Hin Deng & Hin Muang
Where the Whale Sharks & Manta Rays come to play
Every year in April and May we offer special dive cruises on our sailing catamaran Nakamal.
During these two months the sea is usually very calm and allows us to sail and stay over night at Hin Deng and Hin Muang south of Phuket. Both dive spots are famous for the many sightings of Manta Rays and Whale Sharks and April and May are definitely the best months when there is a lot of plankton in the water attracting these gentle giants.
Hin Deng, just a rock that barely pierces the surface of the Andaman Sea and and right next to it Hin Muang which is a totally submerged reef range amongst the best dive sites in Thailand. Unfortunately they offer not good shelter for anchoring and even if there is only little wind waves build up and make an overnight stay even on a stable catamaran very uncomfortable. Therefor during most of the year and only when we have guests on board that are not getting seasick easily we stop there during the day mostly just for one dive as it is 3 hours sail to get there from Koh Rok or Koh Haa and another 3 hours sail to get back to Koh Rok for safe and sheltered anchorage.
But during April and May when the sea is flat like a mirror and Manta Ray visit Hin Deng and Hin Muang in great numbers it makes for a very special experience to sail and stay their aboard charter catamaran Nakamal. Moored right on top of the dive spot you can see the Mantas and occasionally Whale Sharks all day long, either while scuba diving or just snorkelling. Even non divers can watch them from the deck of the yacht as they swim their circles just a few meters bellow.
This year we have really been blessed especially during a sailing charter with a group of enthusiastic divers from Switzerland. Taking video with two cameras we got a lot of real good footage and made a short movie out of it and called Manta Overdose . Here is the result, see for your self
During another sail and dive charter with a group from South Africa, while tied up to a mooring at Koh Rock we had another incredible experience. All four guest were just returning from snorkeling at the near by reef. They were still in the water getting ready to come back on board when Dieter the captain of SY Nakamal who was sitting on the steps at the back of the yacht suddenly shouted “Whale Shark” The South African guests thought he was pulling their leg and the captain had to really urge them to put their mask back on and look just below them where two small but still incredibly majestic Whale Sharks passed right under the yacht. Stefan the long time diving instructor who came along on this cruise had never seen a Whale Shark before. When he heard Dieter shouting Whale Shark it only took him seconds to grab his mask, snorkel and fin and jump in the water. For all on board it has been a truly amazing experience.
