Racha
Islands Scuba Diving
Phuket
Dive Sites
Racha Yai and Racha Noi
By John Williams, photos by Ashley
J. Boyd
(Condensed from original
article)
| Reef type: |
Coral gardens, rocky points, boulders |
| Access: |
1/2 day and full day trips through dive centres |
| Visibility: |
Average to poor, West Coast. At Racha, 20-30 meters |
| Current: |
Variable, sometimes strong |
| Coral: |
Good varieties of hard corals |
| Fish: |
Good, but not the best spots for fish |
| Highlights: |
Unusual fish life, easy to get to areas; good, fun,
fast drift dives at Racha depending on current. Beautiful
topside scenery. Good for beginners |
|
To the south of Phuket lie the twin islands of Koh Racha Yai
(big) and Koh Racha Noi (small) which offer significantly better
diving than do Phuket's western beaches. Almost all diving operators
offer one day trips to both of the islands (although not on
the same day) and some offer a two day live-aboard trip every
week.
Racha Yai's best diving is off its east coast which makes it
especially attractive during Phuket's off-season in the summer.
Although visibility varies, it can be as good as 25 meters or
more. A typical dive is a gentle drift along a sloping rocky
face that is sprinkled with hard coral forests of many, many
varieties. Especially prominent are stag horn corals of blue
and tan. Many times there are large schools of false barracudas
hovering over the reef, while on the reef itself you'll see
octopus and cuttlefish in addition to the more common tropical
species. Divers of all levels of experience and snorkelers can
visit Racha Yai with no usual hazards as the diving is easy
and gentle. Water depths range between 3-30 meters.
Racha Noi is popular for the more experienced diver, as depths
are generally greater and the currents frequently stronger than
at its sister island to the north. The northern tip features
a large pinnacle where spotting larger marine life is distinctly
possible, while the southern point is a nice drift dive with
the added bonus of having a beautiful little beach to visit
during your surface interval. We also have a wooden ship wreck
at about 27 meters on the southwest coast of the island which
although does not compare to some of the larger wreck dives
in Pattaya, is an enjoyable deep dive. Not much grows on the
wreck yet, but it attracts large amounts of reef fish. The diving
here is definitely more challenging than Racha Yai, but the
rewards can be much greater.
 |
Accommodation is available on Racha Yai in both of the pristine
little bays on the northern side of the island. Muslim farmers
and a few fishermen have lived on Racha Yai for years now, harvesting
coconuts and fishing the waters surrounding the islands. For
current information, check with one of the dive centres in Phuket.
Source: Siam Dive n' Sail
121/9 Patak Road, Mu 4, Karon, 83100 Phuket, Thailand
Tel: 66-76/330-967 Fax: 66-76/330-990
E-mail: info@siamdivers.com
|
