Meetings with whale sharks. Swimming with manta rays. Hovering above seahorses, leopard sharks and carpets of coral. These are the best dive sites in Phuket.
Whether you’re a first-timer, a pro or somewhere in between, diving in the waters around Thailand’s largest island is your portal to an enchanting underwater world. Discover the best dive spots in Phuket.
Diving in Phuket
Diving in Thailand is as much a rite of passage as ordering your first plate of noodles from a hazy street stall or padding barefoot through a temple. The water’s warm, clear and gorgeous, and the seascapes are wild, beautiful and strange. Dozens of dive operators will set you up with all the gear and training, and experienced crews have perfected the art of putting together comfortable dive packages. That goes whether you’re after a beginner’s dive wading in from the shore or an adventurous liveaboard trip to off-the-beaten-track sites.
What to expect on your Phuket diving trip
Picture this: you’ve just flopped into the water from your dive boat and you blink your eyes open, getting your bearings as you hover in the cerulean blue. Then you see it. Sleek, mesmerising and huge – a whale shark emerging from the depths, its shadow creeping across the coral below. But whale sharks are only part of the story. Close encounters with manta rays, leopard sharks, moray eels and seahorses are all on the cards on a Phuket dive, along with hundreds of species of fish and vast, ethereal coral gardens. We’ve done the hard work for you with this ultimate guide to diving in Phuket.
Looking for an easy intro with startling coral and swirling cyclones of reef fish? Head to the island of Racha Yai. If you’re an experienced diver wanting to unplug for a few days, book a liveaboard trip around the insanely beautiful Similan Islands. Or for a strange and eerie site that draws otherworldly wildlife, dive down to the King Cruiser Wreck – a former ferry that struck a reef and sank.
Top eight dive sites in Phuket
Wondering where to cast your anchor? Strap on your dive gear and head into the depths at these top Phuket dive sites.
1. Similan Islands
Pinnacle of diving in Thailand
Scattered across the Andaman Sea, this enthralling marine park is the pinnacle of diving in Thailand. The colour of the water alone will leave you spellbound, shifting through dazzling shades of blue and green. Your best bet is to book a liveaboard, hopping from one outstanding dive site to the next and floating among kaleidoscopic reef fish and swirling schools of barracuda and snapper.
2. Surin Islands
What dreams are made of
Nudging the Thai–Myanmar border, this collection of five dreamy islands, smothered in rainforest and haloed with bone-white sand, is talked about in diving circles with sheer awe. Again, a liveaboard will take you to parts of the archipelago that feel untouched, dropping you at sites where seahorses peer out of crevices and whale sharks appear from the shadows.
3. Racha Yai Island
Beginner-friendly Phuket dive site
Pitched 12km south of Phuket, Racha Yai is one of those easy-breezy pinpricks that draws day trippers to wallow in its turquoise waters and dive offshore. Few people stay overnight, so it has an untouched feel. Better still, the diving is ideal for beginners: hover above vast coral gardens and gaze at stingrays and shoals of barracuda.
4. Koh Dok Mai
Enchanting limestone island
Dive below the surface around this enchanting limestone island and edge your way along a vertical wall that drops into the abyss. Bamboo sharks drift in and out of sight, seahorses and frogfish cling to crevices and whale sharks occasionally emerge close by. Advanced divers can also swim through cracks and caves for the ultimate thrill.
5. Anemone Reef
One for experienced divers
True to its name, this site is carpeted with anemones that sweep across a limestone pinnacle, making it look like one vast, swaying rock. Swim a little closer and you’ll spot clownfish, moray eels, lionfish and seahorses darting among the soft corals. Strong currents can sweep through at times, so it’s not one for beginners. Check conditions with your dive team.
6. King Cruiser Wreck
Eerie and interesting
A little further on from Anemone Reef lies this 85-metre-long ferry wreck, now teeming with marine life. The former car ferry shuttled passengers between Phi Phi and Phuket until it strayed off course, struck a reef and sank in 1997. Thankfully, no lives were lost. Today, experienced divers fin around the ageing vessel to gawp at the lionfish, bamboo sharks and leopard sharks drifting through its eerie atrium.
7. Shark Point Marine Sanctuary
Come for the sharks
From above the water, all you’ll see is the tip of a large monolith jutting out of the waves. But sink below the surface and three vast rocks plunge downwards, covered in colourful soft corals, sea fans and huge barrel sponges. As the name suggests, leopard and bamboo sharks linger on coral ledges, while lionfish float across the reef and morays and pufferfish lurk in the nooks.
8. Koh Bon
Manta rays
This small granite island looks like a giant rock that’s been dropped into the sea. There are no beaches and no obvious place to land. But on the western side, a vast ridge plunges to a depth of 40 metres. Divers come here to watch squadrons of manta rays fluttering like butterflies above sweeps of colourful soft coral.
Dive with proper training and certification, and book with an accredited dive operator.
Close encounters with whale sharks, manta rays and swirling shoals of fish – why wouldn’t you take the plunge into Phuket’s incredibly clear seas? Take this as your sign to book that holiday. Set up a Price Alert to track fares, or use Whole Month search to find the cheapest day to fly.
Making a dive trip part of a bigger adventure? Our guide to planning a multi-city trip to Southeast Asia shows you how to fit Phuket in with other hotspots. Before you go, check the Thailand visa requirements. With a few days to spare, you could add a stopover in Bangkok and head out to the best beaches near Bangkok. Travelling with kids? Browse our pick of affordable family-friendly destinations that won’t break the bank.
