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Diving the King Cruiser Wreck Phuket

The ill-fated 85-metre King Cruiser catamaran passenger ferry sank on the 4th of May 1997. The incident occurred during its daily route as it sailed between Phuket and the famous Phi Phi Islands.

This dive guide contains useful information about Phuket wreck diving and one of the most famous shipwrecks that came to rest at the bottom of the Andaman Sea.

King Cruiser Dive Site Facts & Information

Pro Tip: Another section contains facts and information about marine animals and ocean fishes, and how marine science benefits benthic and pelagic saltwater ecosystems.

Why Did The King Cruiser Sink?

The vessel strayed into a submerged rocky pinnacle called Anemone Reef in southern Thailand around sixteen (16) kilometres from its intended destination.

In fact, the incident smashed a large gaping hole in one of the hulls and the ship went down in less than three (3) hours.

Fortunately all 561 Thai and local holidaymaker passengers were rescued by nearby police patrol boats and several fishing boats that also responded to the emergency distress call.

Even though there were no fatalities, the most serious injury was a broken back suffered by an elderly lady and a range of shock symptoms for most of the passengers.

Here's the thing:

The crossing took place in tranquil conditions and the captains were well aware of the charted position of the reef. Yet, the actual cause of the accident remains largely unconfirmed.

Information about King Cruiser Wreck Phuket, ThailandNonetheless, some of the rumours for the sinking (yet to be proven) include:

Plus, one of the most outrageous is that local scuba schools financed the deliberate sinking of the King Cruiser to create Phuket's first artificial reef.

In fairness, the question may never be answered with certitude. However, the captain was subsequently charged and found guilty of negligence.

What's it Like to Dive the King Cruiser?

The wreckage largely prevails as a single underwater structure - even though some of the upper deck sections have collapsed.

As a consequence of that, almost one hundred metres of oxidizing metal has created one of the biggest artificial reef structures (and a recreational dive site) in the area.

The vessel rests upright on a sandy silt bottom about thirty metres below the surface. Even though the top of the wreck levels out around ten metres, it's considered as being a dive for experienced divers.

Why?

Using the appropriate equipment - and having the necessary dive training - is essential for anyone who intends to go inside the ruins of a sunken shipwreck.

The only practical entry point of the King Cruiser is at the stern where the car decks and the engine trolleys were once active.

Over 15 years of coral growth has established itself along the ship's belly and down the sides. You might also enjoy a comical photo session conducted around the surviving porcelain toilets.

Pro Tip: Divers should be aware that the toilets haven't been cleaned recently and they are usually surrounded by large invasive lionfish.

In Summary

On a regular basis, the entire wreck will be ambushed by shoals of barracudas (genus Sphyraena), bigeye trevally (Caranx sexfasciatus), and yellowtail snappers (Ocyurus chrysurus).

Lionfish grow to enormous sizes at the King Cruiser and sea turtles wander around "generally unperturbed" by the activities of curious scuba divers.

Descend deeper and you are likely to see docile zebra sharks (Stegostoma tigrinum) and maybe a congregation of small bamboo sharks.

We can't think of a better reason to contact one of the local dive centres and spend up to an hour blowing bubbles around one of the best shipwreck dives in Thailand!

Related Information and Help Guides

Note: The short video [4:37 seconds] presented by "Indepth Dive Centre" contains genuine footage of the King Cruiser shipwreck and some of the resident marine life.

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