Located 22 kilometers south of Phuket, Koh Racha Yai ( “Big King Island” in Thai ) is a popular dive site with all levels of divers due to its clear water and healthy reefs. Koh Racha Yai, like the Similan Islands is made of granite, which ensures nice clear water all year round, and many of its site are well sheltered from rainy season weather. The island is home to around seven or eight different dive sites all suitable for all levels of divers from novice to advanced. The island has become very popular with Phuket dive companies as a place to teach novice divers, due to the gentle currents and shallow water.

The waters around Racha Yai are home to an enormous amount of marine life, including sharks, turtles and rays. The reefs found on the eastern side of the island are mainly made of hard corals such as staghorn and table corals. These coral gardens are home to puffer fish, boxfish and moray eels, while colourful angelfish and butterfly fish can be seen gliding around the reef. Towards the bottom of the reefs, where the water gets a bit deeper, spotted garden eels can be seen in the sand, stingrays an leopard sharks can also be seen resting on the sandy bottom. Several of the dive sites also have a resident hawksbill turtle , and divers will often encounter them feeding on the coral. Divers will also encounter giant titan trigger fish that have been known to become territorial during their nesting seasons, so ,make sure you follow your divemaster who will know how to avoid them. Racha Yai is also home to some not so natural underwater features, the first is an old fishing boat sunk off a dive site called Homerun, which has become a good place to see schooling snappers and even a large resident stingray, the second is a group of underwater sculptures located in Siam bay. The sculptures include two full size elephants, a Thai style temple and pergola, a giant sea clam and also some giant concrete cubes which make great swim through. These statues are often visited by students and fun divers alike and make for great photo opportunities.

Racha Yai is the most popular day trip departing from Phuket, and is a great place for all levels of divers.

Racha Yai Reef Guide

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