Phuket Dive Guide : Racha Yai - Bungalow bay
About the location and site
Racha Yai offers some of the best local year around dive-sites but the visibility varies as to the season. On the north end of the island are two beautiful little bays Homerun Bay and Siam Bay famous for their deep clear water and colorful coral formations. Both of them have almost swimming pool features as they gradually drop to a depth of 20-25 metres onto a sandy seabed, providing many opportunities for both snorkeling and scuba diving. The best diving is off the east coast at Bay 1 to 5. The current allows a gentle drift dive along a sloping rocky face that is covered with an amazing array of hard corals and the nutrient rich water draws large schools of tropical fish. Around Racha Yai, some large rays have been seen. Leopard sharks and just recently Blacktip reef sharks have made an appearance again.
Racha Yai offers some of the best local year around dive-sites but the visibility varies as to the season. On the north end of the island are two beautiful little bays Homerun Bay and Siam Bay famous for their deep clear water and colorful coral formations. Both of them have almost swimming pool features as they gradually drop to a depth of 20-25 metres onto a sandy seabed, providing many opportunities for both snorkeling and scuba diving. The best diving is off the east coast at Bay 1 to 5. The current allows a gentle drift dive along a sloping rocky face that is covered with an amazing array of hard corals and the nutrient rich water draws large schools of tropical fish. Around Racha Yai, some large rays have been seen. Leopard sharks and just recently Blacktip reef sharks have made an appearance again.
Bungalow Bay is situated on the western side of Racha Yai Island. It is a popular dive site during the high season when it gives protection from the easterly weather. The bay is rather long and narrow and is divided into the north side and south side. The south side has more large boulders. Depth is 5 to 22 meters, with little to no current. There is a nice white sandbottom, which makes it a perfect training site. Look for Kuhl’s stingrays, flounder, octopus, and cuttlefish here lurking in the sand. The area has a diverse range of common reef fish such as snappers, goatfish, barracuda, lionfish, scorpion fish, and surgeonfish. If you like small stuff this site will certainly keep you entertained. There are ornate and seagrass ghost pipefish and some fantastic nudibranchs that do not seem to appear anywhere else in the region.
Phuket Dive Guide dive maps : Racha Yai - Bungalow bay
