Cuttlefish Laying Eggs in Racha Yai

[Dan]

On 10 February, 2022, Vincent M of See Fun Divers took us diving in Home Run Reef dive site off Racha Yai Island. We saw these Cuttlefish laying eggs at the very end of the dive. Heard boat engine revving at 50 minutes of diving with 81 bar left on my tank. Dang! it's time to head back to the boat. I had to cut short filming this fascinating event.

 

[drrich2]

Beautiful animals. I hope to see cuttlefish in the wild someday. I've seen them in public aquaria in years past (probably not that species).

Richard.

 

[Joneill]

On 10 February, 2022, Vincent M of See Fun Divers took us diving in Home Run Reef dive site off Racha Yai Island. We saw these Cuttlefish laying eggs at the very end of the dive. Heard boat engine revving at 50 minutes of diving with 81 bar left on my tank. Dang! it's time to head back to the boat. I had to cut short filming this fascinating event.

Very cool Dan!

Question: the reef at that location does not look very healthy - lots of rubble. What is your assessment of the condition of the reefs there?

 

[Dan]

Very cool Dan!

Question: the reef at that location does not look very healthy - lots of rubble. What is your assessment of the condition of the reefs there?

Yes, a lot of coral rubbles . Racha Yei island is within Phuket province, an hour boat ride from Phuket. My guess is there were too many cattle boats, bringing ~ 30 divers / boat, many of them were beginner tourist divers, in the past. Covid may have reduced the numbers of divers going there, hence, slowed down the coral beating a bit.

My guide was from See Fun Divers. He told me that our boat is the smaller cattle boat, carry only 15 divers at the time with divers to DM ratio of 2 at the max. I counted about 8 DMs, including 1 DM in training and one diver taking deep dive class with an instructor (so it was diver / DM ratio of 1).

We are going to Similan islands next week, supposedly more remote dive sites, hopefully, less rubbles. We’ll see.

I went to Patong Beach for dinner. My buddy said before Covid, that place was used to be so packed to the point of rubbing shoulders or stopping to let other passes in the narrow sidewalk was common. That evening the crowd was probably about a quarter of what it used to be. We were easily walking without stopping or bumping to each other. The best time to be there, according to him.

 

[stevenl]

Homerun has never been a coral dive. Much more boulders and smaller rocks. Other sites at racha Yai and Racha Noi are recovering nicely with far less divers.

 

[jscan1]

I just got back from Thailand and was not impressed with Racha Yai , Racha Noi , the reefs were not in great shape. But then a few days later we did Phi Phi and the dive sites were great soft and hard corals , tons of thriving Anemones with Clown Fish , Black tips etc. If someone was going to Phuket and wanted to get in diving I'd recommend a shore dive at Kata beach which was actually a great little dive with lots of life and a trip to Phi Phi...Thailand on a whole (not just diving) was fantastic but my next trip will definitely start with one of the three day live aboard over the cattle boats from Phuket , to many divers in the water

 

[dumpsterpurrs]

I actually prefer Koh Doc Mai to Phi Phi. Lots more fish action. Both are heads and shoulders above Racha.

To avoid cattle boats, book with Aloha Divers. They have their own boat. I went with them twice and each time there was just one or two other divers, everyone has their own DM, dives are never cut shot and lasts as long as your air does.

 

[stevenl]

Divesites preference can really be about personal preference. But preferring Koh Doc Mai over Phi Phi (especially Bida Nok) because of 'more fish action' is simply not factual. Could it be related to Aloha not being able to go to Phi Phi?

 

[dumpsterpurrs]

Divesites preference can really be about personal preference. But preferring Koh Doc Mai over Phi Phi (especially Bida Nok) because of 'more fish action' is simply not factual. Could it be related to Aloha not being able to go to Phi Phi?

I went to Phi Phi with Aussie Divers, really lovely people, but hated the cattle boat. It might be why I disliked Phi Phi. The cattle boat was so bad I almost considered not diving again. I only liked Bida Nok out of the Phi Phi set. Usually they do Turtle Rock - Bida Nok - Shark Point. Turtle Rock was very boring. Shark Point is fine but it's included in many other itineraries so you don't need to go to Phi Phi for it. If I could do all three dives at Bida Nok I'd love it.