Tauchen Thailand - Phuket - Ko Lanta - Tauchsafaris zu den Similan Inseln, Phi Phi Islands und Hin Daeng

Dive sites at Surin Island, Ko Tachai and Ko Bon
Richelieu Rock This world class dive site is probably the best place in Thailand to spot whale sharks however since the last El Nino their numbers have diminished. Sightings are a lot more common during the March to May season. The splintered rock can just be seen above the surface at low tide around 18km east of Koh Surin and huge schools of pelagics can be seen on any given day. All manner of marine life is in abundance here, octopus and cuttlefish can be spotted along side yellow boxfish, morays and cleaner and mantis shrimps. There are many rock crevaces and cracks for marine life to hide in so take it slow and keep a look out. Also look out into the blue where large schools of snappers, jacks and trevally can be seen circling the rock above the thermoclines. Boat traffic and numbers of divers on the site can be heavy during peak season. Depth: 10 - 40m / Viz: 10 - 40m / Currents: Can be strong
	Ko Tachai Plateau This is one of the finer dive sites Thailand has to offer with an under-water plateau with marine life and coral. As well as the plentiful regular reef inhabitants there is always the chance of spotting something larger in the waters here such as manta rays, nurse sharks, leopard sharks and hawksbill turtles. Whale sharks have been known to visit around April May time. Koh Tachai also boasts a breath taking beach on its eastern coast. Most of the diving is one around a plateau of rocks off the southeastern side of the island forming cracks, caverns and beds for coral and marine life, currents and surge can be quite strong here. Around 500 meters south of the island are two submerged pinnacles that drop to around 35 meters. There are plenty or rocks forming swimthroughs and cracks for marine life to hide. Mantas have been known to visit the pinnacles and there are always large schools of fish here. Currents can be strong at this spot. Depth: 10 - 35m / Viz: 15 - 40m/ Currents: Can be strong
Ko Bon It is one of the few true wall dives in the Kingdom, the vertical rock dropping down to around 34 metres with coral ridges going even deeper. Although the soft coral isnt as abundant as the in the Similans you will notice different shades of blue, turquoise and yellow here. Koh Bon is one of the best places to spot manta rays, usually in the months of April and May. An exposed pinnacle lies to the west of Koh Bon, this also attracts big current feeders. Boats usually moor up in the secluded bay where an arch through the island can be used for navigation. Look out for octopus and small critters hiding in the crevaces of the wall on the dive. Mantas can be found feeding or visiting the cleaning station here at the right time of the year. Also be aware of strong currents and down surge as the waves hit the wall face. Depth: 10 - 40m / Viz: 15 - 40m/ Currents: Can be strong
Dive sites at Similan Islands
	Christmas Point A dramatic series of underwater pinnacles and canyons with the most action around 24 metres. Here you'll find an explosion of life in the soft coral gardens; parrotfish, lionfish, wrasse and groupers are all common. There are often some big jacks and trevally on the hunt here and you may glimpse white tip sharks on the prowl. Closer to the island (number 9) are a series of swimthroughs and overhangs where puffer, boxfish and moray eels hide. Depth: 10 - 40m / Viz: 15 - 30m/ Currents: Can be strong
North Point Situated on the far northerly tip of island number 9 are these submerged boulder pinnacles that rise from 40 metres up to around 15. There are some impressive coral canyons and swimthroughs around the boulders here and you may spot a shark or two at the bottom. Hard coral gardens can be enjoyed in the shallower parts nearer the island where staghorn and plate corals proliferate. Depth: 10 - 40m / Viz: 15 - 40m/ Currents: Can be strong
	Breakfast Bend A beautiful place to dive in the morning when the early light intensifies the colour of the coral. Can be dived as a wall and drift dive working up from the deeper parts where garden eels and leopard sharks can be spotted. There are some large boulder formations at the southern end of this dive and larger pelagics can be seen hunting where the currents are stronger. Depth: 5 - 34m / Viz: 15 - 30m / Currents: Occasianal
Elephant Rock Named after the bulbous looking rock formation to the south of Koh Similan (island number 8), this dive site is one of the best around. Below the surface it offers gigantic stacked boulders and a labyrinth of swimthroughs, arches and caverns. Marine life is abundant and huge schools of yellow goatfish and snappers can be found around the deeper levels. Watch out for thermoclines and currents here. Also keep an eye on the open ocean where you may spot bigger visitors. A lot of the huge rock walls appear quite barren but close inspection can reveal tiny anemone shrimps, crabs and nudibranchs. Depth: 10 - 45m / Viz: 15 - 35m/ Currents: Can be strong
	Deep Six This dive site offers a changing landscape that ranges from soft coral gardens to huge boulders to deep hard coral formations. As with other spots in the Similans there are impressive swimthroughs here and all manner of reef life including tuna, barracuda and blue spotted rays. Strong currents and thermoclines can be experienced on this dive. Depth: 5 - 50m / Viz: 15 - 35m/ Currents: Can be strong
East of Eden Another extremely popular dive site, this series of submerged bommies and pinnacles plays home to countless species of fish. There are also several types of brightly coloured soft corals, sea fans and whip corals. A kaleidoscope of colour is to be taken in here as large schools of fusiliers and snappers sweep around hard coral bommies covered in anemones and red and purple flower-like soft corals. Depth: 10 - 35m / Viz: 15 - 35m/ Currents: Can be strong
	Shark Fin Reef A series of parallel rocks are the formation here with a long sloping reef on the northeastern side and a steeper drop off on the southern. A large swimthrough links one side of the dive site to the other. Here is a good place to spot napoleon wrasse and larger pelagics. Depth: 10 - 40m / Viz: 15 - 35m/ Currents: Can be strong
Dive sites near Phuket & Phi Phi Islands
King Cruiser Wreck A perfect clear, calm and sunny day with a flat ocean and great visibility, a route that has been travelled hundreds of times before ... May 4th 1997. Nobody knows how the 85 meter passenger ferry strayed off course in perfect conditions and hit anemone reef tearing a gaping hole in her hull ... welcome to Thailand. We do know that she sank in around 2.5 hours and all 600 passengers aboard were rescued. She now lies upright in 32 meters of water and has evolved into a fantastic natural reef. Big open passage ways, car deck and bridge area make for easy exploration, take care though as surfaces have become encrusted with coral and barnacles and are extremely sharp. This said the wreck may have disintegrated further since we last dived it so penetration may not be possible. On the upper levels you'll spot lionfish and big schools of fusiliers and around the hulk you may see barracuda and jacks patrolling. Depth: 10 - 32m / Viz: 5 - 15m/ Currents: Can be strong
	Anemone Reef Dropping to a depth of around 25 meters this rock outcrop derives its name from the numerous anemones that cover the top. The dive is usually started at depth where you may spot a leopard shark on the sandy bottom. You can then slowly rise, circumnavigating the reef while keeping a lookout for morays and and other coral inhabitants. Take in the beautiful anemones and playful clownfish as you approach your saftey stop. Depth: 5 - 25m / Viz: 5 - 20m / Currents: Occasianal
Shark Point This is a tiny island called Hin Mu Sang situated around 25km east of Phuket. It gets the name as there are nearly always leopard sharks around its base on the sand 20 meters below. A diver can be almost guaranteed to spot one here. Besides the leopard sharks the site consists of three pinnacles that are covered in soft corals that home an abundance of marine life. Nutrient rich currents can be strong here so visiting pelagics are not uncommon. The Thai government declared this site a marine sanctuary in 1992 so all forms of fishing and collecting are prohibited. Depth: 5 - 20m / Viz: 5 - 20m / Currents: Occasianal
Dive sites near Ko Lanta - South Andaman Sea
	Ko Ha A group of five islands around 25km west of Koh Lanta separated by deep water channels. There are six different places to dive here and visibility is usually good. Marine life is plentiful here with all the regular visitors including morays and nudibranchs with the bigger tuna, jacks and trevally hunting in the deeper waters. There is a series of caves at the largest island, Ko Ha Yai, where natural light filters into a large underwater chamber. The entrance is at about 12 meters and you can actually surface inside to view some spectacular overhanging stalagtites. The dive sites at Ko Ha offer beautiful scuba diving and snorkelling with spectacular visibility. Diving at Ko Haa is suitable for divers of all levels. Depth: 5 - 30m / Viz: 10 - 25m / Currents: Occasianal
Hin Daeng Hin Daeng is arguably one of the best dive sites in the country. A large rocky outcrop forming a series of walls and ledges below the surface that are covered in red soft corals (which derives it the name). Due to the isolation of Hin Daeng and Hin Muang they form the only reef feeding ground for a lot of surrounding ocean and therefore attract the bigger pelagics. It is one of the very few places you may be lucky enough to spot grey reef sharks or even a whale shark. Mantas often frequent the area so keep a lookout for them. Marine life is generally larger and more colourful here than that closer to the shore with rarer species including clown and redtooth triggers, powder blue surgeonfish and some big morays. There are also patrolling barracuda and a resident school of batfish, this is a great dive site. The spot can get busy with ocean traffic at peak times. Depth: 10 - 60m / Viz: 10 - 15m / Currents: Can be strong
	Hin Muang Around 500 meters away from Hin Daeng is the five star dive site of Hin Muang. A series of five or more submerged pinnacles heading in a south westerly direction and dropping down to over 60 meters deep. It is one of the deepest drop offs in Thailand. Like its sister it derives its name from the colourful purple soft coral covering its walls and like its sister it also attracts some big pelagics. An explosion of marine life greets you here, from tiny shoals of anthias, to sweeping schools of yellow snappers and fusiliers, to huge hunting barracuda, you'll see them all at Hin Muang. The top portions of the reef are carpeted in anemones without an inch to spare. Mantas often frequent the area and may even spend some time with divers if you stay still and let them approach. Depth: 10 - 60m / Viz: 10 - 15m / Currents: Can be strong