Richelieu Rock

Richelieu Rock is Thailand's premier dive site and one of the best places in Thailand to see Big Pelagics like Whale Sharks and Manta Rays. This huge pinnacle climbing from the depths of the Andaman Sea attracts scuba divers from around the world. Huge fish, soft corals and an incredible array of small fish make Richelieu famous around the world. Visited by both liveaboards and Speedboats from Khao Lak daily, Richelieu Rock is not to be missed.

Location

Richelieu Rock is part of the Surin National Marine Park, yet located about 18 kilometers east of the islands themselves. Richelieu Rock is just barely exposed at the lowest of tides-thus a navigational hazard for those boats not equipped with a GPS navigation system. Situated 200 kilometers Northwest of Phuket and 70 km from Khao Lak - the rock is closer to the Burmese (Myanmar) border than Phuket. 

(Please look here for a the site Location)

Richelieu Rock Geology

A massive underwater limestone pinnacle rising up from 50 meters to the just below the surface. Horseshoe shaped with several smaller boulders surrounding it at the depths, protection from currents is assured for the experienced guides. Steep walls and deep crevices offer both stunning scenery and great hiding places for all manner of amazing creatures.
The unique shape and location are part of what Richelieu so special. There are no other pinnacles or submerged rocks anywhere nearby so all the marine life in the area have one place to go. As this is the single pinnacle, it also generates a strong disturbance to the tidal currents. This creates strong upwellings of cold water – which causes plankton. And this plankton feeds the diverse fish and corals

Would you like to visit Richelieu Rock? Ask us how

Diving the Site

Located in the middle of the sea, Richelieu provides no shelters for the boats. So there are only a few daytrips that visit there (disclaimer – we are one of those shops!) and many liveaboards that include this site as part of their routes. As there is no protection descents are usually done right of the back of the boat – not tied up.

As currents can be strong, dropping down fairly quickly can be part of these dives. Experienced guides in the area prepare for this and will have you drop off the site so you can drift into by the time you have descended.

Aiming for a depth down of 30-35 meters are optimum for both maximum time and pleasure! Many of the outlying boulders have incredible treats for the intrepid visitors. A slow circle of a site should bring you close to your safety stop by the end. As there is a current and very little protection – this is definitely a site for using a surface marker buoy.

You can dive here over and over and see something new. The currents change constantly, and it's not always an easy dive. But, if you have an experienced dive guide and they give a good detailed briefing, you can learn how to hide from the currents and have a very enjoyable dive.

While Richelieu Rock has long been famous as the easiest place to see Whale Sharks, but a worldwide decline in numbers has really reduced the number of encounters. The frequency of encounters over the last 4 years has been about once every 2 weeks.

We frequently see such quotes as…

”Up until 2000 it was a case not of "will I see a whale shark?" but more like "how many whale sharks will I see?" These days whale sharks are less common however some years are better than others.”
“Sightings occur 50-70% of the time, depending on the time of year. Generally, from February to April are the best times for a visit to enjoy some of the most exhilarating liveaboard diving in Thailand.”

This is complete hogwash and is just a way to sell trips. It’s just not true. As a matter of fact, seeing a Whale Shark is less common than seeing one.

Go here if you would like to learn more about Whale Sharks. Not only can you learn a lot, but you can also join in research and conservation projects.

Disappointed? Don’t be, the Richelieu Rock has an amazing amount of diversity. Expect to see schools of chevron barracudas while larger sharks and rays can be seen in the deeper water.

Vast Schools of Snappers, Tuna, Mackeral, Jacks and Trevallies circle the site hunting and hiding from one another.

The crevices, cracks and fields of soft corals are home to such an amazing diversity of fish such as White-eyed Morays, Nudibranchs, Tigertail Seahorses, Harlequin shrimps, Ghost pipefish, Lionfish, Glassfish, Frogfish, Leaffish and even some very exotic species like Pineapplefish. Just keep your eyes open, take your time and enjoy. There is so much to see.

Similan Island information: Weather

The monsoon play an important role in all apsects of life on the Andman Sea. The monsoons always head in from the South West over the Andaman Sea.  Thailand has three seasons; cool, hot and rainy. The best time to visit  is between October and May. The European summer months of June through September are the wettest here and thus also the worst time to visit.

The visibility on Richelieu Rock is very conditional. The poorest visibility is not a time of year, but right after a full moon and new moon (the highest tides of the months). There can be occasional blooms of plankton, but if you consider that fish food - then it is a good thing. Just look for the little stuff! 

As Richelieu is in the open and unprotected, Trips there are usually reserved for times with calmer seas. Typically the first trips are in November and the last trips in early May. Visits on speedboats tend to start later in the season - late November until late April.

Be very WARY of companies that offer Day trips during these months. Please read this interesting article.

 Currents
As currents can be strong this is definitely a site that should be done with an experienced guide. In addition we recommend that divers be certified and experienced as Advanced Divers or higher.

There are only two ways to visit Richelieu Rock – Speedboat or Liveaboard.

The speedboats are a great way to visit if you are on a short time schedule, or have family who are not divers. These trips depart in the Mornings and return by evening. Usually

Most liveaboards include at least two dives at Richelieu Rock as part of their itinerary and may add more dives here if guests wish. The most difficult decision for underwater photographers is which lens to dive Richelieu with. Of course a wide angle lens is best for whale sharks but there is so much good macro photography to do here too.