King Cruiser Wreck

The King Cruiser was a car and passenger ferry that sank in 1997 after striking Anemone Reef in the Andaman Sea between Phuket and Koh Phi Phi. The wreck lies on a sandy bottom with a maximum depth of around 31.3 metres, and it is dived as an advanced site due to medium current and generally poor visibility. It has broken up considerably over the years, with collapsed sections of hull and structural deterioration that make penetration a real hazard rather than a casual swim-through. Divers commonly encounter barracuda, cuttlefish, fusiliers, grouper, jacks and trevally, leopard sharks, lionfish, nudibranchs, scorpionfish, snapper, surgeonfish and mackerel, with whale sharks also turning up given the wreck's proximity to Anemone Reef and Shark Point. Divers have also reported turtles, stingrays, manta rays, octopus, pufferfish, sweetlips, triggerfish, tuna, and even seahorses and pipefish around the structure. Strong current, entanglement risk, and the wreck's deteriorating metal frame are the main things to watch for, along with venomous species like scorpionfish and stonefish tucked into the debris.

Confirmed by our research team, reported by independent divers, or observed nearby via iNaturalist — each entry is labelled with its source.

• CuttlefishCuttlefishConfirmed present · 2 independent sources
• AngelfishAngelfishReported here · unconfirmed
• MackerelMackerelConfirmed present · 2 independent sources
• Whale sharkWhale sharkReported here · unconfirmed
• Jack / amberjackJack / amberjackConfirmed present · 2 independent sources
• StingrayStingrayReported here · unconfirmed
• Sea turtleSea turtleReported here · unconfirmed
• Tawny Hermit CrabCoenobita rugosusReported here · unconfirmed
• Indo-Pacific Sergeant MajorAbudefduf vaigiensisReported here · unconfirmed
• Powder Blue TangAcanthurus leucosternonReported here · unconfirmed
• Blacktip Reef SharkCarcharhinus melanopterusReported here · unconfirmed
• Spotted PorcupinefishDiodon hystrixReported here · unconfirmed
• Striped SurgeonfishAcanthurus lineatusReported here · unconfirmed
• Boring Giant ClamTridacna croceaReported here · unconfirmed
• Checkerboard WrasseHalichoeres hortulanusReported here · unconfirmed
• Blackspotted PufferArothron nigropunctatusReported here · unconfirmed
• FusilierFusilierConfirmed present · 4 independent sources
• TunaTunaReported here · unconfirmed
• StonefishStonefishReported here · unconfirmed
• PipefishPipefishReported here · unconfirmed
• BannerfishBannerfishReported here · unconfirmed
• Leopard / zebra sharkLeopard / zebra sharkConfirmed present · 4 independent sources
• Whale SharkRhincodon typusConfirmed present · 3 independent sources
• PufferfishPufferfishReported here · unconfirmed
• ScorpionfishScorpionfishConfirmed present · 6 independent sources
• TrevallyTrevallyConfirmed present · 6 independent sources
• BatfishBatfishReported here · unconfirmed
• GrouperGrouperConfirmed present · 3 independent sources
• LionfishLionfishConfirmed present · 11 independent sources
• SnapperSnapperConfirmed present · 7 independent sources
• NudibranchNudibranchConfirmed present · 8 independent sources
• BarracudaBarracudaConfirmed present · 6 independent sources
• SurgeonfishSurgeonfishConfirmed present · 3 independent sources
• OctopusOctopusReported here · unconfirmed
• TriggerfishTriggerfishReported here · unconfirmed
• SweetlipsSweetlipsReported here · unconfirmed
• Manta rayManta rayReported here · unconfirmed
• SeahorseSeahorseReported here · unconfirmed