Koh Doc Mai is one of Thailand’s best “Muck” diving sites, with a host of interesting creatures to be found on its steep wall. The island name means Flower Island in Thai, and this refers to the beautiful soft corals that cover the island underwater landscape. Koh Doc Mai is usually the final dive of a three dive trip to the King Cruiser Wreck, Shark Point or Anemone Reef and is a pleasant wall dive, usually with a gentle current pushing you around. The steep wall drops down t to around 28 meters, but the best marine life can be found between 7 and 15 meters. The island is home to two large caverns which are out of bounds to recreational divers, but their entrances are great places to find common lionfish, mappa pufferfish and angelfish.
Koh Doc Mai features some beautiful giant sea fans that thrust out of the walls into the direction of the current. These sea fans are a good place to find ornate ghost pipefish, that float almost motionlessly behind the sea fans. The many cracks and crevacies on the wall make ideal habitats for moray eels, and several different species can be seen here. The walls are also a home for an enormous variety of invertebrates such as painted lobsters, banded boxer shrimps, sea urchins, crabs and zig-zag clams. One of the islands most famous resident is a yellow tiger tail sea horse that can usually be found in its usual crevice, by your experienced dive guide.

Large fish can also be seen here, with Leopard Sharks often seen close to the bottom, while schools of tunas and jacks can be viewed in the blue water. In recent years, divers have also been lucky enough to see the worlds largest fish here, the Whale Shark , passing by the island, you never know!

The eastern portion of the island is where divers can enjoy a beautiful sloping coral reef with sandy patches in between coral outcrops. This area has always been a good place to find stingrays, sharks and turtles. Vast arrays of colourful reef fish are also found in abundance around the whole island.

Koh Dok Mai Reef Guide

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