Dive And Relax Koh Lanta

04/05/2024

Please don't collect shells from the beach!

The Mu Koh Lanta National Park is accepting donations of shellfish shells to provide homes to hermit crabs, whose role as beach cleaners to decompose bacteria and disease is crucial for the park's ecosystem.

The "hermit crab" is a creature that is a cross between a crab and a shrimp. When fully grown, they are about 13 centimetres in size and have a total of 10 legs, similar to sea crabs, but the rear part of their body is soft, requiring them to dwell in shells to protect against danger and maintain moisture in their bodies, officials said.

Hermit crabs cannot stay in water for long periods because their respiratory process is developed to directly intake oxygen on land. Even though they live near the shore and have to dip into seawater to absorb calcium and minerals, staying in the water for too long can lead to their demise. Additionally, they require fresh water for survival, park officials said.

Only Gastropoda shells, including freshwater and marine shells of all sizes, are accepted as donations. The focus is on collecting discarded shells from consumption or shell mobile. They do not support the collection of shells from beaches for donation, as they don't want to transfer shells from one beach to another, which would disrupt the natural balance of those areas.

Those interested in the project to provide homes for hermit crabs can send their donations to:

Mu Koh Lanta National Park

59, Moo 5, Koh Lanta National Park,

Koh Lanta Yai, Koh Lanta district,

Krabi, 81150

Phone: 075-656576

06/11/2023

Working Online and love to dive?

Fast Boats, Short Journey Times, Small Groups

Our 2-tank half-day dive trips are the perfect answer for online workers who want to get the most fun out of their time here on Koh Lanta.

With a 9am beach departure and early afternoon return to Lanta, our boats have the shortest possible journey times to the dive sites: as little as 25 - 30 minutes to Koh Haa, and 60 - 75 minutes to Hin Daeng & Hin Muang.

31/10/2023

Join our Friday 3 November 2-dive trip to Hin Daeng & Hin Muang and discover two of the most spectacular dive sites in Thailand.

Just 60 - 75 minutes from Koh Lanta on our speed boat.

Departure direct from the beach at Castaway Resort @ 8:30, return around 2pm.

[email protected] or WhatsApp 089 050 3009

27/10/2023

𝗗𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁!

Join our speed boat trips to some of Thailand’s best dive sites, with a focus on great personal service, safety and fun.

24/10/2023

Fishy Facts - Starfish

Starfish are found at all the dive sites around Koh Lanta, and despite the name, are not actually fish. They don't have gills or scales, and they can’t swim, so scientists like to refer to them as ‘Sea Stars’.

As the name suggests, sea stars are star-shaped. They have a central disc shaped body, and radial arms, much like the spokes of a wheel. The vast majority of the 1,800 or so species of sea stars have 5 arms, though some species have more, up to 40 arms.

Each of the 5 segments, or arms, contains a set of internal organs, with the blood system replaced by a water vascular system - this means sea water is used to pump nutrients around the body.

Sea stars don’t have ‘eyes’ in the traditional sense, but they do have a very simple ‘eye spot’ at the end of each arm that can sense light or dark, so when you cast a shadow over a sea star, it knows you’re there…

They move around and hunt for food using the hundreds of tiny tube feet on the underside of each arm. The mouth is on the bottom of the central disc, and the a**s is on the top of the disc - every time you look at a sea star, you’re looking at its bum!

The majority of sea stars feed on tiny shellfish and animals living on the seafloor such as clams, oysters and snails. The unique feeding method involves the stomach emerging from the mouth and squeezing into the shell of its prey, digesting food outside its body. The stomach is then retracted back inside the sea star’s body.

Some species have adapted to alternative food sources, for example, the Crown-of-Thorns Sea Star feeds on coral polyps and can kill entire hard coral colonies.

Most sea stars are harmless, however a few species contain highly toxic venom in their spines. A sting from a Crown-of-Thorns sea star is extremely painful.

The vast majority of species can regenerate damaged or lost parts, and we can see this around Koh Lanta when Harlequin Shrimp love to snip the arms off of snake sea stars and drag them back home to eat.

A lost arm contains a complete set of vital organs, and in time can regenerate the central disc and other legs to become a completely separate sea star.

[email protected] or WhatsApp +66 0890503009

20/10/2023

Congratulations to Megan and Coleman completing their PADI Open Water and Advanced Open Water Diver courses with Oh and Karl here on Koh Lanta with Dive And Relax Koh Lanta

18/10/2023

It's High Season again! Avoid the crowds, dive trips in small groups on our fast boats to some of Thailand's best dive sites, with a focus on great personal service, safety, and fun.

[email protected] or WhatsApp +66 0890503009

29/03/2023

10/12/2022

Fishy Facts: Leopard Sharks

The Zebra Shark family contains only one member, the Zebra, or as we call it here in Thailand, the Leopard Shark.

These carpet sharks are often found resting on the sandy bottoms close to the reef edge, and we’re most likely to see them at Hin Bida, or Hin Klai, and occasionally at Koh Bida Nok or Koh Bida Nai.

Leopard sharks have a long cylindrical body, with a short blunt snout and a flattened head. The small eyes are located to the sides of the head.

The nostrils have short downward pointing barbels with a groove running to the mouth. There are up to 30 rows of small teeth in both the upper and lower jaws.

Adult Leopard sharks have been known to reach 3 metres in size. They have 5 horizontal ridges along their long cylindrical bodies and their spot markings are so varied between adults that it is possible to identify individuals.

Juvenile leopard sharks have a different colour pattern entirely, they have light zebra stripes on a dark background, slowly changing to leopard-like spots when they reach 50 - 90 cm in length.

Leopard Sharks are strong and agile swimmers, propelling themselves with their long powerful tails which make up nearly 50% of their total length.

Nocturnal feeders, Zebra Sharks hunt for crustaceans, small fish and molluscs amongst the reef and sandy bottoms at night.

During the day they spend their time resting on the seafloor. You may see them propped up on their large broad pectoral fins facing the current in channels.

A male zebra shark will chase and bite the females fins during mating. He will wrap his body around hers and insert one of his claspers into her cloaca.

Females may lay up to 40 - 50 egg capsules in batches of around 4, over a period of 100 days.

The large egg capsules are around 6cm long, 7cm wide and approximately 5 cm thick. The egg case is a dark brown colour with hair-like fibres which allow the eggs to be attached to the substrate.

After a gestation period of up to 6 months the 10inch pups will hatch fully developed and independent.

29/11/2022

Congratulations to Dan, Teresa, Ava, Tucker and Carmen on their first ever dives at Koh Rok. Now it's time to get certified!

Contact us WhatsApp 089 050 3009 if you'd like to try scuba diving with us here on Koh Lanta.

27/11/2022

𝗗𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗛𝗶𝗻 𝗗𝗮𝗲𝗻𝗴 & 𝗛𝗶𝗻 𝗠𝘂𝗮𝗻𝗴

Small Groups, Fast Boats: Just 60 - 75 minutes by speedboat from the south end of Long Beach, Koh Lanta.

Every Tuesday and Friday from November to April.

Experienced divers only.

WhatsApp: +66 (0)89 050 3009