Diving from Phuket

aka Depression

People say I'm spoiled because I am used to the reefs in Raja Ampat, but I think it's more than that.

The diving that I did on day trips from Phuket was devastating.  The sites are a shambles, and there is NOTHING there.  The corals (where there are) are completely bleached, or already dead, and often algae-covered.  Thus no fish, either.  The sites we dived:  Day One - Banana Bay and Raya Noi Bay on Koh Racha Noi, then Bay #3 on Koh Racha Yai.  Day Two - Koh Doc Mai, as well as Koh Bida Nok and Koh Bida Nai (on Phi Phi Ley).

Apparently they have had a serious warming event over the last couple months (water temperatures of 32oC)... but much of what I saw was not recent, and in my humble opinion has no chance of coming back.  On the second day (PhiPhi Ley) there was a lot of coral that was simply bleached, and showed signs of possible recovery, but day one (Racha Noi/Racha Yai) seem beyond hope.  So sad.

Anyway I did manage to spot a few things amongst the death and destruction...

(emperor shrimp on cushion star)

(free-swimming moray)

(nudi and eggs)

(frog fish amongst soft-coral branches)

(more nudis)

They say the Similan Islands (on the West side of Phuket) are amazing, but I don't know that I would bother after what I saw here...  who's to say it's not just more of the same?  Anyway, the 'top-side' here was stunning!

... and the dive guide, Bea, that I had on the second day was absolutely fabulous!

The diving setup was also new and strange to me... we were 20 divers (apparently in the high season, they take up to 40!?), diving straight from the back of the big boat!  It felt a bit like being a cow in a ranching operation...