Ribbon Eel – Lucy’s Reef Racha Yai – Lucy’s Reef – This is the first dive site I ever saw a Ribbon Eel. If you have encountered one of these beautifully marked little eels then you will understand the thrill I had on that dive.
Native to the Indian and Pacific regions this elegant creature has wonderful marking which change as the eel grows older.
Racha Yai is also fantastic for doing the PADI Open Water and Advanced Courses here too… Continue Reading…
Resembling something like an ancient Chinese dragon, in the wild they can live up to 20 years old, though in captivity (where they should not be) they do not live much longer than a month as they refuse point blank to feed.
The juveniles will eventually grow to a little over a metre and are coloured black and have a yellow dorsal fin, the females on the other hand are yellow with a black anal fin and have white markings on the fins. The adult males are blue with yellow markings on their dorsal fin. They are the only species of moray that can and do change sex. I suppose if you can why not.
As you descend on this site there are lots of boulders not huge but big enough to have a good old look about, you should find, other Morays here too maybe Giant and Yellow Edged, also Nemo is not hard to find here, I don’t know what all the fuss was about.
Also Coral banded Sea Snakes are happy here as well as the resident Hawksbill Turtle, who clambers around looking for soft corals amongst other things to feed on. A large school of yellow tail Barracuda’s may give you a swim by to check you out.
There are also quite a few Titan Trigger fish here too. I have had a battle with one or two of them, just be careful not to stray into their nesting areas and you will be fine, if you do stray into their area, quickly hide behind the Divemasters back and let them deal with the bombardments from this easily annoyed fish.
Keep your eyes peeled for Lion fish, they are excellent to watch as well as being very beautiful with their distinct feathery fins and brown and white markings they are quite deadly to the unsuspecting smaller fishes on the reef. They herd their prey into an area using their stinging fins, where they become trapped and have nowhere to go, and then with a lightning strike, the little fish is no more a quick snack.
Trevallies, Rainbow Runners and Mackerels patrol the area looking also for a quick feed, these fish pursue their prey relentlessly and without mercy they seem to work together, bombing the poor little Glass Fish into submission. They lay sorties into the rocks trying to separate them and singling out the individual fish that has become isolated and with a lick of the lips and a switch of the tail it fish food too.
Lucy’s reef is a great dive and is fantastic place to complete your Dive Courses, if you want to dive here let me know I will come too, I love it here.
Dive Tips
- Max depth: 24 metres
- Level of difficulty: Suitable for all
- Visibility: 10 – 30m / 33 – 100ft.
- Current: weak sometimes good drift
- Special features: Amazing fish life
- Quick tip: Watch your back for the Trigger fish if they are nesting
Racha Yai Dive Sites:
- Homerun
- Lucy Reef
- Marla’s Mystery
- Siam Bay
- Bungalow Bay
