Recreational Diving Thailand - Dive Sites

Diving at Richelieu Rock

Always a certain stop-off point on any Burma liveaboard and Similan diving trip, Richelieu Rock rates as the best site in Thailand for scuba diving with whale sharks and one of the best places in the world for that activity. Encounters with these marine animals, the largest of all fish, are rare almost everywhere in the world. Richelieu Rock certainly attracts more than its fair share.

The docile whale shark is easily recognised by its immense size and two-tone pattern of lights spots on the dark brown dorsal surface of its skin. Unlike most other sharks its enormous mouth is terminal in position (at the front rather than under its head) and can be opened wide to filter large amounts of water for small fish, crustaceans, squid and other plankton organisms.

Swimming with such a large animal, known to grow to fourteen metres, has to be the highlight of a Richelieu Rock diving trip for any diver. Sightings occur 20% of the time, depending on the time of year. Generally, February to April is the best time for a visit to enjoy some exhilarating Thailand liveaboard diving.

Richelieu Rock boasts great biodiversity too. This large, splintered, horseshoe shaped pinnacle is covered with anemones and soft corals of all kinds. From tomato anemonefish, yellow boxfish, white-eyed moray eels and mantis shrimps to manta rays, one and a half metre malabar groupers and chevron barracuda, there's always plenty of life to grab your attention at this scuba dive site.

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Richelieu Rock Reef Basics:
Great for: Large animals, small animals, underwater photography, dive value-for-money and advanced divers
Not so great for: Wrecks, beginner divers, snorkelling, non-diving activities
Depth: 5 - 35m
Visibility: 15 - 35m
Currents: Can be strong
Surface Conditions: Can be rough
Water Temperature: 26 - 29°C
Experience Level: Intermediate - advanced
Number of dive sites: 2
Diving Season: October to May
Distance: ~200 km north of Phuket (10 hours), 80 km northwest of Khao Lak (4 hours)
Access: Thailand liveaboards in Burma and the Similans
Recommended length of stay: 2 days

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