Lanta Diving

The National Park Office is located at the southern tip of the largest island, Koh Lanta Yai and is only accessible by boat, as the headlands on either side are bound by rocks. This southern section of the island is well worth visiting as is the central elavated terrain with its variety of wildlife including squirrels, reptiles, amphibians and many species of birds; a series of marked routes lead the way.
Koh Lanta Yai should really be considered as the operations centre of the park with its infrastructure of roads and electricity already being established; two things absent elsewhere in the park!
The island has many bungalow resorts and a couple of Five Star accommodations, all of which are found along the islands western shoreline.

The eastern coastline features mangrove forests, but many have been destroyed by temporary shrimp farms.The majority of dive centres are found in the northern fishing port of Saladan, although there are a few more ‘resort based’ concerns dotted around the island. One thing to bear in mind is that not all of them stay open all year round!

The diving here is exceptional and is amongst the best found anywhere in the country. The quality and health and diversity of associated marine life is high. The waters around the island of Koh Lipong remain one of the few places that claims dugongs. This is the only sirenian that inhabits these coastal waters.
There is a somewhat limited variety of
different excursions on the island, one of the main attractions is a large cave with numerous giant bats clinging to its upper walls!

Other more organised excursions really centre around snorkelling, most of which are day trips to either the Emerald cave at the nearby island of Koh Muk or to the sea grass rich waters around the island of Koh Libong, to hopefully do a bit of ducong spotting. The main reason why people come to Koh Lanta is to relax.

Dive Site

Hin Daeng (Red Rock)
Location: 27km west of Koh Rok and 500m from Hin Mouang.

Facts about dive:
A series of wall dives, with intermittent shelves at varying depths. There are more soft corals than hard corals, but the main attraction is the great diversity of marine inhabitants, particularty pelagics: here and Hin Mouang are the only reef-type communities or feeding grounds within the area. This is one of the very few dive sites in Thailand where large scools of Gray Reef Sharks are sighted. Whale Sharks, too, often frequent these waters, as do Manta Rays. There are also large Nurse Sharks - particularly in a cave located in a depth of about 10m on the south west wall.

Access to the dive:
Just over 5hrs by diveboat from Saladan Pier.
There is no mooring buoy.

Experience grade:
Experienced

	Average visibility : 30 m.
	Average water temperature : 26 C.
	Average depth : 25 m.
	Maximum depth : 35 m.
	Getting there : By boat

Hin Mouang (Purple Rock)
Location: 27km west of the Rok island and 500m southwest of Hin Daeng.

Facts about dive:
One of the best dive sites in Thailand. Submerged pinnacles. Large schools of Grey Reef Sharks, Whale Sharks and Manta Rays. Large Nurse Sharks in a cave located in a depth of 10m on the south west wall.

Access to the dive:
Over 5hrs by diveboat from Saladan Pier.No mooring buoy.

Experience grade:
Experienced

	Average visibility : 19 m.
	Average water temperature : 26 C.
	Average depth : 23 m.
	Maximum depth : 70 m.
	Getting there :By boat

Koh Rok Nok
Location: The southern of the two Koh Rok islands.

Facts about dive:
Enormous moray eels, lionfish and Whale Sharks.

Access to the dive:
4hrs by diveboat from Saladan Pier.
No mooring buoy.

Experience grade:
Everyone

	Average visibility : 20 m.
	Average water temperature : 27 C.
	Average depth : 14 m.
	Maximum depth : 20 m.
	Getting there : By boat

Koh Rok Nai
Location: The northern of the two Koh Rok Islands.

Facts about dive:
Lots of hard corals, brain and table staghorn, many barrel and sponges. Bannerfish, large schools of Moorish idols and clownfish.
Barracuda, tuna, jacks and turtles.

Access to the dive:
4hrs by diveboat from Saladan Pier.Five mooring buoys.

	Average visibility : 20 m.
	Average water temperature : 27 C.
	Average depth : 12 m.
	Maximum depth : 20 m.
	Getting there : By boat

Koh Kreden Wreck
Location: Off the southwest coast of Koh Kraden.
The wreck is difficult to find without GPS.

Facts about dive:
Japanese destroyer sunk by air attack in 1944.

Access to the dive:
Over 2hrs by diveboat from Saladan Pier, over 5hrs by boat from Chalong Bay on Koh Phuket.

Experience grade:
Experienced

	Average visibility : 15 m.
	Average water temperature : 27 C.
	Average depth : 24 m.
	Maximum depth : 28 m.
	Getting there : By boat
	Warning : Pressens of lines or nets

Koh Muk
Location: About 8km southwest of Koh Ngai.

Facts about dive:
Purple and red soft corals.An adventure for snorkellers.

Access to the dive:
90min by diveboat from Saladan Pier, about 5hrs from Chalong Bay on Koh Phuket.

Experience grade:
Everyone

	Average water temperature : 27 C.
	Average depth : 5 m.
	Maximum depth : 10 m.
	Getting there : By boat

Koh Ngai
Location: About 11km of the southern tip of Koh Lanta Yai.

Facts about dive:
Nurse Sharks, Leopard sharks.
Plenty of colorful soft corals.

Access to the dive:
1hr from Saladan. No mooring buoy.

Experience grade:
Everyone

	Average visibility : 8 m.
	Average water temperature : 27 C.
	Average depth : 6 m.
	Maximum depth : 16 m.
	Getting there : By boat

Koh Ha Yai
Location: The southernmost of the Koh Ha Islands.

Facts about dive:
The south western face has a cave with two entrances. One at 5m, the other at 16m.

Access to the dive:
Entry point is off the south west face.The site is unbuoyed.

Experience grade:
Everyone

	Average visibility : 13 m.
	Average water temperature : 27 C.
	Average depth : 18 m.
	Maximum depth : 25 m.
	Getting there : By boat

Koh Ha Nua - Northern outcrop
Location: The northernmost of the Koh Ha Group.

Facts about dive:
Sea whips and seafans.Indian and Spotfin Lionfish, Scorpionfish and Imperial Angelfish. A small cave off the South West wall.

Access to the dive:
1hr by diveboat from Salan Pier, over 4hrs by live-aboard from Chalong Bay on Koh Phuket. No mooring buoy

Experience grade:
Everyone

	Average visibility : 25 m.
	Average water temperature : 27 C.
	Average depth : 20 m.
	Maximum depth : 34 m.
	Getting there : By boat

Diveoperators

Atlantis
Koh Lanta Diving Center
Laguna Fun Divers
Lanta Diver
White & Blue Dive Club
Sea Bees Diving
Visa Diving Center