Diving In Thailand

Posted on January 10, 2009
Filed Under Diving

With the presence of leopard sharks, whale sharks, silvertips, and manta rays, scuba diving in Thailand is not to be missed. Diving is available on both coasts of Thailand – each complementing the other and allowing diving when the other is unsuitable because of the weather.

Liveaboards and shore based diving from the mainland and the array of satellite islands around Thailand offer plenty of marine life and corals plus a few good wrecks.

Dotted with coral reefs as well as deeper offshore pinnacles, it’s not hard to understand Thailand’s popularity among backpackers and members of the dive community alike. Sheltered sandy bays supply the perfect depths for learner divers, while the more adventurously inclined can visit deeper sites and perhaps even succeed in the diver’s dream of seeing a whale shark or two.

The newly sunk HTMS Khram shipwreck is found just south of Koh Phi and has quickly become popular among local divers. A large amount of marine life has already been attracted to this wreck in a relatively short time.

The Samae San / Sattahip area benefits from similar diving conditions, with the extra attraction of two large intact shipwrecks. The Petchburi Bremen is an old freighter sunk in 60 feet of water in the Khram Channel (Sattahip). It acts as home to many Grouper and Barracuda. The Hardeep is a cargo ship sunk in 28 meters during the World War II era. This ship is completely intact, and can be dived from bow to stern entirely inside!!

With a large hole ripped through her belly the King Cruiser went down in less than 60 minutes and supplied the Phuket Diving community, at long last, with her own artificial reef. At 25 meters you’ll see the engine room and car deck. Returning to 60 meters you’ll find the passenger section which has the heads, bar and lots of tables and chairs. Even having a low ceiling it is considered relatively safe to penetrate as the doors are broken off.

At 15 meters you’ll see the captain’s cabin and wheel house. The reef is flooded with life and its closeness to Shark Point and Anemone Reef has undoubtedly had a lot to do with its sudden population growth. The wreck is an extremely well liked dive and thought of as one of the best in region.

In Shark Island depths range from 60 feet and above at the southern tip to the surface and at the deeper depths you may find Leopard and Reef Sharks. At the shallow end you will see pretty gardens of vividly colourful corals and anemones and at high tide it is even possible to cross from one side of the southern island to the other. This site supplies a huge variety of fish including the Blue Ringed Angel, Long Fin Banner, and if you are lucky the odd resident Hawksbill Turtle.