South Tip – Dive Site Info
Rating by MV Giamani: ★★★★★
Location: Racha Islands
Type: submerged pinnacle, boulders
Depth: 12-40+ m
Visibility: 20-40+ m
Difficulty: advanced
Current: moderate / very strong
Cruise: 2D/3N – summer schedule
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Racha Noi South Tip – Description
As can be guessed by its name, Racha Noi South Tip is located at the southernmost point of Koh Racha Noi Island. It is not a large dive site, and it’s characterized mostly by large granite boulders scattered at depths that range from 12 meters in the north to over 40 meters in the south. On the western side of the pinnacle the rock slopes gently, while the eastern side is much steeper and there are fewer corals. Many of the boulders are mostly covered by healthy purple soft corals of the Alcyonaria type, creating a breathtaking underwater scenery. On most days the water at South Tip is crystal clear, with visibility well over 30 meters. Racha Noi South Tip is considered to be the best dive site to spot Manta Rays among all the dive sites near Phuket, as it hosts the only manta cleaning station for miles around and if there’s any oceanic manta in the vicinity they will be sure to pay it a visit. Of course diving also requires luck and the mantas are not always there, but even if they are not around, South Tip remains a spectacular dive site. Unicorn Fish, Surgeon Fish and Giant Trevally can often be found roaming around the top of the boulders, and when lucky a big school of Chevron Barracuda can also be encountered. On the other hand, all good things also have a negative side, which in the case of Racha Noi South Tip can be the very strong currents that more often than not affect this wonderful dive site. Due to its location at the extremity of the long-shaped Racha Noi Island, South Tip is often in the path of the strong currents that converge from both sides of the island and after hitting the boulders can accelerate even more and take weird directions. For this reason, South Tip can be a very challenging dive site ad it’s suitable only for experienced divers and can be dived safely only when the conditions are optimal (at slack tide on days with small tides). In addition, as the shallowest point is around 12 meters depth, the dive usually requires to do a negative entry to quickly descend straight to the top of the rocks and seek shelter from the current.