Phuket Scuba Diving Sites

Racha Yai

This beautiful palm covered island is dotted with small sandy beaches, and surrounded by fringing hard coral reef. Racha Yai is a granite island which means the water is always clear and the many shallow protected bays all around the island make it an ideal trip at any time of the year. Racha Yai is the perfect place to learn scuba diving in Phuket, for snorkellers, and for divers who haven't been in the water for a while.

Local residents in the coral gardens and staghorn reef include titan triggerfish, moray eels, cuttlefish, octopus and giant pufferfish. Titan triggerfish are quite mean looking fish, with their beady, swivelling eyes. In nesting season their moods change to match their looks. The male stands guard of its nest on the sand, and woe-be-tide you if you cross into its territory - the zone in a full circle directly above the nest. The titan triggerfish will charge at you continuously until you swim out of its territory once again. Thankfully, the fish seems more attracted to colourful fins rather than divers themselves, which reduces your risk of any personal injury when you're diving Phuket.

You can also see trumpetfish, nose down in the reef hunting for food. Cornetfish are ever present as are large schools of twin-spot snapper, dog-eyed pufferfish and parrotfish. Some anemones can be found scattered amongst the hard corals with western clownfish in residence. It's worth spending some time in the sandy area at the edge of the reef to look for blue-spotted stingrays that, when not moving, bury themselves in the sand with just their eyes protruding out. Garden eels are also in this area.

A few years ago one of the first liveaboard dive boats was sunk at Racha Yai on Homerun Reef. It's now home to some batfish and a huge sting ray. Often, large schools of yellowtail barracuda slowly glide by. One of the most popular destinations for Phuket scuba diving day trips.

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Racha Yai Reef Basics: Fringing coral island with drop-offs
Depth: 5 - 25m
Visibility: 12 - 30m
Currents: Easy
Surface Conditions: Calm
Water Temperature: 27 - 30°C
Experience Level: Beginner
Number of dive sites: 8
Diving Season: All year round
Distance: ~22 km south of Phuket (1¼ hours)
Access: Phuket dive day tours and liveaboards

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