have calm sheltered white sandy bays with plenty of hard coral reef in very shallow water making it available to all. Both islands again have great diving on both east and west coasts which means which ever time of you you come then there are well protected bays to dive all year round. There are also a couple of wrecks that have been put down around the island of Racha Yai for scuba divers to explore. These plus giant elephants in Siam bay plus a motorbike and statues of Thai knights make for some great photos too.
The Racha Islands are known for good diving in Phuket all year round with plenty of Barracuda, khule's sting ray, Parrot fish, cuttle fish, Octopus, Marble ray, eagle ray and on many time the Manta Ray too. There also can be turtles, Leopard sharks plus a large amount of reef fish too.
Then for those who have never been diving in Thailand before there are the Phi Phi Islands. This was the setting for the hollywood movie "The Beach" Here we can find great wall dives on the island of Phi Phi Ley. This is where we find maya bay which is home to the beach. But for diving the better locations are on the walls outside. Here on turtle wall we find...yes you have guessed it Hawksbill turtles. Then on the other main wall we find Black Tip reef sharks. Both of these are great dives as its not everyday that you can find both on the same location. Then on Bida Nok there are plenty of soft corals, big sea fans and huge schools of reef fish. Here again on the north side we can often find more black tips in the shallows.
For the more experienced diver there is the wreck of the King Cruiser ferry. This day is really for the more experienced person scuba diving Phuket. This sunk in 1997 after hitting a reef (Anemone Reef) about half way between phi Phi and Phuket. The ferry is 90 meters long, 30 meters wide and now is about 15 meters tall. It sits in around 32 meters depth at the deepest point and is around 17 at the shallowest. Here we find huge schools of glass fish then large numbers of small Barracuda. Then feeding on them are the travelly and even tuna. Then from time to time on the safety stop you get to see the largest fish in the ocean the Whale shark.
Close by to King Cruiser we have Shark point and Anemone reef. Both very colourful with stunning soft corals, huge sea fans and a huge variety of fish. This is a macro photographers dream. Here we have so much to see from Ghost pipe fish, sea horses and leopard sharks are here virtually all year round. There is also the chance for the whale shark to pass over head here too.
Then we have Koh Doc Mai or flower island. This is a great all that just rises from 20 meters below the surface to may be 80 meters straight up. Many people that come to phuket diving, this is what they want. Its an easy dive as you just drop in at one end or the other. and drift along the wall slowly ascending as you go. Here there are many things to see in the cracks in the wall, there are a couple of small caves here too. This is also a good place for the very shy Bamboo shark or again very shy Jans pipe fish.
To join any trip just go into a GOOD dive shop phuket has many but try to find one that well established and will offer plenty of options. A good shop will have options for people to learn to dive in Phuket alongside those already certified so as you can all enjoy the day together in the same location and on the same boat. If people in your group have never been diving before then to do Discover Scuba Diving Phuket as there is no where better. People with a thousand dives can have a great day alongside some one who has never been in the water before. When it comes to great diving then Phuket Thailand really is in a class of its own.
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