Phuket Dives: Anemone Reef

As the name suggests, Anemone Reef (or Hin Jom as it is known in Thai), is literally covered in magnificent anemones which play host to a variety of anemonefish and clownfish, but a dive at Anemone Reef is more than just pretty anemones.

This submerged rock is located less than a mile north of Shark Point. The top of the pinnacle is around 3m, and slopes down to around 25m where there is a sandy bottom.

You can often see leopard sharks resting down here, also look out for Kuhl's stingrays, bent-stick pipefish and peacock mantis shrimp. On the pinnacle are some huge gorgonian seafans, lots of whip coral, and the soft corals are beautiful! Have a look inside the barrel sponges - you can sometimes see big bearded scorpionfish chilling out in there. There are plenty of macro things to look for here too - cleaner shrimp, coral banded shrimp, durban dancing shrimp, different kinds of nudibranc's and flatworms, tigertail seahorses, and ornate ghost pipefish.

This site is covered in moray eels too, have a look for honeycomb, zebra, fimbriated, giant, white-eyed and snowflake morays.

There are big schools of fish that like to hang out - lots of snapper, grouper and fusiliers, also look out from the pinnacle you can often see schools of big fin reef squid. Soldierfish gather together in crevices or under overhangs, and there are plenty of common and spotfin lionfish. Also keep an eye out for the hawksbill turtles which are often seen here.

This is a pretty small site so take your time as much as possible. If there is current present, you may stick to one side of the pinnacle to shelter and then zig-zag your way to the top which is a perfect depth for your safety stop at the end of your dive :)

PADI Advanced Open Water Course

This is for you if you’ve done the Open Water course and now you want to continue to develop your diving skills and be more confident in the water.

This course lets you try out 5 different specialty dives... deep, navigation (which you have to do) and 3 others (wreck, night, photography, peak performance buoyancy, AWARE Fish ID etc).

It is a hugely worthwhile course because it also allows you to dive to a maximum of 30 metres, instead of the limiting 18 metres of open water diver. Many liveaboard companies require that you have this rating to join their cruises (or complete it during the cruise) as it shows that you have a better understanding of diving theory and that you have a bit more experience. The best thing about this course is that there's no exam :) You will receive a manual and you will be required to read the chapters which correspond to the specialties that you have chosen to learn more about, and complete a short knowledge review at the end of each chapter - easy!

This rating is required if you plan to go on and pursue the PADI Rescue Diver course.

This course can be done on Phuket Daytrips, Phi-Phi Overnight Special or Liveaboard Trip - contact us for prices and more information info@calypsophuket.com :)

*Fascinating Fish Fact*

The seahorse (Hippocampus) is one of my favourite fish to see when I'm diving. They are found in tropical and temperate waters throughout the world, and range in size from 1.5-35cm. Here are some facts about these unique fish:

Seahorses are fish
After much debate, scientists have decided that seahorses are indeed fish. They belong in the Class Actinopterygii, the bony fish, which also includes larger fish such as cod and tuna. Unlike most other fish though, they do not have scales, only skin covering them.

Seahorses are bad swimmers
Seahorses prefer to rest in one area, sometimes hanging on to a piece of coral for long periods of time using their prehensile tails. They are however very maneuverable and are able to move up, down, forwards and backwards.

There are 53 known species worldwide
- according to the World Register of Marine Species. They are catergorised in the family Syngnathidae which includes pipefish and seadragons.

Seahorses eat almost constantly
They feed on plankton and small crustaceans, but do not have a stomach so the food passes through them very quickly causing the need to eat all the time.

Many seahorses mate for life
Many are monogamous, meaning they mate for life. The male and female have an elaborate, daily courtship ritual, involving a "dance" where they entwine their tails, and may change colors.

Male seahorses give birth
Unlike any other species, the males become pregnant. Females insert her eggs into the male's brood pouch. The male wiggles to get the eggs into position. Once all the eggs are inserted, the male goes to a nearby coral or seaweed and grabs on with his tail to wait out gestation, which may last several weeks. When it's time to give birth, he'll contort his body in contractions, until the young are born, sometimes over a period of minutes or hours. Baby seahorses are miniature versions of their parents.

Seahorses are experts at camouflage
Some seahorses, like the pygmy seahorse, have a shape, size and colour that allows them to blend in perfectly with their habitat. Others, such as the thorny seahorse, change colour to blend in with their surroundings.

Seahorse populations in Asia are in decline
This can largely be attributed to the use of seahorses in Asian medicines. There is no clinical proof that seahorses have any medicinal benefits, so please avoid buying any of these remedies.

Seahorses like to talk
They make clicking noises when interacting with other seahorses :)

Phuket Dives: Koh Doc Mai

Koh Doc Mai, which translates to Flower Island in English, is a small limestone island located between Phuket and Shark Point. The underwater topography is very similar to what you can see above water - the east side is a shallower, sloping coral garden, the west is a fabulous wall dive, and the side that we normally dive on. If you like macro dives, you won't be disappointed here, we regularly see tiger-tail seahorses, cleaner pipefish,

a variety of moray eels, frogfish, octopus, cuttlefish, ornate ghost pipefish, different kinds of nudibrancs, as well as a host of different kinds of shrimps - cleaner shrimp, durban dancing shrimp, coral banded shrimp, tapestry shrimp, and harlequin shrimp.

If you have a look in the cracks and crevices in or at the bottom of the wall you may also be able to spot a bamboo shark - sometimes you can see a few of them squeezed in together resting in preparation for their nocturnal hunting.

If that isn't enough for you, there are plenty of reef fish along here, all the usual suspects - butterflyfish, angelfish (have a look for juveniles of the blue ringed and emporer angelfish), bearded scorpionfish, lionfish, rabbitfish, etc, and also look out from the wall for schools of longfin trevally, chevron and forster's barracuda...and, if they are in the area, it's not unusual to see whale sharks hanging around this island :)

To add to all this (as if you need more!) there are also two caves. The northern cave entrance is quite small and can be difficult to get in and out of, so this is suitable only for more experienced divers. However, the southern cave has a bigger entrance and is more easily navigated by newer divers...but always remember to check your air and decompression time before entering any enclosed space!

We have trips every day which take in Koh Doc Mai so contact us if you'd like to check out this spectacular dive - info@calypsophuket.com :)

PADI Open Water Course

If you love the water and have always wanted to try diving, this is the course for you. This is your first and most important step in becoming a certified Open Water diver who can dive independently, without the guidance of a professional. Try it and you’ll never turn back.

As a certified PADI Open Water Diver, the most widely recognized and respected rating in the world, you have the freedom to dive with a buddy independent of a professional. If you already tried a PADI Discover Scuba Diving experience or are PADI Scuba Diver certified, check with your instructor to see how credit from these courses may apply to the open water diver program.

What do I need to start?
Virtually anyone who is in good health, reasonably fit, comfortable in the water and can swim 200 meters can earn a PADI Open Water Diver certification. If you are between 10 and 14 or have a child between these ages, check out the PADI Junior Open Water Diver program.

How long will it take?
PADI programs are performance based. You proceed as you demonstrate mastery of the course skills. This allows you to work at a pace that is comfortable for you. The usual duration is 3 or 4 full days.

What will I do in this course?
Throughout the course, you’ll learn the fundamentals of scuba diving, including dive equipment and techniques. You earn this rating by completing five pool dives and knowledge development sessions and by making four open water (ocean) dives. Please contact us directly via email if you have special needs.

What can I do after this course?
You can go on with your dive adventure and do several Adventure Dives. These will give you a fun and quick way to sample many different specialty diving techniques in one Adventure Diver course. If you do five Adventure Dives you qualify for the PADI Advanced Open Water certification.

What do I need to bring?
All of the diving equipment is available from us however, you are welcome to bring or purchase your own. Do bring your swimsuit, sunscreen and towels.

Sample Itinerary
Day 1: Classroom & Pool
Day 2: Two Boat or Beach dives
Day 3: Two Boat or Beach dives

Contact us for prices and availability...info@calypsophuket.com :)

*Fascinating Fish Fact*

It's difficult to decide which of the beautiful parrotfish's characteristics is the most fascinating...you can decide!

1- Their diet...this consists mainly of algae taken from chunks of coral that the parrotfish rips from the reef with its beak (hence the name parrotfish). Most of the sand around the parrotfish's locale is actually the ground up, undigested coral that it has excreted!

2- Their gender...with the loss of the "harem's" male, the dominant female will change her gender to male within a matter of weeks. This involves changing her colouration, and gives her the right to mate with the remaining females.

3- Their pyjamas...at night time, certain species secrete a mucous 'sleeping bag' from a gland in their heads. This nightgown protects them from parasites and nocturnal predators like moray eels.


Parrotfish are found in all tropical waters all over the world. There are over 90 different species of parrotfish ranging in size from less that 1, to 4 feet, the largest being the bumphead parrotfish which can weigh in at more than 100 lbs!

They are rarely consumed in the US, but are readily available in the markets here in Asia and taste pretty good fresh off the BBQ! In Polynesia it is served raw, and was once considered to be "royal food", only eaten by the king.

Phuket Dives: Shark Point

Ask any dive instructor in Phuket what their favourite dive site is, and most of them will say Shark Point (known in Thai as Hin Mu Sang). Shark Point is situated about half way between Phuket and Phi Phi, and is an official marine sanctuary. It consists of a series of pinnacles lying pretty much north to south, the first pinnacle is just visible but the rest are submerged. As the name suggests, it is possible to see sharks here - leopard sharks can usually be seen resting in the sand, and have a look under ledges and in small holes and you may be able to spot a bamboo shark, but there is much more to see here than just sharks. The pinnacles are covered in corals - big gorgonian sea fans, table corals, bush corals, whip corals and the soft corals in the shallows are amazing. Some of the smaller things to look for here are the different kinds of shrimps, sea horses, nudibrancs, and maybe frog fish if you are lucky. The site attracts a lot of the hunting fish too, lots of snapper and fusiliers, plus there are areas of the site that are covered with glass fish so you are often treated to trevallies coming in for some serious feeding action! Other specials here are banded sea snakes, banded snake eels, cuttlefish,octopus, many kinds of moray eels, Kuhl's stingrays, and you can sometimes see the occasional eagle ray or maybe even a whale shark cruising by :) You can easily do multiple dives on this one site and never get bored - I still love it after hundreds of dives here! The great thing is that this site is suitable for most divers, maximum depth is around 25m but there's lots of shallow areas to explore too. Contact us if you'd like to check out this awesome dive....info@calypsophuket.com