Scuba Dive Thailand - Dive sites
Thailand Scuba Diving - Anemone Reef and Shark Point
Shark point Marine Sanctuary consists of shark Point
and Anemone Reef, 1km to the north-west. Since 1997 it has included
the wreck of the King Cruiser car ferry.
Designated a Marine Sanctuary in 1992, the sheer profusion
of marine life here is justification enough for protected status. The
marine park zone covers a radius of 2.5km around the western limit of
shark Point and all commercial fishing, collecting of marine life, or
other harmful activity is prohibited.
Official mooring buoys have been installed but if they
are in use (which is often the case, given the popularity of these sites),
divers must execute a live-boat dive. On no account should anchors be
dropped here.
Anemone Reef - Scuba Diving, Thailand
Named after the huge number of anemones that cover
the reef, Anemone reef is approximately 45 mins from Ao Nang. The barely
submerged reef is a well know shipping hazard that sits 4m below the
surface and stretches down to 30m in places. Anemone Reef is a small
submerged rocky plateau with a depth of about 4-7m at the shallowest
parts. The top of the reef is smothered in sea anemones; there are many
resident clownfish, shrimps and porcelain crabs. Elsewhere you find
large clusters of soft corals and enormous gorgonian sea fans-the latter
sheltering dense groupings of Indian lionfish. There is a healthy cross-section
of marine life. At its deepest point a solitary rock is home to a number
of juvenile moray eels. Scuba diving in Thailand doesn't have a better site than Anemone Reef for soft corals and sea-fans.
Shark Point - Thailand Scuba Diving
Shark Point derives its name from the Leopard Sharks
that are sometimes encountered resting on the sandy bottom. Shark Point
is also approximately 45 mins out of Ao Nang and is comprised of three
pinnacles, only one of which breaks the water. Depths here can reach
30m.
The nutrient rich waters and sometimes strong currents at these two
sites are a magnet to huge schools of reef fish and some pelagics. Enormous
schools of snapper, moving in unison, encircle you while larger gamefish
such as Barracuda and Tuna, patrol the fringes. Turtles are a common
sight here, along with leopard sharks and the occasional whale shark.
Three pinnacles are dense with colourful marine life,
from impressive sea fans to honeycomb groupers, vivid encrusting sponger,
moray eels, lobsters, lionfish and harlequin ghost pipefish. Slightly
to the west to the northern pinnacle is a large, spectacular arch saturated
in the brilliant colours of the soft corals growing on its surfaces.
The reefs here also display bushy black corals, sea whips and gorgonian
sea fans, with jacks, barracuda, snapper, trevally and mackerel all
patrolling the fringes. Few sites can compare for the diversity of Thailand scuba diving.
Suitability: Advanced Divers
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