The area of sea enclosed by the island of Phuket, Phang Nga Bay, the coastal town of Krabi and the Phi Phi islands can loosely be described as the Gulf of Phuket. The landscapes are beautiful so it's no surprise that there is some very pretty scuba diving in this area. The soft corals around the Phi Phi islands are spectacular and at times they are mobbed by an amazing amount of fish. There are a few big animals like turtles and whitetip sharks and a good deal of small creatures – lionfish, puffers and so on.

Two of the most interesting dives are Shark Point and The King Cruiser. Located in fairly open water, these can be challenging sites. Shark Point, so the story goes, never did have many sharks, but was named that by a local divemaster to drum up interest in the incredible soft corals. The King Cruiser is a classic wreck dive. The rusting hull is coated in barnacles and mussels and attracts a large number of fish. Down by the propeller are masses of tiny baitfish that are preyed on by many more lionfish.

Other dives sites are promoted as being the place for mantas and sharks, some have caverns and swim-throughs and you are likely to see critters such as ornate ghost pipefish and the rare Pegasus Seamoth.