Incorporating the Andaman Sea, Gulf of Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia… and more
14 miles from Ao Chalong
During the southwest monsoon, the east coast of Koh Racha Yai lends shelter for overnight stops in all but the strongest conditions. There’s a deep water anchorage in 10-20 metres on a broken coral and sandy bottom. A few day dive boat moorings are available but are mostly too shallow for keelboats.
This anchorage also affords access to two small beaches with excellent snorkelling and diving, although sometimes there are strong currents. Ashore, half a kilometre south of the floating jetty at Ter Bay, is the Ban Raya Resort. From the floating jetty a pleasant, easy 20-minute walk takes you through coconut plantations to the north and west beaches. Ter Bay is becoming famous for its wreck diving options.
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There are four dive wrecks located off Racha Yai’s Ter Bay on the northeast coast that attract all levels of scuba divers. Furthermost north is the ‘Old Sailboat Wreck’, often mistakenly called the ‘Speedboat Wreck’. It’s in poor condition and sits at 21 metres with lots of snapper and glassfish schooling around it. There are two resident giant morays and the occasional lazy adult Jenkins’ ray hiding under the hull.
[read more]The ’Harruby Liveaboard Wreck’ is resting upright in between the two bays with its top at 14 metres and bottom in 22 metres. This is the best wreck in the area for specialty wreck dive courses because it can be penetrated and surveyed. Batfish hang around inside it all the time.
The container cargo ship ‘Sinaran Andaman’ struck rocks off Koh Hei and began taking on water in July 2015. The Coast Guard transported this 65-metre vessel to Racha Yai and laid the entire bow section on the sandy seabed in 24 metres, north of the Harruby Liveaboard.
The bad luck wreck deployment story ‘Marla’s Mystery’ is an old barge purposely sunk approximately 150 metres east of the centre of the two bays; but it ended up lying in 34 metres, too deep for most recreational divers. The attempt was to sink the wreck in shallow water but it drifted away with the current and down to its current depth.
Some highly experienced and mixed-gas divers visit it from time to time, but it’s too deep to be safe for the rest of us. All Racha wrecks are buoyed, and visiting scuba divers on private yachts are welcome. If the mooring is occupied, tie up behind another dive boat and go down the mooring line to the bottom. Always keep a crewmember on the mother boat. A dive levy of 400 baht per person is collected.
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