The King Cruiser was originally
a car ferry in Japan before being used to transport passengers
between Phuket and Ko Phi Phi. On May 4th, 1997, the ferry
hit dive site Anemone Reef and quickly sank. All the
passengers were rescued by nearby dive and fishing boats
and there were no casualties.
The steel wreck has now evolved into a fantastic natural
reef and is home to a huge variety of marine life, who seek
shelter within it. We make trips to the King Cruiser Wreck,
Shark Point & Anemone Reef about once per week during high
season, onboard our high-speed
Dive Cruiser MY Scubafish.
The wreck is 85
m long by 35 m wide, and has four decks with large walkways and
windows. The Wreck lies perfectly upright at 32 metres, with the
captain's cabin at 12 metres. The depth, together with the frequent
strong currents, makes the diving here unsuitable for beginners.
Due to the beautifully warm tropical waters, the internal structure
of the boat is weakening. During the monsoon storms in 2003,
part of the upper deck collapsed into the car deck and the wreck
is now considered unsafe to penetrate. You can hear the boat
creaking as you dive around it, which gives it a really authentic
shipwreck atmosphere!
This artificial reef is completely covered in Scorpionfish (be
careful where you put your fingers!) and Lionfish and is home
to enormous schools of Travellie, Batfish, Pufferfish and Snappers.
There is a huge Turtle that lives inside - you can often spot
him as he comes towards the surface to breathe. You can also
find Octopus, many types of Moray Eel and all sorts of unexpected
visitors who come to see if this haven might house a tasty snack.
There have been sightings of Whale Sharks, various Reef
Sharks, enormous 2m Groupers and even a Bull Shark!
Shark Point, Phuket
Shark Point (or Hin Musang) is a group of
pinnacle dive sites that lie half-way between Ko Phi Phi
and Phuket. These sites have some of the most abundant and
colourful soft corals in Thailand and are home to literally
thousands of fish and other marine species.
The site is named after the Leopard Sharks that are often
seen resting on the sand, although the Thai name comes from
a mid-size rodent (somewhere between a Badger
and a Squirrel) who's shape the rocks take.
SHARK
POINT AT
A GLANCE
Visibility:
10-25m
Coral Quality:
*****
Variety of Fish:
*****
Diving Level:
Experienced
Current:
some - strong
Depths:
3-24 m
Water Temp:
27-32°C
Journey Time :
1 hour
The, sometimes strong, currents that sweep over the top of these
submerged pinnacles bring plenty of food and nutrients, and may
be one of the reasons that you can find many types of fish species
that are considered rare on other Thai dive
sites. In the shallows there are Orange-Spine Unicornfish and
you can find many types of shy, juvenile reef fish sheltering
among the pink and purple soft corals. If you're lucky you can
find the pair of Tigertail Seahorses who've made their home on
the main pinnacle.
Huge schools of Big-Eye Travellie, many types of Fusiliers and
literally thousands of Barracudas surround the reef and perform
wonderful displays of schooling behaviour - an Underwater Videographer's
dream!
These pinnacles literally explode with life; the sheer density
of fish and other aquatic life makes diving here a wonderful,
magical experience.
Anemone Reef
Anemone Reef (or Hin Jom - Submerged Rock)
is about 600m away from Shark Point. As the name suggests,
this pinnacle dive site is completely covered in Anemones
that gently sway in the current.
There are an enormous variety of Moray Eels - from Zebra
and Spot-Face Morays to Honeycombed Yellow-Edged, Undulated,
White Mouth and Clouded Morays. You can also find many
Lionfish and Bearded Scorpionfish on this
site - the largest I've seen was - nearly
80cm long!
ANEMONE
REEF AT A GLANCE
Visibility:
10-25m
Coral Quality:
*****
Variety of Fish:
*****
Diving Level:
Experienced
Current:
some - strong
Depths:
3-28 m
Water Temp:
27-32°C
Journey Time :
1 hour
Anemone
Reef is not as instantly pleasing as Shark Point as it lacks
the breathtaking array of colour. However, if you're a Macro-lover,
you could get seriously into this dive site. The shimmering schools
of Glassfish that coat the reef during certain times of the season
can hide all kinds of tiny Crustaceans, many types of Nudibranches
and enormous, glistening Tiger Cowries. If you catch this group
of dive sites on a good visibility day, you will find them among
the best in the world. If the viabilityis less than perfect
you will still be astounded by the sheer volume of life and action
that takes place here.
We keep group sizes small to ensure you
get the most out of each fun dive. This also reduces impact
on our reefs. Our emphasis is on safety, fun and personal
service within a relaxed and stress-free environment. You
will find the atmosphere and service on our dive
boats, beyond anything you have experienced before!
Our experienced Divemasters know the dive sites extremely
well, and will be happy to discuss what you would like
to see, and the type of dive or snorkel experience you
would like to have. Each dive is personally planned with
the divers in each group, to ensure you enjoy each and
every dive you make with us.
A full briefing is provided at each site, with helpful
tips on what to look for, safety information, and the
most interesting places to visit.
"The
boats are out of this world! We love the cushions and really
friendly 'lounge' atmosphere. The journey times are awesome
and I can't believe how you've completely taken care of our
personal dive gear. We've felt totally spoilt throughout
- a real dive 'holiday'! "
