Dive Site Directory

North Andaman (Thailand)

Similan Islands

 The above water scenery will provide stunningly beautiful white sandy beaches with small forested areas. Dive some of the following sites; Boulder City, Sharkfin Reef, Anita’s Reef, and Three Trees.

Under the surface, you may see Leopard (zebra) shark, blue spotted stingrays, clown triggerfish, rabbit fish, scorpion fish, snappers, emperor fish, giant trevally and angelfish. The coral gardens, bommies, and boulder formations are wonderful to dive.

Elephant Head Rock, visible from the surface, is the biggest pinnacle in the Similans and has some fantastic swim-throughs. Whitetip reef sharks, batfish, trevally and barracuda can often be seen

on the perimeter of the boulders. If you look closely in the cracks and in the rubble you can see smashing mantis shrimp, porcelain crab, moray eels and cleaner shrimp.

There are also sites dominated by huge granite boulders such as Deep Six, Christmas Point, and North Point where you can see white tip reef sharks, schooling giant trevally, and schools of neon fusiliers.

Koh Bon

This is generally the most likely place to see manta rays on our Similans itinerary. You are also likely to see Napoleon wrasse, sweetlips, octopus, bluefin trevally, giant moray eels, great barracudas, fire dart goby, spiny lobster, and nudibranchs of many types. The dive sites vary from wall diving to gently sloping reefs and from submerged boulders to coral gardens.

Diving on the West Ridge can be an adrenaline-filled drift, with amazing views, while the North Reef is a gentler experience over a hard coral garden.

Koh Tachai

This island is famous for its pinnacle dive site, known by many as Twin Peaks, as well as more relaxed reef diving on the North Reef and South Reef. Normally, turtles, barracuda, pipefish, and nudibranchs can be found here. There is also a chance to see bigger species in this area like manta rays and whale sharks, especially from late January until April.

Surin Islands

The topside scenery of Koh Surin, with evergreen forests, mangroves, and small beaches, surpasses even that of the picturesque Similan Islands.

Underwater the reefs of Surin offer some of the greatest hard coral diversity in Thailand.

Across sites like Torinla Pinnacle, Hin Kong, and Turtle Ledges you are likely to see Napoleon wrasse, yellow-masked angelfish, bumphead parrotfish, tomato anemonefish and barramundi, as well as lots of turtles that still come ashore in this area to lay their eggs.

Due to the remoteness, not many liveaboard boats visit these islands and you will be able to enjoy the dive sites without sharing them with tourist hordes.

Richelieu Rock

This limestone pinnacle was named after former Danish Naval Officer, Andreas Richelieu, who eventually became the only foreign-born commander-in-chief of the Royal Thai Navy to date, appointed by King Chulalongkorn. One of Richelieu’s tasks was to modernise the outdated Navy charts. As he had become such an influential and important figure, this potentially hazardous-to-ships rock that poked out from sea at low tide, east of the Surin Islands, was eventually named after him.

Barely breaking the surface at low tide, this horseshoe-shaped outcropping slopes steeply to a sandy bottom at 18 to 35 meters (60-120 Ft). This site offers great diversity for such a small and isolated spot. It also offers excellent multi-level diving and, because it’s a high-profile reef, there are always sheltered areas to hide from the current.

The marine life is prolific and includes amongst, many other things; pharaoh cuttlefish, large octopuses, all 5 varieties of anemone fish of the Andaman Sea, a variety of moray eels, ornate ghost pipefish, smashing mantis shrimps, harlequin shrimps, tigertail seahorses, Spanish mackerel, frogfish, many schooling snappers and occasional sightings of manta rays and whale sharks.

Khao Lak Wrecks

Before disembarking in Khao Lak on some trips, if conditions and timing are favourable, there is a choice of easily diveable wrecks between the Similan Islands and the port of Tap Lamu. The Boonsung and The Premchai are old tin miners that were sunk in the 1990s and are a treat for underwater photographers as well as lovers of life of all kinds!

Only in 18m of water, they are covered in nudibranchs and various kinds of shrimps. Many quite unusual honeycomb morays also made these wrecks home. There are also huge numbers of schooling fish as well as rays and sharks that can occasionally be seen.

South Andaman (Thailand)

 Koh Lipe

This beautiful pristine island is near Langkawi island and the Malaysian border with some amazing dive sites such as Stonehenge and 8 Mile Rock.

Stonehenge is a vibrant pinnacle densely covered with colorful soft corals. Look out in the blue for Schools of barracuda, giant trevallies, and yellow snappers. Smaller creatures include seahorses, a variety of shrimp & crabs as well as Nudibranchs. Find the masters of camouflage: stonefish or scorpionfish. As this site is very exposed, strong currents are common and can be expected. It also means that diving Stonehenge, as well as 8 Mile Rock (below), depends entirely on local weather conditions on the day. Many other dive sites are also available if conditions do not permit it.

8 Mile Rock is a world-class submerged pinnacle located approximately 8 miles south of Koh Lipe. Many a large pelagic can be spotted cruising by. Manta and eagle rays are among the
main suspects. Other highlights include leopard sharks, giant barracudas and big groupers. If we get really lucky we may even be graced by the presence of a whale shark during the dive. This pinnacle reaches up from the ocean floor at about 50m to 15m below the surface.

It is truly a soft coral paradise, covered in purples, blues and red soft tree corals everywhere. A variety of reef species are found here in great abundance and size.

Koh Haa

Possibly some of the most underrated diving in the whole of Thailand, Moo Koh Haa (literally ‘five island group’) sits almost halfway between Hin Daeng and Phi Phi and is part of the Koh
Lanta National Marine Park. There are actually several dive sites around Ko Haa, the highlights are Koh Haa Lagoon, Ko Haa Neua, and Ko Haa Yai.

Around these amazing islands, you will find pinnacles, walls, boulders, caverns, and swim-throughs, it is magical diving come to life. Ko Haa lagoon is ideal for night dives, and snorkeling, while The Chimney and The Cathedral offer diving not found on other Thailand liveaboard itineraries; with caverns, swim-throughs, and chambers scattered throughout the sites.

Ko Haa has varied marine life too, with ornate ghost pipefish, morays eels, octopus, hawksbill turtles, sea horses, marble rays, and sometimes even leopard sharks.

Hin Daeng & Hin Muang

These two sites are pinnacles (translating directly as Red Rock and Purple Rock) out in the open ocean, reaching down to over 70m, and are best known for manta ray and whale shark encounters. Whether these are sighted or not, the sites also offer an enormous amount of varied life from giant moray eels, pharaoh cuttlefish, schooling rainbow runners and snappers, barracudas, groupers, fusiliers to bluefin trevally.

On the pinnacles, there are fields of Magnificent Anemones, walls of Hematypic soft corals, and huge gorgonian sea fans. Almost perpetually good visibility and dramatic topography combined with huge fish numbers make for excellent liveaboard diving.

King Cruiser

The King Cruiser was a car ferry that used to travel between Phi Phi and Phuket. In 1997, ‘the cruiser’ hit Anemone Reef on her crossing and sank a short distance away. Thankfully, no lives were lost, but divers were left with a great wreck dive!

While she has largely broken up now, she is covered with soft corals and hides a few wonderful gems, as well as being home to several large schools of snappers. While currents can be strong and visibility sometimes challenging, this is a great site to dive as part of an Advanced Open Water course.

Shark Point and Anemone Reef

These pinnacles are part of the same reef system and are only a very short distance apart from one another. Both sites are covered with colorful soft corals and anemones with a variety of fish to suit all divers, from barracuda to seahorses an interesting variety of sea life can be found.

Koh Doc Mai

“Flower Island” is a tiny slice of sheer rock located between Shark Point and Phuket; although it is tiny dives here will always provide divers with a pleasant surprise of underwater life. From Ghost pipe fish to schooling snappers, frogfish, and the occasional bamboo shark there is never a dull moment.

Racha Yai & Racha Noi

Racha Yai is an excellent trip for beginners and those that have not dived for a while. Indeed for any guests aboard carrying out Advanced Open Water courses on-board, Racha Yai offers the perfect opportunity for course dives, with sloping hard coral reefs, white sandy bottoms and a choice of wrecks on the west coast.

Racha Noi has some of the best visibility of all sites in the area. Often described as a ‘mini Similans’ the granite boulder topography is also unique compared to other sites. It offers a choice of hard coral reefs, boulders with large swim-throughs, and the beautiful pinnacle on the south point of this island. Strong currents can make the southern sites challenging, however, with a year-round chance to see manta rays, it is worth the effort to dive here.

Myanmar

North & South Twin & Captain’s Rock

Strong currents around these granite islands bring with them groups of schooling barracuda, hunting tuna and mating cuttlefish. With often clear visibility the atmosphere on the reef at North Twin is breathtaking. Healthy Gorgonian sea fans can be admired at depth, while soft corals adorn the reef and bring plenty of vibrancy and colour.

North Twin features a sloping reef strewn with huge boulders covered with soft corals and encrusting sponges. Sweetlips, barracuda, a variety of angel fish and many smaller creatures including devil scorpion fish, pipe fish, shrimps and flabellina nudibranchs can be found all over the reef. Mantas may also be seen here.

On South Twin, you will find large boulders, steep-walled gorges, wide valleys, caverns and swim-throughs carved out of the granite foundations of the island. You can expect to see an abundance of moray eels, harlequin sweetlips, and cuttlefish. Eagle and devil rays may fly by while Kuhl’s stingrays and spotted garden eels can be seen on the sandy bottom.

Captain’s Rock, otherwise known as Bowie Rock, is a sloping reef with huge soft coral covered boulders. Sweetlips, barracuda, a variety of angel fish and many smaller creatures including devil scorpionfish, pipefish, shrimps and flabellina nudibranchs can be found all over the reef. Mantas may also be seen here too.

Black Rock

Black Rock stands alone in the Andaman Sea 100 miles northwest of the Thai Burmese border town of Kawthaung. The rock acts as a natural magnet for fish and other marine life. An  excellent multi-level site, you can start your dive anywhere around the perimeter, depending on currents. 

Underwater terrain on the south side consists of a vertical wall down to roughly 27m, where it becomes a more  gradual slope. Just off the south-west corner is a particularly interesting area, where a detached rock formation  rises from very deep water to about 24m. These rocks are covered with small, vibrant soft corals, and often  attract schooling snappers and rainbow runners. Back at the main islet, deeper sections are decorated with  orange gorgonian fans, along with fields of corallimorpharians (they look like stony corals) on the sloping west  and north sides. At the eastern tip, watch for vast numbers of magnificent anemones, especially at dawn and  dusk when they show off their colourful bases. 

A wide range of invertebrate life can be found at Black Rock, including smashing and spearing mantis shrimp,  spiny lobsters, hermit crabs, sea stars, cowrie shells, harlequin shrimp, octopus and cuttlefish.  

During safety stops, move slowly along the eastern and western ends of the south wall to find brilliantly coloured  elegant hermit crabs and a variety of nudibranchs, as well as golden wentletrap snails that feed on the orange  cup coral. Fish life is also abundant and varied, with a chance to see almost anything from scorpion fish and giant  morays to marbled sting rays. Mantas and even whale sharks are also sometimes visitors of this site. 

Sea Fan Forest & Western Rocky 

Sea Fan Forest As the name suggests, this submerged pinnacle, starting at 5 metres depth, is famous for its abundance of gorgonian sea-fans. The biggest gorgonians are in deeper waters around 20m and below. They are very healthy and support a wide variety of marine life including feather stars, cowries, hawkfish and shrimps. Schooling fish include snapper, trevally, rainbow runners and fusiliers. Moray eels and scorpion fish are also numerous. We are also likely to encounter giant marbled groupers and eagle rays here.

A short cruise south of Sea Fan Forest, Western Rocky consists of a main islet and several detached pinnacles. Among the most striking features is a huge underwater archway where schooling snappers often hang out. The soft limestone island is riddled with holes and crevices, providing hiding places for hinge-beak shrimp, thorny oysters, cowrie snails, nudibranchs, spiny lobsters and moray eels. Large Gorgonian fans and lush soft corals populate many of the deeper areas, while shallow portions of the south side wall are covered with orange cup corals and colourful encrusting sponges. Fish life can include almost anything from ornate ghost pipefish, seahorses and frogfish to schooling batfish and barracudas. 

Several kilometres south of the main islet, Western Rocky Pinnacle is shaped like a cheese wedge covered with hard and soft corals, lots of trevally and tuna and, if you are lucky, guitar sharks resting in the sand.

Three Islets – Shark Cave, Submarine and Square Rock

The three sites across these tiny islands (Shark Cave, Submarine and Square Rock) are rich with diverse marine life and a mix of caves, canyons, vertical walls, and sloping reefs. Many areas are populated with fields of anemones providing homes to five different species of anemonefish. 

Elsewhere, large tubastrea coral trees sprout from the rocky terrain, accompanied by crinoids, gorgonian fans, blue dragons, and pastel green rope sponge. Tiger tail seahorses are often encountered on the deep edges of the slope, as are a variety of moray eels with several species regularly sharing the same hole. 

Cuttlefish may be found at nearly any depth, sometimes courting and mating. Ornate ghost pipefish, cowrie shells, octopus, reef squid, jawfish, porcelain crabs, longnose pipefish, and mantis shrimps are often seen at this site. 

Scorpionfish are very abundant, so be careful where you place your hands! 

Shark Cave easily lends itself to several dives, where you can enjoy the diversity of the reef and marvel at the chasm that splits the island. Nurse and white-tip reef sharks can sometimes be found lurking inside the deeper part of the cavern along with marble rays, ghost pipefish and plenty of other fascinating creatures, including blue ribbon eels.

Burma Banks

Burma Banks, located by the Western edge of Myanmar is known for its remote and untouched underwater landscapes, and offers a truly unique diving experience that’s not to be missed.

The diving here is rich in biodiversity, with the waters home to large pelagic species like reef sharks, manta rays, and schools of trevally. The coral reefs are vibrant, featuring soft corals and sponges, which create a stunning backdrop for any dive. Visibility is typically excellent, often reaching over 30 meters (100 feet), making it ideal for both leisurely dives and underwater photography.

Burma Banks is known for its dramatic underwater formations, including submerged pinnacles and steep walls. These features attract a variety of marine life, especially larger species. The currents can vary, offering something for divers of all levels – whether you’re drifting along a current or facing a more challenging dive.

In summary, diving at Burma Banks is a thrilling experience and likely why it is known to so many, perfect for those seeking pristine waters, diverse marine life, and dramatic underwater landscapes. It’s a destination that promises unforgettable moments.