Viking Bay Artificial Reef
Viking Bay is located on the east side of Phi Phi Ley Island and is part of the marine protected Had Nopharathara National Park. The dive site is located approximately 20 minute boat ride from Phi Phi Don Island.
The artificial reef was provided by the DMCR (Department of Marine and Coastal Resources, in two parts starting with the construction of the first part by Andrew Hewett (owner at The Adventure Club) and volunteers in 2006. The 2nd section was installed in 2014 by the DMCR. The artificial reef consists of approximately 400 1 meter cubic concrete blocks.
THE DIVE SITES
This dive site is quite large and comprises of the artificial reef and also the natural reef
The Artificial Reef
The Artificial Reef at Viking bay consists of two parts. The first part was constructed into 3 large pyramids structures and ranges for 11 meters down to 19 meters depth. Adjacent there is the 2nd part where the blocks were installed pre-assembled in squares ranging from 11 meters to 20 meters in depth.
The dive here typically starts at the pyramids and the immediate impression is how much coral life has taken to the concrete blocks. You will discover here that much of the coral was transplanted from the coral nursery that The Adventure Club managed for 17 years as part of a program initiated by the DMCR.
Marine life here is pretty spectacular and oddly one of the few places where we commonly see batfish schooling. Keep an eye out for the gorgonian seafans located on the tallest pyramid and which were first transplanted by The Adventure Club team back in 2010.
As you continue along the reef you can see the difference in the coral growth since the 2nd part was installed 8 years after the first section but nonetheless the reef is making good progress.
Pyramid #1 at Viking Bay Artificial Reef
Viking Bay Artificial Reef Gallery
The Natural Reef
The natural reef here is shallow and ranges from 1 meters down to 18 meters in places and only 6 meters in others. From the deepest point of the reef edge the sandy substrate slowly slopes away and if you had the time a swim out along the sand would eventually get you to about 25 meters in depth.
The reef here consists of hard coral bommies and there are scatterings of coral reef separated by small expanses of sand. So a dive along here would consist of reef, sand, reef, sand etc. However there are lots of discoveries to be made in the sand here. Kuhl’s stungrays, flounder, leopard sharks, mantis shrimp, all are seen quite commonly.
The natural reef also has some extremely large schools of yellow snappers, and there are a number of resident turtles often seen here. In the shallows of the viking bay it is almost guaranteed to see black tip reef sharks but it is more suitable for snorkelers as it is so shallow. However as you dive north along the reef line the reef gets shallow as does the dive profile and the top of the reef slope has been sculpted into the limestone cliff face and in the overhangs here you can often see black tip reef sharks during the safety stop.
