The Best Diving In Thailand
With
Dive sites listed among the very best in the world - Thailand is a
global diving mecca. The Thai waters are home to Whale Sharks, Manta
Rays, Sea horses, Turtles, Barracuda, Dolphins and hundreds - if not
thousands of other species. Coral Reefs that match the colors of the
rainbow and are home to these species dot the coast and the islands of
The Kingdom of Thailand. Offering everything from the best place to
learn to dive in the world to personal encounters with Whale sharks -
There is plenty to chose from.
Similan Islands - Phuket/Phi Phi - Koh Tao - Koh Lipe
Thailand is also a wonderful country with all this excellent diving.
To the
west of Thailand is the Andaman Sea (pat of the Indian Ocean
ecosystem), and to the east the Gulf of
Thailand (part of the Pacific Ocean Ecosystem). The very best diving in
Thailand is on the Andaman Sea side, some spots in the south
and further north in the Similan Islands.The Gulf Of Thailand has only
a few sites that are worth mentioning - but makes for the ideal place
to learn to dive!
The best time to visit Thailand is from October to April. Heavy
rainfall hits the Andaman coast in May and continues until September.
From May to September, therefore, the Gulf of Thailand to the east may
be a better option. The best diving on that side is around Koh Tao.
Thailand has very clear waters and an average sea temperature of 28oC.
(October to May each year)
The Similan Islands are famous as one of the10 best scuba diving destinations in
the world. Whale sharks, manta rays, reef sharks, leopard sharks,
barracuda, octopus, cuttlefish, lionfish, clownfish - you name it,
you'll probably find it here. The sheer abundance of life out around
these remote, uninhabited islands is breathtaking, as is the visibility
- 20-35 meters visibility is the norm. Virtually all visitors should go beyond the
Similan Islands
proper and take in Koh Bon, a cleaning station for
mantas, Koh Tachai and Richelieu Rock, a hot spot for whale sharks..
The remoteness of the islands means that most liveaboards typically
last 3 or 4 days. It is worth spending time on the Islands themselves
too. Overnight Trips are the best way to enjoy your night and still dive
"My first view of the Similans was similar to seeing the
Grand Canyon for the first time. For lack of a better
word: awesome. Tranquil white sand beaches and turquoise
water with gin clear, 60 m visibility. Meadows of soft
corals and sea fans combined with a prolific fish
population are the main reasons this is a world class dive
destination. Pelagics in this region are seasonal. Though
there have been plenty of sightings of Mantas and whale
sharks, they are not common. The best chance of seeing them is during the plankton bloom in March and April. For the non
SCUBA Diver, snorkeling the Similans is second to none.
In fact, because of the drift currents on many of the
islands, you can often see more variety of marine life in
the protected shallow areas. "
(October to May each year)
Accessible
on day trips from Phuket, Koh Lanta and Koh Phi Phi, these
two dive sites were quite good until some fisherman went at them with
nets and poison. The corals are now in bad shape and the Mantas that
made them famous are not very common anymore. Koh Haa is a
collection of 5 enormous rocks that forms a natural lagoon in the
middle of the ocean - and is also a haven for marine life to gather
around. Hin Daeng and Hin Muang
are two pinnacles close to one another and are a manta ray cleaning
station.But because they are so accessible - they are still offered by
many of the large operators in Phuket.
Similan Islands - Phuket/Phi Phi - Koh Tao - Koh Lipe
(Year round)
The
most popular place to learn to dive in all of Asia Pacific, after
Cairns in Australia, Koh Tao has some good beginner dive sites and some
great
apres-dive action. If you want to dive and party, then this is the
place to come. Many times it appears that it's actually a place to
party and dive. The short travel times from the shore to the dive sites
- typically half an hour or less - make diving extremely convenient.
While the diving is not as spectacular as the Similans, (no manta
rays here, very little living coral, almost no turtles), there are
occasionaly encounters with sharks to be had at
Chumphon Pinnacle and also, if you're very lucky, whale sharks too.
Because Koh Tao is in the Gulf Of Thailand, it's possible to dive
all year round. The weather gets crappy around October/November.
October to May
One of the
last world class pinnacles left in the Anaman sea. 8 mile rock is a
submerged pinnacle roughly 8 miles due south of Koh Lipe. Noted for the
large palegics that cruise past, devil, manta and eagle rays are
common, along with leopard shark, giant barracuda and groupers.
Sighting for whale sharks have actually been up over the whole of the
lipe group of islands, with most sightings coming at 8 mile rock.
The rock itself starts at roughly 15m and at its deepest is over
50m. Densly coverd in purple, blue and red soft tree coral, all common
reef species can be found here in great abundance and size. Visibility
can be up to 45m vertically and over 30m horizontally. Caution must be
applied when diving 8 mile rock due to very strong currents that can
lead to thee dive being canceled. The site can be dived comfortably
dependent on current patterns so consult the local dive operators for
the best information.
Similan Islands - Phuket/Phi Phi - Koh Tao - Koh Lipe
