Racha Islands

Due South of Phuket lie two classic tropical islands, Koh Racha Yai (Big Racha) and Koh Racha Noi (Little Racha). Both islands feature fringing hard coral reefs with an abundance of fish life, including octopus, cuttle fish, and moray eels. You can always find territorial triggerfish and large schools of blue line and yellow tail snapper. Both Islands are especially good for non-divers, plenty of shallow bays with big coral heads - ideal snorkeling territory.

RACHA YAI

Racha Yai's best diving is off its east coast which makes it especially attractive during Phukets off season in the summer. Although visibility varies, it is normally around 15 meters all year and during the high season it reaches 25 meters or more. A typical dive is a gentle drift along the sloping rocky face that is sprinkled with hard coral forests of many, many varieties.

Especially prominent are stag horn corals of blue and tan. Many times there are large schools of barracuda hovering just outside the reef, while on the reef itself you'll see octopus and cuttlefish, in addition to the many other tropical marine life that is in abundance throughout this location. There is also a wooden shipwreck sitting on a sandy bottom at a depth of 24 meters on the northeastern coast of the island, another enjoyable dive. Not much grows on the wreck as yet, but it attracts large amounts of reef fish, and Bat fish in large schools are common for the u/w photographer. The diving here is generally drift diving so it's allows a diver relaxfull viewing of all the splendors that these sites have to offer.

RACHA NOI

This spot is popular with the more experienced diver, as the depths a generally greater and the currents frequently stronger than at it's sister island to the north. The northern tip features larger rock formations which finish in hard coral gardens, sightings of larger marine life is normal when visiting this site, which is the main attraction for divers, Visibilty during Phukets high season can reach up to 40 meters but is generally around 15 to 20 meters, allowing divers to take advantage of excellent diving without the liveaboard expense. The southern point is a nice drift dive across a varieties of coral formations, with the added bonus of having a beautiful little beach to visit during your surface interval.