Racha Islands, Racha Yai

These two islands are locally called Racha Yai and Racha Noi. In the Thai language “Yai “means big and “Noi” small.
Racha Yai’s attractions in diving coincide with its beautiful white sandy beaches and its surrounding palm thatched authentic cottages. When the sun is high, it’s dazzling white sand, tranquil clear emerald waters and back drops of evergreens project a Robinson Crusoe style paradise. Racha Noi is uninhabited and the island comprises only small sandy strips and rocky cliff surroundings. It is however, a nice deserted island offering lee anchorage for diving.

Fringing reef and rocky seabed. Strong currents. Dive depth: 15 to 28 meters. Sighting of game fish in the late afternoon, sometimes the sailfish too.

Collectively, the waters of Racha Islands are clear and deep with prevailing strong currents. It is also the play ground of game fish like the magnificent sailfish, barracudas, jacks and queen fish.

Rock boulders encrusted with corals are a continuation of the cliffs.
Crevices and passages in between these rocks and corals provide natural habitats for marine life. Schools of garfish roam near the surface while rabbit fish and small yellow tail snappers are abundant and feed on plankton. Blue and yellow spine unicorn fish in small shoals keep their distance, while the parrot fish, oblivious to your presence feeds greedily on algae growth amongst dead corals.

Small coves surrounding the island provide excellent shallow and interesting exploration amongst its coral formation. It is these shallow waters where you find large numbers of exotic marine life and crustaceans inhabiting the coral garden. Occasionally silver breams will dart close to your mask by the shoal before vanishing into little avenues in the rocks. Squids and cuttlefish prefer the shallow waters and you see them more during the months of December to February.

These shallow reefs drop steeply to the reef crest and slopes where brain and boulder corals are found and continue sloping into the deep depth of sandy seabed. Coral reefs surrounding Racha Islands are found in narrow strips, unless they are at sheltered coves.

The clear and tranquil waters of Racha Yai are surrounded by fringing, rocky, primarily hard coral reefs, which taper off into a sand, sand rubble seabed. Its close proximity to Phuket, generally easy conditions and diversity of dive sites make it a favorite daytrip spot. Currents can be stiff at times but drift diving is the way to go here. Marine life is great and includes lots of moray eels, schools of small Barracudas, twin spot snappers and fusiliers, trumpet fish, juvenile boxfish and even critters like cockatoo waspish, frogfish, sea moth and pipefish can be found here. Titan Triggerfish take care about some entertainment too.

Les eaux paisibles de Racha Yai sont encerclees par un recif de corail dur qui a fait sa base sur les rochers qui s’elevent d’un fond de sable. L’ile etant tout pres de Phuket offre generalement des conditions de plongees faciles sur nombre de sites. Les courants permettent d’y faire parfois de longues plongees derivantes. Les poissons sont nombreux avec des Fusillers, Vivaneaux, Poissons Trompette, Poissons Coffre et aussi d’etranges residents comme les Poissons Pipe, Poissons Grenouille et Crevettes Mantis.