Phuket Dive Sites
Anemone Reef
Thailand Dive Sites:
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Anemone Reef is located east of Phuket half way towards Phi Phi Islands and is only about 500m away from Shark Point. The submerged rocky pinnacle starts at 5m below the surface and drops down to 25m. The dive sites name derives from the thousands of anemones that cover the rock.
It is a spectacular dive sight, very colourful, with green, white and bright blue anemones squeezed in together, all home to clown fish. You can find many different types of clownfish including clarks, pink, tomato anemonefish and the famous western clownfish (Nemo). You will also see porcelain crabs on the edges of carpet anemones and anemone shrimps as well. Damsel fish and anthias add more colour to the scene. The highest concentration of anemones is on the top of the rock where the light is brightest and some divers, particularly underwater photographers never get further than here because it's so amazing.
Divers normally descent to the botton of the reef and work their way up to safety stop level by the end of the dive. Anemone reef is in open sea and sometimes subject to strong currents so if circling the rock isn't possible divers zigzag their way up the sheltered side instead. Leopard sharks can usually be found at the base of the rock sleeping in the sandy patches.
The earlier in the morning that you dive Anemone Reef, the better your chance of seeing sharks before other divers scare them away. Hawksbill turtles are also frequently seen. The pinnacle is not only covered in anemones. Deeper down are hard and soft corals, lots of seafans and huge barrel sponges. Look in seafans and in rocky crevices for yellow tigertail seahorse and harlequin ghost pipefish. You are sure to find boxer shrimps and hinge beak shrimps.
Moray eels poke out from cracks, especially white eyed morays but also yellow edged, honeycomb, giant and zebra morays. Lionfish abound on anemone reef as do scorpionfish. There are also banded sea snakes.