Hin Daeng, or ‘Red Rock’, is named after the beautiful red corals that cover the pinnacles. Located 70km south of Ko Lanta, they boast good visibility, unless the waters become extremely plankton-rich. It is this plankton that attracts the larger marine-life and there is a high chance of seeing Manta Rays and passing Whale Sharks throughout the season.

Hin Daeng protrudes about 3 meters above the water, but below, it drops straight down to 70+ meters on the southern side. Don’t forget to look out into the blue, away from the reef, as this is where much of the action can be witnessed.

At the northern point, a school of large Round Batfish can be found. Hang in the water to let these curious fish come in to check you out and be rewarded with some brilliant close up photo opportunities. There are often large schools of barracuda patrolling the outer reef, while rainbow runners, tuna and trevallie are constantly seen, putting on a fascinating spectacle by darting in and out of the blue to feed on the small glass fish schooling on the reef.

Hin Daeng is perfect for underwater videography. The sheer volume of fish and fish action that goes on at this dive site is truly breathtaking and using video is probably the best way to capture the spectacle. With a wide variety of vibrant soft corals, photographers can find many different textures and colours to experiment with, as well as macro delights hiding in the nooks and crannies.

At these sites, the marine-life seems to be on a larger scale than elsewhere in the Andaman Sea. Many Giant Morays can be seen amongst the cracks and crevices and large Leopard Sharks are often found in the 40-meter ridges.

Red-Tooth Trigger Fish flutter prettily amongst the the colourful soft corals, and many types of Anemone fish dance over the top of the highest pinnacles.
It is here that the Manta Ray’s come to be cleaned in the currents that sweep over the tops of the pinnacles, providing a great chance to get fantastic wide angle and silhouette shots.

Octopus are another regular site at Hin Daeng, if you can spot these masters of disguise! During the season, you may be able to witness mating displays where the Octopus frequently change colour and texture, making for a visual experience not to be missed.

Due to the location, sometimes strong currents and depth of this site, it is only considered suitable for advanced divers or divers with over 20 dives who have dived in these conditions before.