Diving In Trang

Located half way between Phuket and the Malaysian border. Trang is the newest province to open to divers in the Andaman Sea. Although not as developed as some of the other sites around the country-which makes it more difficult to get to-some of Trang's diving spots are decidedly world-class. Certainly, when conditions are right, the pinnacles of Hin Daeng and Hin Muang triumph over anything in the Similan Islands. There are four principle places for diving in this area: Ko Ha Yai, Ko Rok, Hin Daeng, and several inland islands just south and east of Ko Lanta.

Ko Ha is a small group of islands almost directly west of Ko Lanta. These tiny islands, separated by channels over 50 meters deep, jut straight out of the Andaman Sea. The highlight of diving here is a series of caverns which are safe to enter, even without a light, as the entrances are large and there is only one way in and one way out. The best part of entering these caves is that you can surface inside the island to view stalactites hanging down from the ceiling 30 meters above the surface. Ko Rok, about 25 kilometers south of Ko Ha. Are two sister-islands separated by a narrow channel about 15 meters deep.

These islands. Nok and Nai (mean outside and inside) have some of the prettiest beaches in Thailand and are part of Thailand's National Park Authority. The diving here is relatively shallow, with the best corals and marine life living above 18 meters. The bottom is composed of mostly hard corals, with small areas of soft corals at deeper depths. Approximately 25 kilometers southwest of Ko Rok are Hin Daeng (red rock) and Hin Muang (purple rock) offering everything a diver could want, from dramatic walls and big fish action, to lush tropical underwater gardens covered with anemones and soft corals.

Hin Daeng is easily found since it protrudes about three meters above the surface. The southern side descends-straight down-to over 60 meters forming the most radical vertical drop in Thailand's seas. The wall is dotted with a light growth of soft corals and sea fans. On the eastern side where the slope is more gentle, two long ridges descend into the blue. Here the soft coral becomes more lush and tall, and huge schools of jacks sweep past the ridge, surrounding the diver with a shimmering wall of silver.

Hin Muang (Purple Rock) located just a few hundred meters from Hin Daeng, lies completely submerged. The name derives itself from the thick purple growth of soft corals that are everywhere. What's surprising is the incredible amount of marina life that cling to the rock. It is as iitr»a-*ock were located in another ocean and not just a short distance away from the relatively barren Hin Daeng. The walls are decorated with large sea fans of red. white and orange. Crowds of glass fish school around the fans and rocky out-croppings. Carpets of anemones cover the shallower sections of the pinnacle.

Whale sharks are one animal that we see repeatedly around these pinnacles and some years they are seen on 70% of the trips!For deep water diving, vertical walls, and exquisite soft coral, the areas in the Province of Trang are unforgettable.

Boats can be chartered or individually booked from several dive companies in Phuket and Phi Phi. Day trips are available from Ko Lanta.