Racha Yai

Racha Yai Bay 1 is a dive site on the northeastern shore of Koh Racha Yai, an island roughly 90 minutes south of Phuket by boat. The site encompasses three small adjacent bays and combines three distinct environments: a natural reef running along the shoreline, an artificial reef made up of concrete cubes, and a small shipwreck. The wreck, the Harruby Liveaboard, was deliberately sunk to enrich the site; it was stripped of its interior before sinking, making it safe for penetration. It rests on the sandy bottom at around 20 m, with its shallowest point at approximately 14 m. Overall the site ranges from 3 m to 25 m depth.

Marine life at Racha Yai Bay 1 is varied across its different zones. Several species of moray eel are resident, including clouded morays, snowflake morays, fimbriated morays, and giant morays. Blue-spotted stingrays and stonefish are found on the sandy areas, and frogfish appear on the artificial reef alongside the many small fish that shelter inside the concrete cubes. A large school of bigeye barracuda is typically seen circling above the artificial reef. Peacock mantis shrimps and nudibranchs crawl over the rocks and artificial structures. Lionfish, scorpionfish, damselfish, puffers, and triggerfish are also present around the island's reefs.

Conditions at Racha Yai Bay 1 are consistently mild, with little to no current and visibility ranging from 15 m to over 30 m. The site is accessible year-round; on windier days, diving the sheltered side of the island keeps conditions manageable. Water temperature runs between 28 °C and 31 °C. The gentle conditions and shallow natural reef also make this one of the better snorkelling spots in the area. The site is rated beginner difficulty and is well suited as a first dive of the day.