giant manta ray in thailand Rare & Peculiar Critters

Giant Manta Rays In Thailand

The magnificent giant manta rays are regular visitors to Thailand but despite their enormous size can be difficult to find around Phuket. These giant ocean creatures are for many scuba divers the ultimate underwater encounter. If you've ever been fortunate enough to spend time with these enigmatic rays then you'll know why. They're big! The largest ever recorded had a whopping wingspan of 9m. That's not normal but they still average a [...]

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the intoxicating yellow boxfish Rare & Peculiar Critters

Yellow Boxfish – Toxic And Inspiring?

Yellow boxfish are virtually guaranteed on any Phuket scuba diving trip. Cute, quirky and very photogenic, the yellow boxfish hides a couple of surprising facts. It should be of no surprise that the yellow boxfish has some hidden survival strategies. Being bright yellow and swimming around with no discernible plan isn't going to keep you alive very long. It's swapped the usual fish strategy of being fast or spiky for something different. [...]

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mimic octopus at kata beach phuket Rare & Peculiar Critters

Mimic Octopus In Phuket

Finding mimic octopus in Phuket is not a new thing for local divers but it may come as a bit of a surprise to holiday makers. Mimic octopus (thaumoctopus mimicus) are a relatively new species to science, only classified in 1998 from Indonesian specimens. The potential range could be huge because of the habitat they choose to hunt in. Featureless sandy/muddy flats is generally where you can find mimic octopus, not the first choice for most di [...]

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the most toxic sea urchin Rare & Peculiar Critters

Devil In Disguise – The Most Toxic Sea urchin

The most toxic sea urchin is not the fire urchin as you might think. That would make sense, a name that would stop anybody with a functional brain from touching it. So what have scientists named the most toxic urchin? They've gone for flower urchin - thanks. There's ample space for another more suitable word. Hell, agony or stinging flower urchin would have all given us a hint to stay well away. The scientists have certainly looked aft [...]

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lionfish in phuket Rare & Peculiar Critters

Lionfish – A Smart Fish?

We call them lionfish on this side of the world but they're also none as firefish, zebrafish, butterfly cod and turkeyfish (????) in other areas. We tend to lump them together but there are quite a few different species that we find around Phuket. All have stunning warning colours, are very photogenic, show little or no fear of divers and have toxic fins that can pack quite a punch. Fortunately lionfish are easy to spot and stings are very ra [...]

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parrotfish feeding on algae Rare & Peculiar Critters

Parrotfish – Not Just A Pretty Face

Thankfully many species of parrotfish are common on Phuket reefs and we really need to keep it that way. Heavy fines or even jail time await anybody who take parrotfish from the ocean and for good reason. Read on to find out why. A keystone species is an animal that is so important to it's particular ecosystem that it's loss or number depletion will have a heavy impact or even cause total breakdown. Parrotfish are one such species, the [...]

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cuttlefish common sightings in phuket scuba diving Rare & Peculiar Critters

Cuttlefish – Cross Dressing Light Bending Camouflage Kings

Cuttlefish belong the to the mollusc family and look like something between an octopus and a squid. Unlike most molluscs, the cephalopod branch which includes cuttlefish, squid and octopus are fairly smart. Certainly compared to their simpleton slug cousins but as with all geeks there comes weirdness - lots of weirdness. Let's get the ball rolling with this cardiovascular indulgence. Cuttlefish have three hearts, one each for their two [...]

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Local Guides, Local Knowledge, Local Experiences

Don't trust your diving to amateurs or freshly minted dive guides, dive with local experienced experts from Local Dive Thailand. Our Scuba Diving Phuket Tours will take you to see the rarest of the rare critters, you will be amazed by the macro life our guides can find, in the secret places only they know. To put it in perspective, if you were going to climb Mount Everest you would certainly hire a local sherpa to lead the way & keep you safe. Diving is similar because there is absolutely no substitute for local experience & local knowledge, Local Dive Thailand's guides are Phuket's Sherpa's of the Andaman Sea!

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Scuba Diving Phuket, Phi Phi & Thailand

When talking about Scuba Diving in Phuket, you should believe the hype, many seasons we have had Whale Sharks grace us on our regular and easy to reach dive sites and on a good day you can add Sea Horses, Sea Moths, Snake Eels, Frog Fish & Octopus to what you can see on any given dive and so much more. If we are heading to Phi Phi Island for the day, you can possibly see Hawksbill Sea Turtles and Black Tip Reef Sharks, also don't forget the King Cruiser, 84 meters of beautiful wreck and the most amazing reef nursery for fish and nudibranch. Local Dive Thailand day trip tours to these locations are not to be missed when you are scuba diving Phuket, get in touch with us and book an 'awesome' day of diving.

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Latest News From Local Dive Thailand

See why we are Thailand's leading scuba diving Phuket tour provider, stay up to date & watch out for news & special liveaboard offers!

great discounts on the junk and phinisi liveaboards Diving Discounts & Special Offers

Discount On Junk and Phinisi Trips 2024

There's a great 20% discount offer for all remaining spaces on The Junk and Phinisi departures to the Similan Islands and the Southern Andaman in 2024. From now until the 09th May all trips on these fantastic boats are offering deals for all cabin types. A rare opportunity to dive the fantastic Similan and Surin Islands in style at a great price Similan and Surin Islands 4 nights 14 dives Departures: 08th - 12th April, 7 spaces in t [...]

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take a diving refresher in the clear waters at racha noi Scuba Diving For Beginners

Keep Your Skills Up To Date With A Diving Refresher

A diving refresher or a PADI Reactivate programme is something all divers should consider if they haven't had the opportunity to dive for extended periods. We're not all fortunate enough to be able to dive when and where we want. Logistics, finances, health can all make getting a dive in a bit of a struggle. The recent pandemic kept the majority of divers away from the hobby they love for years. Diving refreshers were in high demand in 202 [...]

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crown of thorns starfish Rare & Peculiar Critters

Crown of Thorns Starfish

Fortunately Phuket hasn't got a huge population of crown of thorns starfish. They're strange appearance and beautiful colours make them great to look at but high numbers can cause immense damage. Their diet of healthy corals and venomous spines don't place them high on the welcome visitors list which is incredibly unfair. The venomous spines is all on them but destroying coral reefs? In a healthy ecosystem they would be just another li [...]

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