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Koh Doc Mai
GPS Location: 07-47-50 N 98-31-52 E 
Max Depth: 25M
Currents: Mild to moderate South - North or vice verca
Visibility: 5M-20M
Diver Level: Beginner to intermediate
About 19Km East of Chalong Bay one encounters the imposing limestone structure known as Koh Doc Mai, Flower Island in the native tongue. There are various urban myths as to how it got its name. Certainly there are no flowers on ‘Flower Island’ but a favourite theory is it was named after the vast array of colourful tube corals beneath the surface resembling a flower garden. Its steep cliffs extend well below the surface to the sand in which it sits at around 25-30M. This is a wall dive & an ideal drift dive. To get the most out of the dive it is crucial to travel slowly & keep a sharp eye out for the macro life this site is famous for. There are two caves on the East side. Though large enough to accommodate several divers and always in full view of the cave mouths caution is still advised when entering as the fine silty bottoms are easily disturbed causing visibility to be severely compromised. Torches are a must for the bigger of the two caves to the North which consists of two large chambers & a smaller third at the back going into the rock about 35M. The entrance lies at about 22M and from floor to ceiling is about 8M & air pockets have formed from diver’s bubbles in the past. The smaller cave to the South lies in 16M at the rear of a huge cavern which resembles a cathedral entrance. This cave goes in about 15M and is 3M high. The West side consists of a sloping reef. Being usually the last dive of the day one highlight of the West wall is that it gets the afternoon sun from the West while the East side can be quite dark, especially if visibility is low.
Marine Life is mostly macro so dive slowly and diligently. The corals consist of a few hard corals in the shallows where they have some limited purchase on small slopes but mostly we find sponges, tube corals and sea whips. Sea fans protrude from the wall and with a little patience and a sharp eye one may find them harbouring tigertail seahorses or the ever elusive ornate ghost pipefish. In the multitude of cracks and crevices along the wall there are durban dancing shrimps, cleaner shrimps, crabs, cowry shells, several nudibranch varieties including the coi magnificent slug and wart slugs and many species of moray including fimbriated, white eye, giant and yellow margined. For those lucky enough to spot them, anglerfish are often well hidden in the sponges. Many species of grouper including the blue lined, coral and marbled varieties reside here. Blue ringed angelfish and Moorish idols are common too. Lionfish and scorpion fish are ever present so beware of touching the rocks as these are extremely well camouflaged and similarly poisonous. In the blue, outside the wall hunting jacks and trevallies are common and crocodile needlefish hang just below the surface. Leopard sharks sleeping in the sand away from the wall, while not as common as at other sites, have been spotted. Dives usually take place along the East wall but during the months of May to October surface currents can be strong and visibility limited so visual contact with the wall is a must upon descent to avoid getting swept off the site. Egress onto a boat can be tricky in rough seas so swim away from the island upon ascent and exercise extreme caution when getting out of the water. During the calmer months, November to April however, visibility of 20M is not uncommon, turning this into a truly awesome dive site.
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