1. King Cruiser
2. Shark Point
3. Koh Dok Mai
4. Racha Noi Island
5. East of Eden
6. Raya Island
7. Elephant Head Rock
Phuket is famous for its gorgeous beaches, lively nightlife, and peaceful atmosphere but it is also one of the best scuba diving spots in the world. It offers a huge variety of diving options in all of the islands in or around Phuket.
Phuket is also the access point for visiting other islands within a day from a speedboat. You can hop from one island to another within day trips through our travel guide.
Your Tour Desk combines hotel transfers, equipment rentals, round trip boats, food, and drinks and offers the best diving packages for divers and non-divers. You can find various diving sites, with a variety of Andaman Sea species along coral reefs, walls, wrecks.
People visit these sites for scuba diving throughout the year but they are best to visit between November and April when the waves are not too rough and high.
Divers have the access to some amazing locations, with options that are for beginners or experienced divers. There are amazing dive sites for all levels of scuba divers from easy shallow reef dives to wreck and wall dives.
Racha Yai is perfect for beginners, while Racha Noi is suitable for swift divers. Here are some of the best diving spots around Phuket.
1- King Cruiser
In the month of May 1997, the King Cruiser ferry hit Anemone Reef and collapse completely. King Cruiser sank and ended up a wreck. Since then it has become an interesting dive site for scuba divers. Its length and depth were really good for divers to dive in crystal clear water.
You can see splendid water creatures, such as lionfish, scorpionfish, and porcupinefish. It is home to various life forms from crabs to coral. It became a popular dive spot for divers. Although the condition of the wreck has deteriorated and it is damaged badly.
There is now very little place left for divers to have shelter from the rough waves of the sea, so we recommend only professional and certified divers with recent diving experience should dive in this spot.
At times King Cruiser was a fairly easy dive for all kinds of divers. Even today it is a popular dive site with divers waiting for the opportunity to get up close with this unique feature of the seabed.
2- Shark Point
Phuket’s shark point is a popular and one of the best dive sites in Phuket. It remains busy during peak season but divers visit this spot for diving throughout the year. It is home to a variety of tropical fish, sharks, sea snakes, and turtles.
The huge rocks are covered in beautiful soft corals, multiple barrel sponges, and the marine life is abundant. Indeed, it is a beautiful sight for divers to enjoy life underwater. You can reach this spot within a day, as it is close to Phuket.
As the name indicates, you will see dozens of sharks at the bottom of the reefs, but they are not dangerous. Divers can dive swiftly and gently while enjoying the beautiful coral reefs and rich marine life. The sea creatures are not aggressive, rather they are easy to handle.
This site has three interesting spots to visit, making a fun experience that will leave a lasting impression. An excursion to shark’s point makes an easy day trip, you can return back to your hotel in the evening.
3- Koh Dok Mai
This small and lush limestone island lies between shark point and Phuket. It is one of the best macro sites around Phuket. It offers divers to experience the amazing wall diving area with colorful corals, sea fans, and beautiful sea life decorating its underwater cliffs. You can also find plenty of other sea creatures while diving deep into the water.
Divers and photographers also discover tiger-tail seahorses, white-eyed morays, ornate ghost pipefish, and different nudibranchs. It has a wide range of depth from 5 to 25m, making it a good multilevel dive site. There are also many underground tunnels on the east side, so do not go too deep in without having special training and experience.
Diving along those dramatic rock walls shows a stunning landscape. The best time to visit Koh Dok Mai is between November and April, you might get a chance to see baby sharks and whale sharks in abundance. Undoubtedly, it is one of the best diving spots around Phuket.
4- Racha Noi Island
Racha Noi Island is located, south of Koh Racha Yai offers some incredible dive sites with giant underwater rocks, clear visibility, and beautiful scenery just like the Similan Islands. This diving spot is well known for its fast and strong currents. So some of the sites are recommended only for advanced divers and not for beginners.
It is an outstanding diving spot for divers. The water is deep around the island, so barracuda, whale sharks, eagle rays, and manta rays will probably be seen. But there are also shallow areas and sheltered bays, so the island is safe for all levels of divers.
Koh Racha Noi is a thrilling diving spot for drift divers, offering them strong currents to push them along. This island is not crowded like Koh Racha Yai, making it a quiet and perfect spot for divers.
5- East of Eden
East of Eden is a good diving spot for all levels of divers. It has a lot to offer. It is found in the Similan Islands. This spot is considered one of the most beautiful dive sites around Phuket. It has the best reefs in the Similan Islands, hence attracting a lot of tourists.
The marine life is too rich on this island, such as lionfish, frogfish, turtles, and sharks. The water is crystal clear and beautiful and you can enjoy the splendid soft and hard corals.
East of Eden can be found near Elephant Head Rock. The water is crystal clear, so you can enjoy the colorful soft and hard corals. Coral is found in abundance, making it a colorful and tranquil spot. The beauty of this diving spot attracts a lot of tourists.
Divers also come across angelfish, scorpionfish, and ribbon eels throughout the area, although blacktip and leopard sharks garner the most attention. You will also find rare, giant moray eels in depth. So if you are fond of diving, East of Eden is a must-visit place.
6- Raya Island
Raya Island, also known as Racha Yai, is located south of Phuket. Here, Marine life is plentiful and diverse. It is well known for its flourishing hard coral reefs and shallow coral reefs. The easy conditions and coral properties from surface to below 20 meters, make it possibly a dream diving spot for all levels of divers.
There are many dive sites around the island for divers to experience diving throughout the year. If you like underwater photography then this is an ideal location. On this site, you will see a number of reef fish, scorpionfish, crustaceans, lionfish, barracuda, and puffers.
It is a must-see location for scuba enthusiasts. The water is crystal clear and visibility is absolutely perfect that you can see below 100 feet, that’s why you can experience the amazing sea creatures underwater. There are small wrecks, and underwater statues of elephants to explore. There is so much more to see. It is the ideal diving spot around Phuket.
7- Elephant Head Rock
Elephant Head Rock is a first-class diving destination for advanced and experienced divers. This spot off the coast of the Similan Islands connects Thailand’s position as a superb diving location by providing plenty of caves, caverns, and arches to swim through. It showcases barracuda, green turtles, and green sharks in abundance.
It is named Elephant Head Rock due to its unusual shape, which resembles an elephant’s head. It is considered one of the best dive sites around Phuket.
The currents are usually strong here, so less experienced divers should stay away. But the scuba enthusiasts and trained divers will love the clear water, topography, and beautiful marine life.
Diving here is just like a paradise for scuba divers. You can enjoy the peaceful atmosphere here as you will face fewer divers here. There are a number of openings in the caves that divers can drift in and out of. Undoubtedly, it is an incredible diving spot around Phuket.