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Phuket is fortunate to be in the centre of one of the world's best
diving areas. Prospects at the local beaches are limited, however
short day trips can bring you to some spectacular sites.
For those with a little time to spare, the first class liveaboard
dive vessels based here offer access to the Similans, Surins,
Andamans and many more.
 To
the south of Phuket some two hours by motorboat, the unspoiled
island of Koh Racha offers dives down to 30m (98ft) and
visibility ranging between 20 and 40m (65-131ft). In addition
to the excellent visibility, Racha's attractions include
huge rock formations, sloping coral reefs and steep drop-offs.
From January to March, manta rays and whale sharks may occasionally
be encountered. (Click
here to see trips available)
 Shark
Point and Koh Dok Mai, approximately an hour and a half east of
Phuket by motorboat, are two of the most popular dive sites in
the area. Shark Point, a submerged reef, is a favourite spot for
leopard sharks and stingrays. Daring divers have hand-fed moray
eels and leopard sharks here. The visibility at Shark Point is
10-22m (33-72ft) with dives down to 25m (82ft).
The island of Dok Mai offers dives down to 30m (98ft) with visibility
of 10-25m (33-82ft). In addition to a variety of corals,
this dive site offers an impressive wall dive and a number
of cave dives.
(Click
here to see trips available)
 The
Phi Phi Islands (Phi Phi Don and Phi Phi Le), some 40km (25mi)
southeast of Phuket and about two hours by motorboat, are among
the most beautiful islands in the world. They also have some excellent
dive sites between 10m and 30m (33 and 98ft), with visibility
extending to 15m-25m (49-82ft). In particular, the islands offer
several cave dives and many impressive wall dives. In addition,
there are many hard and soft corals and an abundant marine life.
In the tropical reefs one can see, among other fish, whitetip
sharks, stingrays and moray eels.
Note: With new fast boats in the area, one-day Similan dive trips
from Phuket are now also possible.
(Click
here to see trips available)
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