Liveaboard Diving in Hin Daeng
What To Expect On A Hin Daeng Liveaboard
Liveaboards to Hin Daeng, Thailand, are usually searching for the majestic Manta Rays that can be found around this dive area. Hin Daeng, meaning Red Rock, is located south of Phuket in the southern Andaman Sea for its abundance of red corals. As part of Mu Koh Lanta National Marine Park, it is a few hundred meters south of Hin Muang, southwest of the Phi Phi Islands, and can be reached with liveaboards departing from Phuket. Rated as one of the best dive sites in Thailand, Hin Daeng boasts a lot of marine life, from small to large. It is also known as a cave diving spot with a large vertical drop-off. Usually done as a drift dive, currents here are medium to strong, and the site is suggested for the more experienced diver. The underwater currents and surface waves render this site quite challenging. With many small inlets, rocky bays on the sandy bottom, and canyon-like formations, Hin Daeng is also known as a cave diving spot. Visibility is often up to 25m unless the waters are plankton-rich, promising the possibility of feeding whale sharks or manta rays.
Similarly to the northern dive sites of the Andaman Sea, the best time to see these majestic creatures is during February - April. Diving here is usually preferable between November and April when calmer weather and seas make for a more enjoyable experience. Some divers argue that Hin Daeng is as good as Richelieu Rock in the north but with fewer visitors. With such varied underwater topography and biodiversity, Hin Daeng is a great site to add to your Liveaboard.com itinerary.
What You Can See
One of the best ways to visit Hin Daeng is by a liveaboard dive cruise, as its location is quite far from the land. The submerged boulder pinnacle creates an impressive underwater topography, less so topside, as it breaks the surface and jets out only a few meters above the water. The southern sides provide Thailand's most extreme vertical drop, down to 70m. The rock formation is covered in colorful hard and soft corals, generally appearing red nearer the surface, hence the namesake. These, along with anemones, sea fans, and sponges, shelter many smaller reef fish, such as the boxer shrimp, octopus, lionfish, morays, and beautiful ribbon eels. The eastern and northern sides are best done as a second dive as they are shallower and gently slope down to about 40m. Here, look out for schools of jacks and trevally hunting along the wall, shimmering like a silver blanket. The Barracudas and reef sharks bring excitement to scuba divers.
