Reef Explorers
Coral-covered structure of the King Cruiser wreck
Experienced≤40 m

King Cruiser Wreck

Dive site in Phuket & Koh Lanta, Thailand

An 85 m passenger ferry that sank upright in 30 m after hitting Anemone Reef in 1997, now circled by schools of trevally and barracuda.

Max depth
33 m
Level
Experienced
Best months
Nov–Apr
Entry
By boat
Current
Strong

Photo: Ralf Schmidt, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The story

The car ferry King Cruiser sank on 4 May 1997 after hitting the rocky pinnacles of Anemone Reef on the Phuket–Phi Phi run. All 561 passengers were rescued, and the wreck now sits upright in around 30 m.

Source: en.wikipedia.org

The dive

A wreck dive from a boat. Known for barracuda and trevally.

Who it's for

Recommended minimum: Experienced (Deep Specialty, N3).

  • CurrentCurrent can be strong; you need good air management and buoyancy.
  • Strong current: dive with a local guide and carry a surface marker buoy.

Conditions

Dive type
Wreck
Entry
By boat
Estimated
Environment
Open water
Water
Sea water

What you might see

  • Barracuda
  • Trevally

Season in Phuket & Koh Lanta

  • Best
  • Good
  • Possible
  • Closed
  • Not documented yet

Best months: Nov–Apr.

Source: dive-the-world.com

Where is Phuket & Koh Lanta?

View on OpenStreetMapLocation: Phuket province (Wikipedia)Map: Natural Earth

The point shows the Phuket & Koh Lanta area, not the exact dive site.

About this page

Values marked “Estimated” come from our original catalogue and are being checked against published sources one by one. Sourced values link to where they come from. Conditions change with the season, the weather and the tide: confirm with a local dive centre before you dive.

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Photo credits