By: Ian Shaw of Reefwatch Krabi

Krabi lies in the heart of Phangna bay some 190km (119 miles) from Phuket Island.

The limestone rocks that feature in so many picture postcards make for a striking landscape both above and below the waves. If Krabi was in the United kingdom the people would all talk with broad Yorkshire accents and have the faces of craggy moorland people, flat caps and whippets. Thankfully Krabi is in Thailand and so the people wage war with bulls and chicken fights and a huge betting scene that goes hand in hand with their favourite pastimes. There is a mixed population of Buddhist and Muslim religions with a small Anglican percentage thrown into the mix, somewhere in all of this a few Europeans are operating dive businesses and other tourism-driven operations.

There are no jet skis operating along its beaches and this law is not only enforced but also respected. Some people argue that this makes its beaches a safer place for children and their parents however with lots of long tail boats cruising the waters edge in search of fares to nearby Islands I have my doubts. What it does do is give a sense of stepping back in time. The main destinations on the mainland are Aonang beach and Krabi town, but with developments shooting up all the time this may not be the case for much longer. The Islands of Phi Phi are once again becoming a draw card and Koh Lanta continues its nuclear style construction program.

The dive sites
The King Cruiser, Shark Point and Anemone Reef are normally done in one day by taking a trip commonly referred to as “Super Day”. This trip departs from the mainland (Krabi town and Aonang beach at 08:00 hrs) and from Phi Phi at 09:00 hrs.

The King Cruiser is about 14½ km (9 miles) west of koh Phi Phi, a ferry that curiously sank in broad daylight in calm seas by driving into the limestone outcrop known as Shark Point. No lives were lost, and the wreck now lies in 30m (98ft) of water about 0.8km (½ mile) off Shark Point. Sea fans and oysters have thrived, stunning shoals of barracuda patrol above the wreck and literally hundreds of lionfish and scorpion fish guard the decks. The main deck collapsed a couple of years ago so don’t even think of penetration. On its day because of all the different shoaling fish this can be an awesome dive. As with so many of these popular sites it can get crowded during peak season.
 
Anemone Reef, as its name suggests is covered with anemones the most predominant being Heteractis magnifica, which also explains the large quantity’s of skunk anemonefish as this is one of their preferred habitats. The reef is basically a limestone pinnacle that begins just a few metres below the waves and drops down to around 20m (66ft). At its deepest point it takes around 15 to 20 minutes to circumnavigate so you should be able to go around at least one more time at a shallower depth.

There is something magical about the site which always leaves me feeling inspired I think it’s the rhythmical movement of the long anemone tentacles as they dance the oceans song, but it may just be the kaleidoscope of colour. Somehow every creature you see truly belongs. Swirls of snappers and fusiliers add dreamy distractions.

Shark Point as you may recall was the reef that the King Cruiser sank on but it is really more than one site, indeed the local divemasters talk of shark point one, two, and three. This site has nearly all the commonly found species in one place. You can see jacks, trevallies, morays, snappers, groupers, leopard sharks, cuttlefish, squid and lionfish to mention just a few. An absolute bouillabaisse of marine life not to be missed.

You can expect to pay around THB4,500 (US$112) for this trip from the mainland and probably a little less from Phi Phi, at this time I have no news about the availability from Koh Lanta but it would be a long day for sure. In any case if you find yourself on Koh Lanta the sites of Koh Ha Yai, Red and Purple Rock will keep you more than happy.

Koh Ha Yai is a group of five small islands about 32km (20 miles) south of Phi Phi Don. These sites offer regular visibility beyond 30m (98ft) and depths in excess of 50m (164ft). The draw cards of these sites are a couple of caverns that can be accessed in 10m (33ft) of water and allow you to surface inside to gaze at enormous stalactites, but there is a lot more than this to be seen, keep your eyes peeled for large tuna and even whale sharks. On the 20m (66ft) line rocky outcrops play host to massive gorgonias including sea whips. Another feature of these coral outcrops is the gargantuan shoals of silversides.


Hin Muang (Purple Rock), is 48km (30 miles) west of Lanta and along with its sister, Red Rock is a highly prized trophy for divers as the two sites are regarded as among the best in Thailand. Purple Rock is named because from the surface all you can see is a carpet of purple coloured Dendronephthya soft tree corals. The site is about 200m (656ft)-long and at a depth of 30m (98ft) there is a shelf that connects to Red Rock. Grey reef sharks have been sighted and although not aggressive they don’t like being molested. If you really annoy them they will arch their backs, take this as sign to go and look at something else!

Hin Deng (Red Rock) is located next to Purple Rock and has one of the best wall dives on the planet (I love a sweeping statement). Morays, mantas, whale sharks and octopuses make it very easy to overlook other features of this Disneyland site. Watch out for strong currents as there are few places to rest up. At the end of this dive don’t be surprised if you are suddenly surrounded by large batfish. Fish traps are also a common site so please ignore your immediate urge to free the incarcerated fish as
the local fisherman take a dim view of you destroying their livelihood. Issues that surround this practice are complex and it is not for us to interfere, so leave it to the local authorities, please.

Trips to Koh Ha Yai, Red and Purple Rock are available from Krabi, Lanta and Phi Phi, you can expect to pay around 5,000 baht from Krabi (speed boat) 2,500 baht from Lanta and Phi Phi. Some shops ask for an additional fee for equipment rental while others offer it all included so it’s worth looking around if you are budget conscious.

There are many more dive sites in and around the bay of Phangna and all the dive shops will have a local site that they consider themselves to be expert on so don’t forget to ask about these trips also!

Waypoints

Krabi

Nearest International Airport
Phuket

Dry Season
October to May

Electricity
Constant, 220V

Local Currency
Thai Baht

Country Dialing Code
+66