You are here:

Koh Dok Mai Diving

Koh Dok Mai Dive Spot

Koh Dok Mai Diving

Koh Dok Mai Dive Site – the special dive trip

Koh Dok Mai literally means “Flower Island”. There are different stories of how the place got its name – some say it is because the island was one full of blossoming flowers, and others claim its name comes from underwater beauty around its shores. However, Koh Dok Mai is a special dive site and most of scuba divers appreciate the rich scuba environment of this islet. We include this dive site on our diving day trips of Wednesdays and sometimes Sundays.

scuba diver icon small

Koh Dok Mai diving – dive site facts

This little limestone island stretches vertically down to 30 meters (100 feet), creating a wall all around. Although the west side, with hard coral extending out from 12 meters (40 feet) to 20 meters (66 feet), is shallower, the east wall is more popular with scuba divers. There are many cracks and crevices along the walls of Koh Dok Mai Phuket at all depths, but the most frequented visit is a big cave and small cave located on the east side of Koh Dok Mai. However the small cave is narrow and long, so divers who have not obtained cavern specialty or any equivalent certification are not encouraged to penetrate the cave. There is no access onto the island.

A good variety of small creatures make this site a favorite for scuba diving activities. Tiger-tale seahorse, ornate ghost pipefish and anglerfish are among the species frequently found along the wall Dive slowly and check crevices in the wall or the sea fans, and you may spot them when they move.

The walls are also a paradise for macro photographers, as colorful nudibranchs, flatworms, tiny white eyes morays and group of 10 or more dancing shrimp are guaranteed to make an appearance. Do examine cracks and small crevices for giant morays, and enjoy the schools of yellowline snapper, trevally and fusiliers that usually swim along the wall.

For those interested in bigger fish, look at the blue for great barracuda and leopard shark may also catch a few winks at the bottom of the wall.

Visibility: 5-20m
Difficulty: Advanced
Current: Moderate to Strong
Overall Note: 4/5
Phuket Island Diving - Koh Dok Mai dive map
Koh Dok Mai diving - dive map
Koh Dok Mai diving - west coast
Koh Dok Mai diving - west coast view

How to approach scuba diving on Koh Dok Mai?

Scuba diving Phuket trick – Dive slowly if you don’t want to miss the small creatures – this dive site is famous for. It should be possible to get half-way around the island in an hour. It is usually a one-way dive along the wall side of Koh Dok Mai, but it can get tricky when there are strong currents, as the up-currents and down-currents can rapidly reduce the visibility from a good 20 meters (66 feet) to 3 meters (10 feet).