King Cruiser Ferry
One of the Phuket's best wreck diving dive sites - The King Cruiser ferry was a Japanese-built ship that transported passengers between Phuket and the Phi Phi Islands. The ship was designed for 600 passengers and had three decks. The ferry was 85 meters long and 25 meters wide.
On a clear day on May 4, 1997, the ship was following its usual route to the Phi Phi Islands. According to one version, the captain decided to take a shortcut and changed the usual course.
Unfortunately, on the new course there was a rock underwater - Anemone Reef.
As a result of hitting the Anemone Reef, the ship received a large hole and began to quickly sink. Fortunately, all passengers and crew members were saved. But the ship could not be saved and now it rests at a depth of about 30 meters.
The highest point of the ship is at a depth of 16 meters, so the recommended minimum level for diving is Advanced Open Water Diver . This ship is also great for diving from the Wreck Diver and Nitrox Diver special courses.
Diving onto the ship is facilitated by the presence of a launching end, which is attached to the stern of the ferry. It is also recommended to ascend along the descent end, which makes it easy to carry out a mandatory safety stop even in the presence of a strong current.
Unfortunately, Japanese metal is not of high quality and rusts quite intensively. Strong currents combined with warm water only accelerate this process and the ship gradually loses its former appearance.
The roof of the upper deck collapsed, exposing the place where third class passengers had previously been located and at the same time destroying the walls of the latrine, which was located at the stern. Now this place has been chosen by large lionfish and divers who want to take pictures while sitting on one of the toilets.
The ship lying on the bare sand gradually became a home and shelter for numerous underwater creatures. Schools of small fish literally cover the hull of the ferry and attract large tuna and barracuda. On the sand around the ferry you can meet leopard sharks, and under the ship, in the stern part, nurse sharks have chosen a place for themselves.
Large groupers and snappers scurry among the superstructures of the ship, and giant barracudas live under the ship, in the tunnel formed by the banks of the catamaran. The ship is gradually overgrown with colorful soft corals, which give it an elegant look.
Despite the fact that the ship is gradually being destroyed, it is still suitable for serious diving with penetration into the engine room. The engine room is divided into several levels along which the running ends are laid.
The fairly narrow passages are ideal for diving in a sidemount configuration and require special training.
However, novice wreck diving enthusiasts will also find a lot of interesting corners for themselves.
