Shark Point

Shark Point, or Hin (Rock) Musang rises out of the water from surrounding depths of only about 18-20 meters. Considering the small extent of the rock above the water, the actual size of the reef underwater is a big surprise to most divers. Beginning from the relatively steep main rock pinnacle, the reef flattens out to the south until it rises towards the surface again about a half kilometre away. This second rock does not break the surface, and depending on the current, is an excellent place to begin the dive.

Like many places in Thailand, Shark Point's most colourful features are the profusion of purple and pink soft corals that cling to the rocks. The strong currents that sweep over the pinnacle provide food a-plenty for hundreds of different species of hard corals and Indo-Pacific tropical fish. Literally every square centimetre is covered by something living, and at times it seems that every square centimetre of water surrounding Shark Point is filled with fish!

The name of the site comes from our common leopard shark, a docile creature that hangs out in the sand surrounding the pinnacle. These completely approachable, trusting sharks grow to lengths of a little over two meters, and most divers think that they are one of the cutest sharks in the ocean. Divers who are not accustomed to seeing sharks are genuinely surprised at how big and approachable they are.

 

Anemone Reef

Anemone Reef or Hin Jom (Submerged Rock) lies just underwater, about 600 meters to the north of Hin Musang. As the Thai name makes clear, no part of the pinnacle is exposed, and underwater the rock drops off more dramatically to a depth of between 20-27 meters until reaching a bottom of sand and oyster shells. Although not as colourful as Shark Point, the fish life here is excellent as well and our friends, the leopard sharks, often are seen free-swimming at the top of the rock in six meters of water.

Located just south of Ao Phang Nga and all of its fresh water rivers, visibility averages around 10 meters, often less. Although conditions such as this are not what divers dream of when they think of perfect vision, the amount of marine life more than makes up for the often limited visibility. On days when the water becomes so clear that you can see the bottom, diving here feels like taking a breath of fresh air and even the fish seem to be happier. Unfortunately for the local diving community, conditions are virtually impossible to predict. The only downsides of these sites are the visibility and the occasional strong currents, making both locations intermediate to advanced level dive sites.