Krabi’s Dive Sites
July 3, 2009 by admin
Filed under Attractions
Scuba diving in Krabi is to be found at over 60 sites in the three main areas of Ao Nang’s islands, Phi Phi Island and Hin Daeng. Conveniently, their respective distances from Krabi town serve to indicate the grade of dive.
Or rather, the further people go to dive, the more rewarding the diving becomes, which is a norm in scuba diving generally.
First, there are the local sites around the Poda Island and Chicken Island in the bay of Ao Nang. They are shallow and ideal for all levels of diver, and especially suitable for training purposes.
Second, come the best known and post popular dive sites of Phi Phi and Shark Point Marine Sanctuary. This area has become the livelihood of both Phuket and Phi Phi dive operators. Phi Phi Island itself can be considered the divers’ center of Krabi, with over 20 local sites and 20 dive operators.
The Third Area, of significance in Krabi’s dive scene is in the remote, clearest waters of the deep south. Hin Daeng and Hin Muang attract the most experienced divers and their status of ‘world class destination’ goes undisputed.
Koh Ya Wa (3-10m deep) is a series of boulders with large archway, best known for its blanket of anemones and host clown fish. Hin Bia Rhlua (5-16 m deep) has a variety of swim-through archways of varying widths. Colourful soft corals make pleasant, easy diving here, with prospect of spotting nudibrancs, moray eels, angel fish and butterfly fish. Currents can be strong here. Koh Mae Urai (10-16 m deep) has two ‘swim-through’ tunnels, a great number of anemomes, and plenty of fish species, including pufferfish, lionfish and scorpionfish. Koh See (10-20 m deep) is a very diverse reef of both hard and soft corals. Highlights include trigger fish, black-tipped reef sharks and leopard sharks. Koh Haa (12-22 m deep) is a small, rocky pinnacle with soft corals pf many different colours. It is a good location for tiny creatures and the occasional leopard shark. Ao Nui (6-25 m deep) is best known as a wall dive, with colourful hard and soft corals, and feather stars. There are batfish, angel fish, squirrel fish and trumper fish all to be discovered here. Lohsamah Bay (3-20 m deep) is a wall and bay dive, with a complete range of soft and hard coral species. Blue ringed angel fish, moray eels, wrasses and puffer fish are all common here. Maya Bay (5-20 m deep) has attractive walls, pinnacles and passageways through limestone boulders. Every variety of coral is represented, and the fish species include Moorish idols, cuttlefish, wrasses, parrot fish, and butterfly fish. Bida Nork (5-27 m deep) has huge walls, boulders, ledges, passageways and small caverns. There are gorgonian sea fans, wire corals, sea whips, anemones and sting rays. Hin Musang (10-27 m deep) is an open sea pinnacle dive with a series of boulders, the largest of which breaks the surface. The soft corals here are some of the biggest in the area, and there is a wealth of fsh types, including leopard sharks, fusiliers, stone fish and angel fish. Anemones Reef (10-27 m deep) is a pinnacle rock, blanketed in sea anemones and home to many moray eels, lion fish, trigger fish, butterfy fish and cuttlefish. King Cruiser (10-32 m deep) can be considered Krabi’s premier wreck dive. A sunken ferry, which has become a fascinating artificial reef, it is partivularly suitable for multi-level diving. There are numerous species of fish to look out for especially juvenile types. Koh Ha Yai (10-30 m deep) consists of a group of rocky outcrops with one huge underwater cave. The marine life here includes sea fans, sea whips, sting rays, turtles and leopard sharks. Night diving here is also recommended. Hin Muang (15-40 m deep) is a long submerged plateau of rock, covered in purple soft corals. It can be a good location for whale sharks, mantas and large pelagic fish. Hin Daeng (2-40 m deep) is a large, rocky area with deep slopes and sheer walls. The soft corals here are mostly red in colour. Highlights include grey reef sharks, rays, barracudas and turtles.