Ko Tachai Reef: A.K.A. Leopard Shark Reef
Ko Tachai Reef is located to the Eastern Side of the Island with the dive site runs from Northeast to Southwest. Koh Tachai is a large dive site which consists of a sloping sandy reef, and is mainly made up of of some very interesting Hard Corals. You will find the reef slopes down from 5-10m down to the sandy bottom at around 30m.
The Northern end of Ko Tachai Reef consists of beautiful white sand,with the Southern end dropping off steeply to around 30m. There are many types of hard coral to be found here also. Some of the Hard Corals you can expect to see include Mushroom Coral, Brain Coral, Staghorn Coral and Fire Coral. However don't let this fool you as there is a not of marine life here. Including the reclusive Leopard Shark. The currents at Ko Tachai Reef would be described as moderate on a "normal" day and run North East to South West and vice versa. You can are welcome to dive Phuket first with a checkout dive on one of our Phuket Scuba Diving Day Trips if you want?
Ko Tachai Reef is also an excellent dive site for a sunset or Night Dive ...
Why is Ko Tachai Reef called “Leopard Shark Reef?”
Ko Tachai Reef is an easy dive site to dive. Thus, it is a great dive for both beginner divers and experienced divers alike. Moreover, you do not need to dive deep to see a wide range of marine life, which is nice. In addition, Ko Tachai Reef is an excellent dive site for an afternoon dive followed by a Night Dive on the same dive site.
During the daytime, there is a very good chance to see Leopard Sharks resting on the sand. Hence why the dive site is nicknamed “Leopard Shark Reef.” Leopard Sharks are harmless to humans and are a pleasure to dive with. Thus it is often possible to get a “Leopard Shark Selfie” if you have a camera with you. If not, don’t worry, your Surin Liveaboard Dive Guide will have one with them.
Tachai Reef also has some very large Barracuda, along with large schools of Trevallies and Rainbow Runners. On the dive site, itself you can expect to see a good variety of reef fish. This includes various Giant Moray Eels, Triggerfish, Pufferfish, Wrasse and Groupers. And there is also a good selection of Angelfish, Butterfly Fish, Anemone Fish and Lion Fish. In essence, you can expect to see all the usual cool stuff we usually see the Andaman Sea.
Night Dive at Ko Tachai Reef:
Ko Tachai Reef is a GREAT dive site for Night Dives. So if you are planning on going on a Night Dive here, you can expect to see a lot of cool stuff here. This includes; Shrimps, Crabs, Lobster and often Octopus and Cuttlefish, which are always nice to see. Additionally some species of sharks are out and about as they are active at night.
For those who have not been Night Diving before, this is an excellent chance to try. And if you are taking your PADI Advanced Open Water Course while on a Similan / Surin Liveaboard Safari, then this is a great place to do it. For those taking the PADI Night Diver Specialty Course, this also makes a perfect first Night Dive. Especially as you will get the chance to Night Dive various other dive sites on your Similan / Surin Liveaboard Safari.
For those new to diving Rebreathers at night, this is again an excellent dive site to get used to Rebreather diving at night. We dive Poseidon MKVI or Se7en Rebreathers and have found this to be an excellent dive site to introduce you to more bubbles-less adventures in the dark. In fact we had some customers High Season 2016-17 see their first Leopard Shark here on a Rebreather Night Dive.
There is just one mooring line at the time of writing, so at the end of a night dive just signal to your boat and you should be picked up very easily.
We hope you get the chance to do a Night Dive here as it is one of our favorites ...
