Diving in Phuket

Siam Bay Statues

One of Phuket's newest dive sites is at the north end of Siam Bay, Racha Yai Island, and it may be the only place in the world where you can dive with elephants. Racha Yai is not normally known as a destination for diving with 'the big stuff' but here you certainly can.

In 2006 the Thai government commissioned the design of some underwater statues in order to create an artificial reef to attract back the Phuket diving tourists, after the tsunami of December 2004.

The various structures that make up the artificial reef sit on a sandy bottom, a short swim from the coral reef edge. There is also a mooring line for easy descents directly onto the statues. The deepest point is 22 metres with an average depth on the bottom of around 18 metres, making this a popular option on PADI Open Water Diver Course dives 3 and 4. The water is generally clear so some rather unusual photo opportunities are possible.

There are 2 large elephant statues and a big oyster shell. There is a big temple gate guarded by a mythical giant sentry, known in Thai as Yak, who is believed to protect the gate from evil spirits. There is also a Thai sala (pavilion). Each statue is separated by about 6-7 metres of sand so swimming from one to the other is easy.

It's a bit like visiting an underwater amusement park as you swim through the temple gate then under an elephants legs (not only is this very good luck in Thai, it's good buoyancy skills practice too), then sit on the other elephant with it's trunk raised for the obligatory photo. While you are there, have a look in the elephants ear where a white-eyed moray eel has already taken up residence. Then swim through the sala and check out the oyster.

20-25 minutes is normally enough diving time for these novelties, before heading over to the reef to check out the local Phuket fishy residents. Set your compass on a 120 degree bearing and in 4-5 minutes you'll hit the reef edge (or just follow your dive guide). As you swim over the sand look out for blue-spotted stingrays that bury themselves from view, their eyes and the tips of their tail are the giveaway to their presence. Also look for garden eels poking their bodies from their holes and swaying in the current. With patience and sharp eyesight you can find bent-stick pipefish as well as a very big, and very ugly, reef stonefish on the sand at the edge of the reef.

The reef itself is acropora hard coral of the staghorn and table variety. Reef inhabitants include trumpet fish, lion fish, scorpionfish, titan trigger fish, puffer fish and many other of the colourful reef fish species that you find elsewhere around Racha Yai Island and the other Phuket dive sites. There is a big school of fusiliers and another big school of yellow tail barracuda. Butterfly fish and angel fish are also common.

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Siam Bay Statues Reef Basics: Artificial reef
Depth: 16 - 22m
Visibility: 10 - 20m
Currents: Gentle
Surface Conditions: Calm
Water Temperature: 27 - 30°C
Experience Level: Beginner
Number of dive sites: 1
Diving Season: All year round
Distance: ~22 km south of Phuket (1¼ hours)
Access: Dive Phuket day tours and liveaboards

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