Diving Around Koh Lanta
DIVING AROUND KOH LANTA
Diving Around Koh Lanta. It’s hard to believe that any thing could be more beautiful than beaches, sunsets, and tropical forests, but for many, Koh Lanta’s greatest charms lie below the surface —underwater.
The numerous diving and snorkeling sites surrounding Lanta are rated as some of the best in the world. Whether you’re an absolute beginner or a seasoned diver there’s a dive for you within hours, by speedboat, of Lanta’s shores. If you prefer a more laid back cruise you can book a long boat tour or liveaboard (a cruiser fully equipped for diving and overnight stays) to meander through scores of small islands, keeping your own pace to swim, dive and explore.
Find a Dive Center
Diving Around Koh Lanta
Koh Lanta is serviced by over 15 diving centers that all offer various courses of instruction, scuba and snorkeling excursions.
It’s a good idea to visits shops in advance to talk with the staff about your training needs and find a good fit. Most offer PADI, Tech Diving, Apnea & Freediving Courses. Many teach unique diving skills such as underwater photography and videography. Scuba Fish dive center even has a marine biologist on staff who can teach you reef conservation as you dive.
Most of the trips leave from Baan Saladan daily, thus the majority of the dive shops are located there, though many dive shops have smaller out posts further south. See padi.com or scuba-dive-lanta.com for the most current information.
Hin Daeng & Hin Muang
Koh Lanta is the closest departure point to the world renowned Hin Daeng (red rock) & Hin Muang (purple rock), frequently rated in the top ten dive sites in the world. They’re rich with marine life with over 200 hard corals and more than 100 reef fishes cataloged. These are two of the deepest dive spots in the region; Hin Daeng measures 60 meters.
Because they’re lone coral outcrops in open sea, it’s one of the best places to spot giant manta rays and the “pièce de résistance” of scuba sightings — the world’s largest fish: the whale shark.
At Hin Muang the currents can be swift, but you can swim the sheltered side of this reef, extravagantly carpeted in purple coral. It’s abundant with anemone and silversides illustrating the food chain: evading predator jacks and trevallies. Its diversity, activity and depth of 70 meters make it a truly thrilling dive.
Diving Around Koh Lanta
Snorkeling Around The Islands
If you prefer a more laid back day trip with less depth, the group of islands off the southeast tip of Koh Lanta are a premiere spot for snorkeling. The islands can be visited by speed boat or the by the “native way,” long tail boat. Make it a day trip or book in advance for overnight accommodations. The popular four island tour includes Ko Chuek, Koh Mook, Koh Kraden and Koh Ngai.
Each of the many surrounding islands has its special charms: pristine beaches and sheltered, shallow channels with excellent visibility, teeming with hundreds of corals and fishes. Koh Rok is considered one Thailand’s best snorkeling spots, rife with soft coral, Gregorian fans and sponges. Koh Kradan (also known as the island of love) even hosts an annual international underwater wedding on February 14th.
But the gem of this excursion is Koh Mook and Morakot (emerald) cave. The exploration begins by swimming through an 80 meter cave. In the center the blackness is pierced only by a torch then you immerse into the light in the midst of a hidden lagoon, long ago a pirate’s treasure-trove.
White powder beach and glistening limestone walls encircle a brilliant pool, seemingly lit from within by a giant emerald. A remarkable journey for the adventure, the beauty and the history.
Koh Haa
West of Koh Lanta lie five tiny islands known as Koh Haa (5 islands) with 12 dive sites. Three of the favorites are The Chimney, The Cathedral and The Lagoon which exemplify the variety and grandeur of Koh Haa.
The Chimney dive is a series of caverns whose exploration will likely reveal banded sea snakes, green turtles, scorpion fish, glass fish and grouper. Sunrise is a particularly captivating time for this dive; as the light filters through the caverns the water flashes like an emerald prism. It’s a peaceful dive, appropriate for divers of all levels.
The
Diving Around Koh Lanta
Cathedral
The Cathedral is a spectacular cavern dive. About five meters below the surface divers access the entrance to a series of caverns. In three of the larger chambers you can surface to view prehistoric stalactite adorned ceilings.
The Lagoon is a tranquil site. Its lack of current and shallow depth, only five meters, make it perfect for practicing dive skills and many dive schools use it for open water training. Still, it’s an engaging dive that abounds with marine life: turtles, blue spotted stingrays, frog fish, pipe fish and a variety of nudibranch. Another plus of Koh Haa: Whilst other dive sites surrounding Koh Lanta have a limited season: November through April, it is possible to dive at Koh Haa for more of the year.
The variety and magnificence of Koh Lanta’s diving and snorkeling opportunities ensure you’ll never exhaust discovering its treasures.
Contact Lantadiver.com to learn more about how realize your underwater dreams.
