Richelieu Rock is known all over the world as one of the best dives where you will meet and can swim with whale sharks.

Name divesite:	Richelieu Rock
Depth:	0-36m (0-118ft)
Visibility:	10-30m (32-98ft)
Accessibility:	Live-aboard
Time to visit:	November - April
Specifications:

Diving Richelieu Rock in Thailand has become world's top location for diving with whale sharks. The best season for diving with whales is from March to May when these majestic gentle but huge creatures pass by. A sighting of the largest fish living in the ocean has a ten percent success rate. These amazing creatures are rare almost everywhere in the world so consider yourself lucky if you have the opportunity to dive with them. The whales are attracted to this horse shoe shaped splintered rock pinnacle, because there is nothing else around for miles. The rocks are filtering the water resulting in rich plank tonic booms which attracts whales and manta rays to within ten meters from the rock. Swimming with these large animals which are known to grow up to fourteen meters of length are an experience never to forget. But Richelieu Rock is not only famous because of spotting whales. All sorts of tropical fish can be found, but also turtles, harlequin and mantis shrimp.

Richelieu Rock can be found fifteen kilometres east of Mu Koh Surin National Marine Park at the northern tip of the Surin islands. Richelieu Rock consists of one large rock pinnacle rising from forty meters deep to just breaking the surface at low tide. It is always difficult to decide whether you will be diving here with your wide angle lens or some macro photo subjects. The several smaller rocks nearby are beautiful places for smaller marine life to hide in. While large schools of fish such as snappers, jacks, chevron barracudas and trevally are circling around the rock. Its limestone rock formations are covered in anemones, sponges, sea fans and soft coral. There is always plenty of live at this bio diverse site as well. Some examples are sharks, manta rays, groupers and barracuda's. But also seahorses, mating cuttlefish, octopus, frogfish, pipefish and colourful nudibranches make this site excellent for divers and photographers. It can be busy during peak season, because divers expect all live-aboards to visit this famous dive site.

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